Monday, May 11, 2009

A very, very important week

This is possibly the most important week of the decade for India.

Keeping my fingers crossed for a somewhat fiscally conservative, socially progressive, non-chauvinistic government in India, which selects its leaders based on merit rather than nepotism. (Unfortunately, this disqualifies every major party in the fray in the polls).

I will probably not be distraught if either the BJP or Congress come to power again this time. As long as it isn't those stupid Marxists who are doing their best to perpetuate the rule of corruption in India by keeping the multitudes extremely poor. Anecdotal evidence seems to indicate that the Marxists are about to get gored in Bengal and Kerala.

Both t BJP and Congress are likely to follow 'liberal' economic policy (which, ironically means fiscal conservativism). And this is the key to lifting India's millions from extreme poverty. But that said, the BJP comes with horrible baggage of overseeing India's latest Genocide - the indiscrimimate slaughter of Muslims in Gujarat. If had a vote (which I do not, because I am not in India), I would have voted for congress for this very reason.

Awaiting the 16th of May.

2 comments:

unicorn said...

I beg to differ on your ideology on congress. How on earth did you conclude that congress is not into divisive politics just by citing one example of BJP? Congress fermented on divisive politics, I am sure you know what I am referring to, secularism as an idea doesnt hold water unless there is communalism. Your logic, I am afraid RAP, is for from being logical at all.

Rap said...

The last five years in India have been relatively violence free (at least when it comes to state sponsored violence, a-la Modi). This is reason enough for me to vote for congress. Of course, there are instances such as the Karnataka government (BJP) encouraging women being molested by Muthalik - and the MNS in Mumbai - again affiliated to the hindu fundamentalist BJP. Hindu fanatics are burning churches in Mangalore and in Orissa.

BJP leaders sat over the Gujarat Riots - both at the state and the central levels. The supreme court of India indicted Modi squarely. And he is BJP's number 2 man.

BJP's number 1 man was instrumental in the Ayodhya riots of the 1990s.

I do not think too highly of the congress' dynastic crap at all - but I think the UPA did a splendid job in these last few years. What divisive politics did congress 'ferment'? If you're talking about reservations - well, that's a whole different ball game. We're in a democracy. Democracies do what the majority wants. If the majority wants reservations (thanks to vote banks), then a democracy has reservations. It's a built into the model. Not the congress' fault. If they did not do this, then someone else would - and they would be in power.