Telangana politics post GHMC elections

 As an observer sitting in United State, distant lands from India, It is fascinating to witness changes in political landscape in the country I was born and brought up. In particular in Telangana, where two elections held recently - Dubbaka bypoll and GHMC, in which BJP performed very well. 

It appears, in Dubbaka, people voted for BJP for couple of reasons.  The youth appeared to be rallied behind the candidate Raghunandan and strong offense and attack from Bandi Sanjay helped. It is more of Raghunandan's victory than BJP victory.

However, in Hyderabad in GHMC election, that was not the case. BJP as a party registered victory and posed challenge to TRS in future Telangana politics. Glancing over the results of GHMC, It appeared Andhra Hyderabadis and Native Hyderabad Hyderbadis voted for Telangana parties such as TRS and MIM and Telangana Hyderabadis voted for BJP, meaning Andhra settlers, native Hyderabadis whether they are Hindus or Muslims voted for TRS and MIM, where as people who migrated from North and South Telangana districts appeared to be voted BJP. It is a danger signal for KCR and course correction is certainly required. What can KCR do?

First, there appeared to be lot of dissent in youth in urban areas and the pattern extends to rural areas as well. As of writing this, KCR seems to have recognized this as issue and announced job melas. He needs to focus on this voter segment to win 2023 elections, just like he focused on Farmers and other segments in the run up to 2018 elections.

Second,  BJP will try to play communal politics. He can't fully avoid it. However, KCR is in driving seat to set the agenda for the political debate. He can't win against BJP on communal turf, so he needs to drag BJP on to development agenda. At the same time, He can do a little bit visible but background religious activities. As an example, on his trips to rural Telangana, do visit ancient temples and invoke Telangana grama devathalu(village deities) but still talk about development agenda. In a way, that's what Modi did in the run up to 2014 elections. Modi didn't 2014 on Hindutva plank but on the agenda of development but Hindutva was always there in the background.

Third, there are complains from several quarters about his arrogance. While KCR is arrogant, he is compassionate as well. In press meets and media settings, he can show more of his compassioante side than arrogance side.

To conclude, It is still advantage KCR as he is considered Telangana Bidda(The son of soil) and BJP lacks leader who can take on KCR. However, you can't underestimate BJP's machinery, organizational strength and hunger to win elections. 

Budget 2016 - Foundation for New India

Based on my limited reading of Indian media articles and following several politicians and others on social networking platforms, I have arrived at a conclusion that Budget 2016 lays solid foundation for New India and my dream India. I called it my dream India because of the promise Budget made and direction it has shown for rural India.

I born in rural India and spent all of child hood and most of my teenage in an Indian village. I always have emotional connection with India and specifically rural India. As I grew, I closely watched and read the problems of poor agricultural farmers. 

I called it dream budget because of my long standing belief that India can only be developed country with the development of rural India. India still has large number of people living in rural India and mainly depending on agriculture as their main source income. As most of you aware, Agriculture is in serious crisis for last several years, several farmers committing suicides in Vidharbha, Telangana and other parts of the country and Governments had taken no serious steps towards reviving agriculture and improving agricultural income. Some state Governments and UPA government tried to provide relief with loan waiver programs. Those steps provided temporary relief to farmers and it was more of a reactive measure to situation than a strategic vision from union government. I see this budget as strategic and visionary one.

Jaitley's promise to double agricultural income in next years in very much welcomed statement and hope that the government has serious action and implementation plan behind that promise. As most of the people saying, It is a tall promise but we need such promises from government and administration to execute on promises to bring rural India, which is primarily dependent on agricultural, from current near collapse situation to a better state. Improving the rural economy not only helps rural India but it also helps urban India and industries. The demand to industrial output would grow as rural economy grows. As a result, India could build an economy inside economy which provides necessary shield from ongoing and future global economic crisis. 

The MNREGA scheme introduced by previous UPA govt certainly helped rural India to some extent but it is nowhere close to idea of reviving rural India. The 2016 budget's priorities includes agriculture spending, rural infrastructure improvement, spending on irrigation, 100% electrification of villages would provide superior foundation for New India and I hope to see rural India to flourish. The investment in Railways helps to connect rural, small town India with urban India and it helps both rural and urban economy to grow.

If this budget promises are implemented as announced, it would be not only unforgettable budget but path breaking budget in the history of India and we see new India by 2030. I have  huge hopes on Modi, while I have some doubts too. Finally, be optimistic and India can do it! 

Restarting my blogging...

I have been thinking for a while to restart my blog writing, but somehow was lazy doing it. Finally, restarted today. Feeling very happy and I hope I would continue blogging. I want to write blogs for couple of main reasons. One, off late, I have been messaging a lot with my friends on one of WhatsApp's groups where we discuss political topics, mainly related to India. WhatsApp is a nice platform to exchange short messages and very brief views but not a great platform to express and explain one's broader views. And I often end up find myself emotionally carried away by the topic's severity and was not able to explain my views in full length. So I decided to use blogging as a platform to explain and express my views clearly and candidly.
Two, I always have this notion that blogging would help my English drafting and writing skills which in turn help with my career growth.
Precisely, those are the reasons to restart my blogging.
Most of the topics I touch upon are related to Indian political and social issues.
That's it for now. Thanks.

Anna Hazare

I have been reading mixed reactions on Anna Hazare's fasting. I thought of putting a status on facebook and it is too long status for FB to handle..Instead, I choose to write my two cents on the blog. Corruption has multiple facets - Anna is now fighting from very important facet. (i.e Legislation) Why I say that? Let me tell a story that most of you know and agree - Who the hell in India thought 20 years ago that Bihar would go for violence free elections in 2010. But Bihar proved it and country is amazed...Who made it possible? T.N.Seshan, the CEC in 1991 who started implementing electoral practices.. What made it possible? The People's Respresentative Act of 1952. Seshan used/implemented whatever there in the act, he didn't invent new ideas. So..What's the moral of the story..We need both tools and toolsmiths to do something good, the toolsmith can't do anything alone without tools. Anna Hazare is fighting for the tool(Jan Lokpal Bill), hope that we find a toolsmith(a committed politician) in the future. Lets support him. On the same lines, we had several legislations and govenment policies that helped India to curb population growth and control AIDS etc. We may think that each individual has to change in order country to change. To me, that's nice in theory but not easy to implement. What we need are some good policies, legislations and a strong leadership who can continuosly campaing those policies which get into people's mind over the period of time which change the people, but it is hard that change comes from each individual silently, It has to come through some rigouros campaign and noise. Just think of campaign against Polio - You would have found polio drop camps in every bust station in Andhra Pradesh during Sankranthi season and now AP is almost Polio free and lot of awareness is created among the public. It didn't come easily but through strong and willful campaigns and policies of government.

Sonia Gandhi

Sonia as she got elected as AICC president for fourth consecutive time.

then What? We all have to recognize the fact that Sonia Gandhi have come long way in last "pushkar" time(12 years) - mainly because, in simple terms, of her actions and her opposition party actions. Sonia,consciously or otherwise, made decision to give up coveted post to Manmohan Singh and decided to lead the party from front. Its that decision which helped her to spend full time on party affairs and leaving govt execution to Manmohan Singh. She also formed core committee with key party leaders who are in and out of governament to make decisions on key issues. Even though, It may not be good parliamentary practice to have some committee like this one, which is super numery body over central Cabinet, but it attracted less criticism but more praise. All the credit goes to Sonia on how she runs core committe. Coming to opposition party, BJP, failed miserably in dealing with Congress Party and government - thanks to their party constitution to not to have a president for not more than a term of 2 years.

Women's Reservation Bill

In the recent past, I wrote quite few times on Telangana statehood issue. I want to give a break and now write on Women's Reservation Bill.

I haven't read lot of stuff on this bill but I feel it's a good move from whatever I analyzed in the last couple of days. Before I explain why I feel it is good bill, I feel it is not socialized and discussed in the media and people for sometime. I know that the bill is pending for last 14 years and discussed in Parliamentary and Cabinet meetings. It should have more debated and socialized in the public, I feel.

I like this bill only because of one main reason - the change in Indian politics.
I strongly feel that this bill pave way to change in Indian politics that many of us thinking for a while. We all like the politics to be changed but we feel helpless many times because we don't know ways and means to change the politics. The Indian politics are tightly coupled with money and muscle power and giving significant pie for women in Parliament and State Assemblies would reduce that power. By nature, we all know, that women in India are more fair and less corrupted. In addition, Women are more determined to get the things done - e.g Sonia Gandhi..:)

I see the arguments that 3 Yadavs(Laloo, Mulayam and Sharad)are making, feel baseless. You can't have reservation based on caste in Politics. We already have in Education and Employment and can't extend it. The Sonia's fear may be fact that if she agrees to OBC and Minority sub quota in Women's Reservation, then these 3 yadavs want same thing to be applied for other 67%, if not today but tomorrow. So better stay away from that mess. I feel that the Women Reservation is the best possible way that we have in front of us, to clean Indian politics. Who knows, we may see better India by 2020.

I saw Chandra Babu Naidu supporting the bill which is good. He is one of the politicians who benefited from women voting for TDP in 1999. He might be recalling those days.

Even I am writing here on Women's Reservation Bill, Somehow, I can't forget Telangana issue, it is pinging me in the back of my mind.I hope that Sonia Gandhi would take same strong and bold step on Telanagana too..

The Saga of Telangana - Migration to Mumbai and Dubai

Mr VK Duggal,
I never thought in my life time that I would write to former home secretary of our country. Anyway, I got the opportunity, so writing this e-mail to you on Saga of Telangana.
I will be writing series of e-mails to you based on my personal experience and observations and this is first one in series. So I would spend time explaining my background so you better appreciate my comments.

I hail from a remote village in Karim Nagar district, from Telangana region.I got opportunity to made several friends and meet several people during my childhood to college days from different parts of the state and different quarters of the society.

The topic is migration.
My village has 300+ households and in which at least every other household head or son in the family went  to one of the Gulf countries in the search of job. Most of them went there to work as construction labor. Initially, It was OK as few people went and earned some money. It was OK because they made good money(based on then Indian economy) even though they are away from their families. So when I was child I used to write/read letter on behalf of illiterate families, I used to feel very bad after reading some of the bad experiences my village people are facing in gulf countries. They went through lot of pain to earn money and support the families.
This trend continued and migration to gulf increased exponentially since mid-90's. Some people are deceived by agents in Mumbai and returned to home, few committed suicide because of debts. I know few families saga where husbands are away from their families which created way for illicit relationships, created social imbalances. Some fathers did not see their families for years, their sons/daughters have grown but never seen their children.
You may be thinking it as whole India issue and wondering why it is specific to Telangana - But several things played its part
1) Drought during later 90s and early 2000s - If we would have got water resources then we would at least have one crop in a year. You know River Godavari goes through my district and we still have severe droughts almost every year. The political leadership claim that it is difficult to lay canals and provide water to our area because we are on highest spot of the state and it require lift irrigation to pump the water.
When I was kid, I used to see green fields behind my home, now its all dry/arid land with no water. Some amount of water facility would have stopped migration.

2) No Industrial development - I often wonder why Telangana(exclude Hyderabad and its outskirts) doesn't have any major industries like Andhra region had - like Visakha Steel Plant. It would atleast have provided some employment and stopped migration.

On Mumbai migration, When I was young, I was in my taluq headquarter bus stand for 1 hour, waiting for a bus. I saw 10 buses from different bus depots going through my place Sircilla to places like Mumbai, Sholapur, Bhiwandi in Maharastra.
I thought for a while realized, it is because of lack opputunities in this area which forced them people to migrate to other states. Sircilla hand loom workers suicides are known to entire country, which attracts attention when a politician visits our place and would be in cold storage afterwards.

that's all on migration of my people.

I would write my next letter on Naxal's issue. Meantime, If you get chance to read, please reply with any questions/comments.