LET THE TAMASHA BEGIN!

Its election time in India folks!   Who are you going to vote for this time?   Does it really make a difference?   Does it even matter if you vote or dont?    That depends on how you look at the issue, and where your own interests lie.

Major Issues:  What are the major election issues in India, this time around?   Well, the comfort zone of “terrorism” is no longer inviting and safe.   It may, infact, give negative returns.   Economics has overtaken all other considerations, and come on to  the forefront of political battles, that lie ahead.   And jobs, the least glamorous, but the most relevant issue affecting dozens of millions of Indians is now uppermost in the minds of the electorate.   Of course, how much of a “mind” the electorate has, is a different matter altogether, given the voting patterns in the past elections!

The Challenges:  The change of guard in America has also changed the old equations for the Indian ruling classes.   The Indian political elite will definitely miss the indulgence of the Bush administration, towards the various sins of omission and commission merrily committed by the Indian elite.   Having enjoyed a jolly ride for eight long years thus, adjusting to the new realities of the changed situation, is not going to be easy for the Indian rulers.

Compounding  their problems is the current economic crisis in the United States, and elsewhere.   Job opportunities in the U.S. for the Indian middle classes are fast drying up.   And a reverse flow of expatriates back to India, after losing their jobs abroad, has begun.   The new American administration has, inevitably perhaps, come out with legislation to protect the American workers, and industry.   Outsourcing of jobs to other countries at the cost of the local labor, and employing aliens ignoring equally qualified locals would be penalized now.   As it so happens, the majority of the jobs outsourced by American companies go to India;  and naturally, now India has to suffer the most on account of these new laws.   Having enjoyed  free lunches for a long time practically, the Indian establishment is now forced to address the long standing issues that remain unresolved even fifty seven years after Independence-Poverty, Unemployment, Illiteracy,  Diseases, Corruption etc., etc., etc.!

Immature Electorate:  On its part, the Indian electorate has rarely displayed the kind of maturity and common sense expected of it in its approach to voting in national elections, in the past.   Political Parties have almost always succeeded in diverting people’s attention with frivolous and even stupid issues, and away from the real issues.   But this time around, the politicians may not have it so easy.   Primarily, on account of the increasingly precarious job situation.   With industry and businesses laying off employees by the hundreds, practically every week, on account of the economic situation(what else), the increasing number of jobless makes it more complicated for the political classes to come up with a neat and  winning combination of promises and slogans, that have invariably paid dividends in the past.

At this point of time, it is difficult to predict the result of the election.   But the election itself should offer an insight into the minds of the Indian electorate, and the public at large.   Has the Indian electorate grown up?   Has it matured?   Has it developed the capacity of seperating the chaff from the grain?   Has it developed the ability to see through the politician’s empty promises?   Has it, at last, learned to recognize the real issues that affect its interests like poverty, unemployment, health, education etc.?   Or has it not learnt anything from its past experience and continues to labor under illusions and delusions?   Does fatalism still play a prominent role in decision making of the Indian electorate?   These, and many more questions will be answered soon.  

Conclusion:  To be fair,  the Indian voter, does not have much of a choice.   All the major political parties have been tried, tested, and found to be wanting.   And the new and smaller parties do not have the necessary fire power or the horse power to reach the goal post!  

Whatever the outcome of these elections, the winning party or combine may end up cursing their luck in winning the elections, given the developing economic crisis that is likely to hit India squarely in the coming months, if not weeks.  

LET THE TAMASHA BEGIN!

View expressed above are author’s personal.