Nowadays, ‘petrol’ not only has the power to ignite automobile engines but to fuel strong emotions across the country. Petrol prices have risen by over 13 per cent in India over the past one year. Petrol has made a long journey from being a blessing to becoming a curse in times where every month there is a new automobile launch. The main reason for this sad transition is that resources are finite while the needs are infinite. However, there is another reason for this mess - politics.
Sachin Tendulkar is no stranger to tests. However, the test that he has to face now is of a different ilk. He has been nominated to the Rajya Sabha. So, what was it that led Sachin to the Upper House of the Parliament? What was it that led the government to choose him? Was the decision correct?
A bunch of Indian think tanks recently came up with a comprehensive paper called Non Alignment 2.0 after over a year of deliberations. The objective of this paper is to provide guidance to India’s foreign and strategic policy over the next decade. This paper is a must read for anyone who wants a snapshot of India and its international relations.
Since the declaration of Uttar Pradesh Assembly election results, all news channels have been going agog about what the Congress party, especially Rahul Gandhi, did wrong. For the sake of change or widening of horizons, what about pondering over what Rahul Gandhi did right? By the stroke of luck, as nothing else could have explained this, what if the Congress had won in UP? What would have the news channels talked about?
Someone said that it is better to be occasionally cheated than being perpetually suspicious. But, in the case of Indian politics it just the reverse. It is better to be occasionally suspicious than being perpetually cheated. There are many recent developments that may seem harmless or routine on the face but, a little scratching on the surface and there will be a lot more than meets the eye.
There are some issues that stir public emotions and have the power to unite strangers. The recent Anna Hazare movement against corruption is one such example. Many people are supporting the Jan Lokpal Bill without even being aware of the consequences of the same just because it falls under the anti-corruption banner. Anna Hazare’s latest demand of constituting a Right to Recall also runs the danger of being yet another demand that can garner popular support without paying much heed to the adverse consequences.
The Congress party does not want to come back to power in 2014. At least so it seems. Otherwise, why else would it act the way it is acting right now? Why else would it turn complacent? Why else would it stay away from the ‘aam aadmi’ in whose very name it got elected? Why else would it sleep in its ivory tower?
Anybody who aspires to be a marketing professional or an entrepreneur must study the Anna Hazare movement - not only for what it aspires to achieve but, how it is achieving it. Anna Hazare is a brand already that stands for truth, justice, honesty, courage and conviction; a feat very few brands can boast of.
Looking at the current scenario, to even suggest the possibility of the Congress or the UPA winning the 2014 general elections would seem preposterous. But, as they say, even a week is a long time in politics hence, anything can happen three years later. So, how can the Congress achieve this seemingly impossible goal?