Lok Paritran Returns
After all the opposition I got for my “opinions” on Lok Paritran, I was just thinking about this.
Lok Paritran’s website has some crap about ideology and strategy. If (a big IF, its painfully, excruciatingly, tortuously boring) you read it carefully, it’s a combination of some philosophical stuff which is completely abstract. The bottom line according to them is “Knowing the problem is knowing the solution”. Well, don’t you think “implementing the solution” is the key? They have nothing in their website or press releases that talks about what exactly they are planning to do.
The other point I noticed was…they seem to be targeting the educated class, the middle class that usually doesn’t vote. But, the educated middle-class is actually quite satisfied with the current political system. Lot of people still keep complaining, but whatever said and done the Indian economy has grown quite handsomely over the past few years. So, there’s no reason to be unhappy with the current political system, when actually, the educated middle class have risen a notch to give the upper class a run for their money.
If at all, anyone has to be unhappy with the current political system, it’s the people below the poverty line. “Lok Paritran” wants to do something for them, but its asking for votes from the educated group. Weird.
I have a question for them. It’s totally cool they want to get into politics and change the system top-down. But, why not, atleast on the side, do something concrete for the people below the poverty line? This will also help them get some votes.
I am not trying to say these guys aren’t doing anything useful, but I feel they could do much more than just talk. If they are going to do just that, might as well stick to the known folks who are atleast not doing a bad job(atleast as far as the educated group is concerned)
Now, I had a question for myself? Would I go out there and do something like these guys? I don’t think so, NO. But then why keep criticizing folks who atleast are trying to do something?
Well, the answer to that is, criticism is fair if there’s some valid reasoning associated with it. If every cricket journalist were a cricketer, then we wouldn’t read any cricket-related articles.
After all the opposition I got for my “opinions” on Lok Paritran, I was just thinking about this.
Lok Paritran’s website has some crap about ideology and strategy. If (a big IF, its painfully, excruciatingly, tortuously boring) you read it carefully, it’s a combination of some philosophical stuff which is completely abstract. The bottom line according to them is “Knowing the problem is knowing the solution”. Well, don’t you think “implementing the solution” is the key? They have nothing in their website or press releases that talks about what exactly they are planning to do.
The other point I noticed was…they seem to be targeting the educated class, the middle class that usually doesn’t vote. But, the educated middle-class is actually quite satisfied with the current political system. Lot of people still keep complaining, but whatever said and done the Indian economy has grown quite handsomely over the past few years. So, there’s no reason to be unhappy with the current political system, when actually, the educated middle class have risen a notch to give the upper class a run for their money.
If at all, anyone has to be unhappy with the current political system, it’s the people below the poverty line. “Lok Paritran” wants to do something for them, but its asking for votes from the educated group. Weird.
I have a question for them. It’s totally cool they want to get into politics and change the system top-down. But, why not, atleast on the side, do something concrete for the people below the poverty line? This will also help them get some votes.
I am not trying to say these guys aren’t doing anything useful, but I feel they could do much more than just talk. If they are going to do just that, might as well stick to the known folks who are atleast not doing a bad job(atleast as far as the educated group is concerned)
Now, I had a question for myself? Would I go out there and do something like these guys? I don’t think so, NO. But then why keep criticizing folks who atleast are trying to do something?
Well, the answer to that is, criticism is fair if there’s some valid reasoning associated with it. If every cricket journalist were a cricketer, then we wouldn’t read any cricket-related articles.
Labels: politics
posted by Prem at
4/18/2006
11 Comments:
Welcome to the Blogosphere !!!
Nice Blog Dude !!!
I am gonna post a link from mine to yours !
Saurabh
By
saurabh, at 1:01 PM
nice to see u so much interested in lok paritran.
criticism is definitely a must for any constructive change.
the only thing u have to make sure is that u should not misinform people. other than that, u are obvisouly free to say anything.
and u did not give any misinformation in this post.
was a rather constructive post.
but i guess the 'start-up' thing in the last post on lok paritran was kind of weird. i guess u did not do ur homework bfore letting that out.
anyways
keep writing my friend
By
Anonymous, at 5:23 AM
Heyyy GPK, glad to contribute to the visitor count on your blog :))
Hope you're doing good.. BTW will you be in chennai around election time?? Maybe you should do some door to door campaigning around the Surya Sweets area for your favourite party you know..Just stay out of the way of the AIADMK and DMK goondaas, you dont want to piss any of those guys off.
I think Lok Par. (LP) would be a force to reckon with 8 years from now, (2 terms later). Even in Mylapore, the people who vote are predominantly uneducated and poor people. They have strong affinities to the Dravidian parties and its going to be very tough for LP, especially since they are trapping themselves into the "middle class" party mold. I hope one of them win, so that other constituencies can see what they are capable of (assuming that they are competent at the crazy legislative assembly with other cutthroat politicians).
A.K Arjun.
By
Anonymous, at 7:21 AM
Call me the quintessetial cynic, but I am still skeptical of these so called "efforts" by Lok Paritran. The entry of fresh-minded youth into politics has been tried before, but has always fizzled out without even producing sparks. In the end, even the youth that filters into Indian politics has to be pre-attached by dynasty aka Rahul Gandhi, Scindia Jr etc. I have heard many plans and visions like Lok Paritran blossom in the mess halls of IIT. Don't get me wrong - It is commendable what these guys are trying out to do and I admit so far I dont see an ulterior motive (yeah, read the disclaimer in the first line) but my skepticism arises from the fact that the efforts seem small taking ito account the fact that these intellectuals know what they are going up against. The Tamil Nadu voting population is by and far the worst in the country according to me, cyclically bringing in people who are known as corrupt to the core to power. To change that - you need an effort that is more than massive. But maybe they are doing that! Can someone in Chennai enlighten me as to how there campaign is on the ground?
In the end, I hope this bears fruit, at least to the extent of inspiring others to do the same. I may be too battered down by the ineptness of our political system to see a ray of hope, but if things work out, I'll also be the one to say 'mea culpa'
By
Anonymous, at 11:23 AM
I'm one person who's all for individuality but politics is one field where the "majority" matters a lot and along with "majority" come "majority's opinions"...
what these people are doing may not be remotely constructive to make anything change right away. But...to make a change in a system, the first step is to BE the change...and by attempting to do that these people have implanted something that has great potential to be powerful in everyone's mind..."an idea"...
you're talking about it...INDIA is talking about it...soon (hopefully) there will be people who say "if they can so can we"...so this small voice which will not accomplish anything according to many critics (and rightfully so)...will become a "majority"...and these efforts though went "unimplemented" will lead to something bigger and better...India is doing great as it is...this can only help right?
what say??!! :)
By
Anonymous, at 3:42 PM
hey anons..thanks for ur comments...the "start-up" analogy was used just to say that, these guys aren't sacrificing anything ... cos they are going after something which is "power" in their case....
AK machan...how r u da...hows research and stuff...
srikanth machi...agreed ..
anaon2...hey , whats up..i know who u r !
By
Prem, at 7:57 PM
@ my Anon Friend:
Are you from Lok Paritran :-)
By
Prem, at 12:49 PM
Hey Prem,
For a guy who seems to let out marketing fundas by the second, you have made some glaring misjudgements about Lok Paritran's strategy. Lok Paritran is a party formed by the educated elite if you can call them that. To appeal to people below the poverty line, you need to be a politician with the backing of a big party or a celebrity. To go and campaign to the largely uneducated populace, and tell them you are from IIT is going to be like telling a caveman that you know computer programming. Lok Paritran is looking to give the largely non voting middle class(who have traditionally been impressed with educational qualifications) a reason to vote. Once they get a foothold into the political scene, they can go about implementing plans for people below the poverty line and make an impression with them and generate a voter base there too. The middle class has a great respect for education which you can see working, for example in the case of Harvard educated P.Chidambaram. To the poor education is just education whether its from IIT, IIM, Harvard or the local high school......
By
Dreamer, at 8:12 PM
Yo Dreamer,
Maybe I wasnt clear enough, but
a) I never told Lok Paritran should go to the un-educated class and say they are from the IITs. All I said was, they should do something for the poor - which could help them during the elections
b) The other point you made about Lok Paritran trying to attract the middle-class that usually doesnt vote is correct, and I have already mentioned that.
What exactly is the mis-judgement I have made about their strategy?
The main point I am trying to make here is this: targeting the middle-class alone wont do, cos the middle class is actually quite happy with India in general, so they might not even think its necessary to vote for these guys ahead of aiadmk and dmk. Its only a suggestion to them that, the poor people always have more reason to complain, so why not try and attract their attention. The educated group doesnt get affected much anyway, just banking on them might not be enough.
Aint I right?
By
Prem, at 10:44 PM
Dreamer:
One more for you: In Short, if they have to "implement" all their "claims", they need to win the elections first. To do that, they cannot leave any section out. They have to try and attract the attention of everyone possible.
Anyway, Santhanagopalan Vasudev apparently is from Vidya Mandir, so you never know, his VM-MYlapore network might be enough to topple SV Sekar and Napolean.
--Prem
By
Prem, at 3:14 PM
Well, though its a little late to be continuing this discussion, let me do so in the spirt of good arguments!
I have just one thing to say, from my understanding of the Indian Political scenario, and from the elaction results year after year, the poor do not in any contorted way vote for politicians who "do good" for them. They just vote for politicians who they think "will do some good" for them.
Lok Paritran had probably not thought this entirely through but considering their educational backgrounds, I would give them the benifit of doubt that they were fully aware of their shortcomings. They targetted the educated because they believed they could turn the tide, which almost did considering how well Santhanagopalan did in Mylapore.
Now as to your funda of 'doing something' for the poor, it cannot be done in a day, nor can it be done in the few months prior to an election. Lok paritran has done a test run, if they are intelligent enough, they must gear themselves up for a win next time.....
By
Dreamer, at 1:05 PM
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