Social Media and Political parties

(This is my lecture on Social Media and its use as a tool by political parties given at an International Conference organised by Makhanlal University)

Respected Vice Chancellor sir, Anil Dave ji, Vikas ji, friends of the media and all those present here, a very warm morning to you all

Today is 15^th Dec, the death anniversary of the Iron Man of India, Shri Vallabh Bhai Patel. I would pay my humble homage to one of the greatest visionaries of modern India. He was an Indian and will remain to be an Indian, in spite of all the efforts to confine him to a region.

1.I would like to congratulate Prof Kuthiala and his entire team for organizing this conference and deliberating on such an important issue. Currently the entire country is going through a political metamorphosis where the rules of the game are changing everyday. New dimensions are coming up and the way politics was perceived even a decade back has changed drastically. When I started off in this field, a lot of things were un-thought of and there was certain style of politics that was practiced across the board- a top to bottom approach where you had a coterie who took the decisions and it was left for the entire party to follow. A direct interaction between the 10th tier worker and a member of the august group was unheard of but now all these perceptions have been turned on their heads. This is ladies and gentlemen what social media has done to politics.

2. Now this is all within a party, what about “Social Media and Politics”? In the bygone era there were tea stalls, paan ki dukan, nukkads, mohallas which had a very special place in politics. Adda was a big thing, if I may borrow this term from Bengal, where anything and everything was discussed. Politics was and still remains “the” topic of discussion and as joked in Bhopal that you can sit at Kamla Park and decide from a corporator candidate to a presidential candidate over a cup of tea. However with the internet and mobile phone revolution- all thanks to the vision of a gentleman called Rajiv Gandhi- now this entire discourse has shifted on Internet and Social Media sites. It all started with Orkut- then Facebook- Twitter- now Whats App, We Chat, Vibgyour, Google Hangout, Youtube Channels- you name it and there is an app to help you communicate. What these social media sites have done is they have widened the platform of discussion. You are now no longer confined to Raju tea stall or choursia paan bhandaar. And this is so far the only media which is self regulated as cyber laws in India are not very stringent. If somebody ever argues with you on Freddom of Speech and how it is being curbed, just leave them on a social media site and enjoy.

Now coming to the main theme of today’s discussion that is Social Media and How Political Parties are using it as a medium of communication. The first thing that political parties did with this media was they shared ideas, events, created a buzz about something. Slowly it was used as a PR machinery for the party as well as for individuals. There are enough examples of individuals who are purely creations of social media and some have even reached the stage of PM in waiting. Political parties are also using this media for spewing venom at their rivals. Now the question is till the time we continue with “meri saree teri saree se safed kaise” banter it is fine as this does not endanger the grain of democracy.

However a few recent incidents have demonstrated that there is a certain section which is using it spread communal disharmony. I am talking about the Muzzafarnagar riots where two mentally sick people belonging to one of the largest National Party shared an old video from Pakistan which went viral on the social networking sites and what happened next is something we all know. Another incidence is about a couple of years back when North Eastern people were targeted in the south over some fabricated story that went viral on these sites. Both these incidences show the ugly side of Social Media and Politics.

On the brighter side we have “AAP” which has its genesis in social media. The entire Ramleela Maidan movement was operated from social media and today we have Arvind Kejriwal as one of the most important political figure in the country especially in Northern India.

Nirbhaya case is also an eye opener for all the political parties as it showcased social dissent over a very brutal, heinous crime and how all the parties had to accept the might of this media. The new Anti Rape law was formulated only after this incidence.

3. How Congress party is using Social Media? At the outset I would like to say that YES we were late in understanding the reach and influence of this media. People like me were exceptions in the party and were branded as uber urban with limited reach. But as soon as the top leadership understood the might of this medium of communication, it has lapped it up and now the grand dads of this grand old party are very much active on social media.

There are two fronts on which we are using social media. Firstly, to communicate with our own party workers and to give them inputs on various issues. For internal communication we use What’s App, SMS and Khidkee. We constantly communicate all over the country and we have been doing the same in Madhya Pradesh as well. Khidkee is a social networking site only for party workers, especially the Youth where they can voice their opinions freely.

Secondly, on a larger scale we are communicating with the masses. We have official Facebook pages, Twitter handles, Google Hangout sessions, Youtube Channels where we are propagating our ideology, our achievements, making people aware of true historical events, pointing out the corruption cases in the opposition state governments, new initiatives of the party and the government. Like yesterday we trended #studentsmanifesto and #INC4Lokpal. This helps a lot to the strategy makers of the party. We also have Mouobile Apps about the party.

Rahul Gandhiji, the Vice President of our party wants us to work on a volunteer pattern where we are asking our party members to act as volunteers and connect with people. He wants to bring in the positives and achievements of our party in public domain. Congress is the oldest party of the country and we have to let the younger generation know what our contribution has been in nation building. Our party is trying to build rapport with the marginalized sections of the society. We have been asked to open conversations with tribals, women, minorities, dalits.

4. The political parties have found a new way to interact but are the people fine about getting bombarded with political discourse. If I talk as an individual belonging to a political party I feel that it has helped me to get a better understanding of issues and people. Common man finds himself connected to the whole decision making process. Be it Egypt, be it a referendum on Right to Food, be it coming up with a new Anti Rape Act, people have had their say. It is only through Twitter and Facebook that people directly interact with say a Shashi Tharoor, a Digvijaya Singh, a Jay Panda, a L K Advani, a Kapil Sibbal, a Arvind Kejriwal to name a few. Let me recount an incident about how one of the youngsters was tweeted back by Shashi Tharoor ji while his stay in Bhopal a few months back that he would not be coming to the party office. The youngster was not believed though but that is the power of social media.

There are certain negatives too. A lot of people do not want to discuss politics- period. They feel that a lot of closet journalists, megalomaniacs have come to the fray who dilute important issues. They do not take seriously what is being discussed on these platforms. This section only uses social media as a platform for interacting with friends.

5. I suppose that when the University decided on this topic for today’s discussion, they must have somewhere thought about how social media is helping or harming Democracy. Nao after 6 decades of being a Democracy, seeing the highs and the lows, we know that we are a strong country and there is not much that can be done to harm it. Communication, transparency are important facets of Democracy. And I personally, very firmly believe that social media has strengthened our Democracy. I will share how this transparency has come about. A lot of media friends are sitting here and there was news of accident which was blocked by the media but played extensively on the social media. I am talking about an Aston Martin car belonging to one of the biggest business house which was over speeding and rammed into an Audi and Elantra. The security guards following the car came and took away the driver. However the next day the entire matter was hushed up and none of the traditional media took up this case. Another incidence is of how one of the Minister of the previous government of Madhya Pradesh was not allowed to enter some villages for canvassing and he ultimately lost the elections. This was also not focused by other media was taken up in the social media.

There are umpteen examples of how Democracy has been strengthened by this new media. I would once again like to talk of the current phenomenon AAP. When they started some 3 years back, they were anti establishment, anti democracy- who can forget the graphic of their leader cutting the electric connection of a home. But it is this very Democracy which has allowed them to form a party and fight elections and hopefully form the government. I now sincerely hope that they would now respect Democracy.

6. In conclusion to my speech I would like to say that do not expect miracles overnight. Do not put the weight on this new media of revolutionizing the society. It is there only in about 100 cities covering just 1 percent population, but surely it is creating a buzz. We have to give it time to mature, to bloom, to make mistakes, to flourish. Let me end with a few lines of one of my favorite poets Dushyant Kumar

कहां तो तय था चरागाँ हर घर के लिए

कहां चराग मयस्सर नहीं शहर के लिए

यहाँ दरख्तों के साये में धुप लगती हैं

चलो यहाँ से चले और उम्र भर के लिए

खुदा न सही, आदमी का ख्वाब सही

कोई हसीं नज़ारा तो हैं नज़र के लिए

वो मुतमईन हैं की पत्थर पिघल नहीं सकता

में बकरार हूँ आवाज़ के असर के लिए

Saheb, Teju and Women

The past month has gone by in a blink. Lots have been happening all around, politically, economically and socially. The Aarushi murder case judgement is out which has created a big stir but two cases are making headlines continuously- the "Saheb" case where the Gujarat Chief Minister and his close aide keeping tab of a lady for "security reasons" and second is the Tehelka-Teju case where Tarun Tejpal sexually assaulted his junior colleague- all in the name of "fun".

Both these cases reek of male chauvinism and moral corruption. In the first case, the perpetrators of this heinous act are known for their notoriety. When this entire episode was brought to light by ever vigilant media, first there was refusal, then it was pointed out that it was a malicious act of the opposition and finally very arrogantly it was announced that it was all for the betterment of the concerned lady. Two things stand out in this episode- one the concerned lady has not spoken out yet. We are all waiting with abated breath to hear her side of the story. In the 21st century, all women emancipation groups are shouting from rooftops that women are free- physically, financially, emotionally, therefore as a fellow women I think that the girl can take her own decisions and speak her mind. So far her father has stepped forward and said that the snooping was done at his behest and there is nothing wrong in it. The second point is that will this Chief Minister do the same for all the women of the state. And isn't he shying away from the main issue that is to make the society more free, secure where no woman will require snooping.

Tehelka-Tarun Tejpal case is even worse because since its inception Tehelka has always taken a moral high ground, there has been righteousness in their attitude. They have skinned alive many politicians on many occasions and rightly so but when it came on Tejpal himself, the discourse changed from bad to worse. The role played by Shoma Chaudhary is disgusting. She is one female who belongs to that voracious breed of females who are considered to be the crusaders of feminism. Her reaction in this entire episode magnifies the double standards that we so often witness in the society. Though she has resigned from her post, but it is too little, too late. As far as Tarun Tejpal is concerned, he should be banned from journalism for life and the tactics that he is adopting are deplorable & punishment meted out to him should be such that it acts as a deterrent for others. 

Women is perceived as "Shakti" & she has never been so week that she cannot resurrect here dignity. We do not want a "Saheb" to protect us, we do not want the Tejpal's of the society & we surely do not want Shoma Chaudhary's to be our crusaders.

YOUTH- the catchword

Youth is the catch word currently. Whether it is the FMCG companies, policy makers, demographers, politicians, everybody is in a hurry to capture the imagination of today's youth. Statistically currently we have the largest young population and by 2020 we will have the largest youth population. It means we will have very young labour market and compared to our neighbor China we will have more skills.

There is a downside too to this beautiful picture and that is we will have to generate employment at a much higher rate, would require more educational & training  institutions. There will be more crimes, more unrest, more pressure on the policy makers to deliver.

In such a scenario, going to the polls and promising moon to the youth reveals two things- firstly political parties think that youth is so gullible that they will not understand that most of the promises are hollow and secondly the political class think that this huge educated, skilled manpower is easy to manage and therefore the gravity in policy making is not visible.

Youth is always associated with energy, idealism, hot hotheadedness, raw emotion and all this energy needs to be channelized in the right direction. The present state of the society is such that youth believes that everything is manageble. This lack of trust in the system by the youth is ominous for any country.

The policy maker's and the people's representatives have to take up this issue in a very concrete way in near future if they want to take the country ahead. Employment and that too gainful employment has to be generated in tune with the rising young population. The entire education policy needs a revamp. Currently we have a public education system that is endowed with infrastructure, funds and teachers but lacks quality and private education which gets a raw deal.

On the economic front , 22 years of LPG has taught us that public sector needs to be revamped and re-trusted. Market mechanism cannot give us the desired results. Banking sector needs more government presence. Manufacturing sector needs to be nurtured. If we keep the service sector growing then we will create a lot of bubbles. More linkages needs to be created between agriculture and industry .

Youth is a big asset for any country and they need to be handled with kid gloves, otherwise this asset may turn up to be our biggest liability.

The Changed Narrative

2013 and 14 will see 11 state elections and one Lok Sabha elections. So it is very natural that political debate will get heated. In such a situation more and more debates are on individuals and issues which are not very important for the democracy. Which leader has got a better oratory skills is less important than the vision that the leader has. Also the political parties have to be more tolerant about the views that people have.

Currently a lot of debate is happening over whether pre poll surveys should be held or not. My personal view is that ban is never a solution. What the political parties should actually demand is that the surveys should be more authentic and reliable. Most of these surveys have very small sample size which makes the results unreliable.  They should be more scientific.

Another issue that is important is  basic services like road, electricity, water which still remain election issues even after 6 decades of independence. Today the issues should be better health services, more industries, more exports, quality education, better facilities for sportsmen, better environment for setting industries, but we are still stuck with sadak, bijli, pani. In my state of Madhya Pradesh in 2003, the BJP came to power with the promise that people will get better services on all these three counts.But sadly that is not the case as there are no roads to say in many cities, electricity transmission is poor and water availability is there but the quality is poor. If for the sake of argument we believe that the intentions of the present government was good and it wanted to work for the betterment of the people then what went wrong? Why cities like Itarsi, Vidisha, Sehore, Harda, Ujjain, Betul, Sagar (to name a few) have non existing roads, there is just gravel all around. Why are we paying more for electricity compared to other states? Why are we having so many unannounced power cuts? Why water borne diseases so common in our state?

The present government has to take responsibility and answer these questions. Though we have one of the weakest politician as our Chief Minister who is an escapist to the core but with his oratory skills he has become the face of BJP. All the political parties have to rethink their strategy. The narrative has changed. Asking people to vote for development sounds good but the delivery mechanism has to function. Sadly the states like MP, Chhatisgarh still lack far behind in the growth story in spite of all the tall claims of the incumbent government.

The common man has to rethink and go all out and show their might on 25th November in Madhya Pradesh.

It is raining scams in Madhya Pradesh

Geri Halliwell famously sang "It's raining men", the people of Madhya Pradesh are singing "It's Raining Scams". In the past couple of months every day the paper reports a new scam especially in the field of education. The incumbent government has made tall claims regarding education and working for the youth of the state. The facts being unraveled  by the investigating agencies are pointing out towards a nexus between the administration and minister and people belonging to the higher echelons  of the society. The claims of the government have fallen flat. Youth is disgruntled and cynical about the entire good governance argument.

Medicine has always been considered to be a very noble profession, however the VYAPAM scam shows that people are right to question the sanctity of this profession. Students without caliber are giving huge amounts of money to get admitted to prestigious medical colleges. The same has happened in BDS also where students of Barkatullah University Bhopal have been caught mass cheating and others writing papers for the students. The exam superintendent has failed to give satisfactory answers. In open schooling also a similar incidence has been brought to light. Another scam in education itself is that teacher training is going on without any books though lakhs of books were issued for the training. The higher authorities are again feigning ignorance. 

In these entire scams, apart from financial misappropriation, the biggest question that it raises is moral bankruptcy of the society as a whole. Mr. Trivedi, Dr. Sagar and the entire team which is involved in the medical exam scam of VYAPAM belong to the well respected, well paid section of the society. Their involvement shows pure, naked greed and the confidence that the entire system will back them. It also shows the morality of the parents who gave such huge amounts to get their kids into medicine science by illegal ways. What lesson do they want to give to the next generation? Why cant parents accept the fact that their child is not meant for these professional courses? In this entire narrative,we are missing out the story of the meritorious students who got left out because of these cheats. We are also not discussing the compromise that we are making with such a noble profession.

These scams put the focus on the standard of education in the state of Madhya Pradesh. I have been constantly advocating that research needs to be promoted and syllabus has to be integrated with the demand of the industry. If we continue to teach students about New Economic Policy of 1991 without talking about the 2007 depression, then we cannot expect our students to be world class. There are up-teem examples to show that Universities are teaching redundant syllabus. 

The time has come when politicians, academicians, administrators, industrialists, all have to come together and take responsibility of education. We cannot just have rules to regulate fees, admissions, physical infrastructure and other less important things. The public vs private education debate needs to get realistic. There cannot be a inbuilt bias favoring public institutions in spite of their pathetic standard of education. On the other hand their infrastructure needs to be better used and teachers need to be under scanner.

What we today require in the state of Madhya Pradesh is an over hauling of the entire education system. Hope our policy makers are listening.

Walk the Talk

Has the time come when politicians belonging to any party cannot give any off the cuff remarks? The past few days have seen an onslaught of political rallies and sabhas, as elections are scheduled at 5 states, which are also being seen as a semi final before the Lok Sabha polls of 2014. As the number of rallies are getting more, leaders are exposed more to the media glare and also to the common man. With the advent of technology everything is on your face and with internet becoming accessible to such a huge population, nothing remains hidden or confined to an area.
At such a stage when we hear somebody talking about 6 months work and 6 months rest model or of Pandit ji not attending Sardar Vallabh Patel's funeral, chances are that the speaker will have egg on his face. And that is what is exactly happening. But the real issue here is not that somebody who is aspirant to the post of Prime Minister tells blatant lies, but that the narrative that gets changed. Instead of discussing real issues, the entire debate gets centered on discussing moronic statements.

India is changing and changing fast, therefore it is imperative that politicians also change. Whenever they come to speak they need to have well researched speeches. Also they have to speak more on local issues and ways of finding a way out of the quagmire. Common man cannot be taken for granted. They understand issues and with the help of internet can find the truth in minutes. Aspirations have changed, so have the dreams.

Let us talk about young, energetic, equal India where even the child of an auto driver can think of becoming a billionaire in a decade. Let us respect wisdom and intelligence. Let us respect our glorious history and not tarnish it with earning momentary gratification.
Let us walk the talk!

बापू की शिक्षा नीति आज भी प्रसांगिक हैं

    आज पूरा विश्व  महात्मा गांधी जी का जन्मदिन मना रहा है। पूरा विश्व उनके अहिंसा नीति का पूजारी है। वे केवल देश  को आजादी दिलाने में ही सक्षम नही रहे अपितु उन्होने अपने कर्मो, अपने आचरण से लोगो को यह भी बताया की सार्वजनिक जीवन में एक नेता को किस प्रकार रहना चाहिये। उन्होंने अपने अनशन, मौन व्रत, अनुषासन से उस वक्त के युवाओं को एक नई राह दिखाई।  अपने संपूर्ण जीवन में बापू ने  शिक्षा किस प्रकार दी जानी चाहिये, शिक्षक का आचरण कैसा होना चाहिये, मौलिक शिक्षा  की आवष्यकता आदि पर काफी काम किया जो आज भी प्रासंगिक है।
    महात्मा जब दक्षिण अफ्रिका में थे तो उन्होने अपने बच्चो को स्कूल नही भेजा, उन्होने घर पर ही स्वंय ने पढ़ाया।  अंग्रेजी के लिये अलग से शिक्षक रखा। जब उन्होने टालस्टाअ आश्रम बनाया तो वहां भी सभी बच्चो को स्वंय ने पढ़ाया। बच्चे अनुशासित हो इसके लिये उन्होंने स्वंय को अधिक अनुशासित किया। गांधीजी का मानना था कि छात्र का आचरण, प्रतिबिम्ब होता है शिक्षक के आचरण का। शिक्षक के प्रति आदर और सममान तभी छात्र के मन में आता है ज बवहशिक्षक वही करे जो वह कहें। बापू ने मूल्य शिक्षा पर भी बहुत ध्यान दिया। खेल-कूद से जैसे शरीर बनता है, विचारों और मस्तिषक के वरजिष से आचरण बनता है।
    हम यदि इन सभी बातो को आज की परिस्थिति में देखे तो हम पाते है कि वर्तमान शिक्षा के पतन का बहुत बढ़ा कारण यही है कि माता -पिता शिक्षा पर ध्यान नही देते, मातृभाषा का उपयोग बहुत कम हो गया है,शिक्षक के लिये शिक्षा देना उसके रोजी-रोटी का एक जरिया मात्र है। मूल्य शिक्षा पर ध्यान नही दिया जा रहा है। पर्सनेलिटी डेवलेपमेंट का व्यक्तित्व विकास की कक्षायें गली-गली में हो रही है जहां भाषा, कपड़े पहनना, साक्षात्कार आदि की टेªनिंग दी जा रही है परन्तु छात्रो के दिमाग की वरजिष नही कराई जा रही है। बच्चा पहली कक्षा से 12 वीं कक्षा तक माॅरल साइंस पढ़ता जरूर है परन्तु आत्मसात नही करता है उन मूल्यो को, यही कारण है कि आज समाज में भ्रष्टाचार, दुराचार, वैमन्स्यता इतनी बढ़ गयी है। मानवीय मूल्यो का पतन हुआ है।
    यदि हम जिम्मेदारी की बात करे तो माता-पिता,शिक्षक, समाज सभी जिम्मेदासर है। सभी ने अपनी जिम्मेदारियों से मुंह फेरा है। आज माता-पिता के पास समय नही है इसलिये पैसे से वह समय की पूर्ति करना चाहते है, शिक्षक के उपर दबाव इतना है  िकवह इसे केवल अपना दायित्व मानता है, समाज इतने भागो में बट गया है कि वह हर बात को जाति, धर्म के चश्मे से देखता है।
    आज यदि बापू जीवित होते तो उन्हें बहुत कष्ट होता। हमारे विकास को देखकर वह खुश भी होते परन्तु कही ना कही वह युवा पीढी मूल्यो के हनन को देखकर आहत होते। आज का हमारा युवा पहले की तुलना में अधिक पढ़ा-लिखा, तर्क संगत, तकनीक से लैस है पर मूल्यो मैं वह पिछड रहा है।
    क्यो ना आज के दिन हम -आप यह प्रण ले के घर के बच्चो की शिक्षा का केवल फीस ही नही देगे, अपितु उसकी जिम्मेदारी भी  लेगे। मैं एक शिक्षक और समाज सेवी के रूप  में यह संकल्प लेती हूं कि छात्रो से उतना ही अपेक्षा करूगीं जितना मैं अपने आप से अपेक्षा करती हूं। साथ ही मूल्यो कि शिक्षा देते हुये उन्हें और आत्मसात करूँगी।

राजनीति का गिरता स्तर

मध्यप्रदेष देश का हृदय प्रदेश माना जाता है। इसकी स्थापना 1956 में हुई और श्री रविषंकर शर्मा प्रथम मुख्यमंत्री बने। तब से आज तक कई सरकारें आई और गई। भारतीय जनता पार्टी के अस्तित्व में आने के बाद से हमारे प्रदेष 13 वर्ष उनके द्वारा संचालित सरकार के पास रहा। यह वह राज्य है जहां भाजपा पिछले 10 साल से सरकार में हैं। और जिन राज्यो में भाजपा प्रबल है, वहां दंगे, रूढीवाद, धर्म के नाम पर कट्टरता, प्रतिबंध अधिक रहते है। हमारा प्रदेष भी इस मामले में बहुत अलग नही है।
    पिछले 10 वर्षो से भाजपा सत्ता में रही है । विगत एक दशक में प्रदेष की आर्थिक रूप से बहुत प्रगति नही हुई है। जब हम दिल्ली, राजस्थान, महाराष्ट्र से मध्यप्रदेष की तुलना करते है तो पाते है कि आज भी हम पिछडे है। आज हम ‘‘ बिमारू’’ राज्यो में नही आते परंतु आज भी उस दहलीज में खडे है जहां से किसी भी दिन हमारी गिनती ‘‘बिमारू’’ राज्य में होने लगेगी। हमारे यहां निवेष की मीट कई हुये है पर निवेष नही हुआ। एसोचम के हाल ही के एक रिपोर्ट में यह बात स्पश्ट रूप से आई है कि 44 प्रतिषत निवेष करार के बाद भी षुरू नही हुआ। निवेष प्रारंभ करने के विशय में 20 राज्यो में हमारा स्थान 13 वां है। कोई नये उद्योग नही आये है। खदानो पर गैरकानूनी रूप से खनन चल रहा है जिस कारण राज्य को अरबों का राजस्व घाटा हो रहा है। कृशि क्षेत्र में भी स्थिति अच्छी नही है। एक तरफ हमारे मुख्यमंत्री जी केन्द्र से कृशि उपज के लिये तमगा लेते है ओर दूसरी ओर 1300 किसान प्रतिवर्श आत्महत्या करते है।
    यदि हम मानव विकास सूचकांक की भी बात करे तो प्रदेष बिहार, राजस्थान के मुकाबले बहुत पीछे है। षिक्षा, स्वास्थ, पेयजल सुविधा, षैचालय, बैंक, बीमा- इन सभी मानको पर पीछे है। कुपोशण की दर प्रदेष में सर्वाधिक है। स्कूलो में षैाचालय नही है इसलिये 5 वीं के बाद लड़किया स्कूल नही जाती, पर ऐसे भी स्कूल है जो षैचालयों में चल रहे है। हमारे मुख्यमंत्री जी को स्वयं सरकारी स्वास्थ्य सेवाओं पर भरोसा नही है। वे पिछले सात सालो में जब भी अस्वस्थ्य हुये है नीजी अस्पताल में उनकी चिकित्सा हुई है।
    राजनीति षास्त्र कहता है की कूटनीति का उपयोग होना चाहिये और भ्रम की स्थिति बनाये रखना चाहिये। लोकतंत्र में यह ओर भी जरूरी हो जाता है कि हर पांच साल में जनता का दरबार लगता है और वह अपने आकलन से अपनी सरकार चुनती है। परंतु भारत के लोकत्रांत्रिक इतिहास में यह पहली बार हो रहा है जब मुख्यमंत्री सार्वजनिक तौर पर यह स्वीकार कर चुके है कि उनके मंत्री भ्रश्ट है, जनता का षोशण हो रहा है इसलिये जनता सब कुछ भूल केवल उनके चेहरे को देखकर वोट दे। पहली बार कोई पार्टी दूसरी पार्टी के अस्तित्व को समाप्त करने की बात कर रही है।
    लोकतंत्र का सबसे अहम पहलू यह है कि उसमें कई राजनैतिक दल होते है कई विचारधारायें होती है परंतु भिन्नता में एकता होती है। राजनीति का व्यवसाइकरण हो गया है और सभी दले कमोवेष इसके लिये जिम्मेदार है। आज जब देष का बहुमत युवाओं का है जिनके मन में राजनीति को लेकर घृणा का भाव है ऐसे में हम भाजपा से अपेक्षा करते है कि वह एक जिम्मेदार दल की भूमिका निभायें। आम जनता यह भी जानती है कि  भाजपा धर्म के आधार पर राजनीति करती है परंतु इतना धुवीकरण हमारे देष और राजनीति के लिये अच्छा नही है।

                              
 

Women Empowerment and BJP

The past 10 years have been one of the worst in the history of our state in terms of law and order. The entire state machinery has collapsed and there is no fear of the law and enforcement agencies in the minds of the criminals. Women have been the worst hit as they are physically vulnerable to crime. I would not repeat the facts and figures of rapes, gang rapes and other atrocities on women as they have been often quoted at various platforms and debated upon.

The issue that I want to raise through this blog is the mindset of BJP as a party. India is a male dominated country and every party has male chauvinism upto a certain degree. But the problem with BJP is that its policies, stands, mindset, vision all treat women as second class citizens. They are the first people to talk about dress code for women, their ministers and office bearers have often from public platforms have used un-parliamentary language for women (they have gone so far as to comment on CMs wife), they are involved in sexual abuse cases.In one of the most unfortunate killing of an RTI activist in Bhopal, the local MLA accused for it publicly stated his illicit relationships and that he is a womaniser. RSS, the think tank of BJP does not allow women to be a part of their organisation because they think us to be inferior to them. Other sister organisations of BJP like VHP, Bajrang Dal every year go out and bash up women on Valentine's Day. Many of BJP workers have been found guilty of rapes and gang rapes. There are many other incidents that can be illustrated to show the mindset of this party. We cannot forget the way Umaji was treated by her own party after she brought them to power.

The entire point is that the citizens of the state and especially women have to understand that this party is double faced. The Chief Minister wants to portray himself as the messiah of women but he cannot stop his own ministers from making derogatory statements. A party which cannot respect its own female leaders can never respect its female citizens.

The time has come when, we the women need to do serious introspection and show are might.

UPA Rule and the Indian Economy

UPA first came to power in 2004 with thumping majority and the Left being one of its allies. The economic policies undertaken by the government brought about a tremendous change in the country with the economy growing by about 7.8 % annually. A lot of welfare programmes were initiated like MNREGA, JnNURM, Indira Aawas Yojnaral and several old programmes were implemented with more commitment.
In 2007 the entire world came in for a rude shock when the housing bubble burst in America and the toxic assets seeped into a lot of other economies, pulling down the entire European economy which is still reeling with the effects. At that time the prudence of the UPA government came into fore as it had shown faith in the fundamentals of the economy. A strong banking structularal situture, good agriculture and growing industrial  production did not let the economy get effected significantly. More importantly the government spending on welfare programs did not get effected.
In 2009, UPA got re-elected with the mandate clearly indicating that government wanted good governance. This provided a great opportunity for the Prime Minister and his entire team to push more welfare oriented works. Right to Education was introduced. Recently on 26th August the Right to Food Bill was passed by the lower house of the Parliament which will cover about 80 crores people of the country. It is one of the most ambitious program launched by the government after MNREGA.
However currently the economy is going through one of the low phases where forex reserves have become a matter of concern. The huge CAD is being constantly monitored and Finance Ministry along with Reserve Bank of India is taking monetary and non monetary measures to control the situation. International political disturbances are also not helping matters.
What the country needs today is strong fundamentals - manufacturing sector has to pick up, local companies have to be innovative, agriculture requires all the help, and only then can we move back to a thriving economy.

खाद्य सुरक्षा अध्यादेष की आवष्यकता

वर्तमान समय में मध्ह्मान भोजन, सार्वजनिक वितरण प्रणाली तथा खाद्य सुरक्षा विधायिका को लेकर बहुचर्चे है। बिहार के छपरा जिले में मध्याहान भोजन खाने के बाद जब 22 बच्चो ने अपनी जान गवा दी तो पूरे देश में हर रोज एक नई घटना सामने आई। इस घटना ने एक बार फिर जन कल्याणकारी कार्यक्रमो के क्रियान्वयन पर उंगली उठाई। परन्तु यह कहना अतिषोक्ती होगी की ऐसे सभी कार्यक्रमो को बंद कर देना चाहिये।
यूपीए 2 द्वारा खाद्य सुरक्षा अधिकार पिछले 4 वर्षो से लाने के अथक प्रयास किये गये। आखिरकार पिछले महिने यह बिल अध्यादेष के रूप में आयी। यह अधिकार ग्रामीण क्षेत्र के 75 प्रतिषत और शहरी क्षेत्र के 50 प्रतिषत लोगो को फायदा पहुंचायेगा। इसके चार मुख्य क्षेत्र है ; सार्वजनिक वितरण प्रणाली द्वारा प्रति व्यक्ति प्रति माह 5 किलो सस्ता अनाज ;0-6 तक के बच्चो को पोषण युक्त आहार ;स्कूल के छात्रो को मध्ह्मान भोजन कार्यक्रम द्वारा भोजन जो पोषक हो ;गर्भवती महिलाओं को भोजन तथा नगद लाभ। इस योजना में लोगो को सस्ते अनाज दी जायेगी।
कई आलोचको का कहना है कि इस योजना से हमारा वित्तीय बोझ बढ़ जायेगा। वर्तमान में 120000 करोड़ रूपये इस योजना का व्यय है जो आगे चलकर 150000 करोड़ रूपये हो जायेगा। यह कुल जीडीपी का मात्र 1.5 प्रतिषत है। साथ ही सरकार प्रतिवर्ष हजारो करोड़ रूपये की छूट उद्योगो को भी दे रही है।
दूसरी आलोचना है कि सार्वजनिक वितरण प्रणाली में बडे पैमाने पर भ्रष्टाचार है और हितग्राहियों तक का पैसा पहुंचता ही नही है। इस आलोचना में वजन है परन्तु पिछले कुछ सालो के अनुभव ने हमे बताया है कि जिन राज्यो के मुख्यमंत्री गंभीर है वहां तकनीक का उपयोग कर चोरी रोक रहें है। साथ ही गुणवत्ता का भी पूरा ध्यान रखा गया है।
इस पूरे मामले में आलोचक इस बात को भूले जा रहे है कि आजादी के इतने सालो बाद भी कुपोषण हमारा पीछा नही छोड़ रहा है। पिछले 6 सालो में हमारे प्रदेष में 68 हजार अधिक बच्चे अति कुपोषित वर्ग में आ गये है। राज्य की भाजपा सरकार ने 2000 करोड़ रूपये खर्च जरूर किये है परन्तु आज भी मध्यप्रदेष में 15 लाख बच्चे कुपोषित है। ऐसे में खाद्य सुरक्षा अध्यादेष न केवल पोषक भोजन लोगो तक पहुंचायेगा परन्तु गरीबी कम करने में भी सहायक होगा। पिछले 8 वर्षो में 22 प्रतिषत गरीबी कम हुई है। इस योजना के सहयोग से हम और अधिक तीव्रता से गरीबी और भुखमरी का सामना कर पायेगे।
सभी आलोचको से यह अनुरोध है कि तथ्यांे के आधार पर कार्यक्रम के बेहतर क्रियान्वयन पर सुझाव दे। हम लोकतंत्र के नागरिक है इसलिये महत्वपूर्ण मुद्वो पर हम बहस कर सकते है। परन्तु बहस रचनात्मक हो यह जरूरी है।

जन - जन की यही पुकार
खाद्य सुरक्षा है हमारा अधिकार

Does India need a two party system?

General Elections are round the corner and all sots of permutations and combinations have started taking place. All the regional parties are planning to make the kill in this season. One of the leading television channel is analysing the situation in each state and discussing the role of Mamta, Jaylalita, Nitish, Mulayam, Naveen, Sharad Pawar and others whose strength in both the houses of parliament is minuscule but they play the role of a king maker.
I have always been a supporter of two party system because it helps citizens to give a clear mandate and you also know that who stands for whom. The small regional parties may play a big role in state politics but when it comes to national politics they generally turn into blackmailers. You may find my view a bit strong bu the past two decades have shown how governments formed or removed over a chai party. Another major exception that I take is that most of these parties lack a definitive ideology, one day they are with somebody, the next day with other, all in the name of coalition dharma. How can today Nitish Kumar ji turn secular by opposing Mr. Modi when he formed the govt with the help of BJP and was a part of NDA with Mr. Modi very much being a part of BJP? Politics of opportunity is always a fact in democracy but with rising literacy and younger generation, these parties can no longer afford to hoodwink the general public.
Congress and BJP are the two major national parties and through out India a referendum needs to be taken whether people want just these two parties or regional parties are required. If we closely analyse these parties and their leaders we find they are wither products of Congress or BJP.
An argument which is often made is that states can develop and progress only with the help of regional parties but our recent experience is not too good in the states of West Bengal, Odisha, Punjab and others. One of the major problems with TMC or AIDMK or Biju Janata Dal or Akali Dal or BSP or SP or Shiv Sena etc is that they are personality dominated parties, dependent on a single individual who works according to their whims and fancies.
A similar trend can now be seen in BJP too where they handing over the reigns to an individual who is not a group worker, spends zillions of rupees to market himself, is self obsessed. I can already read the comments by pro Modi supporters. But my earnest request is do we want a tyrant  as our country's leader?
We may differ on our political ideologies and I always agree to disagree on this as we are in a democracy. But let us deliberate on a two party system again or rethink the role of regional parties.

प्रजातन्त्र में नक्सलियो / माओवादियो का स्थान

हिंसा किसी के द्वारा किसी भी रूप में की जाय तो वह निन्दनीय है। किसी भी मसले का हल कभी भी हिंसा नही हो सकती है। देष में पिछले कुछ दषको से लाल आंतक बढ़ गया है और आंतरिक सुरक्षा को सर्वाधिक खतरा इन्ही लोगो से है। माओवादियो से सहानुभूति रखने वालो का मानना है कि सामाजिक असुंतलन के कारण यह समस्या उत्पन्न हुई है। और सरकार पूरी तरह से जिम्मेदार है। परन्तु यदि हम इतिहास को थोडा सा खंगाले तो पायेगे कि चारू मजुमदार जिस उद्देष्य से नकषलबडि से निकले थे और वर्तमान नक्सलियो के उद्देष्यो में जमीन आसमान का अंतर है। समाज में आर्थिक विषमता है, और बढ़ती जा रही है। कई स्थानो पर सरकार विफल रही है परन्तु इसका यह अर्थ कतइ नही है कि आम लोगो के विकास की सम्पूर्ण प्रक्रिया से बाहर रखा जाय।
माओवादी लोकतंत्र में विष्वास ही नही रखते और इसमें भाग लेना भी नही चाहते है। यह उनका निर्णय है पर क्या वो आम जनता को इस प्रक्रिया से बाहर रखकर विकास कर पायेगे? आज छत्तीसगढ़, आन्ध्रप्रदेष, बंगाल, उडीसा, झारखण्ड, मध्यप्रदेष, महाराष्ट्र नक्सलवाद से प्रभावित है। जिन भी क्षेत्रो में ये बल पूर्वक विकास कार्यो में बाधक बन रहे है वहां पर पिछडापन बढ़ रहा है।
इस पूरे घटनाक्रम में रोचक बात यह है कि नक्सली अमीर होते जा रहे है। पहले से ज्यादा आधुनिक हथियार है, वैहषीपन बढ़ गया है, नये रंगरूटो की औसत आयु कम होती जा रही है। यह सब बाते इस ओर इषारा करती है कि अब यह केवल पूंजीवाद, सामान्तवाद के खिलाफ लड़ाई नही है बल्कि एक फलता-फूलता कारोबार है जो कुछ रखसुबेदारो के पास गिरवी है।
हाल ही छत्तीसगढ में हुये नरसंहार को यदि हम देखे तो एक श्रृखंला नजर आती है जो इस बात को मजबूती देती है कि यह किराये के हत्यारे है जो नकस्लवाद का मुखौटा पहन पीछे से चलाये जा रहे है। पिछले कुछ सालो से हो रहे हमलो की यदि हम विष्लेषण करे तो एक पैर्टन नजर आता है।
इसका अर्थ यह बिल्कुल भी नही है कि समाज में अन्तर नही है। आर्थिक विषमता बढी है परन्तु हत्यारा इसका उत्तर नही है। हमे प्रजातंत्र में रहते हुये इसका हल निकालना होगा। अंतिम पंक्ति के अंतिम व्यक्ति तक विकास की प्रक्रिया को पहुंचाना आवष्यक है। कही ऐसा न हो के लाल आंतक से प्रभावित क्षेत्र उत्तर पूर्वी राज्यो जैसे अलग-थलग रह जाये।

विचारधारा बनाम कट्टरता

भारत में और मध्यप्रदेष में राजनैतिक सरगरमी जोरो पर है। सभी पार्टीयां अपने हिसाब से काम कर रही है और मतदाताओं को अपनी ओर आकर्षित कर रही है। इस प्रयास में सोषल मीड़िया भी अहम भूमिका निभा रही है। प्रत्येक दिन सभी पार्टीयो द्वारा एक नया विषय लिया जाता है जिस पर दिन भर आरोप-प्रत्यारोप का सिलसिला चलता रहता है। भाजपा ओर कांग्रेस अधिक क्रियाषील है क्योकि दोनो के पास ही बडे नेता है, सत्ता में रहने का अनुभव है और देष के बडे हिस्से पर राजनैतिक दखल रखते है।
    इस सोषल मीड़िया पर युवाओ की सरगर्मी अधिक रहती है। अभी देखने मे आ रहा है कि युवाओ में सहनषक्ति कम हो रही है और दूसरो के विचारो को सुनने की क्षमता नही है। युवा पीढ़ी के लिये बहुत जरूरी है कि वह किसी विचारधारा से जुडे, भले ही वह कांग्रेस हो, बीजेपी हो, वामपंथ हो अथवा कोई और। साथ ही अपनी विचारधारा के लिये मुखर होना भी आवष्यक है। परन्तु विचारधारा का सर्मथन करना और कट्टरवाद के बीच बहुत हल्की रेखा होती है। कब सर्मथन कट्टरता का रूप ले लेता है यह मालूम ही नही चलता और कट्टरता के साथ समस्या यह है कि वह तर्कसंगत नही होता है। वह अपनी बात मनवाने के लिये किसी भी सीमा तक जाने के लिये तैयार हो जाता है और उग्र रूप  ले लेता है। आजकल सोषल मीड़िया में भी कुछ ऐसा ही हो रहा है। आलोचना करते समय लोग अपनी मर्यादाओ  को भूल जाते है और अपषब्दो का प्रयोग करते है। सोषल मीडिया का नियम है कि आप व्यक्तिगत टिप नही दे सकते है न ही अपषब्दो का प्रयोग कर सकते है।
    वैचारिक मतभेद हो सकते है और प्रजातंत्र में होने भी चाहिये इस बहस मे कोई भी सही या गलत नही होता। आलोचना तर्क संगत होनी चाहिये। इन्टरनेट और सोषल मीडिया एक ऐसा मंच है जो हमे बेबाक रूप से अपनी बात रखने की आजादी देता है परन्तु दूसरे मनुष्य के मानव अधिकार और मानवता को अपमानित करने का अधिकार नही देता।

प्रजातंत्र का गला घोंटा

vcjkge fyadu us dgk Fkk fd Átkra= og gS tks yksxks ds fy;s yksxks ds }kjk] yksxks ls cuk gksrk gSA fo’o esa cgqr de ,sls ns’k gS tgka Átkra= vFkok yksdra= lQy jgk gSA Hkkjr us Lora=rk i'pkr yksdra= dks viuk;k vkSj 1975 ds vkikrdky dks NksM fn;k tk;s rks ge dg ldrs gS fd ge dke;kc jgs gSA

       ijarq vHkh dqN le; ls ,slk yx jgk gS fd dqN jktuSfrd ny dsoy ehfM;k Ápkj ls gh viuh ckr j[kuk pkg jgh gS vkSj laln esa cgl ugh djuk pkg jgh gSA bl dkj.k ls dbZ egRoiw.kZ v/;kns’kks ij cgl ugh gks ikbZ vkSj foi{kh ny D;k pkgrs gS ;g vke turk dks Kkr ugh gks ik;kA

,slk gh dqN e/;Áns’k fo/kkulHkk ds bl l= esa ns[kus dks vk;k tc dkaxzsl ikVhZ }kjk j[ks x;s vfo’okl ÁLrko ij fcuk cgl ds fo/kkulHkk dks lekIr dj fn;k x;kA dkj.k Fkk dkaxzsl dk ,d fo/kk;d dk ikVhZ NksMuk tks mUgksaus lnu es fd;k tc usrk Áfri{k vfo’okl ÁLrko ij cksyus ds fy;s [kMs+ gq;sA lRrk/kkjh fo/kk;dks us gaxkek fd;k vkSj v/;{k us lnu dks Hakx djrs gq;s l= lekIr dj fn;kA Á’u ;g mBrk gS fd tc lRrk:<+ ikVhZ ;g tkurh gS fd vfo’okl ÁLrko  fdlh Hkh gkyr esa ikl ugh gks ldrk rks fQj mUgksus ppkZ D;ks ugh gksus nh\ ÁLrko essa ,sls dkSu ls fo"k; Fks tks eq[;ea=h vFkok muds ikVhZ dks ijs’kku dj jgh Fkh\ D;k mUgsa viuh iksy [kqyrh fn[kh\

       vke  vkneh bu lHkh ckrks dk tokc pkgrk gSA lkFk gh ;g ,d cgqr xyr vkSj Hk;kokj ijEijk dh uho j[k jgk gS tks iwjs Átkra= ds fy;s [krjukd gSA fopkjks es erHksn fcYdqy gS] vkjksi&ÁR;kjksi Hkh [kwc fd;s tk;sxs ijUrq cgl vkSj ppkZ blds fy;s vfr vko’;d gSA fcuk cgl vkSj ppkZ ds rks Átkra= lekIr gks tk;sxk vkSj ge ilZusfyVh dYV dks c<+kok nsxsA Átkra= dks thfor j[kus ds fy;s cgqr t:jh gS fd mls ÁtkrkfU=d rjhds ls pyk;sA  

Vikas Gowda and Indian sports

Vikas Gowda, a first class athlete of our country won the gold medal at the Asian Athletics Championship in discuss throw. I tweeted on his victory and people asked me about his sport and why sportsmen in India do not do well.
I being a sports person myself and represented the state, know a bit more of what goes behind the scenes than others. One of the most basic thing is that we do not respect sports or sports men. We think that who ever is involved in sports are dumb people or people who have a low IQ. This is the first reason that kids shy away from sports. Secondly we do not have the support system from the family. Most of our parents follow the dictum that sports cannot be a career. Therefore any child who wants to play sport professionally is not taken seriously and asked rather to concentrate on studies.
Another major flaw with the system is that at local level there is very less grooming and mentoring. Most of the clubs have third grade coaches who are morally corrupt and want to exploit students. They are also ill equipped with knowledge of physiotherapy, exercises, food routine, injuries etc. As a result the kids after a point of time loose patience and shift elsewhere. There is also a lot of corruption in the process of team selection. A vast majority of our sportsmen have played over age at some point of time or other.
Finances or the lack of it at the local levels makes it difficult for kids from humble backgrounds to pursue sports. When I played Table Tennis, a good rubber cost something around 1500 and above and that too were not easily available (in the late eighties and early nineties). Today a lot of corporates have come in and are financing various sports but still a lot has to be done. The indifference of our elected leaders and government also does not help.
The district and state level championships are in deplorable condition as the organisers are more interested in their PR and money making rather than on the sport.
But everything is not gloomy and negative. In recent times we have seen good sportsmen and women making us proud at various national and international level. Apart from cricket other sports are also becoming popular.
Sports is a great leveler and it teaches fighting spirit, discipline and accepting defeat gracefully. I hope that in my life time I am able to give something back to the sporting fraternity which has given me a lot.

Chaal, Charitr and Chehra of BJP

There have been a lot of events in the past few days, both politically and non politically. I being a politician let me get into the political matters first. Yesterday the septuagenarian Finance Minister of the state Raghavji had to resign on charges of sodomizing a youth staying at his place which has been corroborated by his domestic help. There were similar charge against the minister some 1.5 years back too, but at the that time our CM did not take cognizance of the matter. However this time, no time was given even for the explanation by the minister. Till now everything is fine, but what ensued has to be taken seriously. There are two issues here which require separate in depth analysis. 

One is not letting the administration work freely and independently. When the victim went to the police station to file his FIR, he was not entertained and juvenile arguments were given for not doing the same. It clearly shows the pressure of the government on our police force and administration. Interestingly the victim went missing after that. If sources are to be believed, he was last seen at the residence of the CM.

Secondly is the allegation that has been leveled against him is that of sodomizing a youth. Raghavji belongs to a party and ideology whose USP is Hindutava, culture and holier than though attitude. They are the people who every year harass people on Valentine's Day, treat LGBT as criminals, talk of protecting our culture. Then how come such a senior leader of  the so called cultured party get involved? It shows the dual character of BJP partymen. They get into rhetorics and incite youngsters in to believing untruth about our history. 

A lot of my friends on the social media with saffron leaning argued about the other people who have been alleged for such things. I just want to tell them that two wrongs never make a right. And why don't they follow their leaders and keep mum on such occasion when they know that they are at fault. Democracy is all about airing our views as citizens and showing our apathy towards certain individuals and groups but it never says not to listen to our inner conscience. 

वर्त्तमान राजनीति विकास की अथवा ध्रुवीकरण की ?

आज पुरे हिंदुस्तान में  राहुल गाँधी बनाम नरेन्द्र मोदी की बहस छिड़ी हुई है। उत्तराखंड के आपदा में भी लोगों ने दोनों के बीच तुलना करना नहीं भुला। हम में से जितने लोग भी राजनीति की बारीकियों को समझने की चेष्टा करते हैं और राजनीति के छात्र हैं उनके लिए यह बहस केवल दो नेताओं के बीच की तुलना या अपने राजनैतिक विचारधारा दिखाना मात्र का नहीं हैं, परन्तु दो एक दम विपरीत सोच का अध्यन है। साथ ही देश के भविष्य का भी आकलन लगाया जा सकता है उनकी सोच से । चुकी मैं कांग्रेस विचारधारा की हूँ और पदाधिकारी भी हूँ तो मैं बहुत ज्यादा दोनों की तुलना में नहीं जाउंगी क्यूंकि शायद मैं पारदर्शी विश्लेषण करने में सक्षम नहीं हूँ।  बस इतना कहना ज़रूर चाहूंगी की जब भी मैं राहुल जी को सुनती हूँ तो कहीं न कहीं अपनी सोच को उनसे जुड़ा  पाती हूँ।
आज हम सब विकास को सबसे बड़ा मुद्दा मानते हैं। वैश्वीकरण के इस युग में हम सब चाहते हैं की प्रत्येक भारत वासी विकास का भागिदार बने और अंतिम पंक्ति के अंतिम व्यक्ति तक विकास पहुचे। ऐसे में अनुच्छेद  ३७० की बात उठाना, सम्प्रय्दायिक दंगो की बात करना कहा तक सही है। प्राकृतिक आपदा में सब की सोच होती हैं अधिक से अधिक  लोगों को बचाने की और राहत पहुचने की। ऐसे समय में किसी व्यक्ति विशेष की बात करना बैमानी हैं।
२१ वी शताब्दी में धर्म के आधार पर लोगों को पाटना कहाँ का विकास हैं? वर्त्तमान राजनीति में ध्रुवीकरण करने की कोशिश की जा रही हैं, चाहे वह किसी एक व्यक्ति को सर्वेसर्वा दिखाकर किया जा रहा हैं, अथवा जाति धर्म के नाम पर किया जा रहा हो।
यहाँ पर उनकी बात करनी भी ज़रूरी हैं जो ६ साल की निद्रा के बाद एकदम से धर्म निरपेक्ष हो गए हैं और विकास पुरुष बनना चाहा  रहे हैं। आप या तो धर्म निरपेक्ष हैं अथवा नहीं हैं। राजनैतिक कारणों से आप अपना दल नहीं बदल सकते हैं।
आज के युवाओं के लिए यह ज़रूरी हैं की वो व्यक्ति की वाक् पटुता पर ही न जाये परन्तु भविष्य की भी सोचे।

Uttarakhand Disaster

A lot has been said, read, heard and seen regarding the Uttarakhand disaster. Everyday the television channels are witness to debates which range from discussing the cause, nature, politics, economics, heroics and what not. All these debates are required and as a part of open democracy should be encouraged. However little is being said or done regarding two things.
First is to go beyond the rhetorics of the causes. Every body knows that we played with nature and in turn nature is playing with us. A few years back I extensively and frequently traveled to Himachal Pradesh. In a couple of years there was a huge change in the climate. The trees were cut without a second thought, dynamites were used for blasting the hills, all in the name of development. Mandi a small place always had a lovely weather but within a few years it became hot and lost its charm. The same thing has happened to Badrinath and Kedarnath. The hills which were once green with black tulsi are now barren, it is hot and the ubiquitous polythene bags can be seen everywhere. The need of the hour is to formulate an environmental policy which is effective and takes local socio economic parameters in mind. Also in such areas a single window system is required for the clearances of projects because unless there is coordination between all the departments, the private players will keep taking advantage of the loopholes in the policies.
Secondly currently the entire focus is on evacuating the people who are stuck there. Little is being said or done for the locals. My friends from my political party who are working there are reposting that entire villages have been washed away along with the infrastructure. They require not only our prayers but short term and long term help.
The state of Uttarakhand has been pushed back by atleast 10 years. A lot has to be done very sincerely and cohesively to restructure the state. Both the places involved are sites of great religious faith, therefore the local governing bodies have to be taken in confidence and made a part of the reconstruction process.
At the end a special mention to all the personnel of the armed forces who have put their lives in danger to rescue them. But again it is calamities like these that give them an opportunity to show their strength and mettle and to give back to the society all the love and respect that they have earned.
A word of caution for all the politicians like me, to be away from blame game and one upmanship. A lot can be said by our party for other party and vice versa but we need to look at the bigger picture. An individual is of no consequence at such times, so he should stop making sound bites to portray himself as the right Prime Ministerial candidate.
Let us all make whatever small efforts that we can make to rebuild the state and also have a bigger vision so that such calamities can be avoided or at least we are better prepared.
Shradhanjali to all the people who lost their lives.