Posts Tagged ‘elections’
Iran’s Michelle Obama?
Following the developments in Iran in wake of the Presidential elections I came across an interesting report. The subtitle of the report caught my attention: Iran’s Michelle Obama. It’s about Zahra Rahnavard, wife of presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousav. Zahra’s credentials are not merely defined through her husband’s identity; she has served as the chancellor of the Alzahra University in Tehran and as a political adviser to former Iranian President Mohammed Khatami. Zahra has been actively campaigning for her husband and appears on several campaign posters with Hossein. Though this may not be spectacular for the westerners, it’s stunning by the Iranian standards. Never before has a female in Iran voiced political opinions so openly. Moreover, the fact that Zahra is highly educated (she has a Ph.D. in political Science) and conveniently handles questions on Iran’s political and social policies, counters the perceptions that she is merely a shadow figure for Hossein. Her mannerisms and dressing style reflects her reformist approach to Islamic traditions. Here is how the crowd, mostly younger voters, has responded to here campaign rallies.
No matter who wins the Presidential contest, Zahra Rahnavard’s contribution to Iranian politics would be everlasting.
The False Promise of Presidential Elections in Iran
The Islamic Republic of Iran is just days away from choosing the next President of the country. The Presidential elections are being closely watched across the Western world, particularly the U.S. According to some analysts, the choice made by the Iranian people during the 12 June elections would greatly influence the Iran’s international image and politics for the coming years. In the midst of international anxiety over Iran’s future political leadership, certain intriguing aspects of the country’s domestic politics have escaped popular attention. A closer scrutiny of Iran’s national politics reveals that these are neither elections as democratic nor as groundbreaking as the Western world expects.
Indian Democracy has Many Sides: Enlightening Gideon Rachman
There is a myth that intellectual insight gains greater credence if one attempts to counter popular perception. For most scholars in this age of info boom the best way to gain visibility is to project a view that runs contrary to what the mainstream is saying. Though variety of opinion is always enriching opposition merely for the sake of it can prove injurious to serious intellectual discussions. Gideon Rachman’s recent commentary on the weaknesses and limitations of Indian democracy is one such example of intellectual opposition. All opposing views are not necessarily relevant. This is not an exercise in criticizing Gideon but enlightening him!
The Curious Case Indian Election Results
The morning of May 16, 2009 marks the high point of the Great Indian Tamasha; counting for the 15th Lok Sabha Elections gets underway. The pre-results phase is not only marked by subtle alliance making in the political circles but also by speculations among analysts and the intelligentsia. Election results in India, the largest and most diverse democracy, could even send Sherlock Holmes’s insights into a spin. But being an Indian how could I resist the temptation of putting forth my own analysis of the possible political combinations and permutations likely to gain shape by Saturday afternoon. So here is my take on 2009 General Election results. Click to continue…
The Curious Case of Indian Elections
The Maharashtra Navnirma Sena (MNS) has planned a strategic move for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections to score over the Shiv Sena. The MNS is attempting to rectify its image as a Maharashtra based party which is opposed to North Indians. Shalini Thackeray, the first daughter-in-law from the Thackeray family to contest elections, is a Punjabi girl born in Uttar Pradesh. Shalini Thackeray is the wife of Jitendra Thackeray, MNS founder Raj Thackeray. MNS was founded in 2006 when Raj Thackeray abandoned Bal Thackeray’s Shiv Sena. 
Shalini Thacheray is contesting from Mumbai North West seat and faces opposition from Shiv Sena’s Gajanan Kirtakar.
In the words of Shalini, “(There is this) wrong image that my party is against north Indians living or working in the state…” According to her, the MNS is simply opposed to the unchecked influx of people in Mumbai and Maharashtra. The issue of opposition to entry of non-Marathis is presented as a matter of socio-economics rather than regional divisions. In an attempt to enlighten Shalini Thackeray here are a few facts:
1. In February 2008 following the violent clashes between the workers of MNS and Samajvadi Party (SP) widespread attacks were launched against North Indians by the MNS cadres.
2. A Petition was filed against Party leader Raj Thackeray in the Patna High court for referring to the Chhath (a festival celebrated by Biharis) as ‘drama’.
3. In October 2008 members of the MNS beat up the North Indian candidates appearing for all India Railway Recruitment Board entrance exam for the Western region of Mumbai.
4. More recently, while launching the MNS poll campaign in Nasik in March this year, Raj Thackeray once again targeted the North Indians living in Maharashtra. He was later booked for this hate speech on charges of violating the model code of conduct and promoting enmity among groups.
Shalini Thackeray may possess a MBA from Massachusetts and claim that she is no Rabri Devi, but her political sagacity is undoubtedly questionable. She will most likely be used as a ‘poster politician’ for communicating the non-existent national agenda of the MNS in the upcoming polls. For Shalini her ability to prepare puran poli (a Marathi dish) and pakora curry (a Punjabi dish) with equal ease would influence the electorate and ensure her victory in the polls.
The most interesting point remains that Raj Thackeray, the self-professed guardian of Marathi culture, has announced the candidacy of an UPite from Mumbai.
South Asia and the Fourth Wave of Democracy
The Third Wave of Democracy swept through South Asia accompanied with apprehensions and anticipation about how democracy would treat South Asia and how South Asia would treat democracy. This exciting interaction led to helpful answers and new questions regarding the prospects of democracy in the developing countries. South Asia’s reactions to the third wave and consequent developments can provide an insight into the design of the distinctive democratic models emerging across the globe. The third wave was characterized by five forms of regime change, three of which have been witnessed in South Asia. The relevant forms of regime change include:
- Cyclical- alteration between democracy and authoritarianism
- Second-Try Pattern: Weak democracy gives way to authoritarianism which is replaced by stronger democracy
- Interrupted Democracy: Temporary suspension of democratic system and then its resumption
Without exception, all countries of the South Asia region have demonstrated one of the above patterns during their political evolution. The commonality running through these patterns has been a matter of grave regional and international concern: the lack of sustainable democracy in South Asia. Authoritarianism makes an unfortunate return at regular intervals in most of the regional states. Political reforms during the present decade show encouraging signs of greater democratization among the South Asian states. The trials and tribulations of the past experiments and the present challenges reveal certain interesting characteristics of the regional democratic endeavour. The uniqueness of the ‘attempts at democracy’ in South Asia is not only an analytical challenge but also a rare lesson in the consistent desire for democracy despite recurring failure. The developments in South Asia mark the beginning of the Fourth wave of democracy: trial and error democracy to evolve appropriate variants of Western liberal democracy. This wave is inspired by the failure to duplicate the popular tenets of Western democracies, the attempts to align demands of identity and freedom in new democracies, proper balance of state guidance and individual freedom and a process which while maintaining the distinctiveness of various ethnic, religious and cultural diversities successfully undertakes the nation-building endeavour.
Political developments in each of the eight states are specimens for comprehending the future of the Fourth wave. The present discussion is not expected to be a historical narrative of democratic experiments in South Asia. It is an attempt to understand the democratic innovativeness, in response to national demands, and its consequent impact on the nature of the political systems in South Asia. Click to continue…
The Curious Case of Indian Elections
Evaluating P.M. Manmohan Singh
According to Swapan DasGupta, P.M. Singh was “in office but never in power”; Tarun Tejpal calls him the ‘Shadow Warrior” and Meghnad Desai compares him to India’s Deng Xiao Ping. He has been criticized as being an ‘unelected P.M.’ since he is a member of the Rajya Sabha rather than the popularly elected Lok Sabha. In the words of L.K. Advani, Manmohan Singh has been the weakest Prime Minister. Whether it was the Indo-U.S. Nuclear Deal or the reopening of the Nathula Pass, P.M. Singh undertook bold initiatives in redefining India’s foreign relations. P.M. displayed his political skills at managing coalition pressures when he refused to be cornered by the CPI-M. Few would realize that this architect of India’s economic reform programme also managed to avert a near war situation with Pakistan after the Mumbai terror strikes. India had come forward with its first Climate Change Plan under P.M. Singh in 2008 and also enacted the much debated Right to Information Act in 2005.
After five years in power his promise of ‘reforms with a human face’ is open to criticism, especially when child malnutrition rates are the highest in the Country. Reports of slowing down of economic activity have challenged P.M. Singh’s economic insights. His failure to break the Congress-PDP deadlock in Jammu and Kashmir was widely criticized as was his inability to deal with the issue of Tamil civilian deaths during the recent phase of the Sri Lankan ethnic crisis. The menace of terrorism continues to threaten the country with the LeT warning of more strikes in near future.
The Prime Ministership of Manmohan Singh has been marked by highs and lows; flattered and condemned, praised and criticized. What according to you is the best and worst decisions of P.M. Manmohan Singh? How do you rate Manmohan Singh as India’s P.M.? And most importantly, do you consider P.M. Singh as worthy of a second term in office?
The Curious Case of Indian Elections
In the midst of allegation and counter-allegation season of Indian politics, the run-up to 2009 Lok Sabha polls has some heart-warming developments as well. The list of candidates dominated by dynastic and criminal credentials includes some successful non-political personalities this time.
Captain GR Gopinath, CMD, Deccan Express Logistics is contesting as an independent candidate from Bangalore for the April-May Lok Sabha elections. GR Gopinath is identified with revolutionizing air travel in India through the low cost Air Deccan Airline service. Victory for him is defined as getting 20% people involved in civic activities.
Meera Sanyal, Country Head of ABN Amro Bank will be contesting as an independent candidate from South Mumbai. Her five point agenda and master plan for Mumbai is hosted on her website www.meerahsanyal.in
Meera’s video message on her site is impressive and unlike the hosts of election messages we are used to listening. She has a huge support base at face book and aspires to revive the qualities of intellect and ideals in Indian politics.
Dr. Mallika Sarabhai is contesting the Lok Sabha polls from Gandhinagar against veteran BJP leader L.K. Advani. She again is an independent candidate and is making extensive use of the web (She has a website at http://mallikasarabhai.in/) to spread her message and attract voters.
According to N.R. Narayanan Murthy, independent candidates have the potential of strengthening Indian Democracy. But in the murky waters of Indian politics there is little hope that these candidates will emerge victorious. Nevertheless, it is commendable that intellectuals in India are aspiring to make a distinct impact on the voters rather than merely contesting to win a seat. The socio-political contribution of such candidates cannot be measured through electoral victories. But the fact that such well-deserving candidates do not manage to secure electoral success raises serious questions about the intelligence of the Indian voter. Will we continue to evade responsibility by taking refuge in the traditional excuse that illiterate majorities decide election results in India?
The Curious Case of Indian Elections
It sounds strange that Rahul Gandhi who had claimed that he could have become India’s P.M. at the age of 25 refused to be appointed as a Cabinet Minister in the Manmohan Sign Government.
I have a couple of queries with regard to this revelation. Firstly, why did P.M. Singh have to unveil this ‘humble’ aspect of Rahul Gandhi’s personality so close to the General Elections? Secondly, Is Rahul Gandhi, who did not hold any political office till 2006 politically equipped to become a Cabinet Minister or even the P.M. Thirdly, though Rahul Gandhi was the star campaigner for the Congress during the 2007 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, the Party managed to secure merely 8.53 % of the votes. So does Rahul Gandhi really have the charisma that the Congress Party ascribes to him? Finally, after claiming that the 1971 breakup of Pakistan as one of the achievements of his family, why is Rahul Gandhi criticizing Varun Gandhi for his anti-Muslim comments?
Rahul Baba needs to get down to some serious thinking rather than making random comments to attract attention!
Omar Abdullah: “J&K elections have handed India a lifeline”
Jammu and Kashmir’s new Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah said in an interview to Reuters today that the recent elections in J&K have handed India a lifeline; referring to an opportunity for the Government of India to refurbish relations with the people of J&K. The very premise of his contention is flawed and overlooks the basic cause of discontent in the state. Omar Abdullah’s assumption and rule (in line with his father Farooq Abdullah) is based on the understanding that discontent in J&K can be addressed if the government of India adopts a more emphatic view and caters to the socio-economic development of the state. His analysis skips over a vital intermediary link between the people of J&K and Government of India – the State Government. In the very first place Omar Abdullah’s government will have to win the confidence of the people of J&K and better comprehend their grievances. Click to continue…