NaMo ‘Merits’ Attention

I had remarked to someone before May 16^th results that if NDA gets 300 it will be a blockbuster performance (I was hoping but did not expect), with NDA close to 340, it is a blockbuster of blockbusters something like a Sholay or Dilwale Dulhaniya le jayenge or in cricketing terms a one day double century or may be a T-20 double century.  Now I am getting carried away ………. J

Taking Dilwale analogy forward , are we now at interval stage where the girl has fallen for boys charms   but the hero still has to convince many sceptics / intellectuals / realists (in this case even the girl) that the hero can really deliver. Picture Abhi baaki hai!

Expectations are high, honey moon may be short (honey moon before marriage … whew I am getting mixed up with analogies hereJ)

Psephologists / Pundits will analyse in detail the reasons for Ab ki baar… , for me and (assume) for  many others it was a simple choice between:

1.       A person who has delivery experience over 10 years…. 

2.       Person who has virtually not delivered anything but is still the VP because…..

3.       Person who had a great opportunity to deliver but ran away from the experience.

If you ran a company & want to hire someone will you pick 1, 2 or 3?

To add , NaMo has a unique combination … for some he is the Hindu Hriday samrat, for some his ‘caste’ is right, for some he has proven delivery experience, for some he has great connect / oratory, for some he is extremely hard working….  He has something for most if not all.

People will say but what about 2002, a country is not a company, we are in a democracy not electing one person but electing a party, what about ‘inclusive’ growth, what about religious freedom, etc.

For me our system has finally rewarded meritocracy over all other factors (atleast as far as one person is concerned). Shouldn’t this be the way someone should rise to the top => build a track record and then move up the ladder…….

Let me look forward and leave you to ruminate over these ‘relevant’ questions…..

• Politically ……..Lot of dilemmas

Looking forward politically, are we at a juncture where in next 12-15 months large parts of North + Central India (including AP excluding Odisha) may have BJP+ rule.

Is that good or bad? Will the voter be in a dilemma?  On one hand, let BJP rule state so that centre / state friction is reduced and delivery improves or will they want to keep check on Modi / BJP so that Absolute Power doesn’t corrupt absolutely.  Will the anti-incumbency in states like Maharashtra be so great that ‘Absolute Power’ funda doesn’t matter?

What about contentious issues like Article 370 / Uniform Civil code, etc (not including Ayodhya since for me it is not an issue)?

BJP always maintained in last NDA that since they did not have absolute majority on their own these issues will not be brought up. Now that they do have majority are these issues atleast open to debate?

Again BJP in dilemma? On one hand don’t rock boat but on the other bring up these important issues?

What about making headway into non-BJP states? Would BJP be tempted to build leadership in states like Bengal, TN, Kerala, etc , capitalize on this great opportunity since they are not tied down by any compulsions ….

How will the voter and NaMo resolve these dilemmas? How will you the reader resolve these dilemma given a choice?

• Economically…..What are the Few Injections?

Whew this is the important part as far as people’s expectations are concerned….yahan heropanti is maximum required

What are the few things (not more than 5) which can lead to ‘positive’ domino effect?

• ·    Promote ‘swadeshi’ and ‘nationalism’ where it is really required, i.e in 2 big forex suckers.. Defence procurement and Energy. Conducive environment for robust domestic defence manufacturing and an energy ecosystem.  (Let our Italian fascination be only with Pasta / Pizza and not with Italian defence ‘agents’J)

• ·      Subsidy / Rights …. How will NaMo calibrate these so that politically it is palatable? (I would say scrap most of them completely but may be unfair) Imagine if MNREGA is scrapped, a Father of storms will be created by the grand old party….  Can we tie up MNREGA with outcomes rather than just work?  What about Right to all kinds of right? How will he right the wrong?

• ·         Job creation….the Father of all expectations. What could be some of the counter-intuitive things here?

o   Make it easier to fire people J

o   Open up retail?

• ·         Infrastructure

o   Use TOC to ensure that projects are completed on time … if it completes on time then scope / cost normally are under control

No writing is complete unless TOC is brought in …….. :-), on a more serious note Ministry of Infrastructure in Japan insists use of TOC for all government projects.

                                                                                                                 

• Foreign Policy / Defence…. Hero kis se aankh milayega!

I heard NaMo saying in interviews that “Har ek desh ke saath aankh se aankh milanyenge na aankh zukayenge na aankh dikhayenge” (Trivia => Translate this verbatim into EnglishJ)

 

How will we engage with USA / China? What about Look East policy?

What about Pakistan?

What do we need to change / what can we keep the same?

Social Impact

This is likely to be the most sensitive area with passions running high due to religious and caste connotations.

Appeasement will be clearly limited if at all, how will community leaders react to this.. I am saying leaders as appeasement benefits rarely reach the aam aadmi of any community.

Election results seems to suggest that typical stereotypes of caste, religion have been pierced with hope of development.  But don’t be sure….it will take handful of incidents to get all of this back….Lalu, Maya, Mulayam ko bhoolna mat

Can we become Australia (whew not for racial attacks!), a country where anyone who wants to stay has to accept some common minimum rules / norms, some kind of Common Minimum Policies for all citizens. Democracy, yes but no mobocracy.

To top it all, do you think this will improve the quality of politics in the country, no longer can the hero con and get the girl but has to work hard …Dilwale Dulhaniya Kaam kar ke le jayenge (pervert minds think straight J)