Graphic: Lok Sabha 2009 poll outcome

Re: Brace yourselves for 5 years of damage to Indian interests by Akhand on May 17, 2009 03:59 AM 9) The Congress has ruled India for 50 years out of 62. They have kept India poor, and Muslims poorer! Their record on national security is no better - they have presided over the loss of 125,000 square kilometers of territory, and their soft stance on terror has resulted in India becoming the worst affected country by terrorism, only behind Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. Their foreign policy has seen India lose ground in Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and in Burma. In oil and energy contracts, the Congress could not leverage its diaspora in Africa, and lost to China. 10) CONgress, the opposite of PROgress, for India has kept "slumdog" Indians poor through the permit raj, keeping India a closed economy, protectionism for its industrial party base, while turning party members into millionaires. Would they permit an audit into the party finances? Or is that not secular, either?    Forward   |   Report abuse
Re: Re: Brace yourselves for 5 years of damage to Indian interest by Akhand on May 17, 2009 04:00 AM CONGRESS = Children of Nehru Gandhi Ruining Every Single State.    Forward   |   Report abuse
Re: Re: Re: Brace yourselves for 5 years of damage to Indian inte by Akhand on May 17, 2009 04:01 AM The good news: 1) The Commies have been cut down to size. Their antiquated, anti-industrial, anti-entrepreneurial and pro-China stance was even more damaging to India's growth and development than the Congress' corrupt bumblings. 2) The Indian people would appear to be losing patience with buffoons like Lalu Yadav, Ram Vilas Paswan and Mayawati. Thank GOD, that we will not see their ilk as finance, defence and home ministers. 3) Though their results were mixed, the young and professional classes are making more of an entry into Indian politics. Indian politics needs this injection of human capital. 4) Governance and development have been rewarded in some states - notably in Bihar and Gujarat. Local issues do matter. 5) The government will be stable, and this will lead to capital injections through - foreign direct investment and foreign portfolio investment. Of course, domestic investments can be made with less political risk too. That should help India ride out the global economic meltdown.    Forward   |   Report abuse
Re: Re: Re: Re: Brace yourselves for 5 years of damage to Indian by Akhand on May 17, 2009 04:02 AM 6) While PM Singh has been used a marketing veneer for the COngress, and has odd views on secularism, his economic credentials are better than the Left's. They do not, however, represent a major departure from the Congress' previously left-leaning Fabian Socialism ways. "India is a mixed economy, and will remain a mixed economy." Manmohan says in his interview to the Financial Times. Of course, being a puppet, he may not be able to influence much. On the bright side, many Congress politicians and supporters have now got too much at stake in the open economy therefore they are incentivised to see it succeed. Manmohan will remain the acceptable face of Congress, and a seat warmer until Rahul matures. A qualifier: Indian democracy still needs to mature considerably. The election was dominated by personality cults and alleged divisive statements, for which no evidence was ever tested in a court of law. For this, I blame the media who are overwhelmingly owned by Congress or Left sympathisers. I can't think of a single newspaper or media channel that is owned by the Right in India. It is said "a newspaper is a nation talking to itself," and the topics of conversation were not substantive or relevant to India's progress.    Forward   |   Report abuse
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Brace yourselves for 5 years of damage to Ind by Akhand on May 17, 2009 04:02 AM For instance, there was little talk (and less action) of actual governance, or reducing corruption, strengthening institutions of democracy, creating meritocracies to develop human capital, incentivising capital flows to boost India's economy, or strengthening India's foreign policy, and how to combat terrorism. The BJP did create an excellent and realistic IT and Infrastructure vision and Governance plan but then went all quiet about it. They chose instead to reply to the Congress and indulge in politics, rather than display leadership. Of course, the COngress was very happy about this, as it had less to show on development but held all the cards (pliant media, pliant President, pliant election commissioner, and pliant CBI). Every election is a learning exercise, and one hopes that the parties and the Indian voter will mature! Indian democracy is both a boon and a bane. It is a boon because there are opportunties for Indian voters to remove non-performers. It will remain a bane until the Indian voters make Indian democracy will more effective. That won't happen until Indians get more educated and start casting their vote on the basis of substantive issues. That is probably something a lot of non-development focus parties (like the CONgress and the Left) fear. They would rather keep Indians poor and in the dark about these issues. But the good news is, the inexorable growth and rise of the middle classes will trump the enemies of PROgress. I remain optimistic about India Forward   |   Report abuse

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