A chargesheet against Arvind Kejriwal

By: Ravi Sinha

Let me admit. I am a hater of Arvind Kejriwal right from the day he started his holier-than-thou publicity stunt. I have been absolutely clear that he does not deserve a prominent political role in a democratically immature India, forget about being a policy maker. I want and wish his Abusing & Accusing Party (AAP) to be defeated and decimated. Emerging from a motley crowd of disgruntled power seekers to organising a cadre of over ambitious group who are conscious of their existing reality to not get inroads into any mainstream political system, Kejriwal has only played with the emotions of the poor Indians.

I am not saying that other political parties have not been guilty of wrong doings that Kejriwal is repeating. Yes, all the established political parties have made mistakes; more the number of years in power, more the list of mistakes. But a man who called everyone a thief & corrupt and took higher pedestal of morality in the public life has to offer something new and different than those whom he abuses and accuses. Kejriwal lacks the grace of constructive politics and the maturity of a civilised democracy.

The only weapon of Kejriwal has thus far been finding fault in others without either himself being different or offering a better and viable solution. Two wrongs never make a right Mr. Kejriwal. You may have come in the political scenario through your unconventional ways & means but then you have fallen into the very same power-hungry politics that you claimed to change. So far, you have not brought any change but have definitely vitiated the investment climate of the country. Are you not aware Mr self-styled honest man that no foreign investor wants to invest in a country where civilised democracy is relegated into mobocracy and kangaroo court of justice?  

While I write this opinion, I am conscious of the fact that a section of media with left so-called intellectuals are trying to portray you as a hero and next Chief Minister of Delhi, yet I am writing for the voters of Delhi. I am also conscious of the fact that your trademark ‘Dharna’ politics is completely obsolete now and hence you are trying your level best to reinvent yourself to remain relevant in the Indian politics. I still feel that the Delhi voters are mature enough to show you the middle finger.  

I have not one or two but many reasons to hate you and wish you are defeated and decimated:

1.   You don’t have a long-term sustainable agenda other than populist gimmicks that you played in your 49 days of misrule and mismanagement. The element of novelty is most welcome in the Indian politics but definitely not the element of unpredictability. Since you don’t have an ideology (corruption-free society is a wishful ideal and not ideology) you have shifted gears many times on many issues in such a short span of time. Emerging out of RSS backed Anna movement you now project yourself as secular only to befool the minorities and the left. Do you have an ideology Mr Kejriwal?

2.  You talk about decentralisation of power and removal of high command culture. Sadly, there is no room for dissent with you in your own party, forget inner party democracy; reasons why you are increasingly losing your lieutenants.

3.  You say you are not corrupt but let me remind you that corruption breeds out of desire and quest; something that is part of your personality now. Even after losing power in 49 days in Dehli, you continued to live in the official Government House. Now if I go by your logic of daughter’s education and party members paying for it, then all the corrupt leaders make money for their sons & daughters only. By your unethical and immoral standards Manmohan Singh should not have vacated 7 RCR as Congress has got enough money to pay for it. Right Mr Kejriwal? It would have been interesting to see Narendra Modi sitting over Dharna to get the official PM’s house then.

4.  If you are not found of sycophancy then what is the criterion of giving party ticket to your candidates? Have you made it public? That is pure politics Mr Kejriwal and while I hate you for playing with the emotions of gullible Indians I must congratulate you for learning the tricks of Indian politics faster than even the seasoned politicians.

5.  Asking for enquiry, SIT and then changing the demand to immediately prosecute the man whom you find wrong is your way of justice. Did you follow the same principles of ethical politics when your own Law Minister was exposed to be running porn websites? No! You just asked him, got convinced by his explanations and gave him a clean chit. But for others?

6. Based on the complaints of your party workers and sympathisers you throw established law procedures to the dustbin and ask foreign women to be charged with prostitution. Your party workers ask these women to urinate in public. How come you became so shameless in the Indian politics in such a short period Mr Kejriwal? Will the verdict on the character of a woman be out based on the allegation of neighbours? Tomorrow such Kangaroo justice can lead to character assassination of your own young daughter as well.

7.    Why do you endorse Khap Panchayat Mr Kejriwal? Why do you talk duality—women safety in Delhi and Khap in Haryana? Is your ideology all about electoral gains? How are you different from other vested interests then?

8.  At the time of quitting the Delhi Government you abused Indian Republic Day function and then shamelessly enjoyed the function, that too not among the “Aam Aadmi” whom you claim to represent but among the VIPs. Why this double standard and hypocrisy Mr Kejriwal?

9.   Do you feel that ways are not as important as means? If no, then to what extent can you stoop low for the lust of power? If yes, then why do you ask voters to accept cash from other parties and then vote for you? Can you ensure clean politics on the backing of corrupt voters?

10. When you say you want to get the country rid of identity politics, then why do you resort to the same identity politics? It is not just about giving party ticket to a journalist whom you find capable of ensuring Sikh votes for his misconduct as a journalist, but you have gone to the low level politics of calling yourself “Baniya” for the votes.

11. Who has authorised you to call everyone coming in the way of your political ambition as corrupt? Are you running an investigative agency Mr kejriwal? On what basis you cherry pick who is corrupt and who is not? Who has authorised you to abuse and accuse opponents?  

12. You have talked about a number of solutions to Delhi’s problems if elected to power. Can you elaborate Mr Kejriwal from where will you generate the funds when Delhi, which is not a full State, will not get enough funds from Modi-ruled Centre? Will you sit on dharna every now and then for media to orchestrate Delhi as a fool’s paradise for the world?

13. Do you feel ashamed of any of your plain lies being exposed Mr Kejriwal? You claimed Amnesty International endorsed that corruption had reduced in Delhi in your 49 days of misrule but Amnesty denied having any such report. Have you begged to the people of Delhi for this misleading statement?  

I know this country is full of emotional fools who look for divine figure in politics. May be some of them find Arvind Kejriwal as a cult figure. Many of them may even have issues with some of the arguments put forward by me. But this is my humble attempt to make the voters think. The cost of Kejriwal Government in Delhi is too high; a progressive State like Delhi may go to dogs and see the fate of Kolkata. So, think voters think! Don’t get swayed by the sugar coated political campaigning alone. Ultimately you will repent and pay the price.

Will Varanasi bless or curse Lord Shiva’s political incarnation?

Battle ground Varanasi 

By: Ravi Sinha

March 23, 2014

The holy river Ganges flows quietly, unmindful of the fact that on its bank Varanasi has suddenly become the epicentre of political tremors. It is early morning of March third week but the weather is still cold; not so the climate otherwise where elections have made the ambience and political temperature of the city too ‘hot’. The early morning chill in the weather does not deter the God fearing Hindus to take a dip or two in the holy river. However, it is not the sin washing in the river that is the topic of debate today in this part of the world. It is the apprehension of more sins being committed during elections that has made India’s spiritual capital nervous; even though a section of the residents are enthusiastic with the prospect of a Prime Minister representing the Lok Sabha constituency of Varanasi for the first time.

The sin washing city has nevertheless got a date with electoral sins and siyasat. The way Lok Sabha polls are turning into personal glorification, holier-than-thou rhetoric and mudslinging in this temple town, it can be vouchsafed that Varanasi is poised to witness electoral sins this time and the possibility of candidates’ confrontation and violence can not be ruled out. The city that dawns the day with ‘Har Har Mahadev’ (Hail Lord Shiva) is today chanting ‘Har Har Modi’ (Hail Modi as PM), much to the discomfort of the sadhus and priests in the city.

Varanasi has changed over the years, earlier known as Kashi and Banaras; in the process of this name change it seems there has been a remarkable image makeover as well. It is no more just a temple town known for shradh and tarpan; nor is it known for its red light areas, known as kothas and the mujra. The old classic charm of Banarasi Saree has also lost its sheen over the years. The pace of cosmopolitan culture has been slow but sure, changing the outlook of the urban landscape to a large extent. The big question in front of the residents of the city today is whether Varanasi will change forever.

More important for Varanasi is the question as to whether it will get benefitted by the prospects of a Prime Minister representing the constituency? Or will the city just be of symbolic importance and the only compensation for the city would be long lasting politics of hatred? After all, Varanasi has moved ahead of the Ram Mandir movement days when the communal divide coming out of the neighbouring Ayodhya had engulfed the city. Again it took the city years to get back to normalcy when the students took to streets violently post the implementation of Mandal Commission recommendations where the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) was one of the key centres of caste divide.    

The scars of those gory days can still be traced and despite of years of moving ahead the city still goes to polls by and large divided over the caste lines. I met a number of people with deep roots in the city and its social & cultural fabric to understand the pulse and political mood of the holy city. I asked them will a new challenger in the ring bring the city into global spotlight. After all, many of the journalists representing international media are equally curious to know that. This mad rush to Varanasi by media, supporters of Modi and Kejriwal has led to scarcity of hotel rooms in the city.

With the help of a local journalist friend I could somehow settle in a guest house. Obviously, my probe of the city’s political temperament started from there only. “Beta ye Kejriwal toh aam aadmi nahin ganda aadmi hai. Bhagvaan hamare Banaras ko dharna pradarshan se bachaye (Son, this kejriwal is a filthy guy. May God save our city from protests and hooliganism),” says Vibha Devi, about 70-years-old caretaker of the guest house who has spent her lifetime in the city. Even otherwise, the residents of the city are least bothered with who is being projected by the media and who is getting demolished by soundbite hungry journalists.

Rakesh Sharma is a local Brahmin with half of the family into the business of temple maintenance & priesthood and the rest into selling sweets. Who is his choice as the Member of Parliament from the city? “Frankly speaking, no one,” says a dejected Sharma, maintaining that his first choice is and will always be with the BJP’s Murli Manohar Joshi. “Modi has betrayed our trust in the saffron party, yet will see if any other candidate is not in a position to win then will vote for Modi only. It is irony of Banaras that we are being used for political gains,” he says. Why not a radical newcomer in Kejriwal who champions for clean politics? A dismissive Sharma’s face says it all. “He also champions for anarchy and lawlessness which is not good for the business community,” says Mannu Garg, a local shopkeeper who believes this guy is just a media time pass. He also makes it clear that the major share of Brahman-Baniya votes has historically gone to the same candidate.

However, it is not that Kejriwal’s self righteousness has no takers in the city. As a matter of fact, Garg’s outburst so openly led to minor scuffle by a few youths who, realising there is a journalist around, immediately brought out their “Aam Aadmi” caps and started shouting slogans in their trademark hooligan style and spirit. They are the backbone of a well orchestrated campaign of the debutant Aam Aadmi Party. Already the cyber cafes are doing a brisk business in the temple city as youths throng over these places to get connected over the social networking platforms.

On a closer look, however, the youth support is more of a fizz than substance. What seems to be working against Kejriwal is the same youth support, or rather lack of it, in terms of organised cadre. The students of BHU, IIT and medical colleges are not as enthusiastic in the city as in some other urban centres across India. Part of the blame goes to the disenchantment with Kejriwal’s mishandling of power in Delhi and partly because they endorse Modi as the Prime Minister.

“Why are you media guys that much interested in Kejriwal? Remember if he loses, he will blame it on to you journalists only,” says a sarcastic IIT student. Another BHU student points out that there is more than what meets the eyes as far as AAP campaign is concerned. For example, points out this student, the guy chanting Kejriwal’s “Abhi toh Shiela haari hai, Ab Modi ki baari hai” (Shiela Dixit has lost and now it is Modi’s turn) is actually a paid volunteer who was an activist for the BJP in the last Assembly polls.  

Even if the youths and first time voters go for Kejriwal the relevant question is whether the youths are enough to make someone win elections. And it is here that a new twist to the story comes. It is about the participation of women in the polls. Till now they have voted on the lines of what the men folk in their families have instructed for. Will it change this time? Will the women of Varanasi take a leaf out of Delhi women? If yes, then for whom? These are the questions that can upset the electoral calculations completely. Politics, after all, is a game of improbability.

What do the women in the city think of? “Modi ji ki jaroorat hai kyunki mehangai bahut badh gayi hai (Modi is needed as inflation is a real issue),” says Anjana Mathur, a house wife. This may just be a mere perception of a woman who hardly understands the intricacies of economics; nor does she know what drives inflation or what tames it. But then Varanasi, like the rest of the nation, goes to cast votes driven largely by perception. Question Gujarat’s developmental model with statistics and even the diehard NaMo fan has no answer.

But then Modi’s projection as political Lord Shiva has not gone down well in the temple town. And it is not just the saints and a section of Brahmins who find that the Lord Shiva’s mantle to Modi is in bad taste, but this undercurrent has many takers across the constituency of Varanasi. Requesting anonymity a Hindi lecturer of Banaras Hindu University admits that the undercurrent may prove to be the worst strategic move for the BJP. Also, too early declaration of Modi’s candidature has given the city enough time for a cost & benefit analysis, while opposition got the time to sharpen its attack on both development and communal card of Modi.

I asked some of the doctors and other educated people over their coming out openly in favour of the Kejriwal’s AAP. No one would like to admit openly but the answer, like in most parts of the urban India, seems to be quite simple. They know that it is next to impossible to get party tickets from the established political parties and hence vying for their share of the cake that they feel can be baked. That incidentally also dents into the vote share of the established political parties; in today’s context more of BJP’s vote share, because this urban educated middle class has otherwise been a BJP vote bank. AAP supporters maintain that the momentum for Kejriwal is yet to shape up and it is their trademark door-to-door campaigning close to the voting that will actually shape the course of polarisation.

It is not that BJP is not conscious of this biggest possible face loss. Arvind Kejriwal definitely does not appear like Amitabh Bachchan defeating HN Bahuguna in the neighbouring city of Allahabad in 1984, nor is there a backing of any Rajiv Gandhi to Kejriwal; at least the Congress is not going to back Kejriwal openly even though some tacit understanding is being whispered in the temple town nowadays. I spoke to the local unit of the BJP office in Gulab Bagh where many of the volunteers admitted that to merge river Ganges and Sabarmati in terms of political direction is a challenge. “To say that it is a walkover for Modi would amount to insulting our volunteers’ hard work,” admitted a party functionary requesting anonymity.  

Another challenge for the Modi is to counter the perception that he may desert the constituency after winning the elections. However, the dominant feeling in the temple city is narrated by this boatman Ganesh who says, “Varanasi has got the historic opportunity to elect the Prime Minister, and not just a Member of Parliament.” What seems to be working in favour of Modi is the strategic marriage of Hindutva, Social Engineering, Development and Division of Secular Votes.

“Is Congress out of the race,” I asked this to an office goer who belongs to Thakur (Rajput) community. “What makes you think so? Media can not make or break the fortunes of the candidates, not at least in Banaras,” says this gentleman. With last Lok Sabha polls being closely contested despite of the constituency being a Murli Manohar Joshi’s stronghold, he believes it is going to be a four-cornered contest between the BJP, Qaumi Ekta Dal’s Mukhtar Ansari, the BSP and the Congress. The only party that has lost the ground substantially with the face loss is the Samajwadi Party despite being in power in the State.

The role of the debutant in Kejriwal can not be denied but all his calculations are based on who eats into whose vote share. By and large Kejriwal is banking on wishful and fancy thoughts of a miracle. The division of secular votes is only going to benefit the BJP, unless there is a substantial erosion of urban educated middle class votes. Even in such a scenario, Kejriwal can get an edge only if this vote share swings in his favour, added with the consolidation of secular votes en masse for his style of politics.

The local journalists maintain that Kejriwal’s game plan is based on very many ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’ and even one loose end is enough for him to bite the dust. In terms of caste equations, erosion of vote share is only going to benefit the BJP as Kejriwal, Samajwadi Party’s Kailash Chaurasiya and BSP’s Vijay Prakash Jaiswal are all OBCs. If the Congress fields a credible Brahmin candidate, the loss of some Brahmin and OBC votes can really upset Modi, helping Ansari sweep the polls.

In terms of vote share, out of the 16 lakh voters in Varanasi, Muslims are 3 lakh voters, followed by Brahmins, Patels (Kurmis) and Baniyas having 2 lakh each, Yadavs, Dalits and Bhumihar have 1 lakh each votes. It also has a marginal Gujarat connection with around 25000 Gujarati voters. The BJP has won in 5 of the last 6 Lok Sabha polls while losing 2004 to Congress’ Rajesh Kumar Mishra. At present, out of the 5 Assembly seats that are part of the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat, BJP leads the region with 3 Vidhan Sabha seats.      

Who is the principal challenger for Modi? Is it Kejriwal? There is no denying that AAP has created a cadre within a short span of time but then most of the volunteers are either youth driven by false sense of idealism or the disgruntled elements of other parties who were denied what they were seeking for. Even if that translates into votes en block, Kejriwal does not stand as the principal challenger in a four-cornered fight. As a matter of fact, as things stand today, it is the Qaumi Ekta Dal candidate Mukhtar Ansari who can upset the PM aspirant, only if all secular votes are not divided.

If the Muslim votes are split between the Qaumi Ekta Dal, Congress, the BSP and AAP, then Modi is a clear winner. Shams Zaidi, a weaver of Banarasi Saree is optimistic of a Modi debacle. According to him, the Muslims nowadays do not vote en block but strategically to make sure that one can defeat the BJP. For the outside world, Mukhtar Ansari may be a mafia don, but for this weaver he is the ‘real hero’ of the constituency who can take the bull in Modi by horns. “Loha hi lohe ko kat sakta hai sahab, ek Modi jaise badmaash ka jawaab Mukhtar bhai hi de sakte hain (Only iron can cut iron sir. Only Mukhtar Ansari can face an evil Modi),” he says candidly.    

Can Muslim votes alone help Mukhtar Ansari upset the BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate? Jamshed Siddiqui, a local human rights activist makes it a point when he says that it is not just about the Muslim votes that are going to be cast en block to Mukhtar Ansari. “As a matter of fact, Mukhtar bhai has a clout in the region and is largely seen as messiah for the downtrodden. So, while the major share of the Muslim votes will go for him, some share of Dalit and OBC votes will add to that,” says Siddiqui.

Pandit Rajeev Mishra seems to agree with the orientation of Muslim votes. He, however, has a different reason to believe that Mukhtar is best placed to upset the BJP’s trump card in Varanasi. “Never forget the fact that Modi is a non-Brahmin who has usurped the seat of a Brahmin candidate and this has not gone down well with the Brahmins. Add to that his arrogance of replacing ‘Har Har Mahadev’ with ‘Har har Modi’ in the temple town of Varanasi. This has completely turned the Brahmins and priests off,” says Sharma. But will Brahmins ever vote for Mukhtar Ansari? “Definitely not, but if any other party, like the Congress for instance, fields a strong and acceptable Brahmin candidate then the Brahmin votes will go against Modi. The candidate himself may not win, but such a division of votes will definitely help the Ansari emerge as winner,” he adds.    

It is not that the stakes are high only for the BJP as their prime ministerial candidate is in the fray. As a matter of fact, the stakes are very high for AAP as well, since a defeat for Kejriwal means moral loss for the man who is the face of the party that challenges all the established political norms, parties and the institutions. His only hope and expectations bank on the combined voting of the youths, urban electorates and the women, if only they don’t vote on the identity politics of caste lines. That, unfortunately, is a ‘Big If’ in a city like Varanasi and Modi seems to be the frontrunner as of now.

Who knows last minute polarisation may give an edge to the Don in Ansari, the Congress or even the BSP candidate. After all, Varanasi has a date with political destiny and all eyes are set on the outcome. Old timers in the city are rather wondering whether Lord Shiva’s Varanasi will bless or curse its political incarnation. At least the old timers and the spiritual people in the city are not impressed with ‘Har Har Modi’ chants. But as the political analysts and local journalists in the city maintain the undercurrent in the city is conflicting this time and the choice is between blessing a Prime Ministerial candidate from the constituency and the urge to curse his projection as Shiva. 

Only wish that is on the lips of every concerned residents (both voters and non-voters) in the holy city that washes sins is that this last moment polarisation does not happen with more sins and violence that the politics of hatred threatens to unleash. The city is keeping its fingers crossed. Till the time the date of Varanasi with electoral sin is over, the temple city is sitting on a potential time bomb. The river Ganges nevertheless flows quietly and while sitting on its banks in the evening, Ganga Aarti is so therapeutic that it is easy to forget what all venom is being spitted in its arms in the name of electoral politics and governance. The nature does not endorse politics of hatred, and the holy river is really unmindful of what political plots are being hatched in its blessed temple town.    

An era of holier-than-thou politics sans responsibility

By: Ravi Sinha

Feb 2, 2014

Political advocacy always carries a moral high ground irrespective of whether it stands with a legitimate cause or it has hidden motives. Developing nations often fell prey to holier-than-thou breed of activists since the search for a political messiah is intrinsic due to the wide gap between wants and needs. The mismatch between expectations and delivery is partly a result of corruption & feudal functioning and partly due to the widening gap between the expectations and load on the resources.

India, of late, has been a victim of this political advocacy turned into political hooliganism that eventually threw open in the field many political aspirants whose only claim to fame has been their opposition and resistance to whatever the political establishment had to offer. The merit of India’s political class, or the lack of it, can be a different subject matter of discussion. However, what is significant for the country as of now is the fact that the so-called political alternatives are only giving a confused signal to the established political set-up and the masses, much to the amusement of the media which has suddenly found a new fodder for its TRP in a dog eats dog market.

As a result of this media-backed trial by a group of accusing and abusing political aspirants, India today stands at the corridor of political uncertainty and Delhi Assembly election results are a case study. It is much easier to defame a democratically elected government nowadays where a TRP hungry media and social media outlets are always there to vent out the outbursts. The logic often has no place in this world where contract killers of reputation are on the prowl. However, providing a better and viable political alternative is a different ball game altogether.

Those who demanded a high pedestal of morality from the established political institutions are today finding it difficult to provide something better and hence India seems to have entered an era of holier-than-thou politics that sans responsibility. After promising an honest & efficient government, the new breed of politicians seems to have got scared of responsibility, forget accountability. It is true that the mandate is not with the new player in the ring, yet by virtue of emerging second largest party with almost same vote share with the largest party despite of being a debutant demands that they must prove their worth to the emotionally charged up voters, having given a chance. 

It is said that every revolution has seeds of self destruction in its very DNA. Will the newly emerged political outfit that has systematically master minded the social and political unrest to reap political dividends end its own natural death? It is highly likely since the body language and the posturing of new-found political space seem to have gone to the level of arrogance. It is true that the Congress has been routed not only in Delhi but in all the four states, indicating an outburst against the party. But they have been graceful enough to admit it, congratulate the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) despite of slug fest during the polls and offered the unconditional support.

It is a rare phenomenon in Indian politics, but the response of the AAP has been that they don’t need approval of Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi for doing well. It is a new feudal way of politicking where grace is retaliated with arrogance. Furthermore, AAP seems to be in a moral & ideological dilemma over government formation. Their stated stand of neither soliciting nor extending support to either the BJP or the Congress already stands null & void when the wrote back letter to both the parties with their counter condition of support.

The political novices failed to understand that out of the 18 demands put forward by them as a condition of support, most of it does not even need Assembly nod and cabinet can take it own decision. Congress played the smart card by accepting the rest of the demands. Taken aback by this sudden Congress’ gesture/strategy they went into a huddle and afterwards came up with the fancy idea of referendum over SMS. Political immaturity apart, the political novices got exposed in the eyes of their own voters and many of them are today asking whether the AAP is in a position to implement the lofty promises that they made.

It is not about the government formation alone that is a cause of worry. The larger cause of worry is the direction in which the Indian democracy seems to be heading to. Holier-than-thou sans accountability may lead to populism all the time and referendum may be used as an alibi to any policy justification tomorrow. Do we want a civilised democracy to turn into mobocracy? These are the questions to be addressed and government formation by one or the other party is not something that can change the way Indian politics operates. The quest for a political messiah has hurt the country time and again. Yet, it seems the Indian voters have not learnt their lessons.         

Development or developmental engineering replacing social engineering

Oct 9. 2013 Ravi Sinha

Social engineering is passé as it has fallen flat on the face of those who engineered it successfully for long, be it Laloo Yadav in Bihar or Mayawati in Uttar Pradesh. It is ‘Out’ and what has come ‘In’ promises to transform the Indian politics in general and governance in particular. Sadly, this new opium of masses is even more dangerous as this emerging genre of vote bank politics takes even higher a moral ground in the name of ‘Votes for Development’. However, beyond this idealistic façade lies another sort of engineering—‘Developmental Engineering’ which as of now has earned enough curiosity among the media and intellectuals. Its proponents nevertheless fall way short of not just ideals but also ideas for any tangible transformation, be it Narendra Modi or Arvind Kejriwal.      

Intellectuals argue whether any other term has been so over-used and abused in the collective consciousness at the political level than ‘Development’ which, of course, means different things to different people. For some it is the GDP growth that is indicator of development, others find holistic development including liveability index and other social indicator as a benchmark. Populism has also been a development indicator in this part of the world for quite some time, but social engineering is increasingly waning and the void that it creates promises to put development card on the forefront.

With the general elections 2014 a few months away and five states also going for polls, the subject of development has yet again gained prominence. While it is convenient to assume that the young and aspiration driven India is no more ready to be carried by rhetoric alone, a close scrutiny of India’s socio-political consciousness reflects development as an agenda is yet to make inroads into politics and translate into votes. India’s ballot box traction point runs much deeper than macro level media rhetorics. In the name of development, what is actually happening is that a sort of developmental engineering is replacing the tried and tested social engineering that is waning its charm, thanks to its over-use and abuse by the so-called messiah of social justice.

There are two kinds of lies that are applied by respective governments to over-project its development card—plain lies and statistical engineering. The opposition party uses the same methodology to carry home the point lack of development. In plain lies all propaganda machinery is put to use to create an aura of ‘feel good’ or ‘fear psychosis’ which does not have a factual bearing on the ground. Secondly, it is the statistical engineering which is applied and by selective use of statistics it is made to believe that the state’s growth on development index is reflective of its progress. If Narendra Modi symbolises developmental engineering, Arvind Kejriwal is orchestrating plain lies.   

However, GDP growth or economic prosperity on a macro level does not often give the correct picture. Unless the state’s growth has been inclusive and growth is at par or parallel on various social indicators also, such growth is neither sustainable nor tangible enough to be called ‘Greater Good for Greater Number of People’.  

Take for instance the over-hyped and over-projected development model of Gujarat. Indeed the economic growth of Gujarat has been better than the national average. However, equally true is the fact that other states like Delhi, Bihar, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand and Tamil Nadu have done better than Gujarat in recent times. Gujarat is neither the best performer in the top ten best performing states, nor is its growth evaluation on various key indicators any impressive.

Poverty, a key indicator of development is not reducing significantly in Gujarat and its less than impressive performance shows it is at number 18^th position. As per Planning Commission figure all India BPL (Below Poverty Line) percentage has gone down from 37.20 to 29.8 between 2004-05 and 2009-10 whereas Gujarat’s percentage has gone down by only 8.6 points during the same period. Add to it, the Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s lofty economic remark that nutrition has gone down because women are health conscious in the state and eat less. That, of course, is indicative of state’s seriousness with this key development metrics.

Even from a purely economic development standpoint, Gujarat is number nine among the top ten states with percentage of population having concrete roof over head. Even states like Kerala, Himachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Punjab are ahead of Gujarat; with tiny places like Puducherry and Lakshadweep having better track record than Gujarat.  

In terms of sex ratio, another indicator of a developed state, Gujarat stands at a patriarchal low rank of 20^th position, with only 918 females per 1000 males. Though Gujarat often boasts of better literacy rate than the national average, its standing is at 15^th position in the country. In terms of infant mortality rate, again Gujarat’s statistical projection may boast of better than national average but it stands at 18^th position. Maternal mortality rate also shows states like Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh are doing better than Gujarat.

This raises a fundamental question about the developmental engineering and its relevance beyond the vote bank politics. The moot point is development for whom and at what cost? Definitely, a development plank meant for industrialists can not be an effective development model. When the Congress President Sonia Gandhi emphasised that “passion for progress must be supplemented with compassion for poor” during deliberation on Food Security Bill, it was that grand vision of development model on which Gujarat stands nowhere.

Gujarat is just a case study here, but the fact of the matter is that many of the states that boast of development as their USP may not come out with relatively modest score when judged with all the key indicators of development. Reasons why many of the governments are shown the door even after creating so much of development projection, most classic example being the ‘India Shining’ of Atal Behari Vajpayee Government at centre.

In India the elections have by and large not been contested on development plank; it is just that the term development that is symptomatic of the developmental engineering instead of social engineering which has lived its shelf life. And it is not just the politicians alone who are to be blamed for this. What are we up to as Indians, as vote banks? Do we really scrutiny to differentiate the wheat from the chaff? If so, how come someone like Arvind Kejriwal take a moral high ground with absolutely no solution to offer for most of the developmental, both social and economic, problems afflicting the Indians.

So, it is basically one rhetoric being replaced by another without any tangible focus on development that still stands as the bane of Indian democracy. The mirage of a better governance continues; some have channelized it in the name of social justice while others are orchestrating in the name of development. Some others with no track record have taken an altogether different route of developmental engineering in the name of creating an utopian society. India just stands as the laboratory for all engineering and the Indian voters are at the best guinea pigs for them.