Take on the Present State and Election Re-visit

                    Since not long ago, the main discussion in this area came to a halt by successfully passing the bill for the state re-organization in both houses of parliament and marching further towards fulfilling the dreams of many. Though there are a lot of questions arised in the process adopted all along, the outcome will open up several growth avenues which are otherwise a tad too difficult to realize in the current context. Firstly, this aids in the decentralization of the governance and the opportunities that follow towards building a self-sufficient state. Secondly, a lot of provisions were declared for the state. These need to happen as it is the only viable justification for the separation and to soothe the subdued anger in those for united cause. This again leads up to a common practising belief – Give up something to get something(else). After giving up unity, the state seems to be poised for some success in the form of growth. Any firm believer in the practice of the age old values may not buy into these trade-offs but may have to balance the pros and cons of the outcome and ultimately yield to the idea of solving the present day problems against securing the future. Steady growth generating employment and prosperity is an accepted norm.

                    That said, this by-product situation of ‘small states for development’ holds good for the optimistic scenario only assuming both the sides live in peace and reach out to the other post-separation.  There is a limit to optimism as it must not prevail over the certainty that the present situation on-ground is not entirely conducive in creating the positive atmosphere. Even before separation, the division among the people is clear in the political, administrative and other classes due to the reigning weak feelings of regionalism, success of one community in the land of another and brain-wash by the politicians with the hate speeches stemming from the sub-ordinate outlook. These were only compounded by the apprehensions arising out of the manner in which the state was divided.

                    Though a lot can be theoretically correct , all of that must be experimented successfully. Thus, a lot depends on the conduct of the people on ground. For instance, how can you count on a group left to itself for carrying on and supporting good work when it itself did not trust good work of the past few years with persistent demands for separation. This is also evident in the way the prior promise of merging with congress was readily taken back by TRS after the separation. The success of the states depends on the persons at helm in driving the advantages home. Without pertinent changes happening towards amicable solutions and equitable growth, the by-products may not materialize without any hindrance.

                    Not long ago that I gave words to the thoughts on the election buzz in the country, the same are around the corner again prodding the apolitical youth and the marginal people to choose a political side. A faint feeling of inclusion in shaping the course should now touch upon the multitude. Though the scenario is not much different since last time, there is an addition of anti-corruption outfit to the ring, which is calling shots against the corrupt lot. The voting behaviour of the public was also aligned with this ‘radical change’ party as faith was kept ahead of the traditional outfits in the recent state elections. This definitely is a place to start the educated, emboldened exercise of the vote-power towards a shift in the way things are run.

                    Apart from this competition, the two big parties took the centre stage in their expensive bid to grab the power. Due to the high stakes of leading a billion plus, there is greater impetus in securing the high office. Other than the normal posts which only look for the ability to perform in the job, these high posts also assess the person in the preparation leading to the job. If all the efforts and money went into the preparation, then how can the actual work be done without any pressures. This should probable be vice versa i.e. the high performance should be delivered without any constraints during the execution phase and not in preparation phase. This will reduce the overhead, thereby focusing the energies towards productive work and relieving the stakeholders from all the activities to merely please them before elections. For instance, a party’s PM candidate started the campaign in last year August and has to endure all along to register with the voters. Is he a spent force or did just enough to secure the five year job? Do these lengthy trials not weigh upon the party in taking untoward decisions? Another downside in these multi crore campaigns is the evolution of quotations of sort ‘Money for power and power for money’. The benchmark is set very high to get above all these notions and do real service.