Ashok Mitra's Artice does not make lot of sense. We the people of India(more than a billion of them) are are surving and the whims and fantasies of the Congress(Nehru-Gandhi) Dynasty. I have been reading the comments of the people to this article and everybody seems to be whining about this fact. My question to the writer and the people making this comments is what do you do to correct the situation. Ashok Mitra just makes a point and leaves it at that. Does he or for that matter anybody else commenting on his article have the intention to improve the situation. Let me ask you this. Has anbody tried to run for a local municipal election or for that matter any poll which would help the public.I know it costs money to win elections. But the intellectiual communicty(people who can read Mitra's article in english) can just read and comment on the article.Do any of these people to make a point at least stand for an election. This atleast gives the people an option . If the people get good option regularly then they might start electing people who can help improve the situation. So stop whining and commenting on the situation and try to do something about it.
RE:Stop Whining and Do Something
by Ramiah Ariya on Oct 23, 2005 07:47 AM Permalink
Yogi, First of all it is useful to be informed and reminded, whether action results or not. Not everyone can act, but most people can support action. This is not uncommon;even during our freedom struggle, most people continued their lives, while a few volunteered for satyagraha. But the genius of Congress leaders under Gandhi was to make sure everybody was informed about the issues at stake. In fact, this article and the message board comments are part of this effor to be informed. That is a columnist's job - not go out and run in elections. Secondly, standing in elections is not really the solution. There is too much money power in political parties for anybody to match them; then you have to get into the legislature, where the majority rules and try to change things. This is true in developed nations too. The viable solution is to strictly regulate political parties - for example, one of the reasons for the current debacle is that the power to give tickets in elections is with party leaders. That pretty much makes them kings. This CAN be regulated by law. Another solution is for ordinary people to become basic members of political parties - not contest in elections.
