“India has Once Again Outwitted Sir Winston Churchill”: Fareed Zakaria

India’s recent election results have come as a pleasant surprise to everyone except those who lost it (Lalu, Mayawati, Left and BJP). Here is a nice short piece by Fareed Zakaria on recent elections.

Cornering Foreign Fields

Economist has a new article on land grab in Africa. The old one is here.  Some disturbing trends it highlights:

“Protectionism, not efficiency, has been the driving force behind these land grabs.

“Host governments usually claim the farmland they offer is vacant, state-owned property. That is often untrue”.

…. ”At the moment too many seem designed to benefit local elites more than local farmers; they use foreign labour and export most of their production, harming local food markets. “

An interesting article.

NY Times Agenda for the New Government

New York Times suggests agenda for the newly elected Congress party Governement in India. It is an interesting list: resolve Kashmir, reassure Pakistan (about role in Afghanistan), liberalize trade, meddle into affairs of Myanmar, Sudan and Iran (but no mention of Sri Lanka). NY Times wants India to act like the dominant regional player that she is. I read it as be the client-in-chief of the US in the region.

It seems that editor(s) of NY Times  seem to believe (wish) that Government of India has been elected by the Indians but to and for NY Times’s readers. Also, I wonder why cutting carbon emissions is not on the agenda!

Election 2009: The Positives and the Negatives

General elections in India are always interesting. This time was no exception. Indian voters collectively write better script than the best in the bollywood. I cannot remember one bollywood thriller that came anywhere close in creating the kind of suspense and surprise. I am mighty thrilled, mighty pleased with the election outcome this year. Here are the things I am happy about:

1. I will start with Bihar: all criminals (and families: wives, mothers, cousins), from all parties including Nithish Kumar’s JDU, lost election. Taslimuddin in Kishanganj, Md. Fatmi in Darbhanga, Munna Shukla in Vaishali, Prabhunath Singh in Maharajganj, Lovely Anand (Anand Mohan’s wife)  in Sheohar, Surajbhan’s wife in Nawada, Pappu Yadav’s wife and mother in Supaul and Purnea*, Syyed Shahabuddin’s wife in Siwan, Raghunath Jha in Valmikinagar: all of them lost. This is a first in my memory. Even if it is just a coincidence, it is an amazing one. I wish we get a similar outcome in the 2010 assembly elections too.
2. Narendra Modi has been cut to size. In Gujarat, he barely improved his performance, and elsewhere too, he failed to impress voters.
3. Shiv Sena and MNS did not win any seats in Mumbai.
4. People of India are not paranoic. National security, America’s bogey, nuclear deal with the US: all turned out to be non-issues. Even for Muslims, who came back to Congress fold in Bihar, UP, Bengal after 20 years, inspite of the deal.
5. Anti-incumbency is no longer a norm in Indian elections. In fact somewhat like in the US, it is becoming increasingly difficult to defeat incumbents,  if they do even a half decent job. PK Chamling in Sikkim, Shiela Dixit in Delhi, YSR in AP, Naveen Patnaik in Orissa, SRS Chauhan in MP, Raman Singh in Chhattisgarh, Narendra Modi in Gujarat and now even in the center, incumbents have managed to hold on to power. And expectations are not too high: just be honest, modest and interested in doing real work, and you will be rewarded. The reward and punishment system (the incentive scheme as a contract theorist would say) is getting better, more functional, and hopefully this would result in better governments in future.
6. The last is an obvious one: This is the first time since 1984 that a party has won more than 200 seats in general elections and we can hope for a stable government in the center.

I am sure there are many other positives. But these are the ones that I am most happy and satisfied with. A few negatives before I close:

1. The Left will be so weak in the parliament. Deservedly so. But it also means that there will be little debate on economic policies. BJP and Congress just echo each other and the regional parties do not get involved.
2. Even if Rahul Gandhi has earned it, the results mean that the Dynasty will be stronger.
3. Varun Gandhi won and by a huge margin. Four Gandhis in the Parliament is two too many.
4. Bihar will be barely represented in the Cabinet given that UPA and allies have won so few seats there. Not that it makes any difference to state’s welfare. Yet.

Summary of Exit Polls

Check here.

Caution: Every single exit poll and all expert guess were wrong in last general elections in 2004. Everyone thought that NDA would come back to power, but it did not.

Bhay Ho: BJP’s Response to Congress

BJP’s Bhay Ho in response to Congress’s Jai Ho!

विदा: अशोक वाजपेयी

बहुत दिनों बाद आज अचानक एक अच्छी कविता पढ़ी| बहुत दिनों बाद कोई कविता पढ़ के लगा की अपने ब्लॉग पर डाला जाए| कविता अशोक वाजपेयी की है| मैंने मैगजीने में उनके कॉलम तो पढ़े थे, पर पहले उनकी कोई कविता नहीं पढ़ी थी| पहली बार में ही पसंद आये|

तुम चले जाओगे
पर थोड़ा-सा यहाँ भी रह जाओगे
जैसे रह जाती है
पहली बारिश के बाद
हवा में धरती की सोंधी-सी गंध
भोर के उजास में
थोड़ा-सा चंद्रमा
खंडहर हो रहे मंदिर में
अनसुनी प्राचीन नूपुरों की झंकार

तुम चले जाओगे
पर थोड़ी-सी हँसी
आँखों की थोड़ी-सी चमक
हाथ की बनी थोड़ी-सी कॉफी
यहीं रह जाएँगे

प्रेम के इस सुनसान में
तुम चले जाओगे
पर मेरे पास
रह जाएगी
प्रार्थना की तरह पवित्र
और अदम्य
तुम्हारी उपस्थिति
छंद की तरह गूँजता
तुम्हारे पास होने का अहसास

तुम चले जाओगे
और थोड़ा-सा यहीं रह जाओगे

(अनहद नाद से)

“Yogya Pita ke Yogya Putra”: Shri Varun Gandhi

Varun Gandhi is trying to be worthy son of worthy father: “yogya pita ke yogya putra”: as maa would call me whenever i did anything she didn’t like. He wants to revive his father’s infamous (and election loosing) compulsory sterilisation program in India. He wants conscription too.  I suggest we start with him on both counts.  He is a bit younger for one and a bit older for the other. But chalega. Let us have him as the first volunteer (vicitm) of his dream programs.

Chickens have Come Home to Roost

An interesting article on how trucks and SUVs came to dominate US car market from Prof. Dani Rodrik’s blog.

Peaceful Election in Bihar

Lok Sabha election in Bihar has been quite peaceful this year, a welcome break from the past. Hindustan Times reports.