The Neta Business
By: Amit Bhushan Date: 17th Jan 2017
Who is the Neta? The answer is really simple. One who can keep himself in ‘political power’ business? That’s the simplest explanation which works like hell in our polity. Almost all ‘smart’ Netas know this fact and therefore value system or ideological leanings are passe’. They know that once they have the cherished victory, they can always strive to ‘get the jobs done’ for supporters (read: Mr. Moneybags), no matter what the policy. This is because the institutional structure can be twisted by exploiting human follies of the bureaucrats, one’s who are on or near the top positions. However if such power is elusive then only limited influence can be exerted with the limited information about ‘monitoring procedures and execution’. However still very limited enthusiasm is displayed amongst Netadom for systemic measures to induce transparency. Suffice here is to cite examples of the newbie party rather limited enthusiasm for Lokpal and rather limited support for the RTI activists with almost no new demands for measures to further transparency in governance albeit a hyper-activity on many other battle fronts.
The fear of ‘change’ amongst political high commands in spite of the fact that such changes have little impact on their own influence in governance and rather has benevolent impact in terms of public imagery is inexplicable. It is because this puts of spoke in their own Wheels at the hands of lower level political functionary not willing to let go of their individual influence (which incidentally would increase their dependency on the high level Netas). The failure of the bigger Netas to be able to leave some ‘positive imprints’, then works to the disadvantage for the parties and this is nearly true for all political parties and widely perceived as anti-incumbency (when party is in government) or anti-party activity when the parties are out of government. Added to this is twist of the commercial news media which focusses only on the top, while ignoring the activities of the lower echelons, who interact with ‘publics’. Of course the perchance of the senior Netas of not giving required media space to lower functionary, adds to the pressures. Had politics been not about self-promotion, then the ‘varishtha’ phenomenon, which is a recent discovery with deepening of roots, could have exploited the situation. But its politics and that too Indian Ishtyle.
So we really have lost real champions of transparency and good governance with identity politics making its presence felt on everyday basis on the commercial news media. This is while channels and newspapers would continue to blare out cacophony of numbers regards movement of economy as well as business and governance measures such as ease of doing business, make in India etc. And let’s look at what is the result. We have elections in the largest state where a national party has to look at a political factions of another state party while another national party is busy with re-branding since its earlier image won’t ‘sell’. Some Netas would sink themselves with the blame while trying to cling to power by proxy means and some other state party widely perceived as has having select pockets of loyalty, trying to keep its flag flying even when its agenda seemed to have perceived benefits for its own ordinary workers. In fact the Khichidi prediction is most likely coming true, but the parties or channels or Netas wouldn’t admit as of yet, in a crucial election. The commercial news media on its count would continue to highlight non-issues of socio-religious factors, caste-related factors which seem to have been relegated to background, already. Let’s see the ‘Game’ evolve further…..
By: Amit Bhushan Date: 17th Jan 2017
Who is the Neta? The answer is really simple. One who can keep himself in ‘political power’ business? That’s the simplest explanation which works like hell in our polity. Almost all ‘smart’ Netas know this fact and therefore value system or ideological leanings are passe’. They know that once they have the cherished victory, they can always strive to ‘get the jobs done’ for supporters (read: Mr. Moneybags), no matter what the policy. This is because the institutional structure can be twisted by exploiting human follies of the bureaucrats, one’s who are on or near the top positions. However if such power is elusive then only limited influence can be exerted with the limited information about ‘monitoring procedures and execution’. However still very limited enthusiasm is displayed amongst Netadom for systemic measures to induce transparency. Suffice here is to cite examples of the newbie party rather limited enthusiasm for Lokpal and rather limited support for the RTI activists with almost no new demands for measures to further transparency in governance albeit a hyper-activity on many other battle fronts.
The fear of ‘change’ amongst political high commands in spite of the fact that such changes have little impact on their own influence in governance and rather has benevolent impact in terms of public imagery is inexplicable. It is because this puts of spoke in their own Wheels at the hands of lower level political functionary not willing to let go of their individual influence (which incidentally would increase their dependency on the high level Netas). The failure of the bigger Netas to be able to leave some ‘positive imprints’, then works to the disadvantage for the parties and this is nearly true for all political parties and widely perceived as anti-incumbency (when party is in government) or anti-party activity when the parties are out of government. Added to this is twist of the commercial news media which focusses only on the top, while ignoring the activities of the lower echelons, who interact with ‘publics’. Of course the perchance of the senior Netas of not giving required media space to lower functionary, adds to the pressures. Had politics been not about self-promotion, then the ‘varishtha’ phenomenon, which is a recent discovery with deepening of roots, could have exploited the situation. But its politics and that too Indian Ishtyle.
So we really have lost real champions of transparency and good governance with identity politics making its presence felt on everyday basis on the commercial news media. This is while channels and newspapers would continue to blare out cacophony of numbers regards movement of economy as well as business and governance measures such as ease of doing business, make in India etc. And let’s look at what is the result. We have elections in the largest state where a national party has to look at a political factions of another state party while another national party is busy with re-branding since its earlier image won’t ‘sell’. Some Netas would sink themselves with the blame while trying to cling to power by proxy means and some other state party widely perceived as has having select pockets of loyalty, trying to keep its flag flying even when its agenda seemed to have perceived benefits for its own ordinary workers. In fact the Khichidi prediction is most likely coming true, but the parties or channels or Netas wouldn’t admit as of yet, in a crucial election. The commercial news media on its count would continue to highlight non-issues of socio-religious factors, caste-related factors which seem to have been relegated to background, already. Let’s see the ‘Game’ evolve further…..