What’s stopping you from joining active politics? – II
*** UPDATE ***
You can still participate in the poll by clicking on clicking on this link. Thanks
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A few weeks ago, I requested you to take part in a poll on “What is stopping you from joining active politics?“.
I am very pleased with the level of participation. I got over a 100 responses and also some though-provoking comments e.g. “…Fear that at the end I will be forced to be corrupt for survival sake” and “no inner party democracy in any party…”. But first, the results…
Poll: What is stopping you from joining active politics? (only one response was allowed)
Inability to raise funds for campaigning:Â 24%Â Â
Family responsibilities:Â 20%Â Â
Loss of income:Â 18%Â Â
Worry about personal safety:Â 15%Â Â
Fear of not succeeding:Â 8%Â Â
Risk to personal reputation:Â 6%Â Â
Not worth it: Â 5%Â Â
Other:Â 4%Â Â
The single biggest reason(s) stopping good, thinking, committed people from joining active politics are
- inability to raise funds and
- worries about family responsibilities and loss of income
Sanjay of Freedom Team conducted a similar poll on the FTI website for FTI members. The results from that poll revealed that although members were keen to contest elections, 60% of them cited “lack of funds” as the prime reason of dropping out.
Surprisingly, only 10% gave “family reasons” as a reason for not contesting (I guess this is because most FTI members are senior professionals in various fields and are less worried about potential loss of future earnings).
Interestingly, 20% (as against 8% in my poll) mentioned “pessimism of winning” (fear of not succeeding) as a reason for not considering joining active politics. Does this mean there are more pessimists amongst FTI members – or are they more realistic? I will look forward to thoughts and comments from Sanjay, Sanjeev Sabhlok and others on this.
I will add my thoughts and analysis (hopefully) later today…
In the meantime, please share your thoughts, suggestions and ideas on the results…and what would you do to change people’s perceptions re. active politics.
Jai Hind, Jai Bharat!
Related Posts:
What is stopping you from joining active politics?Â
Fixing the “system†– getting down to the nuts and boltsÂ
Dear Shantanu
Let me analyse your results based on the following extracts from my (draft manuscript of) ‘Discovery of Freedom’. The material below needs to be read first in order to follow my argument.
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“I completely detest anyone who claims to live first for their country. I want nothing to do with such hypocrites. I want everyone to live for themselves first and foremost. That is the surest way they will take India to greatness. Anyone who desires to ‘sacrifice’ his or her self-interest for the wider society is either a hypocrite or a totally irresponsible person, and we want nothing to do with such people.”
“While we do not have broader responsibilities than those towards ourselves and our families, we do have a joint responsibility (together with everyone else) to ensure that the social contract and the law is upheld; we have a responsibility to be a good citizen.”
“The theory of freedom also argues for our broader responsibility. We are not islands in ourselves: we are intimately liked with the rest of the world. Our broader responsibility is the outflow of our responsibility to ourselves and our families. We can’t take care or ourselves or of our children if the world around is in tatters. We are responsible for leaving the world a better place for our children than we found it. But this can only be a shared responsibility. We have no capacity to unilaterally ‘reform’ our society or solve long standing intractable problems. ”
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In brief, I detest those who pretend to ‘sacrifice’ themselves for the country. Such people are almost invariably knaves or fools. Who really believes that the Nehru dynasty ‘sacrfices’ itself for India? After Nehru who was an honest person, the rest have been knaves who have infected the country badly with the virus of corruption and who partake in illegal activities each day of their life.
Similarly we don’t want rich people who have no idea of the problems faced by the common man to allegedly ‘sacrifice’ for us. Such people (e.g. erstwhile aristocrats and ‘Rajas’) are largely fools whom we can do without.
This analysis explains why I have insisted (in ‘Breaking Free of Nehru’ – details at http://www.sanjeev.sabhlokcity.com/breakingfree.html, and you’ve got the relevant chapter on your website somewhere), that the society must PAY well for its representatives.
Indeed, the battle to get good pay for MPs was fought in by the middle classes in UK in the early 19th century to ensure that the stranglehold of the landed aristocrats over the parliament was removed.
We need state funding of elections in the reimbursement model I have proposed in great detail – this is a standard model in places like Australia. We also need numerous other electoral reforms such as paying our MPs at least Rs. 1 lakh per month, in addition to state funding.
The point being – by ignoring the financial costs of contesting elections, we have created a monopoly in the parliament for knaves and fools. No sensible or non-corrupt people are to be found (there are still a few, luckily for us). This is not the way to run any society.
So as your survey shows, high financial costs of elections are an extremely significant barrier to the common person. From where can I (or my party) get Rs. 25 lakhs spare money to contest elections? And that is peanuts. Every other party spends crores of black money. Even 25 lakhs won’t work.
Second, pessimism. Today, we are finding it extremely hard to find even 1500 outstanding leaders in India willing to contest elections on the platform of freedom and world-best policy. Without a significant party or group to contest elections with, naturally there would be pessimism. You can’t win elections on your own.
The good news now.
FTI is designed to overcome such pessimism. I invite all those who fulfill the conditions at:
http://freedomteam.in/whoshouldjoin.html
to apply to join FTI. BTW the FTI website is now being professionally designed and in a couple of months will be radically improved.
May I also take the opportunity to pitch for my forthcoming book which lays out the philosophical foundation for FTI? BFN is now being printed and should reach bookstores in a month or two now. More details at:
http://www.sanjeev.sabhlokcity.com/breakingfree.html
This book is my blueprint of reforms that India needs. It is only a proposal and I am quite happy to modify its recommendations suitably after consultation with the 1500 member Freedom Team once it assembles. Already the Team has started proposing draft policies in joint consultation. This is a hard task and is taking much time.
However, this democratic and team approach towards policy design is the hallmark of the Freedom Team. We are on this team as equals. No one is the ‘boss’, no presidents, no office bearers. We will select the best leaders after everyone assembles. Once again I invite you to join.
See also: https://satyameva-jayate.org/2008/01/09/freedom-team-for-india/
Regards
Sanjeev
It will be interesting to study the motivation of people who join politics now.They will have their own private agendas and there are groups and individuals to support them since the supporting groups can use the politicians to serve their agendas.As a result the common good of the nation suffers.
Now how to go about it by people who are genuinely concerned about themselves,the coming generation and the nation.?
We have only 2 options.1.Locating patriotic people who are willing to stand for elections on their on with the active support of other like minded people and trying to influence the political process directly.
2Trying to create public opinion in favor of good policies,programs and their implementation by whatever way possible so that politicians and decision makers are kept on track.
Is there any 3rd way?I keep my fingers crossed.
Babu
US honor to Lok Satta Party
The U. S. Government has chosen Mrs. A. Subashini of the Lok Satta Party as one of the 100 international observers for its presidential election on November 4.
Mrs. Subhashini, the first woman from Andhra Pradesh to be chosen for the honor, will be in the U. S. for three weeks studying the campaign by the two presidential candidates and the election.
The Lok Satta Party, expressing its happiness over Mrs. Subhashini’s choice, hopes the visit will help the party in its movement to strengthen democracy.
Mrs. Subhashini will be visiting Germany from November 9 at the invitation of its Government and take part in a political conference.
—
Lok Satta Aandolan
http://www.loksattamovement.org
If one cannot get into politics, the least one can do is vote for the BJP/NDA … and make sure as many of your friends/relatives/neighbours as possible to vote for the BJP/NDA in the next elections.
Only when Hindu Nationalists capture power at the Centre and various States will India’s problems be solved.:)
hi shantanu, this is an excellent initiative on your part and the results are quite interesting.
But I think there is one more chief reason that is not captured by this poll and i’am sure that is also one of the Biggest factors that stops a lot of people from getting into active politics.
The Fear of Public Speaking :).
and the reason about “loss of income” or not able to make enough to look after one’s family is more a perception than reality. most people holding any kind of political office in the country are paid enough that they can comfortably take care of a family of four with all the attendant perks like free housing, schooling for kids, free travel etc… without dipping their hand into the cookie jar.
“If one cannot get into politics, the least one can do is vote for the BJP/NDA … and make sure as many of your friends/relatives/neighbours as possible to vote for the BJP/NDA in the next elections.
Fat chance of *that* happening ….. the BJP has shown that, far from being the party with a difference, it can not even overcome its narrow political interests in the national interest. They have well and truly shot themselves in the foot, especially with their core upper/middle-class community.
I voted for the BJP in the last two national elections …. but not again …. not unless they can demonstrate they are better than the communists or the regional parties. BJP will really feel the loss of Vajpayee.
Sanjeev and Babu: I have not ignored your comments but am holding off my response…
They are truly thought-provoking and have raised a number of questions in my mind (and given me some ideas) which I would like to think through clearly before articulating my response.
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Dear All: I would once again request everyone to please think about this issue and share your thoughts…
Beyond a point, writing about the challenges we face on this blog (or elsewhere) is unlikely to make much impact…
We will need to influence the political process…and elections/active politics is the only way to achieve that.
Thanks
“The world is a dangerous place. Not because of the people who are evil; but because of the people who don’t do anything about it.†[attributed to Albert Einstein, if someone else, please let us know]
1. We all worry about our personal life, falimy life, personal reputation, family reputation, when comes to take a risk. It is natural. Who want to spoil their life, personalities/careers shaped after hard work and efforts.
2. But to me, at one point or other, one need take risk. It is in any activity. Scientists goes to Antarctica, North Pole, taking extreme risks. There is no fun to go their in such an hazardous environment. Climbers climbs the highest peaks of the world, taking extreme personal risks. Soldiers fighting in diffrent conflist zones, with great risks. Lists goes on.
3. Without risks, no big achievements ever made. When comes to political risks, I think, its not that big a risk in comparison to many other risks. There are risks, there also rewards, fame, and achievements. We need to look to the positive side.
4. But we have created an environment or some vested interests created an enviroment in our mind and psyche, very first, we look at negative and bad sides, and without a thorough analysis, simply give up.
5. And say to ourselves,
“It is not my cup of tea, you know. All the rascals, criminals rule the nation, we can’t compete with them. They will simply eliminate me, and my family. And whats for this thankless job? Does anyone appreciate my contribution? No, rather they will stamp all the ugly tags of criminals, mafias, chors, and so on. So, let the scoundrals rule, I don’t care.”
6. For most educated decent people, secure peaceful life and reputation are priorities. They prefer easy life, a life devoid of any social-public problems. Social problems are not their problems. They transformed them into self-seekers and idols. Is that life at all?
7. Risks invloved in every affaris. We are doing great harms to our eyes with computer work. I bet, many of us now wear extra eyes in the form of eye-glasses. Many destroying their potency, recent sociological findings.
8. Taking risks to become a leader, a political leader, is worth pursuing. See, what Sri Krishna said to Arjuna in the Kurukshetra battlefield:
hato va prapsyasi svargam
jitva va bhoksyase mahim
tasmad uttistha kaunteya
yuddhaya krta-niscayah [BG 2.37]
You will go to heaven if killed,
Or you will enjoy the earth if victorious.
Therefore, get up
With a determination to fight, O Arjuna.
Bharat
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PS. @Moderator: Please discard the previous message. Its wrongly got published, due to the hazard called Keyboard magic.
Very well said Bharat.
On request, I am keeping this poll open (although it no longer appears on this page)…
You can participate by clicking this link:
http://www.polldaddy.com/p/969643/
Excerpt from: The last untapped vote bank:
Now, let’s turn to the candidates. For long, many people have shied away from contesting elections because they don’t believe they can win, and they don’t believe that their participation will make a difference. But that is slowly changing, and will change even faster in the coming years. In city after city, we will see urban middle class candidates contesting on new or independent platforms, and their participation in elections will be the tipping point that draws the hiterto indifferent voter to the booth.
Such candidates, even they lose (and many will) can take heart – they will be performing an important service by merely throwing their hats into the ring. They will be the pioneers of change, giving the last untapped vote bank in this country a reason to vote – for candidates like themselves.