I was directed to this post through Shantanu’s blog. I’m not going to comment on this article but will make a general point (I’ve made a similar post on Shantanu’s blog as well).

To me some of these discussions (and similar ones elsewhere) sound like quibbles among people with a lot of idle time on their hands. Instead, I want to know how many of journalists (including liberal journalists) and writers are doing anything POLITICALLY to get their beliefs and message across? Practically none.

While such articles are entertaining (and even informative), they are more like Bollywood movies at their core: without substance, mere ‘time pass’. These articles have a hero (generally the writer: who always holds the high moral ground) and a villain (generally politicians, other writers, other countries). The hero ends up feeling good by writing his article and thinks he has been vindicated. But we get this feeling that this is make-believe. These writers are not real people doing real things. They lack the organisational ability and determination to persuade people to vote for them.

The point I make is that liberty and good governance was never offered in a platter to anyone anytime. Nor will it be offered to India that easily. Why do Indian liberals avoid the hard work needed to get their message across? Edmund Burke, Thomas Jefferson, J.S. Mill all come to mind as liberals who refused to be backbenchers or spectators. All of them participated actively as MPs/political leaders. We don’t need journal articles/ books. We need political pamphlets. But who is writing them in India? None.

I would like to challenge people (including writers/ commentators on this blog or elsewhere) to start becoming citizens and participating in real political work. That is the only way to change India. Let the battles be fought on the floor of the Parliament.

The Freedom Team (FTI: http://freedomteam.in) is a possible place for those who believe in ideas of liberty (and ethics) to come together and lead India. FTI has explicitly RULED OUT having any idle chatterbox on FTI. We don’t want advisors. Only those committed to political action and to persuade the people of India to their views through the political process. People who are willing to work as a team; as part of an organisation. I’m finding it exceptionally hard to find people to join FTI. We only have about 60 odd members with us at the moment, while we need at least 1500 to kickstart a political movement. I suspect this is because we tend to believe in India that once we’ve written our views on a blog or a newspaper, our responsibility as citizen is done, while in fact it has only begun.

Regards
Sanjeev Sabhlok
http://sanjeev.sabhlokcity.com/breakingfree.html

You have hit the nail on its head. Coming from somebody like Gurcharan Das it is really amazing. When did Gurcharan Das become an expert on China’s political and social circumstance.

I have heard these arguments many a time and use to resort to these arguments earlier, but have slowly come to realize that this is the typical “head in the sand” response Indians have to all issues like Child Abuse, Women’s rights, Racism and so on and so forth. None of these issues effect India. Sadly Most of the Middle class Indians take rise in BSE sensex as being equivalent of exonomic performance. The best example of this behaviour is response of most people to the Global Recession – Everybody from Finance Minister onwards believes we are doing better than rest of the world ignoring the massive job losses in export sectors.

We always take pride in our Democracy – What democracy – we vote every 5 years to elect MP’s from a group of candidates who are nominated by a bunch of people whose only criteria is how to get to the magic number of 273. We talk about our judiciary, which exccept for the Supreme Court is ramantly corrupt and inefficent. Ask Mr. Das to get a property dispute resolved in the sessions court of Calcutta and he will realize the independence of our judiciary. Our Media has completely failed the people of this country with their inability to raise any pertinent question to our leaders. How come no Journalist asks Congress leaders about their views on Emergency (their are still people from that era in leadership position) or howcome their has been no initiative by any Congress led government to improve access to education to the masses. Our journalists seem all to happy to suck to the Gandhi Family – (Rajdeep Sardesai – http://ibnlive.in.com/blogs/author/1/rajdeepsardesai.html), not having to ask any uncomfortable questions to our politicians. And finally the freedom of speech does not exist in our country, try saying something scandalous about any of the powerful leaders and be ready to be beaten up by crazed mobs.

Given that all pillars of a healthy democracy in India are thorughly wrotten, I don’t see a chance in hell for us to overtake China.

Not so cheerful,
Asheesh

I am guilty of making similar arguments too…

***

I hope, as Vyshu has asked – that India can indeed overtake China…provided we get some basic things right…

But its going to be a a very long-haul.

This is my first visit here..very well executed posts..

In certain Key areas India is out-performing..and different development strategies are pursued radically .

One question’s hitting my mind..’Can India overtake china?’…

n Thanks fr this post..

Gud Luck !

Vyshu