On Friday morning I bought an issue of 'Maharashtra Times', and while reading through it in the bus I noted an article on Narendra Modi. English translation of title of the article would be ' 'Is Narendra Modi really responsible for growth in Gujarat?'. I skipped reading that article because I did not want to read someone's prejudiced thoughts, filled with special agenda. While having tea with my office friends I told them about the article. One friend said ' definitely he has some hand in the growth, he is very popular among the business fraternity. I told him the only contribution he must have given is that he did not obstruct growth, did not put obstacles in the path of growth.
My comment may sound negative to some and could be taken as humour, but I am serious. It is not a negative comment at all. I would say Modi has done exactly what his real job is. What governance really is? Governance is about making sure that things are functioning properly. In context of growth governance it would mean providing a right atmosphere for the businesses to flourish, to remove obstacles like unnecessary red tape.
Lao Tse has said in one of his many teachings that the best government is that whose existence can not be detected. The governance is so good that no untoward incident happens in the state or country being governed. For example after the recent 26/11, we suddenly became aware that we have an incompetent government. Even better example is that, we were suddenly enlightened with the fact that we have a poor intelligence framework, before that nobody cared what intelligence meant. This can be understood with another example. We have a body and in the body also we have a governing system. When we are healthy we never feel that we are healthy, we just don't think about it. But we only know about it when we fall sick; when we fall sick we start thinking that - just a few days back I was hail and hearty and now I am ill and laying in a bed. We think about our body and its system only when we have problems with it, otherwise we are mostly oblivious that such a system exists.
But if it was possible for Modi, it does not mean it would be possible for other politicians also. Heads of other states also would like to have growth in their states but the system does not allow them to take necessary steps. After 26/11 (and even generally) politicians are everyone's favourite whipping boys. We need to understand that your politician is just a reflection of your society; they are not different from you. Growth in the developed nations does not mean that the politicians there are not corrupt and vaccinated with medicines containing values of anti-corruption and honesty. Neither have they found out cloning methods of Abraham Lincoln's genes. All it means is that there is enough money (read resources) in these countries for the politicians to gulp up and still provide better facilities to common people.
Things have started changing in one state of India. Let's see if other states also catch up overcoming the inherent problems in the democratic system.
Note: Some concepts have been taken from my readings of spiritual mystics/ philosophers.
Jerome, there is nothing in what you have said that I can disagree with, but my post was about governance, Modi was just an example that I took, and I may be totally wrong also about what I have said. May be he did more than just not obstructing growth. Well yes, later on I read that article, and it claimed that it is not just Modi but governments (and politicians) before him have also contributed to the growth. All of this may be correct. At least Modi should be given credit to project things (success in Gujarat) in a better way, which would help him and his party be seen in better light by people. Politics is all about convincing (maximum number of) people to elect you and he seems to have had some success in this. Re. VR
Well, I have read articles ”through media” on both: Success of Modi as a CM in Gujarat and that this success was not really his sole contribution! I liked your perspective….but that does not defy any of the information media has been projecting…. He did not obstruct growth and development..but, that was his job!! & it is also true that he didn”t bring it all alone!!!
Smruti, System is not part of the governance; it is not created by government. A system is created by socio-economic conditions in a particular country or state. Government is elected (in a democratic country), and then it rules the system. As I said Modi has not ‘done’ anything, he may have just stopped putting obstacles in the path of growth (and he should be appreciated for that). That’s all that man (mankind) can do. Stop putting obstacles in the path of growth (of country or individual); otherwise everything is happening by itself. Regarding Raj Thackeray (you misspelled the name mam : ) ); whatever he is saying is correct. If you know Marathi; go to youtube.com and listen to his speeches. If you still condemn him I would accept it as your point of view. But what I don’t like is to form opinions without knowing all the aspects and just believing media. Also Mayawati is doing cast politics simply because it works, because that’’s what people want. We have democracy, remember? Re. VR
A ‘’system” is the part of the governance. It is created by the govt., run by politicians. Its in their hand to make it good or bad. Thats what Modi has done,-he has created a system that make things smooth. In this sense we cant say that ‘’system” doesn”t allow politician to be as good as Modi.
“your politician is just a reflection of your society”!!!: How can Raj Thekary represent a progressive and open mumbai. How can Mawati or Amar sing represent secular and democratic india?..