Roti, Kapda, Makaan aur Masala...
According to Wikipedia, the state of Tamil Nadu (TN) is the 5th largest contributor to India's GDP and ranks 10th in Human Development Index as of 2006. TN is also the most urbanized state in India. The state has the highest number (10.56%) of business enterprises and stands second in total employment (9.97%) in India, compared to the population share of about 6%.
TN is also famous for its two main "self-respect" espousing, "atheist-rationalist" Dravidian political parties – the DMK and the AIADMK. With very little to differentiate one party from the other (both parties are phenomenally corrupt while bringing in appreciable all-round development and investments to the state), the last decade has witnessed the parties showering the electorate of the state with cash (clandestinely, before the elections) and electronic goods (post the elections as fulfillment of election promises).
TN is also famous for its two main "self-respect" espousing, "atheist-rationalist" Dravidian political parties – the DMK and the AIADMK. With very little to differentiate one party from the other (both parties are phenomenally corrupt while bringing in appreciable all-round development and investments to the state), the last decade has witnessed the parties showering the electorate of the state with cash (clandestinely, before the elections) and electronic goods (post the elections as fulfillment of election promises).
During a recent, quick and short “US-Navy-Seals-in-Abbotabad” kind of visit to Chennai (the capital city of TN and one of India's four "Metro" cities), I came across this “Garam Masala” (spice powder) packet distributed through the Public Distribution System (PDS). The 10 gram sachet prominently carried the likeness of the 87-year old Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, M.Karunanidhi (popularly known as “Kalaignar” or “scholar of arts”) with the message “Making fair-priced groceries available during the rule of Kalaignar” (in Tamil).
64 years after our Independence, political parties in India still depend on the powerfully emotive slogan of “roti, kapda aur makaan” (food, clothing and shelter) to garner votes. Since 1951, ten Five-Year Plans have been developed, executed and monitored by the Planning Commission. But the basic issues of food, clothing, and shelter continue to be serious problems. Add to these bijli, sadak aur paani (power, roads and water) the issues only seem to be compounding.
In this scenario, a fair-priced, 10 gram packet of Garam Masala could certainly swing a few percentage points of votes in your favor (enough to win another 5-year term as the “democratically” elected ruling party of a state.)
In India, poverty is the politician’s lifeline.
Once poverty is eradicated, the politician loses his relevance. Politicians and political parties therefore need poverty and “bottom-of-the-pyramid” politics to remain in power. Eradication of poverty is a goal with an “eternal” timeline. The politico’s goal is to strike the right balance – just enough poverty to tom-tom about, cause angst in the electorate and win the next elections, and marginal poverty eradication so as to not face anti-incumbency.
Thus, while our politicians and political parties follow “the preservation of Self” as the central theme of their political doctrine, our neighboring countries (notably, China) with more forward-looking policies surge ahead to claim their rightful place among the world nations.
