A friend of mine send me a poorly made pdf document which had a good IT vision for India. The thoughts in the document were good, but sounded like a bad collation from the Barack campaign. I liked the part of use of IT to curb corruption. And from a business angle I saw a lot of money in the document!
But as a citizen, I still believe we have not addressed roti, kapda aur makaan as yet. I would add infrastructure and education to it. With this, I do not mean IT education (10k laptop oriented education) or IT infrastructure (land records online and SSN the Indian way).
Do we need these? Yes we do!!! In fact we need more than this. We need the Swiss weather, non-polluted OZ, homeland security of US, valuation of Re. higher than the British Pound, we need the infrastructure of Dubai and of course, my insignificant dream of making Bombay (not Mumbai) a Singapore clone.
But when I look beyond my window to see the dirty slums, I think of health care – a few malarial deaths in the last month. I see corruption with the traffic cops near my house. I see uneducated youth (high potential youth) who are direction less and sit around commenting on school girls who are returning home. I see an 82 year old lady working in our neighboring garden as she has to earn just her next meal. I see a builder who is building apartments in thin air. Has he ever thought of pollution or hazards or even is there enough roadways and parking spots to accommodate the new cars that will come in there?
These are key problems for me. My digitized land records can wait. My SSN equivalent can wait. Actually my seeing money in IT projects in India can wait. I can also wait to see my Bombay with the colors of Singapore.
I need food, health care, education, income, low cost energy, responsibility and accountability and reduction of corruption. Frankly, this is what I will vote on. I can do without any of these being in place, coz I can afford them. But unfortunately, I am only 26% of my population - am only talking of Bombay. I think it is time to speak for the other 74 %. And most of my problems will be taken care of.
Today I am not sure if I am voting for a party or an agenda. I will vote for an individual who I know has done or at least has a potential to do. I do not see Prakash Amte or his likes standing for elections. Hence, chances of finding my guy is bleak. My next bet is the youth. Hope I find some and politicians take a leaf from the Lok Sabha Ex Speaker's book.
One thing is for sure, today politicians are hitting their own feet with the axe. And this is making us citizens more aware of what we need to do.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
You know after seeing Obama's campaign and win, some people hoped we have our own Obama here in india. It is not the Obama personality, not the oratory but the intent. Is anyone standing for the elections saying that we can all stand united as one country or that these politicians will not allow lobbyists influence?
BJP particularly has been comical in its efforts to be seen like the 'in-party'. Presided by a man, who uses the microphone as a crutch and decides to speak against Muthalik after one whole month has gone by after the Mangalore incident
Post a Comment