Politics Revisited; But will Organization Sustain

Politics Revisited; But will Organization Sustain​

By: Amit Bhushan Date: 15th Sept. 2019

The GOP leadership seems to be taking on to ‘tough question politics’ by its pointers towards economic policies raised by those that can be probably construed to be the highest level in the given situation. The macro numbers do demand closer monitoring including by parties in present opposition, even if the leadership in government remains in denial. This is because there has been little to by the way of improvement of market access for Indian exporters and measures to improve domestic production or manage imports have yielded only a little result. The point is not being raised on account of popular noise about the auto-sector dip, but on account that GST seems to be weakening which is a pointer towards overall growth. As of political upmanship by GOP, what would raise some counter-questions is that the states under rule of the GOP or by some other opposition parties, aren’t doing any better with their ‘loan waivers’ or other measures and the same also needs to be looked at. What’s more is rather distraught second rung in the party, which is jumping the ship besides not even any theatrics of unity in the opposition. This is despite the smaller parties & their leaders on a streak of losing and many now unable to voice their concerns or rally people behind themselves. Even with its focus on ‘center related issues’, it has been unable to attract leaders and parties under its fold in the areas where it could have played as a supporting platform.

Again with its policies/policy politics it is likely to cause some flutter only in urban or semi-urban centers. There seems to be little mobilization taking place in industrial states like Maharastra and Haryana in spite of its politics and therefore little by the way of political success as of now. The rural masses which have long been signaling ‘change’ may still be awaiting a deeper connect and more effective policies say for food processing, crop-diversity, water conservation, allied-agri support measures, processed food exports. There has also been little focus on the administrative collapse and mismanagement of public service institutions like government schools, healthcare centers, local bodies, development authorities etc. as it’s the same story maintained by every party in states under their rule. An attack on the other party on this count can only come from new parties, therefore. However there has only been a rather limited improvement in states like Delhi and any comparative data has not been bothered to be highlighted by the media or parties or governments for those initiatives. There might be a need to add political heft to mobilize rural folk in opposition especially in GOP. This would require far greater policy as well as activity level focus and to bring about a change in the states, rather than just a political counter to the Center (although the same may also be a need).

Nevertheless with more focus on ‘economics’ amongst the senior political leadership, the job of the regional parties and their leadership is cut out. To make their impact felt, they will need to focus on administrative failures of these parties in center as well as in the states or else get marginalized further. This is because the political narratives of yesteryears regards castes or religious fervors, don’t seem to be having the same sway anymore. There are attempts being made to ‘sell the nationalist rhetoric’ in the region, and the state level machismo as well as linguistic identity politics seems to be on the back seat as of now. While there seems to be a lot of media driven hype on nationalistic fervors in the region, however this is likely to fizzle out soon with a focus on ‘administrative failures and its correction- related issues’ pretty soon. Now whether such an initiative is wrested by the national parties in the ‘entire region’ or the state level parties, is what needs to be seen. This is because the public is now quite aware of administrative mismanagement and policy highjack measures, that have managed to hold sway in the region for long.

While the nation-states engage in the political dog-fight between themselves over the K-word, it would perhaps be good to focus on people. That the families would break into a spontaneous celebration, if one of the family members in the troubled area manages to get a visa for say Canada (as first choice amongst better educated ones). And any ‘Muslim identity being laden of the people seems to be thus failing as seldom is the expectation to migrate to a so called Muslim nation and this feeling could be on both sides of control line. A migration or a change of nationality is not seen as any sort of political statement by the Netas in the region as it won’t suit their politics. They would want to keep a nationality debate around old notions of national fervor, even though people’s expectation have changed globally. While there has been off late some improvement in the ‘ease of doing business’ in India including a push to attract ‘global investments’ alongside the ‘tadka’ of ‘impact on jobs’ added in part due to these articles in management paradise from where ideas are picked by politicians, journos and others. The people who have understood and experienced change are like to make a further push to retain focus on jobs and rural distress.

What is however quite clear in India is that the administrative quality of state cannot and need not be compared against one of the states in the neighboring countries. This is even if the ‘Common People’s party’ does well politically or not. What is setting in the political expectations (of public) is improving the quality of governance, whether on the back of technology/digital/fintech or otherwise. Any regional machismo will need to respond to these expectations whether on the back of tech or otherwise. Though there has been political troubles in erstwhile Hongkong, however the public expectation in the region is for the new Hongkongs to rise whether in IFSC or Kochi in India, or Gwadar or Chahbahar or Sittwe/Thilawa etc. The old noise around religion is no longer the political rally point but the agriculturalist’s suicides out of financial distress are, even if avoided by the commercial news media and political parties. There is a need to move dependency of population of agriculture on one hand and to improve the prevailing conditions on the other side. Instead of finding ways to do so a political focus on other issues like militarizing or on arming up of violent groups and goons, is likely to be a sub-optimal political choice. Let the ‘Game’ evolve…..

 

[Dhruv Bindhani]

Politics Revisited; But will Organization Sustain​

By: Amit Bhushan Date: 15th Sept. 2019

The GOP leadership seems to be taking on to ‘tough question politics’ by its pointers towards economic policies raised by those that can be probably construed to be the highest level in the given situation. The macro numbers do demand closer monitoring including by parties in present opposition, even if the leadership in government remains in denial. This is because there has been little to by the way of improvement of market access for Indian exporters and measures to improve domestic production or manage imports have yielded only a little result. The point is not being raised on account of popular noise about the auto-sector dip, but on account that GST seems to be weakening which is a pointer towards overall growth. As of political upmanship by GOP, what would raise some counter-questions is that the states under rule of the GOP or by some other opposition parties, aren’t doing any better with their ‘loan waivers’ or other measures and the same also needs to be looked at. What’s more is rather distraught second rung in the party, which is jumping the ship besides not even any theatrics of unity in the opposition. This is despite the smaller parties & their leaders on a streak of losing and many now unable to voice their concerns or rally people behind themselves. Even with its focus on ‘center related issues’, it has been unable to attract leaders and parties under its fold in the areas where it could have played as a supporting platform.

Again with its policies/policy politics it is likely to cause some flutter only in urban or semi-urban centers. There seems to be little mobilization taking place in industrial states like Maharastra and Haryana in spite of its politics and therefore little by the way of political success as of now. The rural masses which have long been signaling ‘change’ may still be awaiting a deeper connect and more effective policies say for food processing, crop-diversity, water conservation, allied-agri support measures, processed food exports. There has also been little focus on the administrative collapse and mismanagement of public service institutions like government schools, healthcare centers, local bodies, development authorities etc. as it’s the same story maintained by every party in states under their rule. An attack on the other party on this count can only come from new parties, therefore. However there has only been a rather limited improvement in states like Delhi and any comparative data has not been bothered to be highlighted by the media or parties or governments for those initiatives. There might be a need to add political heft to mobilize rural folk in opposition especially in GOP. This would require far greater policy as well as activity level focus and to bring about a change in the states, rather than just a political counter to the Center (although the same may also be a need).

Nevertheless with more focus on ‘economics’ amongst the senior political leadership, the job of the regional parties and their leadership is cut out. To make their impact felt, they will need to focus on administrative failures of these parties in center as well as in the states or else get marginalized further. This is because the political narratives of yesteryears regards castes or religious fervors, don’t seem to be having the same sway anymore. There are attempts being made to ‘sell the nationalist rhetoric’ in the region, and the state level machismo as well as linguistic identity politics seems to be on the back seat as of now. While there seems to be a lot of media driven hype on nationalistic fervors in the region, however this is likely to fizzle out soon with a focus on ‘administrative failures and its correction- related issues’ pretty soon. Now whether such an initiative is wrested by the national parties in the ‘entire region’ or the state level parties, is what needs to be seen. This is because the public is now quite aware of administrative mismanagement and policy highjack measures, that have managed to hold sway in the region for long.

While the nation-states engage in the political dog-fight between themselves over the K-word, it would perhaps be good to focus on people. That the families would break into a spontaneous celebration, if one of the family members in the troubled area manages to get a visa for say Canada (as first choice amongst better educated ones). And any ‘Muslim identity being laden of the people seems to be thus failing as seldom is the expectation to migrate to a so called Muslim nation and this feeling could be on both sides of control line. A migration or a change of nationality is not seen as any sort of political statement by the Netas in the region as it won’t suit their politics. They would want to keep a nationality debate around old notions of national fervor, even though people’s expectation have changed globally. While there has been off late some improvement in the ‘ease of doing business’ in India including a push to attract ‘global investments’ alongside the ‘tadka’ of ‘impact on jobs’ added in part due to these articles in management paradise from where ideas are picked by politicians, journos and others. The people who have understood and experienced change are like to make a further push to retain focus on jobs and rural distress.

What is however quite clear in India is that the administrative quality of state cannot and need not be compared against one of the states in the neighboring countries. This is even if the ‘Common People’s party’ does well politically or not. What is setting in the political expectations (of public) is improving the quality of governance, whether on the back of technology/digital/fintech or otherwise. Any regional machismo will need to respond to these expectations whether on the back of tech or otherwise. Though there has been political troubles in erstwhile Hongkong, however the public expectation in the region is for the new Hongkongs to rise whether in IFSC or Kochi in India, or Gwadar or Chahbahar or Sittwe/Thilawa etc. The old noise around religion is no longer the political rally point but the agriculturalist’s suicides out of financial distress are, even if avoided by the commercial news media and political parties. There is a need to move dependency of population of agriculture on one hand and to improve the prevailing conditions on the other side. Instead of finding ways to do so a political focus on other issues like militarizing or on arming up of violent groups and goons, is likely to be a sub-optimal political choice. Let the ‘Game’ evolve…..

This political article is a masterclass in architectural writing, where every element serves to construct a compelling argument. The writer's writing style is both authoritative and exceptionally precise, cutting through the common obfuscation of political discourse to reveal the core issues. There's an intellectual rigor evident in the prose, yet it remains remarkably accessible, guiding the reader through complex ideas without condescension. The structure of the piece is its backbone, meticulously designed to build a logical and unassailable case. Each paragraph and section is placed with strategic intent, creating a seamless flow that naturally leads to a profound understanding of the political landscape being discussed. Crucially, the unwavering clarity of the analysis is the article's greatest strength; every nuance of policy and every facet of political strategy are laid bare with such lucidity that the implications are undeniable and instantly graspable, making it an invaluable resource for informed citizens.

 

[Simran Rai]

The current political landscape in India, particularly concerning the GOP (Grand Old Party) and the broader opposition, reveals a complex interplay of economic realities, administrative lapses, and shifting public expectations. As the central government faces growing scrutiny over its economic policies—especially the declining performance of sectors like auto and concerns surrounding GST collections—opposition parties have begun attempting to pivot toward “tough question politics.” Yet, despite valid criticism of the central administration’s handling of market access, production, and trade imbalances, the GOP’s counter-offensive is weakened by the visible underperformance of its own ruled states. Measures like farm loan waivers have yielded negligible structural benefits, and there is evident disarray within the party ranks, with leaders defecting or showing signs of disillusionment. More importantly, the absence of political consolidation within the opposition, especially its failure to serve as an inclusive platform in economically critical regions like Maharashtra and Haryana, reflects a missed opportunity to influence ground-level sentiments.


Rural India, which has increasingly signaled its dissatisfaction, remains under-engaged by opposition narratives that still lean heavily on rhetorical deflections rather than concrete policies focused on agricultural diversification, food processing, water security, and revitalization of core services like health and education. A serious disconnect persists between policy discourse and administrative delivery. While Delhi may offer glimpses of improvement, such comparative evaluations rarely enter mainstream political debate. A reinvigorated opposition must urgently focus on state-level governance failures—including those within their own governments—because caste, temple politics, and religious rhetoric no longer carry the electoral weight they once did. In fact, nationalist fervor, often whipped up for short-term gains, is steadily losing traction as economic anxieties around jobs, rural distress, and public service breakdowns dominate public concern. This shift is especially apparent in aspirations of educated youth in regions like Kashmir, where the desire is not for ideological refuge but for mobility and dignity, often symbolized in migration dreams to places like Canada rather than to any religiously aligned nations.


Within this evolving matrix, even global developments—such as improved “ease of doing business” in India and technological pushes through fintech and digital governance—have begun to inform voter expectations. The public no longer draws inspiration from hardline posturing but seeks visible transformation in urban infrastructure, rural opportunities, and the modern reinvention of ports and industrial corridors. In this context, regional parties that once thrived on linguistic or identity politics are now at risk of becoming politically obsolete unless they adapt to this emerging demand for tangible outcomes. Importantly, public discourse, now shaped as much by social media as by traditional news outlets, increasingly rejects theatrical distractions. Instead, issues like agricultural suicides and systemic banking failures, even when underreported, continue to shape grassroots sentiments. Political choices that prioritize arming rogue elements or inflaming identity clashes over addressing structural deficiencies will find themselves outdated. The electorate is maturing rapidly, demanding delivery over drama. Let the ‘Game’ evolve….​