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October 22, 1998
ELECTIONS '98
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How Readers responded to Pritish Nandy's recent columns
Date sent: Thu, 8 Oct 1998 08:24:20 -0500
I don't think this man's concerns are genuine. Everyone knows that Maharashtra is a potential Bihar because of Nandy's political party. Bal Thackeray is Maharashtra's Laloo. I guess, only because of better general awareness in Bombay, Thackeray hasn't made it. But the basic qualifications are all the same. Pritish Nandy is very good at screaming from the rooftops. And every politician in our country is good at that. Probably Pritish thinks that being a journalist, that's all he is expected to do. I feel that everyone, be it a journalist or politician should have an acceptable balance between talks and action. In simple words, "If you don't do something about what you are talking about, you have no right to talk about it". Eldho Thomas
Date sent: Thu, 08 Oct 1998 12:39:10 -0400
This is a stinging article exposing the situation in Bihar. Today's politicians are foolish, illiterate and irrational. Can we expect them to rule a nation like India? They talk about communal harmony, secularism, national security etc. I doubt if they even know what these terms mean. I don't know how long they are going to cheat the country as well as us, its citizens. Srikanth
Date sent: Thu, 08 Oct 1998 14:00 +0200
I agree with Pritish Nandy. The issue is not about Bihar and not about Article 356. But I differ when I say it is not about democracy either. Democracy requires a lot of nurturing to thrive and, when it does, it excels beyond any system of governance we as a race have ever devised. However, for this to happen there are certain prerequisites. Namely literacy. Only a free thinking, free acting electorate can choose based on an analysis of what is good and what needs to be trashed. Illiterate people are prime targets for con artists and are easily subject to misinformation and thereby lend themselves to be led down the wrong path. We in India, as a whole have less than 50 per cent literacy and yet we proudly claim that we are a democracy. I am sorry, we lack the real spirit of democracy. Thus what we are witnessing is not a failure of democracy but rather the unsuitability of a system of governance to our specific situation. Which self-respecting country in the world would allow anyone with a criminal past to contest for Parliament and even the highest office in the land? Australia goes even further to exclude candidates for so much as having filed for bankruptcy any time in the past. I'll not be off the mark by much when I say that at least 20 per cent of our MPs have either felony cases against them in the past or some ongoing criminal investigation against them. The next point is about justice delayed being justice denied. We all know that one, yet how many of us even demand establishment of special courts to get rid of the current overload of cases. One would be lucky if a civil case s/he lodges against either the government -- or any other institution for that matter -- comes up in their life times. Where does an honest, law-abiding citizen go for recourse. Systematically, the politicians have eroded every possible avenue of recourse to the common man and they are forever tightening the screws. No institution today is sacred -- and I say this with a heavy heart, not even the judiciary. In such a situation, the only private institution, one traditionally charged with the maintenance of balance in any civic society, should take charge. I mean the fourth estate. The press should take upon itself to educate the masses and to investigate and bring to light hard evidence so airtight that it just cannot be denied even in a corrupt court of law. That would ensure this is put away for life. This is the only way to raise accountability among these criminals. This is not easy, and yet it is not difficult as, over the years, they don't even feel it necessary to cover up their misdeeds. Such is their arrogance and lack of shame that politicians accept bribes openly. It should not be too difficult -- if the will is there -- to trap them. I call on the press only because we have seen too many investigations against politicians over the years where nothing has come to light. We do not even hear any thing any more. No one is prosecuted and over the years they rely on the short memory of the electorate. Investigations by politicians against other politicians will not work in India, primarily because no one is better than the other. Look at what happened to Bofors and, more recently, Jayalalitha. Even after Rajiv Gandhi's death, the truth about Bofors has not come out and never will. This, in spite of the BJP, the sworn enemy of the Congress, being in power. No, these guys are not interested in the truth. In this bleak scenario one can only hope that god saves us. Balu
Date sent: Thu, 08 Oct 1998 11:38:28 -0600
It was so depressing and agitating to go through the article that I could not read it completely. I think we all agree that the problem is not just with Bihar but the entire system which allows for ruffians like Laloo et al. What worries me is that I see no solution. I sincerely feel that there is no democracy in Bihar (and in many other states), for it is working very much against the will of the people and the general good.
Date sent: Thu, 8 Oct 1998 12:54:42 -0400 (EDT)
The article by Pritish Nandy was welcome expression of the Indian public's general opinion. It was a relief to see somebody give full vent to his frustration in no uncertain terms. He has not said a single word that the even the moderately educated citizen of India does not feel. What is incredible is that people like Laloo, so openly corrupt and criminal, can still survive in a nation that offers freedom to its subject to publish articles like the one by Nandy. The common man is tired of the poor options he has on the ballot paper, amply illustrated by the increasing apathy in India to exercising the right to vote. With people as well known as Pritish Nandy raising their voices, perhaps there may be light at the end of the tunnel. Kudos to him for an outspoken article. Shruti
Date sent: Thu, 8 Oct 1998 14:03:49 -0400
An article that is an eye-opener. But can we Indians do something about it. Can we collect enough signatures from the people of India and forward it to the President, requesting him to dismiss the Rabri Devi government in Bihar? Praful
Date sent: Thu, 08 Oct 1998 11:51:04 -0700
For centuries -- and more so after Independence -- Bihar has been "kept backward" by our national leaders in Delhi. Laloo is a product of this scheme. He is the creation of people like V P Singh (our semi-mystical theoretician ex-PM), who has exploited Bihar by planting the crown on the most undeserving head -- that of Laloo. He wanted to be the next Jayprakash -- the name most exploited after the Mahatma's. What should we do now? How to get rid of Laloo is the issue. Consciousness in the masses cannot be brought around in a year, even five or 10. Impose President's rule, yes, but one has to be careful about selecting the President's representative. We saw what happened in UP. We have to appoint a governor --an administrator from the south, with no connections in Bihar. We don't want a political appointee. That will give the province a sound administration -- something this province never had after the first premier -- Dr S K Sinha -- in 1947. Till then, let us pray and hope this province can survive the onslaught of misrule. Dr Batu K Dutt
Date sent: Thu, 8 Oct 1998 17:27:25 -0400 (EDT)
There's a story about this little boy who gets this great new toy to play with, but he couldn't understand how it works, and so he's not able to use it properly. He thinks it doesn't work well and decides to throw it away and get another one, and then another one, and then another one. This goes on for a while, until finally his father tells him, "If you stopped thinking of the toys as useless and realised that the problem is that you don't know how to use them, you could stop this tomfoolery and do something interesting and satisfying." Every time I read an article like this, about throwing away democracy in India and bringing in dictatorship, or throwing away the parliamentary system and bringing in Presidential democracy, I'm reminded of this story. It's amazing how one of us comes up with this simplistic solution to a problem, and everyone else mindlessly repeats it. There really is nothing wrong with our government and our legislatures, or even our Constitution. The problem is entirely due to the people in this system. Why doesn't anyone see the obvious, that if you throw away this system and get another one, the same people are still going to be around to corrupt the new system too? Instead of spending so much time and energy trying to figure out new ways to govern ourselves, perhaps we should spend that energy in figuring out ways to keep the likes of Laloo, Sukh Ram and Jayalalitha out of a democratic system. If we don't take it in our hands to change the system, do we actually think we're doing the patriotic thing by leaving it to these same people to try and cleanse the system? It's because of them that the system is corrupt in the first place. In other words, the problem with Bihar, and pretty much every other part of the country is as much caused by the Laloos as by people like us, who don't bother even trying to understand the system. This doesn't call for patriotic fervour, just some cool-headed thinking with enough understanding of how the democratic system in India works. For example, how many of us "educated" Indians have even bothered to call up our local MLA or MP to bring to his notice something wrong? How many of us have tried to organise even a neighbourhood petition drive for a plan for a new road through the locality? This is how a democracy is supposed to work, and if educated individuals don't care for it, then there's no use in blaming Laloo for its failure. Nor is there any point in blaming the system for it. The problem is our own failure to take up responsibility. Indeed, that's where all this talk of Presidential governance comes from, it's easier to give up one's collective share of responsibility when we're ruled by a powerful President. I really wish people would think a little before shooting their mouths off. Sreenivas Ramaswamy
Date sent: Thu, 08 Oct 1998 04:15:13 GMT
Does Nandy realise that democracy also ensures that he can write an article like this freely criticising people and that it can be disseminated to the masses. Is he confusing democracy with illiteracy?
Date sent: Wed, 7 Oct 1998 12:36:59 -0700
Everybody knows that Bihar is in bad shape. It has been this way for at least 20 years and ever since I remember. What is your solution? Remove Laloo and bring in whom? Can you name one honest, effective and responsible politician who can improve the situation in Bihar? Can you name one good chief minister of Bihar in the last 20 years? So, what should be done? Do you think imposing President's rule will solve Bihar's problems. Do you think that the bureaucracy is honest and efficient? If not, then what is the point sir? Why are you simply wasting your time and that of others. Our Union government has been very wise in this regard. It gets a significant amount of minerals from Bihar and that is their only concern. So as long as Bihar is profitable for India, they don't care what happens there. Arvind Date sent: Wed, 7 Oct 1998 10:48:59 -0700
Your article is good, even thought-provoking. But probably you don't know much about Bihar, and maybe even India. Laloo is crook, corrupt, a goon but so are all other politicians, bureaucrats, engineers, clerks and government officials. Many rich families in Bihar have made it due to a corrupt family member and these families are proud of that member. Everybody knows that Laloo is a crook but everybody also knows that is true of other politicians too. If you want to put crooks behind bars then almost all politicians and officials will have to be put up there. I am a Bihari and I am proud of Laloo Yadav. He represents a true picture of Bihari politicians. He represents the collective corruption of Bihari officials. He is brave and daring so he doesn't hide his act. I have met only three kind of people in Bihar -- one who doesn't have opportunity; two, they who are thoroughly corrupt; and the third, who lack the courage and endeavour to become corrupt. So please don't blame Laloo, sir. He is our cultural icon and truly represents us. Long live Laloo Yadav! Arvind
Date sent: Thu, 08 Oct 1998 23:59:15 -0700
I am not sure what describes Pritish correctly -- that his ideals shifted and then he represents the Shiv Sena in the Rajya Sabha. Or was it the other way around? Either way, there is a difference between Thackeray, the man he often quotes, and him. Thackeray does what he preaches. Dear Pritish, it is not the system which is wrong. Democracy is the most wonderful thing one can imagine. It is the people who work within the system that can make it good or bad. You are given a chance to check out that system but, unfortunately, you chose the lines of a crooked politician and blame the system for your inefficiency. If there are people like Laloo, then there were people like T N Seshan and Khairnar who worked within the same system. Your article is more of an advocacy for imposition of Article 356 in Bihar. Please don't blame the system to further your personal agenda. Use it or abuse it but don't tell us that the human experiment with democracy is useless. Aren't you the same person who advocated freedom of speech (ref: Me Nathuram Godse Boltey)? The issues of Bihar and Article 356 are not a sidelight of democracy. If one says so, one has stopped thinking. I wonder if these politicians have run out of ideas to conduct the affairs of a country and are using people like Pritish. I have read Pritish extensively, and can never believe his democracy-bashing ideas. Wake up Pritish, don't waste your Padma Shri. Saif Arif
Date sent: Wed, 07 Oct 1998 13:20:44 -0500
I don't see any reason to read this article. Bihar is what Biharis deserve. It would have been better if Bihar would have been a part of Pakistan. For these are the people who opt for leaders like Laloo and his illiterate wife Rabri. I can't believe this is land of Chanakya. I think the Government of India should stop all central aid and all development programmes for Bihar since that state simply wastes the money the rest of India is paying. God bless India. Dev
Date: Thu, 17 Sep 1998 08:28:45 EDT
Nandy is right. I am from Bombay, Maharashtra. Sometimes I wonder what's wrong with Bombay that Microsoft is not interested in going out there. And, you know what, our state politicians are so backward that they may not even know what these IT giants are talking about. Navalkar talks about Sanskruti,, but he is the one if I remember use to write about nightlife in Bombay. Every state minister should watch the BBC news once a month, if not every day. So that they will get some idea where we stand in the world. Those who want foreign companies to come to Maharashtra, should take a good look at Bombay airport first. Then decide what impression you create when some big CEO arrives. Even the number of hours the man waits to get his baggage will give him a pretty good idea about how much he has to wait to get his proposal approved. In fact, we are supposed to be blamed for not being demanding enough. True, and when we do demand, what do we demand? The change of the name of some stations, permission to play garba .... Nobody cares about the state. For the time being we have to suffer till we get some good, educated state politicians, who care about how much money the state earns, and not himself alone. Let's wait and see for nothing can be done about the situation. Santosh
Date: Sun, 13 Sep 1998 17:14:21 +0400
Can't but agree with the article and its contents. I thought Pritish Nandy was a part of the swadeshi bandwagon. Got to admit there are nothing like market forces to give the consumers the best deal there is. Gopal K P
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