Comments on: Wanted: An Indian “Yes We Can”

By: Hasnain

Hasnain — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 03:41:05 +0000

Let’s make a difference from what we do at new year eve and new year day.

Here are 3 things to do at the start of a new year:
1. Make resolutions and forget them after a month.
2. Send greetings over e-mail
3. Send greeting cards that run down acres of forests.
Instead, consider doing 3 simple things that we can do to benefit ourselves and others. Read this post on my blog: http://www.hasnainzaheer.com/2008/12/2009-is-this-the-year-of-opportunities-and-turnarounds-happy-new-year/

By: RD

RD — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 01:20:18 +0000

One should start from smaller things like what the tax payers and big corporates should roll their sleeves up and initiating it.

Once the momentum is caught, it will take care of itself.

People should initiate. If Dhirubhai takes initiative and he could provide one computer to each police station in both the Mumbai districts.

One of our team member has written in similar thoughts here in our magazine.

http://tinyurl.com/75q3e9

Cheers and happy new year..

By: Basab

Basab — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 02:36:28 +0000

Bharat,

I agree with you. There are many reasons why a bureaucracy that takes in experienced people from the outside is healthy.

Rahul,

ID cards, whether voter ID or any other form of it, are almost necessary to provide security.

By: Bharat Rao

Bharat Rao — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 23:11:36 +0000

Basab – no doubt millions of us Indians echo your position. But extending your argument further, I would like to see the administrative services opened up to lateral entry. We have a few technocrats entering politics, but I doubt that we have bureaucrats with previous private sector experience. I am sure there will be people who will be willing to go to the villages and bring operational excellence at the grassroots level. Not saying that IAS is deficient, but surely, say, 15 years of private experience will bring a different perspective.

Also, let us remember that the year was 1984. A young, educated prime minister took over amid a wave of enthusiasm, sympathy, goodwill and optimism in India. He also had a thumping parliamentary majority (close to 80%) and could have gotten anything done. Not a whole lot happened, however.

The most common sensical (and terribly long overdue) large-scale project in India in recent memory – the highway building dubbed the “golden-quadrilateral” was launched by an “old” prime minister who headed a shaky coalition. If only this had been launched in 1984!

By: Rahul

Rahul — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 03:00:23 +0000

Hi Basab, I am an Infoscion and costantly follow your blog .On the political process one things i wished could change ,most of which sounds like fantasy from a futuristic scifi movie on India :-
1. Creation of voter database that could have a way for indians all over the world to authenticate themselves and then vote . The channels of voting should be internet/phone/Physical Ballot/mail/etc .Most of us dont vote becuase of the incovnience of voting .

but then offcourse like every Indians wish it is another wish …

Cheers
Rahul

By: ray

ray — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 11:19:19 +0000

Hi,

I was reading ur blog posts and found some of them to be very good.. u write well.. Why don’t you popularize it more.. ur posts on ur blog ‘6 am pacific’ took my particular attention as some of them are interesting topics of mine too;

BTW I help out some ex-IIMA guys who with another batch mate run http://www.rambhai.com where you can post links to your most loved blog-posts. Rambhai was the chaiwala at IIMA and it is a site where users can themselves share links to blog posts etc and other can find and vote on them. The best make it to the homepage!

This way you can reach out to rambhai readers some of whom could become your ardent fans.. who knows..

Cheers,

By: Suriya Subramanian

Suriya Subramanian — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 17:51:34 +0000

I recently wrote a couple of articles in a similar vein.

Uniting voices: http://mssnlayam.livejournal.com/16596.html
and http://mssnlayam.livejournal.com/15177.html.

I’d like you know your thoughts.

By: Arby K

Arby K — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 13:29:28 +0000

@ Basab : Actually, the division of power is one thing that I consider as a positive. Because, in a Parliamentary democracy, there is no effective opposition to the bills presented by the executive. The executive gets a free hand. I am just suggesting the executive as it stands, be taken out of the legislature, and be elected by the people directly. So, there aren’t any chances of dictatorship any more than Parliamentary democracy.
If the executive is capable, the legislature may stand along with them. And this to me is the only way for political newcomer to get into power, because of the entry barrier.
I am not blaming the Parliamentary system for the current situation. But, I am saying it could be corrected by a Presidential system.
PS : Sorry abt the double comment earlier

By: Basab

Basab — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 13:17:46 +0000

Arby,

That is an interesting thought. A Presidential election allows an untainted outsider to be elected directly by the people. But unfortunately, it is not as simple as that. A Presidential system will need to have a division of power between the executive (President) and the legislature (Parliament) which could make the President very ineffective. On the other hand, if a lion’s share of the power is handed to the President, we would be at risk of creating a dictator.

I personally do not think our governance is poor because of the Parliamentary system. It is many other things, not that.

By: Arby K

Arby K — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 08:59:44 +0000

@ Basab : I agree that India has a high entry barrier for entering politics, which is why we need to get rid of it. I do not suggest a dictatorship like Pranav earlier, but still radical. If India is a Presidential democracy, the chances of someone with national relevance can actually come up in the system. The ppl r empowered to elect their leader and there can more effective governance and accountability. All that is needed is public support