Planned: Great India Club, Thrissur, Kerala

This may appear as off-topic w.r.t SIF/NLB/AIMWA,...... but its not, Great India, as you will find for  yourselves is just a battle on a higher plane, in the same direction as the battles of reformist groups like SIF, NLB, AIMWA, etc.,.... for the people, by the people and of the people.

For, new/uninitiated members, more details on Great India trust: Pls download the ebook - 'Great India..Indian Democracy: Problems and Solutions'-> http://bit.ly/bmnTkY and join the & facebook group http://profiles.to/gi , for detailed discussions & brainstorming we can use the yahoo group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ourgreatindia and contribute our bit towards our nations progress and welfare. Our blog: http://greatindiagroup.blogspot.com .

We just had a meeting in Thrissur(near Amala hospital), with some well-wishers of Great India, we have planned to form a Great India club around this area. Thanks to Mr.Tintu for taking the initiative.

We will be conducting more such formative meetings all over the country, soon, may be start with Delhi , Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai etc.,. These meetings could be planned around January mid since a member meet is being planned then in Delhi. 

As the next step in Great India's plans forward, we should announce phone helplines(to spread Great India's ideals and news) all over India wherever we have active members. These helplines would help us to achieve more reach among non-internet using patriots and like minded activists.

I would take this opportunity to announce my mobile  number as a Great India helpline in Thrissur, Kerala : 9633409355 and Mr.Sudhakaran: 9745821113

PS: Great India is all about dealing with the root cause of the systemic-rot in our country's political system, while other issue based activism too may continue so that we have a multi-pronged approach/attack to achieve better results for a Great India(with Great India groups dealing with the core which cause the systemic-rot , while the issue based activist groups(like SIF) flanks the attack by dealing with the specific symptoms produced by the systemic-rot(For instance SIF: which strives to resolve issues regarding Indian men and Families). Come lets join forces, together we can reach the goal faster, and that we shall achieve come what may.

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Cowardice asks...."Is it safe?", Expedience asks "Is it politic?", Vanity asks...."Is it popular?"... There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, politic, nor popular, but one must take it because it is right: Martin Luther King, Jr.

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Join this group to make our India great:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/OurGreatIndia
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Root cause of Indian systemic-rot -lets ...

See the original post at: Great India: Know the root cause of all problems in India-lets ...:

Know the root cause of all problems in India-lets facilitate quality leadership everywhere and solutions will follow

Crime or criminality is not a monopoly of any class or gender, nor does crime have a class or gender factor. This is true for goodness or badness too.

The current problem in India is that, since judiciary , law enforcement and the the whole system consisting of the government/authorities in general are all corrupt and our quality of leadership is abysmal.

Hence the Corrupt, Rich and powerful get what they want by hook(undue favours from government schemes meant for public welfare!) or crook(protective provisions/laws intended for protecting the weak(if you search around the internet you will find that the protective provisions for SC/STs , Women have been misused widely and has been acknowledged in the official circles too, for example misuse of dowry laws are termed as "Legal Terrorism" by the Supreme Court of India itself!) and poor are misused by the corrupt, rich and powerful people)

And its a fact that unfettered/absolute power corrupts, and in India women-protection laws give that unfettered power to only the women who misuses it(with an intention to get undue power of negotiation, to wreck vengeance, etc.,.)

***So the genuine victims among men or women do not have any support from the present set of laws or provisions/schemes by the government***, since all these facilities and laws are misused with oblique motives by the corrupt, rich and powerful(irrespective of their gender!)!!!.

The solution is simple(albeit tough), all citizens(including all victimised men and women) join forces and bring a new order in society and make a system which only promotes good leaders and eventually purge the bad leaders.

These good leaders will eventually set right the implementation of laws and schemes intended for public welfare(which are presently misused) and ensure that the support/relief goes only to the intended and deserving victims/beneficiaries, since they would be responsive to the people who elected them and be efficient and capable to undertake the massive systemic correction we would have to do, to set right and prevent the re-emergence of the systemic-rot, that we are in presently.

It is with this Idea that the Great India group was formed(Facebook group for Great India: http://groups.to/gi) .

Do visit and join after reading the links and posts there. Also Download the ebook - Great India..Indian Democracy: Problems and Solutions-> http://bit.ly/bmnTkY This would give the readers an idea of what has been thought of by the Great India group, please do join and contribute to the work-force of patriots who have already pledged their support in Great India's action plans

Together we can do whatever we intend to do, to bring about the changes we want around us.

Let us be the part of the solution, and not part of the problem(by just cribbing/complaining about what we do not like around us), lets be the change-agents ourselves, because we can do this together.... the road ahead is tough but NOT AT ALL IMPOSSIBLE to traverse, can we do it, if we are united..... do join us and contribute your efforts along with us, see you at Great India facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=117237851655573 or short url http://groups.to/gi .

Know the root cause of all problems in India-lets facilitate quality leadership everywhere and solutions will follow

Crime or criminality is not a monopoly of any class or  gender, nor does crime have a class or gender factor. This is true for goodness or badness too.

The current problem in India is that, since judiciary , law enforcement and the the whole system consisting of the government/authorities in general are all corrupt and our quality of leadership is abysmal.

Hence the Corrupt, Rich and powerful get what they want by hook(undue favours from government schemes meant for public welfare!) or crook(protective provisions/laws intended for protecting the weak(if you search around the internet you will find that the protective provisions for SC/STs , Women have been misused widely and has been acknowledged in the official circles too, for example misuse of dowry laws are termed as "Legal Terrorism" by the Supreme Court of India itself!) and poor are misused by the corrupt, rich and powerful people)

And its a fact that unfettered/absolute power corrupts, and in India women-protection laws give that unfettered power to only the women who misuses it(with an intention to get undue power of negotiation, to wreck vengeance, etc.,.)

***So the genuine victims among men or women do not have any support from the present set of laws or provisions/schemes by the government***, since all these facilities and laws are misused with oblique motives by the corrupt, rich and powerful(irrespective of their gender!)!!!.

The solution is simple(albeit tough), all citizens(including all victimised men and women) join forces and bring a new order in society and make a system which only promotes good leaders and eventually purge the bad leaders. 

These good leaders will eventually set right the implementation of laws and schemes intended for public welfare(which are presently misused) and ensure that the support/relief goes only to the intended and deserving victims/beneficiaries, since they would be responsive to the people who elected them and be efficient and capable to undertake the massive systemic correction we would have to do, to set right and prevent the re-emergence of the systemic-rot, that we are in presently.

It is with this Idea that the Great India group was formed(Facebook group for Great India: http://groups.to/gi) .
Do visit and join after reading the links and posts there. Also Download the ebook - Great India..Indian Democracy: Problems and Solutions-> http://bit.ly/bmnTkY  This would give the readers an idea of what has been thought of by the Great India group, please do join and contribute to the work-force of patriots who have already pledged their support in Great India's action plans

Together we can do whatever we intend to do, to bring about the changes we want around us.

Let us be the part of the solution, and not part of the problem(by just cribbing/complaining about what we do not like around us), lets be the change-agents ourselves, because we can do this together.... the road ahead is tough but NOT AT ALL IMPOSSIBLE to traverse, can we do it, if we are united..... do join us and contribute your efforts along with us, see you at Great India facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=117237851655573 or short url http://groups.to/gi .

Character crisis in political leadership

G r e a t I n d i a T r u s t
Email: sudhakaranck@gmail.com visit: www.greatindiatrust.org. Tel: 0480 2804452, 09745821113
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01-05-2010
Our Mission: Restoration fo Innerparty democracy in political parties

Dear patriots,

We are a group of patriots concerned with the degradation of our society as a whole and its political institutions in particular, deteriorating day-by-day, threatening our existence as a national entity, despite all the constitutional amendments, judicial activism and efforts by many reform activists to rectify the anomalies. We propose dialogue between the like minded patriots concerned with the state of our politics and society to expose the causes and prescribe possible remedies to achieve our common dream: a strong India, a ‘Great India’.

*** Most of our reformers, intelligentsia and media are projecting corruption, communalism, diversity, etc… and few even perceive political parties and/or its leaders as causes of the degradation. We have reasonably proved that they are not causes of degradation but are symptoms-produced-by or our-basic-traits-aggravated-by the perversions and pseudo-ness of the democracy we practice.

All of us perceive deferent reasons for degeneration and are trying in as many ways to achieve our common goal – a strong and prosperous India, a Great India – mostly dissipating our resources with out being able to make any dent to the rot. I propose a confederation of such reform activist/NGOs, in an effort to give such efforts a clearer direction. This is not an effort to organize another political party, or to project a leader or for-or-against any political party or leader.

We identify:
1. Character-crisis in our political leadership (the Raja),
2. ‘Proliferation of the political parties’, related ‘Coalition politics’,
3. Weak head of governments and It’s Susceptibility (PM/CM…) to coercion by the coalition parties or the group leaders of ones own party…
… as basic ills of our society’s degradation.
But remediation of Character crisis in political-leadership - the-Raja, because of its over-bearing potential to aggravate other flaws & weaknesses of the system & society and to cause abject moral decay of the masses/the-Praja, and its potential to breed rampant corruption, incompetence, cowardice and hypocrisy in the society, is a prerequisite for the success of any political reform agenda.

So I appeal all of our reform activists to push all other ills (mostly secondary symptoms) to back burner to allow concentration of all our resources to address this most vital ill – Character-crisis - and rectification of the flaw that produces it: ‘Negation of Inner-party Democrcy’ in the internal function of our political parties.

I compare a vibrant democracy with a multi-storied pyramid, with two doors of contrasting characters on each floor: ‘One door periodically attracts and filters-in the most competent ones to administer it, while second door purge any one seen not so competent during their limited tenure there’. Hence the ‘better’ keep rising while even the ‘good’ fall on the wayside. This ensures that each layer is periodically rejuvenated with new blood and the apex layer of the pyramid, seat of the highest authority (be it a political party or a government at any level), is always occupied by the most competent among the aspirants for such post. Unfortunately those doors are malfunctioning in our Democracy – tainted opportunistic sycophants and lackeys are pushed-up by the vested caucuses in the concerned parties and persons exhibiting grain of competence/integrity is purged.

Such malfunction is caused by the negation of ‘Inner-party democracy’: the rejuvenating force of democracy itself; and its substitution with ‘Consensus/party-panel/nomination’, all of them anti-democratic perversions, to expropriate positions of political power between the reigning caucuses themselves and their kin and to dole out the crumbs to their lackeys.

Inner-party competition and elections should have attracted and promoted competence and integrity and purged incompetence; its substitution with consensus is promoting nepotism, lackey-ism and incompetence only and repulsing integrity and competence; thus causing character-crisis in political leadership aggravating all other ills of our society.

My priority is to expose this flaw – the pseudo-ness of our democracy and to make practice of inner party democracy mandatory and transparent in all political parties participating in our democratic process to induct competent persons of integrity and character into leadership of all political parties. I had undertaken 3 days Hunger strike (19th, 20th & 21st of May 2010) demanding inner-party elections in Indian National Congress Party, it being the party with widest reach in Indian politics.

I appeal active participation/partnership of all reform activists - patriots, concerned by the degradation of our political system in general and the quality of political leadership in particular - to achieve our cherished common dream: ‘A Great India’ with competent and comparatively virtuous leadership.

With regards
Sudhakaran Cheravattail, (Managing trustee – Great India trust)
Pullout, pin – 680663.

Internal democracy in political parties

Internal democracy in political parties 

Courtesy: Institute of democracy and electoral assistance. 

The internal democracy work is aimed at developing more democratic, transparent and effective political parties. The aim is to identify specific challenges for the internal management and functioning of parties and party systems. 

Areas of specific focus include candidate selection, leadership selection, policy making, membership relations, gender, minorities, youth and party funding. These issues are considered within the wider development context: for example the relationship to governance issues, anti-corruption and service delivery. 

The internal democracy work seeks to develop comparative knowledge via policy papers in the key regions of the Asia Pacific, Africa and the Middle East and Latin America, with pilot activities in Nepal in 2007.

Using draft policy papers as an entry point, International IDEA carries out dialogue sessions with political parties and others (party internationals, academics, etc.) on internal party reform. International IDEA’s work on internal democracy will feed into the development of capacity building training initiatives for political parties.

International IDEA engages with other organizations involved in democracy building on the internal functioning and management of political parties. Thus far it has worked with Demo Finland and the Netherlands Institute for Multi Party Democracy in this field.

International IDEA press conference on internal democracy workshop in Sudan, June 2007

Policy paper dialgoue with public intellectuals, Khatmandu, Nepal, May 2007

Regulate political parties

• Articles

Regulate political parties - By Ramesh Ramanathan
Last week's National Anthem fracas saw Narayana Murthy getting roasted by members of the Karnataka State Assembly. While the media hype lasted for two days, what will linger is the subliminal irony of the incident. One of India 's great institution builders got taken to the cleaners by politicians who couldn't spell institution-building if their lives depended on it.

Political parties are the essence of a democracy. They channelise the competing hopes and aspirations of people into a collective, constructive energy for change. Elections are fought and won mainly by political parties – independent candidates are no more than comic relief in these democratic dramas. Most importantly, through these electoral processes, parties have access to the entire human and financial resources of government. Even when they are not in power, political parties influence and set public policy. Samuel Huntington stated that strong parties are “the prerequisite for political stability in modernizing countries”.

India has many outstanding political leaders who have invested their lives in tackling the nation's social and economic challenges. But are political parties only agglomerations of individuals, or should they meet a higher bar of being institutions? Leaders and institutions have a symbiotic relationship: they need each other.
A political party mobilises people, promises them representation, and aspires to to deliver its vision for society by accessing political power. The external work of a political party – complex social processes – needs to be supported by the internal rhythm of an institution – strong business processes. Institutional systems ensure the predictability, fairness and equity that parties need to successfully manage their various stakeholders . Indeed, they cannot practise democracy in the public arena if they don't practise it within their own parties.

How do Indian political parties rate as institutions? In a word, abysmally. No political party in India files audited financial statements. No data on size of membership is publicly available. No transparent rules for candidate selection are defined. No decisions are decentralised. No clear guidelines for the development of policy positions are outlined. In sum, these are institutions only in word, not deed. Each political apparatus twirls on the whims and fancies of individual leaders.

Why don't our political leaders build their parties? After all, this isn't rocket science, it's basic organisational development. Business leaders constantly ponder, “How do we sustain our success, strengthen the institutional fabric, nurture talent and remain relevant to our constituencies?” It can't be that our political leaders don't worry about the same issues.

Part of the answer is that India 's current political culture doesn't incentivise institution-building. It isn't possible to come clean on finances when illegal funds are sloshing through the system. Personality cults are easier to establish than organisational discipline. Fragmentation and identity politics still allow the tail to wag the dog, however small a particular vote base.

If political parties are unwilling to build robust institutions themselves, this discipline must be forced upon them. If a company wanted an exchange listing, it would have to satisfy SEBI's conditions – registration under the Company's Act, quarterly audited financial statements, disclosure about the Board of Directors, etc.

In sharp contrast, the regulatory environment for political parties is laughable. Other than Article 19 of the Constitution which affords the right to form associations, there are no regulations for political parties. Our illiteracy has created some back-door regulation. The Election Symbols Order, 1968 allows the Election Commission to declare a political party as a “state party” and allot a symbol if it fulfils certain conditions of longevity and electoral success. Any party satisfying these conditions in four or more states is recognized as a “national party”. We have 7 national parties and 48 state parties in India today. In this distorted political marketplace, we have handed over the keys of our public institutions to this ossified oligopoly.

We urgently need a muscular regulatory environment for political parties. The Election Commission of India needs to be given more teeth. The National Commission to review the working of the Constitution (NCRWC) strongly recommended regulation of political parties. It stated, “There should be comprehensive legislation [the Political Parties (Registration and Regulation) Act], regulating the registration and functioning of political parties in India .” Among other things, this proposed law would require party accounts to be audited, and open conventions to make leadership selection more “open, democratic and federal”. This 5-year old proposal gathers dust.

Amartya Sen said, “Countries should not become fit for democracy, but become fit through democracy.” Political parties are at the heart of this. All change is path dependent – we cannot change where we are, only where we are headed. One key step in this direction is for us to start thinking of political parties as institutions, and demand organisational accountability from them. Maybe they could take some tips from Murthy.

_______________________________________________________________________
The author is Co-Founder of Janaagraha.

Inner party democracy -letter Shashi Tharoor

Here is reproduction of a letter i sent to Sasi Tharoor.
I think his declared intentions of trying to ,change political culture, is
sincere.
but the overenthusiasm... and his unfamiliarity with the vicious dynamics of the
opportunistic indian politics... failled him..
So I thought ot seek his partnership... to catch him before he is baptized in
the qugmire of corruption...
i request all our members, hwo can, print out this letter and send a copy with
necessary changes to suit you.
Address: Sasi Tharoor (Congress MP and ex-Minister., 97/Lodhi Estate, New Delhi
- 110003
--------------------------------------------

21-4-2010
Dear Mr. Sasi Tharoor,
I have been wishing to communicate with you since your entry in to Congress
party … and started to write in those days itself… then postponed to read `mid
night to millennium and beyond' … and I got & read it up to 219 Pages …I am
not considering it just as a recording of history and comment by any author… but
as the views of a reform activist…. as you sacrificed well paid and well
positioned job and entered politics hoping to change the (undesired) political
culture… "I would love to change that culture, but I can't as an individual…"
2-3-201, CNN-IBN
The book is a treasure of information, but the analysis... `Criticism
unaccompanied by clear and workable prescription…' (p- 211): I had been telling
our intelligentsia to desist form such useless exercise. Have you prescribed, or
even identified the flaws in our political system? I did not notice any in your
book or deeds.

Immediate provocation to speed up posting of this letter is your exit from the
Ministry. In short: I fully appreciate your intention to serve `Mother India' by
trying to change the undesired political culture. I myself sacrificed my
not-so-bad position, with Government of Fujairah, UAE, in 2003 (sure it does not
worth mention… compared to yours) with the same intention. I have sorted out
symptoms and causes and written a book `Great India: Indian Democracy – Problems
and Solutions', with deep diagnosis and clear workable prescription. Summary
given at www.greatindiatrust.org.

I have identified that the most debilitating curse of our political system is
the prevalence of the tainted opportunistic lackeys, and a near complete absence
of persons of competence, integrity and character - I call it `Character-crisis'
in political leadership – not limited to Congress but every party is afflicted.
Negation of the natural rejuvenating force of democracy – the `inner party
democracy' is the cause of this curse. That is summarized in my letters to AICC
president and Election Commission (copies attached).

The book deals with two more grave flaws of our system… both part of genetic
flaws of Westminster parliamentary system. But I leave them for a later stage,
because the reigning leaderships (in all parties) are not competent enough to
appreciate such things. So I am, I appeal you too to be, mono-focused in
restoration of `Inner-party democracy' to bring in competent men of integrity
and character into the leadership and to purge the not-so-competent, to be
vigilant against expropriation of party positions.

A part of my book:
`I would compare a vibrant democracy with a multi-layered pyramid with two doors
on each layer, each with opposite characters. Grass root institutions at lowest
layer and the apex of the pyramid being the seat of its Chief executive – a
party chief or CM/PM/President.
One of the door at each layer continuously attracts and filters-in the most
competent ones from the preceding layer, and the other door continuously purge
any one seen not-so-competent to be promoted to the next layer during their
limited period in the concerned layer. So "only the `better' keep rising while
even the `good' fall on the wayside". This increases probability of most
competent among the aspirants only reaching apex of the entity; and of each
layer get perpetually rejuvenated with most competent.

Unfortunately those doors in Indian Democracy are tampered to reverse their
function: Attracting and filtering-in the tainted opportunistic sycophantic
lackeys only and purging any one exhibiting a grain of competence, integrity and
independence during their time at the concerned layer.

My endeavor is to expose the cause of this flaw/malfunction and rectify it. I
appeal for dedicated effort from all concerned patriots to partner in this
effort and do whatever they can at their level to realize our cherished common
dream `A Great India'.
I regret to say that, I feel, you jumped in or got hoisted to by… to high
political power before understanding the dynamics of the vicious quagmire of the
degraded Indian political system, operated by tainted opportunistic
manipulators. If they feel anybody entered in is not of their ilk and can not be
peptized in the quagmire of corruption and lackey-ism, they would discredit and
purge such persons… They are playing it at you…
So get baptized or come out before more damage is done.
After all, your intention is not serving Sonia. But is to serve Mother India…
And Congress party is a platform for such service. Is not it?
A strong India led by 2 or 3 strong political parties, is my dream. But
nominations and consensus is weakening Congress (other parties too) and India
too, with perpetually degenerating leadership. So I joined Congress to reform it
to strengthen India.

Let us together with many such patriots strive to bring in a better political
culture. I have the diagnosis and remedies. Request a fair hearing – I am not
used to tweets.

Sudhakaran, Cheravattail House, Tel 0480 2804452, email:
sudhakaranck@gmail.com, : http://groups.yahoo.com/group/OurGreatIndia

Artached copies of letter to 1- Election Commission
2- AICC & KPCC Presidents
3- Rahul Gandhi
4- ….

Selection of candidates and internal democracy in political parties in Latin America

Selection of candidates and internal democracy in political parties in Latin America

Because a political party’s electoral success and representativeness depend on its selection of candidates for public office, this is one of the most important decisions that a political group can make. The selection process itself reveals a great deal about parties’ internal dynamics and organizational strategies and has implications for party cohesion and the performance of the political system. The way in which candidates are chosen also signals the degree of participation and internal democracy that exist within parties.

Despite its importance, there has been little study of the candidate selection process in Latin America. This groundbreaking work is an effort to fill that gap, although the author notes that further study is needed to refine the relationships among the variables discussed.

The text is divided into four parts: 

• An analytical framework for classification to facilitate an understanding of the various mechanisms that parties use to select candidates.
•  Analysis of the various factors that can condition candidate selection and the use of these mechanisms. 
• Examination of the methods that 44 parties in 16 Latin American countries use to select their presidential candidates. 
• The degree of inclusion or centralization implied by these processes, which leads to a discussion of the level of internal democracy in the parties.

Research paper- Internal democracy in political parties a must

The dissolution of political parties: The problem of internal democracy

Yigal Mersel^** Researcher, Hauser Global Program, and Emile Noel Fellow at the Jean Monnet Center, New York University. I wish to thank the NYU School of Law and Professor Joseph Weiler, as well as the Fulbright Foundation, for their support of this research project. Email:ym445@nyu.edu


In recent years, various democracies have faced the problem of nondemocratic political parties. In response, some have adopted the practice of the party ban. The main focus in existing jurisprudence has been on the external activities of these parties. In determining whether a political party is nondemocratic, attention has centered on the party's goals and practices. This judicial practice, manifest in different European constitutional courts as well as the European Court of Human Rights, is problematic. It often ignores an essential element in political parties, namely, their internal structures. This paper argues that political parties must be democratic not only externally, in their goals, but also democratic internally, in their organizational practices. The very interdependence between political parties and democracies should promote the parties' adherence not only to democratic goals and activities but also to democratic internal structures. This paper further argues that such internal democracy must be mandatory, and that, in rare cases, there is valid justification for banning political parties that lack internal democracy.

Strong, responsive leadership for a Great India

Of late I have been thinking about this a lot, what’s the root cause of the Indian situation(corruption, injustice, anarchy, violation of human rights, etc.). Will removal/amendment(if at all that happens) of a couple of oppressive  laws like 498a, DV Act, etc., result in any tangible improvement in an average Indian's life?(won't there be other laws to misuse, as long as the authorities do not have a will to wipe out injustice and abuse of judicial process).

 Most us know the root cause intuitively, that its because of the lack of political will to change and set things right, we also know that this chaos is left unattended so that no ordinary citizen has the time or energy to question the "rulers". 

The other side of the coin is that we can progress at an amazing pace if we have Political persons who have the caliber and commitment to serve the nation. So now the question is how to promote these people with caliber and commitment?. 

One of the most important factors which can result in introduction and promotion of apt political leaders/reps is to make the selection of candidates(to State Assemblies or Parliament) linked to people's choice(we are talking about the selection of candidates itself, which presently is the job of higher Party leaders, and considerations are not capability to serve the nation, its anything but that(nepotism, mutual favours, money power, caste power, etc.))

Please access this website for more details in this line of thought: http://www.greatindiatrust.org

Please note that an action plan is thought of, and its best if introduced to the readers after they are convinced about what is the root cause of India's backward situation. 

Once  we agree on this point we can further discuss about the remedies/tools to bring about change(to promote a strong and apt leadership in politics) which will result in solutions to multifarious problems that presently engulfs India.

Those of you who are interested in knowing and discussing about this approach to our various problems in India, can join this newly formed yahoogroup: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/OurGreatIndia 

We all may be currently working for specific issues which Indian’s are facing, these issues are in fact actually symptoms of the Systemic-Rot, which we endeavor to change through "The Great India Movement".

Please do join: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/OurGreatIndia , also read about the basic ideas at: http://www.greatindiatrust.org/ .

Download the ebook - Great India..Indian Democracy: Problems and Solutions-> http://bit.ly/bmnTkY 

Mail: sudhakaranck@gmail.com

Phone: +91 9745821113, 0480 2804452, Kerala

Letter to Election Commission - Ensure inner party elections & democracy

Submitted to Election Commission of India by Sudhakaran, Chervattail House resident of Pullut Village of Kodungallure Municipality, of Thrissur Dt, Kerala State, and a primary member of Indian National Congress party.

Sub: Ensure ‘Inner Party democracy elections’ in Congress Party & Guard against Consensus - the undemocratic manipulations.

(This is further to my letter sent in June 2002 on the same subject)

Commission may please take note of the proposal for conducting organizational elections in the Congress party and the news emanating about efforts to manipulate the process by vested interests.

Group caucus in Congress party had been expropriating party positions between themselves and their lackeys by ‘Negating Inner-party Democratic elections’ – the vital rejuvenating force of democracy, and manipulating through undemocratic ‘Consensus’ route. Such expropriation has been causing character-crisis in party leadership hierarchy, catalyzing group-ism, splits and cancerous ‘proliferation of political parties.

Signals of conspiracy and manipulations by members/lackeys of such caucuses, to repeat the expropriation are emanating daily. Myself is witness to Thrissure DCC chief, on 9/4/2010 and a member of KPCC executive on 13/4/2010 extorting party members: “If the higher leadership considers that consensus is right for us… we should agree for that” … with warning that the those not falling in line with the leadership’s dictates would be noted, reported and dealt with…

Vested interests and dynasties entrenched in positions of power for decades at different strata of Congress party (other parties also), helped by these undemocratic manipulations, have denied us, those who refuse to be the lackey of the dynasty/caucus, our democratic right to dream of chance to contest to  higher echelons of political power in our party or Nation.     

Consensus and nominations are anti/un-democratic manipulations and a threat of democracy itself, which:

·        Deny basic democratic right of members to contest for positions in a party or as party candidate to elected positions in government.

·        Allow expropriation of positions of power in a party or government by party bosses/caucuses/dynasties and their lackeys.

·        Promote sycophancy, lackey-ism, nepotism, incompetence, cowardice, corruption, etc…, in political leadership.

·        Inhibits promotion of competence and integrity in leadership

·        Repulse & obstruct entry of competent persons of integrity and character in to the leadership hierarchy

·        Cause ‘Character-crisis in political leadership’ with stagnation in leadership with prevalence tainted lackeys in leadership hierarchy.

·        Such degraded leadership breeds corruption and being a wrong role model, cause moral decay of the masses, in manifestation of the proverb: ‘Yadha Raja Thadha Praja’.     

·        Promote dynastic tendencies by allowing vested interests to set-in..

·        Cause anger among sidelined aspirants, favoritism playing openly in appointments, which develop into enmity to group-ism and further to splits weakening the parties.

·         Such splits cause/aggravate another curse - the cancerous ‘proliferation of political parties’, threatening national integration.

Inner party competitions and elections are the natural rejuvenating force of democracy. We reasonably believe that facilitating unhindered practice of Inner party democracy is the only way to:

·        Attract and promote more competent to political leadership.

·        Allow evaluation of comparative competence and acceptability (among the voters/members of the relevant strata) of the aspirants, and election of persons with comparatively better competence to leadership hierarchy…

·        Purge the not-so-competent from the corridors of political power.

·        Chances of anger and enmity is avoided as every one is given equal opportunity to compete… hence the group-ism, presently a menace in all political parties and chances of splits would subside arresting further aggravation of ‘proliferation of political parties’.

Fair Play of ‘Inner party Democracy’ means:

1.     Minimum standards be formulated by the Commission on conduct of internal functions including organizational elections to political parties, as SEBI has done for Capital market.

2.     Parties not adhering to these guide lines should be barred from participating in election process at any level – Panchayat to Parliament.

3.     Membership campaign should be transparent, verifiable for ghost or dual membership, i.e. membership in two parties at the same period.

4.     All member registers should contain election ID or UID copies.

5.     Inner party elections should be monitored by the Commission.

6.     Elections to each stratum should be staggered by minimum of 30 days and 3 or 4 debating opportunities in conclaves of members of the concerned stratum be provided to the aspirants/candidates (especially to the newly entered ones from the lower strata) to get acquainted with, campaign among voters on one’s comparative strengths and opponents’ weaknesses.

For the sake of promoting and strengthening democracy, in the best patriotic interest and no other personal agenda or ambition, I myself am willing to contest to any position eligible, from booth level up to AICC President-ship if no one else is willing to contest. (Contrast with Obama’s of US. He had the freedom to dream and strive to achieve the dream: dream to contest for the Presidential candidacy of Democratic Party and to contest. No body denied him the chance to compete against Hillary Clinton, wife of a former President. That is the beauty & strength of true Democracy. Right to dream for the highest and freedom & equal opportunity to strive to achieve it)

Hence I request Election Commission of India, the guardian of Democracy, for the sake of protecting and promoting Democracy, and for the sake of strengthening India with a strong and competent political leadership, to do the needful to protect our right-to-aspire for the highest position in our party and Nation, and to contest and campaign for such positions to realize such dream;  … and to see that right is not denied with the hurdles of undemocratic manipulations by vested interests;… and to guarantee equal opportunity and level playing ground for anybody aspiring to contest to any position in a party.

Sudhakaran . C. K,

Cheravattail House, Narayanamangalam,

P.O. Pulloot, Pin – 680663,

Trichur Dt., Kerala.   

Tel: 0480 2804452.  Email: sudhakaranck@gmail.com

I too have a dream – A Great India

I too have a dream – A Great India

6-11-2008

Many experts, participating in debates on American/Obama election, had been saying some thing like:

‘This election proved that  ‘America is a great place of happening. An American, if competent enough, have the freedom to dream anything - even the highest office, irrespective his cast, creed and colour…  and have unrestricted right to contest and strive to achieve it’.

Contrast this with ours:

• Can an Indian afford such a dream in the present political set up?
• Do we stand a chance of getting even a nomination of a political party as its candidate for elections to any elected office – even to a legislature or Panchayat council – if we are not close enough to, a kin or a lackey of, the reigning caucus of the concerned party at the concerned level??

·        Denial of a ticket by CPM to Achuthanandan (present CM of Kerala, is just one among many such cases allover India in almost all political arties.

·        Was not the Prime Minister-ship of Dr. Manmohan Sing a gift from Sonia Gandhi? 

Such manipulations have been accepted as norm, rather than an aberration, in our political system.

Is not this lackey-ism a humiliation, a curse, for a Democracy?

Or can it at all be called a Democracy? …

More than a democracy… it is a democratic perversion/farce.

Here we flaunt extravagantly all the paraphernalia of a democracy, but with out its soul.

• Do we get a chance to evaluate and elect head of our governments at any level… national … down to the Panchayat??
• Can we ever expect leaders of such stature emerge from our political parties with the present genre of leadership and nominations/consensus being the norm??    

Would you not like to see leaders with such competence and stature emerge (get elected) to lead our nation??

American political system, with most competent and patriotic leaders as role models, motivates Americans to cast away their racial differences and to integrate themselves as more Americans than as black, whites or any other racial lines.

What is the case with Indian political system?? … We Indians are disintegrating more and more in religious/casty/sub-casty, regional/sub-regional/linguistic lines… and on any other fissures/nuances we can find… our politicians, even some pretentious socio-political reformers, are busy driving wedges between our inherent fissures and diversities to build their vote banks or cheap applauds ….

   

No use of blaming them. There is a flaw in our political system which compels/incentivise them to do so. Even if I myself am in politics, with the present system I can not avoid succumbing to those compulsions if I am to survive and prosper in the present Indian politics.

We are heading in the disintegrative path with ever increasing acceleration.

If we have to escape from this trap we have to rectify that flaw. Or we are doomed to disintegration.

I too have a dream… as Martin Loother King had for America…

…. a ‘Great India’ for our future generations to live in peace and prosperity.

I know the impediments in realizing this dream and the means and ways to rectify them… 

We, those who cherish a ‘Great India’ dream, have to stop squabbling on the petty matters and come together and work selflessly to remove those impediments and create conducive condition to happen a ‘Great India’.

With regards

Sudhakaran, Great India Trust.