MODI MASTAN OF GUJARAT

NARENDRA MODI PROVES TO BE TOUGH AGAIN

As the Gujarat election results came out, it has been proved yet again that the Congress party's tom-tom about the "communal face" of Narendra Modi has fallen flat.

The average citizen of Gujarat has enjoyed the delicious taste of development and communalism is hardly a subject matter worth reckoning for him. For Congress leaders, secularism apparently means enhanced funds for developing Madarasas, special treatment to Muslims and posing for shutterbugs by donning skull caps in Muslim dominated areas. But, Modi looked beyond such cosmetic steps to bag the average Muslim's confidence. No special treatment and no pumping in additional funds, but solid, concrete development to make their lives better. It is this equalitarian attitude towards all his citizens (not 'voters') that made Modi an acceptable face in the state.

Winning a consecutive third battle of ballots is a near-impossible thing, especially in these days of coalition politics, where the pushes and pulls from unfriendly allies takes the fizz out of power kick. For Manmohan Singh, a strong adherent to Coalition Dharma, following the issues agreed upon with the alliance partners is of paramount importance, rather than national interest.

But for Modi, who is the single-man Government in Gujarat, public administration is a cake walk, as he is clear with his strategies, coherent in his policy announcements, committed to his ideology and determined to implementation. As principal fetches princely interest when invested properly, the ten years of sincere administration has fetched him another five years of rule as 'interest'. His investment portfolio includes development agenda, welfare programmes, non-appeasement of any section of the society and keeping away unscrupulous elements known to create hatred in the name of religion, be they Hindus or Muslims.

The number of seats bagged and the vote share clearly surprises many, leaving indications that development-seeking Muslims too would have voted for him. The newly-enrolled voters would have clearly no idea of Godhra or post-Godhra riots and it has been the job of the Congress to keep the issue boiling. What other explanation can the party offer for failing to wrest power for the fifth consecutive time in Gujarat?

When the counting was still on, a senior union minister taunted him, saying that Modi magic did not work this time as the number of seats the BJP might win could be down from the corresponding figure in the last elections. And Modi surpassed it with ease, proving that the Congress strategists will have to do more than such hair-splitting analyses...!

Like the 3D campaign which he popularised during the polls, Modi's victory has a three-dimensional aspect i.e., single-handed effort to bring Gujarat  into the BJP's kitty, looking up to higher political aspirations for himself and last, but not the least, consolidating the slogan "Development more important than religion".

Armed with this thumping victory, Modi has silenced his critics and is now expected to cast an eye on the Delhi Gaddi...! I hear the energetic Modi shouting at the top of his voice, "Here I come, 2014...!"

My tryst with FDI...!

FDI in retail... A boon or bane?

With Wal Mart already having made its presence in several cities, we find it futile to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of FDI in retail. Now the point is to find a measured way of allowing (as if there is a chance to deny now?) FDI in India, so as to inflict minimum damage to our producers and reap the maximum benefit to our consumers.

It was in this connection that I recently delivered a lecture at SHREE Institute of Technical Education on the impact of FDI in India.

Here's the text:

I quote

"FDI is such a  complicated subject that even renowned economists and policy makers are not in a position to ascertain the pros and cons of it.

            Well there are too many expert speakers  who have plunged their heads into the issue to come out with a solution acceptable to all. As a journalist with business management background, I just give my individual opinion about how the policymakers could adopt a cautious approach to the issue.

There is no second opinion that FDI is good for economy, as the huge inflow of funds will augur development and usher in growth. The second point is that competition improves quality and is always beneficial to the end-user. It gives chance for the best available product in the market to become still better than what it was… When faced with a threat, man should see an opportunity in it and choose 'n' number of options for survival. It is this instinct that makes him constantly go for innovation. The threatened entities face the heat and look for opportunities for survival that is common in the competition-ridden world.

The negative side is also there. When the floodgates are opened in one go, the friendly neighbourhood kirana outlets to small time traders to street vendors will be directly exposed and will be washed away in the gush. The rule is to have a level playing field between two rivals  competing in any game. A ‘Bakka Ramanna’ (metaphor for the scrawny little trader) can not be allowed to fight a ‘Bakasura’, for surely the former will die a pathetic death. So, it is here that the policymakers will have to step in and play a crucial role in ensuring sufficient protection, at least in the initial days, till the reality dawns and the ‘Bakka Ramanna’ braces up for the fight to the finish.

Agreed, some of you may ask that when we have already allowed large supermarkets and malls such as the Reliance Mart, Heritage Fresh, Spencer’s, Big Bazar, etc. thus creating competition, why not FDI? Yes, a small fish Vs a big fish in a tank is ok… a small fish vs a whale?   Even the so-called big fish is threatened by the entry of shark or whale.. right?

A hare in a forest is eaten by a dog, which again is eaten by the tiger. That's the rule of the jungle and every creature is constantly on the run. But this is a society, not Jungle Raj. The constitution and the Government have a responsibility to protect every man in the community.

There is nothing like allowing or not allowing now. The question is to take a comprehensive view, adopt a holistic approach of the pros and cons, safety of the products being thrust on us, manpower being imported and take a step by step approach. Once damage done at the policy level can not be undone and a comprehensive view has to be taken before letting things get out of hand.

I wish you all success".
I unquote...

Why this Kolaveri, Jagan?

Kolaveri is now a household word, thanks to Dhanush's hit song. Nobody beyond Tamil Nadu knows what it exactly means, but it can be translated to a funny (lighter) equivalent of 'blood thirst' or 'urge to kill'... Jagan seems to be seeing 'Kolaveri' in every eye in the world, as he sees conspiracy theories hatched by virtually every non-YSRCP sympathiser in the world. Whether Jagan will be arrested or not, the preparatory steps taken by the CBI and the Government has ensured the spread of fear in his spine...! This is evident from the young leader's wild blabbering during the last three days.


Jagan's allegation that the Congress Government has ganged up with its arch rival in the state, Telugu Desam Party, has no takers at all... Even if it is taken at face value, the allegation extending to the involvement of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the Governor Mr.E.S.L. Narasimhan with the tacit support of the High Court of India. Thank God, he did not see a conspiracy by Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence or Al-Qaeda, with the blessings from the United Nations Organisation (UNO) or the NATO... Going by the wildness of his allegations, people from his own party have started disbelieving their ears, for they know pretty well that the charges hold no water.


Be it VANPIC or EMAAR, Jagan or his advocates have neither responded to the charges in clear legal terms with the intention of being absolved of them, nor have they come up with tangible proof of the alleged 'harassment' by CBI or any other agency. His TV channel and newspaper have been time and again telecasting his consolation sojourn 'Odarpu Yatra' in tiny hamlets of the state to drive home the point loud and clear that Jagan is the saviour of the masses, while keeping mum on the CBI's charges.

Whither media rights?

The counter to the allegations on the nature of flow of investments into Saakshi media has also been less than satisfactory, while the mouth piece has been speaking of 'curtailment of media rights'. There has not been a single incident of attack on a Saakshi media person or their detention/prevention from discharge of duty anywhere in the state. Legal experts say that mere investigation of charges of corruption and the resultant freezing of accounts does not amount to muzzling of media freedom. In fact, it was during YS Rajasekhara Reddy's rule that several incidents of attacks on reporters were witnessed in the nook and corner of the state. Press Clubs and journalist unions had then found it tiresome to hold demonstrations every other day to protest the state-sponsored attacks. And now the scion speaks of media rights...!

In case of his imminent arrest, Jagan has asked his party men not to resort to violence, not to damage public property, not to attack rival party leaders and not to take law and order into their hands, thus telling them in no uncertain terms what (not) to do...! Even the naive can understand that Jagan is all set to indicate to the Government that the common man(?) will not remain silent if the Government continued to harass him. 

For those who have to guts to remove their tinted glasses to see the truth, Jagan's Kolaveri will be clearly visible...isn't it?

SWOT ANALYSIS ON JAGAN

Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats... 

This is shortly SWOT Analysis, a management practice to assess a current
situation by analysing various factors. Here's a short SWOT analysis on Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy, who is faced with lot many opportunities and also an equal number of threats.

Everybody knows Jagan entered politics only six months before his first election to Kadapa parliamentary seat in 2009 and before that he was a full-time serious business professional based at Bangalore, evincing little interest in state politics.

Jagan's underlying Strength is his dad and his 'populist leader' image.YSR's demise came a bit early... Early in the sense, before he could groom his son to fit in when he steps into his shoes. But, nature had its way and YSR was suddenly no more, leaving the scion Jagan with little scope to nurture himself as the political heir-apparent in Andhra Pradesh. The confidence-personified Jagan left no stone unturned and started demanding his share of the cake from the Congress high command, right from the word 'Go'. The high drama enacted before YSR's burial when senior ministers and MLAs started a signature campaign seeking Chief Ministership for Jagan did cause serious embarrassment to Jagan himself and party high command. The incident even gave the opposition TDP a whip to beat the Congress with its favourite slogan: 'Padhavulakosam Paakulaadatam Congress Naizam'. This early indication and media projection of Jagan as a power-monger came as a dampener in his pursuit and proved to be a Weakness.

It was the first blow to Jagan. Caught in the 'CATCH 22' situation, Jagan apparently had only two options. Demand for his pound of flesh immediately or be forgotten during 2014 elections. So, he opted for the first and plunged into action.

'Odarpu Yatra' was meant to be an option to keep in touch with the ground level masses. With four years in hand to go for polls, Jagan had a great Opportunity to be among his followers and the public at large. A huge chunk of populace in the Rayalaseema and Coastal Andhra belt sailed with him.

The mileage achieved through Odarpu Yatra was negatived after the CBI stepped in. With the excavation of cases of money pouring into Jagan's companies and the CBI succeeding in charge-sheeting the accused, getting one or two of them arrested, including Jagan's auditor and key lieutenant in his business empire, V. Vijaysai Reddy, Jagan is clearly on the defensive. This is going to be a major Threat for him in the coming days. It is only a matter of time for the CBI to pounce upon the Accused No.1, but the UPA Government will not allow Jagan to be arrested, for, it will trigger a sympathy wave in the latter's favour, who will extract the full benefit through his mouthpiece Sakshi newspaper and television channel.

Even as the CBI is inching ahead towards its goal by arresting those closely associated with Jagan's businesses, the undaunted scion is on his perennial 'Odarpu Yatra', consoling the kin of those who died of shock after hearing YSR's demise. The list of deceased is endless and one wonders if the Yatra would continue till the 2014 elections...!

If the CBI succeeds, then it will be Odarpu time for Jagan...!