Change We Can

 

 

One single failing that analysts consistently note in India’s electoral system is the high decibel levels on politics and very little on policy. While political leaders know all about stitching up caste alliances, there is no debate on, say, why power sector projects are running behind schedule leading to a state of continuous power crisis – as you would expect in an American presidential debate or a British elections. The reason: professionals in India have traditionally eschewed public life. Career politicians with little time for a long-term view, have further pushed policy out of the realm of any poll calculations. Elections 2009 promises to be slightly different.

When legendary US tycoon, Ross Perrot, in 1992 contested the American Presidential elections as independent, leading Republican George W Bush and Democrat Bill Clinton by at least 8 per cent till June that year, it was clearly an idea whose time had come.

In India, what began as a trickle in previous elections, is now changing into a trend. When Rajmohan Gandhi, former editor of The Indian Express, first contested and lost to Rajiv Gandhi in 1989 from Amethi, he was still a rarity in politics, more a carrier of grandfather Mahatma Gandhi’s legacy, than a serious contender at the electoral sweepstakes.

Professionals today are keen to dispel notions that politics is the last resort of scoundrels – not always with a great deal of success – but nonetheless earnest. If the entry of top professionals into politics raises the level of public discourse, what could possibly be the harm?

In a second round of such entries in the 1980s and 1990s, former civil servants like T.N. Seshan and P.L. Punia, management guru Shiv Khera, aviation tycoon Rita Singh and liquor baron Vijay Mallya, aspired to reach Parliament or state assemblies, usually backed by a political party. A former IPS officer from Uttar Pradesh, Shailendra Singh, quit government in 2007 alleging political interference in his bid to nail mafia don, Mukhtar Ansari. He took his case to people’s court during UP Assembly polls, 2007 – but electors preferred his rival instead.

Undeterred by stories of failure, unfamiliarity with terrain and pitted against political heavyweights, the list of those contesting Polls 2009 reads like a Page 3 list. Civil aviation tsar and Air Deccan chief, G.R. Gopinath, is an independent candidate from Bangalore; as is well-known Kuchipudi and Bharatnatyam danseuse, Mallika Sarabhai from Gandhinagar and country head of ABN AMRO bank, Meera Sanyal from South Mumbai. Lt.Gen B.K.N. Chibber, former governor of Punjab, is contesting from Amritsar. Diplomat Shashi Tharoor, Bollywood celebrities Nagma and Prakash Jha, are some of the others who are in fray, albeit as nominees of political parties. Tharoor, Nagma and Azharuddin have got Congress tickets, former opening bowler Chetan Sharma is with the BSP, while Jha will contest from Bettiah in Bihar as representative of Ram Vilas Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party. But, Gopinath, Sarabhai and Sanyal, given their vast social and economic standing, don’t need crutches of a political party. “They are actually a burden”, says Gopinath, who unsuccessfully fought an Assembly election in Karnataka as BJP candidate 15 years ago. The man who made air travel affordable for Indian middle classes told TSI, “I am perturbed by the snowballing communalism, violence and corruption. The BJP-led state government, instead of curtailing anti-social elements, is indirectly backing them.'' He would take on former civil aviation Minister Ananth Kumar and Karnataka’s ex- chief minister, SM Krishna, from Bangalore South, a predominantly middle class inhabitation.

Like Gopinath, Meera Sanyal too is a hard-boiled professional – a banker who starting with ANZ Grindlays rose to become country head of ABN AMRO in India. And she is contesting independently because she has “lost faith in parties”. The Mumbai terror attacks of November 2008 shook her. The complete impotence and mismanagement of government agencies have left her with the feeling that you cannot do much from outside: you have to be part of the system. Mallika Sarabhai is a courageous and gutsy danseuse who has decided to take on “PM-in-waiting” Lal Krishna Advani from Gandhinagar in Gujarat. Mallika is known for her frank political views: "People have no voice and they suffer most as politicians have taken control of democracy. I do not want to say anything against anyone, but I want to become the people’s voice. Safety and freedom of women are very high on my priority and agenda for this election," she says. Truly, an independent feminist initiative.

Jaya Prakash Narayan who is contesting the Andhra Pradesh state assembly polls, (which will run concurrently with the Lok Sabha elections) from the Kukatpally constituency, is yet another crusader. A trained physician, he joined the IAS in 1980 and was a topper of his batch. Narayan resigned in 1996. He set up NGO Lok Satta, which has acquired the reputation by being a leading civil society initiative for governance reforms. He formed Lok Satta Party in 2006. He told TSI: “It was the realisation that real change in society comes through political action, and not through civil society action, that made me launch the Lok Satta Party.” Entry of such professionals, devoid of political baggage, has received overwhelming response, both from the corporate sector and the media. Says Infosys chairman, N R Narayana Murthy, “Independents who stand for honesty, truth and national development need not become part of any political party at all. If independent members could form a bloc which stands for honesty and truth, it would be good for democracy.''

Then there is a bunch of IIT and IIM alumni, who have formed the Professionals Party of India. They fielded some candidates during the assembly elections in U.P. and Karnataka, without any success. But they remain unfazed. They have announced the candidature of Dr Mona Patel Shah, well-known ophthalmologist and businessman Rajendra Thacker, both from Mumbai. Few corporate bigwigs have, however, bitten the political bullet. K.Pandiarajan in Tamil Nadu is an exception. Managing Director of internationally branded HR consulting company, Mafoi , with 122 offices worldwide, he is contesting from Virudhunagar constituency as a candidate of Vijay Kanth's DMDK.'' As a HR person, I would like to bring human sensibilities in my approach, unlike the Robotic approach of most politicians," Pandiarajan told TSI.

Brave words and positive sentiment. One can only pray that they don’t meet Ross Perrot’s fate and hope that they live up to their words. Yes, Change We Can.