The Neta Health Scorecard
By: Amit Bhushan Date: 7th Nov. 2016
The Neta Health Scorecard would depict substantial health deterioration this election season. Reason- Netas aren’t using one of those cycles anymore but luxury Raths and bevy of hi-class Limousines along with aerial/helicopter support abounds, everything that depicts a high wealth Scorecard rather. And instead of industrial growth or agricultural growth by focus of irrigation issues/woes, there seems to be a noise of temple in the background, corruption, land-grab etc. With regards to progress in services. There has been near zilch progress in City Transportation, or Transportation hubs for goods or Gas distribution (piped/LNG stations) or for that matter, the Call Centre business. The construction sector is yet to see any promised upswing although some infra build up keeps the steam going on the back of public funds or foreign loans. The retailers still under pressure from the onslaught of modern retail and any franchising/co-branding support from organized players as the markets/productivity/income-level is yet to pick up to the level where such supporters start seeing some light. The netas have in any case decided not to talk about bank credit for the small businesses as the fear of bad loans Pandora box/es opening up looms large. The metrics from babudom on employment or new ventures/start-ups are not out and no one seems to be concerned since media would like to wait for such metrics to do any stories and an external stimuli is quite necessary in such cases for the creative geniuses to come up with something. In any case such ventures need government to support to come up with process reforms in education, official procedures, municipal and Dev. Authority procedures to involve emerging solutions (and people along with) which has been lacking but noise seem to have been much with near zilch results. All-in-all it is going to be a challenging electoral battle for all sides, and feigning bravery is a virtue rather than realistic talks and assessments.
The roadshows now make for the rather more perfect electoral campaign set up. The reasons are rather simple. Firstly, campaign trails is on or near the road and helps if it’s a gleaming new one or a recently repaired one. All the traffic that comes to halt is seen as joining the campaign by our media and swells crowd-gathering, since the media now seldom raising the woes of drivers/passers-by (unlike yesteryears). Second is that off road villages are automatically avoided and no one notices the same while covering the ‘show’ and the woes of such people living off-road and may have got nothing, can be avoided in the din of noise of people whose villages have benefitted from being on the highway. Lastly, of course now the pandal-kursi wallahs have become more circumspect and therefore politicians have little options since they are never used to be bothered about paying rentals to the local businesses and are now unable to be persuaded to contribute. The challenges on this count has been added to increase the complexity although the parties/netas would prefer to depict the problem as neta or party specific, rather than people turning more ‘game/demanding’, and assessment of netas turning rather a bit more harsh compared to yesteryears. In fact the ‘blame-game’ which used to set the buzz in electoral discussions, now seldom clicks with people who want to check the record of actions taken by those in power.
The politics is yet to mature to come up with changed response to changing situations. The penchant of Netas for the old ragas has been too much and is reflected on the people showing disdain for the netas, especially one repeating the old lines too often and blocking any new show (for public). Like the minerals related resources have risen in importance as well as costs. So the states could have easily come up with measures like a police/regulatory force to impose mining discipline across the state/s and eliminate illegal mining which has become a source of political contention. It were also possible that suitable pipelines deployed instead of canals or micro-canals since the cost of laying/maintaining a more dependable pipeline may have fallen more compared to digging and maintaining canals. Rise in prices of real estate and road congestion can be an opportunity to exploit the Bus Depots or railway infra of the state transport/central agencies to be converted to multi-level multi-purpose parking/depot and have some retail/entertainment offerings. With pollution rising, a tax on polluters and investment to raise a force for protecting and development of the flora & fauna seems to be in need of calling. A continued reluctance to devise such measures even on the back of rising revenue from such activity, depicts neta’s susceptibility to cronyism and corruption, however no party or neta would pay any heed to such charges. Besides minerals or government land, one can see continued mis-use/abuse of power/electricity, banking credit and PWD contracts, development authority corruption and abuse of powers related to appointments/transfers. While the netas may want to enamour public by their antics designed to impress the journos who would carry them to the masses. The trick of netas being all questions, no answers and almost totally ‘bereft of ideas’ but ‘high on rhetoric’ may not be hooking ‘clients’ anymore. Such tactics include avoidance of the real issues but pseudo-discussions abound on the folly of others. Some ‘patrakars’ would continue to see the humour in this and perhaps help Netas in canvassing basis the old tricks. This is while the forecast of no single party majority might already be out (from author although this may change with the scenario). The scenario might impress a few parties and netas in the fray while bringing frown on some others and possibly rejoice for some others. Vigorous efforts to woo people basis talks and promises in an increasingly complex election in the largest state and the tumult/jostling that is likely to be thrown post elections in the state would ensure the Tamasha goes on as usual.
While some netas would pull out deadwood issues around past netas, some others would pull out some international events like Iraq or cold war etc. to canvass for votes. The politics related to minorities seem to be changing although there is need to develop an organizational strength to pursue any real development of the oppressed here. While at the same time the concern about the dogmas of the majority religion cannot be put aside which seems to be the case apart of some women action which in any case is far from electoral scene as of yet. All this when the Netas of almost all hues will concur that not only this elections is different from past but even public is showing all inclinations to break from past as evident by the ‘Khat’ related incident/s which could have been conjectured just five years back for even mediocre Netas. The fast globalizing society with jet-set netas, seems to lack globalizing entrepreneurs or job growth in proportion to public’s investment on its Netas (in all its forms), as efforts of the netas to get back jobs home seem much lesser while the vising foreign dignitaries seem to be canvassing/currying businesses as per our Patrakars, and yet no one seem to be questioning. The churn of the Netas is another reason but is not being noticed although quite a few of them may voluntary opt out to make some noise perhaps. Some of this might be evident by the 180 degree turnaround of a few of them. At times it so happens in the ‘Game’ that the Semis may be tougher than the Finals even if they may not look to be ‘so material’ at the onset. Let’s see the ‘Game’ evolve further…..
By: Amit Bhushan Date: 7th Nov. 2016
The Neta Health Scorecard would depict substantial health deterioration this election season. Reason- Netas aren’t using one of those cycles anymore but luxury Raths and bevy of hi-class Limousines along with aerial/helicopter support abounds, everything that depicts a high wealth Scorecard rather. And instead of industrial growth or agricultural growth by focus of irrigation issues/woes, there seems to be a noise of temple in the background, corruption, land-grab etc. With regards to progress in services. There has been near zilch progress in City Transportation, or Transportation hubs for goods or Gas distribution (piped/LNG stations) or for that matter, the Call Centre business. The construction sector is yet to see any promised upswing although some infra build up keeps the steam going on the back of public funds or foreign loans. The retailers still under pressure from the onslaught of modern retail and any franchising/co-branding support from organized players as the markets/productivity/income-level is yet to pick up to the level where such supporters start seeing some light. The netas have in any case decided not to talk about bank credit for the small businesses as the fear of bad loans Pandora box/es opening up looms large. The metrics from babudom on employment or new ventures/start-ups are not out and no one seems to be concerned since media would like to wait for such metrics to do any stories and an external stimuli is quite necessary in such cases for the creative geniuses to come up with something. In any case such ventures need government to support to come up with process reforms in education, official procedures, municipal and Dev. Authority procedures to involve emerging solutions (and people along with) which has been lacking but noise seem to have been much with near zilch results. All-in-all it is going to be a challenging electoral battle for all sides, and feigning bravery is a virtue rather than realistic talks and assessments.
The roadshows now make for the rather more perfect electoral campaign set up. The reasons are rather simple. Firstly, campaign trails is on or near the road and helps if it’s a gleaming new one or a recently repaired one. All the traffic that comes to halt is seen as joining the campaign by our media and swells crowd-gathering, since the media now seldom raising the woes of drivers/passers-by (unlike yesteryears). Second is that off road villages are automatically avoided and no one notices the same while covering the ‘show’ and the woes of such people living off-road and may have got nothing, can be avoided in the din of noise of people whose villages have benefitted from being on the highway. Lastly, of course now the pandal-kursi wallahs have become more circumspect and therefore politicians have little options since they are never used to be bothered about paying rentals to the local businesses and are now unable to be persuaded to contribute. The challenges on this count has been added to increase the complexity although the parties/netas would prefer to depict the problem as neta or party specific, rather than people turning more ‘game/demanding’, and assessment of netas turning rather a bit more harsh compared to yesteryears. In fact the ‘blame-game’ which used to set the buzz in electoral discussions, now seldom clicks with people who want to check the record of actions taken by those in power.
The politics is yet to mature to come up with changed response to changing situations. The penchant of Netas for the old ragas has been too much and is reflected on the people showing disdain for the netas, especially one repeating the old lines too often and blocking any new show (for public). Like the minerals related resources have risen in importance as well as costs. So the states could have easily come up with measures like a police/regulatory force to impose mining discipline across the state/s and eliminate illegal mining which has become a source of political contention. It were also possible that suitable pipelines deployed instead of canals or micro-canals since the cost of laying/maintaining a more dependable pipeline may have fallen more compared to digging and maintaining canals. Rise in prices of real estate and road congestion can be an opportunity to exploit the Bus Depots or railway infra of the state transport/central agencies to be converted to multi-level multi-purpose parking/depot and have some retail/entertainment offerings. With pollution rising, a tax on polluters and investment to raise a force for protecting and development of the flora & fauna seems to be in need of calling. A continued reluctance to devise such measures even on the back of rising revenue from such activity, depicts neta’s susceptibility to cronyism and corruption, however no party or neta would pay any heed to such charges. Besides minerals or government land, one can see continued mis-use/abuse of power/electricity, banking credit and PWD contracts, development authority corruption and abuse of powers related to appointments/transfers. While the netas may want to enamour public by their antics designed to impress the journos who would carry them to the masses. The trick of netas being all questions, no answers and almost totally ‘bereft of ideas’ but ‘high on rhetoric’ may not be hooking ‘clients’ anymore. Such tactics include avoidance of the real issues but pseudo-discussions abound on the folly of others. Some ‘patrakars’ would continue to see the humour in this and perhaps help Netas in canvassing basis the old tricks. This is while the forecast of no single party majority might already be out (from author although this may change with the scenario). The scenario might impress a few parties and netas in the fray while bringing frown on some others and possibly rejoice for some others. Vigorous efforts to woo people basis talks and promises in an increasingly complex election in the largest state and the tumult/jostling that is likely to be thrown post elections in the state would ensure the Tamasha goes on as usual.
While some netas would pull out deadwood issues around past netas, some others would pull out some international events like Iraq or cold war etc. to canvass for votes. The politics related to minorities seem to be changing although there is need to develop an organizational strength to pursue any real development of the oppressed here. While at the same time the concern about the dogmas of the majority religion cannot be put aside which seems to be the case apart of some women action which in any case is far from electoral scene as of yet. All this when the Netas of almost all hues will concur that not only this elections is different from past but even public is showing all inclinations to break from past as evident by the ‘Khat’ related incident/s which could have been conjectured just five years back for even mediocre Netas. The fast globalizing society with jet-set netas, seems to lack globalizing entrepreneurs or job growth in proportion to public’s investment on its Netas (in all its forms), as efforts of the netas to get back jobs home seem much lesser while the vising foreign dignitaries seem to be canvassing/currying businesses as per our Patrakars, and yet no one seem to be questioning. The churn of the Netas is another reason but is not being noticed although quite a few of them may voluntary opt out to make some noise perhaps. Some of this might be evident by the 180 degree turnaround of a few of them. At times it so happens in the ‘Game’ that the Semis may be tougher than the Finals even if they may not look to be ‘so material’ at the onset. Let’s see the ‘Game’ evolve further…..