Divergence of Governance in India

 India, has picked up habit of the capital based economy when daring to beat the market by opening the economy for the international shock and competition. The democratically elected government now having made its people believe that till next general election the government in power is going to embrace the market and make us all competitive. But given the promises and effort made to attract the investments and major promises could not be met except some significant improvement in the image of country and its current leader. The skill of the leader and government is to maintain the image which can be positive and progressive. Elsewhere the  India is raged with the debate on the proving the nationalism, loyalty to govts in power in centre or state, fixing the investors and ignoring the masses. The needs and wishes of the people who wanted to see the 'better' days ahead expects the government to act fast for fulfilling the desires.

The excessive debates the polarization of political thoughts where no two party has agreed to respect each other views have made the fight between national parties as to finish them politically. Emotive charges over one another and further leading to declare them anti-national. The emergence of debates which engrossed the intellectualism and readerships across the nation to forget the electoral promises, tall claims and reasoning put by the current leader. The mere acknowledgement and believe that this time would also pass, reduces India's ranking and rating to an feeble exercise which cannot sustain the trade pressure. Though the people who are dependent on government are mainly poor living in rural and urban areas, there is little respite and attention received apart from populism. 

The scale and magnitude of the problem is politically thrown out of the basket where the nation is debating what is politically hot. The commerce, trade and development of the communities takes backseat. Election to election mode of governance has resulted in short interest in the issues and agenda and greatly diverted to seek the fast track solutions.   

Snap Development and Talk Nationalism

Last few weeks have been ruble rouser in everybody's mind when government at the helm of affairs started talking nationalism via the HRD Minister, Smt. Smriti Irani. The hell broke loose in JNU after some unknown activists from J&K mingled in crowd of students in the name of annual event on the eve of death anniversary of Afzal Guru, the terrorist who was punished by the Supreme Court for his acts against the nation. There are prevailing few among the people who do not agree with decision. So let it be.

But any action within the the University added with the issue of student suicide in Hyderabad University, triggered the fight of ideologies defining the 'nationalism' between those who agree with governments perspective and those who do not. Both the view points might have some merits by largely no body is traitor as long as he has not staged war against the nation.

In between these hustles, the govt. presented its budget, with out much fanfare nothing significant was achieved. As soon as budget discussion subsided the govt. running with ministers to raise the issue of fight and difference of opinion between the CBI and IB both central agencies in the case involving Israt Jahan, the girl killed in the fake encounter (as remarked by the courts so far). The talk of influence of Home Minister on Home Secretary to give false affidavit and is filed than needed to be looked again.

The reason is simple, this case point finger at the Hon. PM and BJP president. The BJP president was not given clean chit by the courts in the case related to further alleged encounter of Ishrat Jahan, Sohrabbudin Sheikh and Tulsi Prajapati  in Gujarat where conspiracy angle have been pointed at him. Though the investigating agencies could not proof the charge against any of the leaders of BJP. Both were CM and HM during the incidents.

The investigation might there own time and now there is need to change the story line from CBI than to CBI now must give clean chit to both based on evidence than and now. It might happen as per the governments desires, as the cases in India is investigated in the favour of governments in power. The owners of the caged parrot have changed. The fight between IB and CBI is now taken and directed by the current government. Lets see what happens.

During these discourses we have forgotten the commitments made by the current government in India about development of the cities and villages. The budget could not offer substantially for the urban areas, where it waited for the boost for urban infrastructure in coming years. But the year and later might be turned out or marketed for the rural India. The bailout packages for the banks was like an incentive for non performance shortly targeted to be taken over by the MNC through different route. There is economic danger due to non performance, poor disinvestment climate and employment opportunities. But the country the debates are dissected more for what happened during the earlier regime rather than performance of the current regime.

The key ministers like Finance, Urban and Education ministry concentrate to defend govt not for the departments but for the Ishrat Jahan, JNU, Rohit Vemula and Freedom of Speech. How many times do we have to remember that Indian citizens are bound by Indian laws and people are free to migrate to another country if they do not like. Those who are residents of India cannot be anti national, but alas the government is targeting the left parties, congress and AAM aadmi representatives for their charge against them being anti national.

The new brand of opposition who have not contributed much on governments are equally to be blamed for lack of debate on development. Most of the time the governments have been targeted for the pity reasons which could have been avoided even by government themselves. I am hoping for the NITI Ayog to provide the nation path for growth, progress and human development. Instead they begun to play with market, finance and banking. These are tools for the economists to engage with national production but actual development requires wider consultations. As a professional we feel stressed when the schemes are designed to suit the political outcome not the need of people. The data of economic survey published might only serve the credit agencies and political commentators but for the common men the language is hard to understand. Hope next time we get proper documents where community can also participate.

Believe it or Not Smart City, Digital India and Make in India is not just slogan

During past 18 months and more we are made to believe the strength of the government is in its resolve to pursue the popular programs so listed by new dawn of digital era who wish to take the world economy upfront. It was said, India is now getting prepared to take the economy by its horn, the projections even after months have been bullish by the agencies. Even though the market did not respond so well to the call for investment it tanked to lowest level post diwali, The investors in the infrastructure is hard to come by, given the budgetary provisions which might foresee the light within next week should give boost to investment climate. The basics are right for India, but the digital divide which shortened due to penetration of mobile telephony made to believe the real strength of Indian people and enterprise is yet to come.

The strong linkages established in the government programmes like Smart City, Digital India and Make in India makes us believe the government is serious, but not so good feeling when we look at the penetration of the program. The participation of the state government is low, and corporate are shying away from making the commitments. The revival of the Smart city program with more cities are likely to join is hard when cities do not commit easily to the pending reforms. The infrastructure and investment plans where all in place in so called 'Smart cities' when during the earlier phases of JNNURM the City Development Plans were prepared. There is ample scope for reforms but the state's not ruled by the party in power at the center finds it hard to accept, mostly due to political polarization in development agenda.

The people are now made to believe in virtual environments, the sales pitch of the e-comm. sites coupled with delivery prangs shows the purchasing power of the Indian consumers. But with lack of growth in real estate sector, and slowing of demands in key sectors, there is hard learning for the manufacturers to stay back in competition. The India's share of global trade might have marginally improved with little scope for economic revival very soon when trade from India can become competitive. The global rich and poor divide during the current economic slow down and poor revival does not through enough to give boost to India's Make in India programe. The skills required to stay competitive demands for the global change in the manner we produce the things, the labour intensive industries shows slow progress, with machine based productions gains competitive edge. The industrial and manufacturing base needs an improvement in the country side and rural India to raise the demands of the consumable goods. 

The entrepreneur developments and poor funding disbursal's from the key banks does not make the change as desired by the 'Modi Sarkar'.  The recent drubbing in state elections, and not being able to perform the legislative functions at the centre frustrates the ministries. The BJP ruled states even do not perform to expectation and shows the poor political upmanship to steer the economy forward. The hope for change when millions of Indians wants to join reflects in the lack of infrastructure investments in rural India, the investors looking for the space in the ever growing cities, mostly metropolitan cities. 

Election ON...Development Gone: Bihar under Politician Watch

Come this Diwali more than crackers the Indian streets would see Political Bombs. Caste war and development debates continues with PMO helping the ruling party to garner more seats. The Government of India can be now termed Government of BJP, when elections round the corner official machinery is used to show case the power of ruling parties.

The rise of caste politics has once again shown us the importance of caste census conducted in India in 2011, though the data is not yet released its been showing the changes in the ground. The power politics derails India's growth story when ruling party in center (national) is dragged in state election. The ministers and their officials busy in election in state (support system) already puts pressure on the development projects.

The ongoing election also raises the development issues dragged into the works done by the state (and its ruling party) and national govt (last one year). The election is further going to impact the center state relation since the working relationships between the parties in concern is going to deteriorate the conditions which may not be suitable for development.