Shall we corporatise our polity? Can our MPs then learn corporate etiquette, now that they have arm-twisted the government into handing them fatter pay cheques?
The MPs are now officially and legally a well-paid lot. The Cabinet approval of a 300 per cent hike closely followed by another hike in the already revised constituency and office allowances to Rs 25,000 will now be denting the exchequer of over Rs150 crore. Their take home, or to use a corporate jargon, CTC, includes Rs 50,000 salary, daily allowance of Rs 2,000, constituency allowance of Rs 45,000 and office allowance of Rs 45,000. However, the bungalows in Lutyens Delhi or the free air and train travel are beyond the purview of the CTC.
The second increase in the constituency allowance was when a dissatisfied Laloo Prasad Yadav and Mulayam Singh Yadav clamoured for more. And in their quest for a pay hike, they stalled the proceedings in the Lok Sabha last week. Obviously, they felt the Cabinet must have followed the House panel’s recommendation of a five-fold hike to Rs 80,001. The ruling party had to keep in mind the stubborn price rise, hitting consumers. A large, blatant pay hike would not have gone down well among voters.
But let us try to look at the sunny side. We are suddenly thinking about spiraling prices when it comes to paying our MPs. We do not think twice about throwing obscene amount of money into the Commonwealth Games. Or the innumerable official `dos’ that eat into our coffers. Or the extensive use of official vehicles, in the name of security. Or the “official” frequent flier miles they gather. These are anyway the perks that come with power.
It is nice to argue that the pay hike might encourage young talent into politics. It might streamline the process of entry into politics, irrespective of the dynamics of dynasties and godfathers.
Second, it might try and teach a lesson or two on morality and ethics to our political leaders. A full stomach will never ask for more food. There is, however, a fundamental difference between food and money. You can stuff food and fall sick, but you can never stuff wads of notes and fall sick.
Probably, we can justify this hike by involving a few corporate mechanisms. There could be an annual, foolproof performance appraisal system for MPs. Then there could be a strong, apolitical vigilance system that could rap the MPs on their knuckles whenever their long arms dip their hands into dirty money. If the government is parting with a significant amount of the tax payers’ money, it better be responsible for the accounting.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Monday, August 9, 2010
Salaam Mamata!
Mamata Banerjee dared to keep her date with Lalgarh, and how. One of the most underdeveloped parts of West Bengal, covering Midnapur, Purulia and Bankura, yesterday rallied for a face of democracy.
Mamata swept Lalgarph off its feet by simply stepping on a terrain “left” virtually untouched for very long. She spoke the language of development and peace. She did not elaborate on both. But at least she rolled her dice in one of the most dangerous gambles, both political and personal. And, she has come out unscathed. She attracted members of the People Committee against Police Atrocities (PCPA), including activist, Medha Patkar, whose presence is a giant endorsement for her. The swelling crowd in the Marxist stronghold and Maoist hotbed, bitter with government apathy, was probably giving Mamata a chance.
The left is crying foul, of course. The party’s top leaders are resorting to puerile rhetoric, obviously fearing Mamata’s march into the hitherto Marxist stronghold. Calling her Trinamool Congress as Trinamool Maoist Congress, the CPM leader, Mr Sitaram Yechury, has alleged, “Mamata can go to Lalgarh without arms because Maoists are carrying the arms for her.” He said the rally would hamper the peace process in the area, and allow the Maoists to regroup. (source: The Times of India). Earlier, Prakash Karat had slammed Mamata Banerjee for her rally plans. Obviously, these meek voices of protest are natural for a party that fears losing its three-decade-old grip on Bengal soil.
The August 9 rally not only brought villagers from Punnapani, Bamal, Gohomidanga, Lakshmanpur and Jharnadange, but also from nearby towns like Haldia, Dispur, Garbeta, Ghatal, Midnapore and Tamluk. (source The Telegraph).
A neutral skeptic would easily see Mamata’s rally and rhetoric as a pre-election gimmick, and her desperate attempt to get rural Bengal divorce its Left affiliation, and fall for her hook, line and sinker. Mamata has played her political card like a shrewd poker player. She has used the Lalgarh unrest well to her political advantage to batter the already-bruised Left in Bengal.
But at the same time, Lalgarh had almost fallen off the map of Left Front’s governance. So the neglected people of Lalgarh were all the more interested in lapping up the attention of a Central government minister. They have nothing to lose anyway. Rallying behind Mamata would give them some positive mileage in the media, which has always painted them with a black brush. They have been seen as villains of peace and democracy by the home ministry and the elite holding forth drawing room discussions while tinkling champagne glasses. No wonder that the elite news media uses the derogatory expression for Maoist strongholds: they call them “Naxal-infested areas”. The media discusses them with disdain, without even caring to devote an inch of newsprint to the other side of the story where the rich are mining into the villagers’ right to livelihood, and displacing them in return.
It is high time to test the sincerity of politicians to assure the Maoists of their humane face.
Salaam Mamata! Whatever is her gameplan. At least, she has inadvertently gifted the Maoist struggle an element of credibility.
Mamata swept Lalgarph off its feet by simply stepping on a terrain “left” virtually untouched for very long. She spoke the language of development and peace. She did not elaborate on both. But at least she rolled her dice in one of the most dangerous gambles, both political and personal. And, she has come out unscathed. She attracted members of the People Committee against Police Atrocities (PCPA), including activist, Medha Patkar, whose presence is a giant endorsement for her. The swelling crowd in the Marxist stronghold and Maoist hotbed, bitter with government apathy, was probably giving Mamata a chance.
The left is crying foul, of course. The party’s top leaders are resorting to puerile rhetoric, obviously fearing Mamata’s march into the hitherto Marxist stronghold. Calling her Trinamool Congress as Trinamool Maoist Congress, the CPM leader, Mr Sitaram Yechury, has alleged, “Mamata can go to Lalgarh without arms because Maoists are carrying the arms for her.” He said the rally would hamper the peace process in the area, and allow the Maoists to regroup. (source: The Times of India). Earlier, Prakash Karat had slammed Mamata Banerjee for her rally plans. Obviously, these meek voices of protest are natural for a party that fears losing its three-decade-old grip on Bengal soil.
The August 9 rally not only brought villagers from Punnapani, Bamal, Gohomidanga, Lakshmanpur and Jharnadange, but also from nearby towns like Haldia, Dispur, Garbeta, Ghatal, Midnapore and Tamluk. (source The Telegraph).
A neutral skeptic would easily see Mamata’s rally and rhetoric as a pre-election gimmick, and her desperate attempt to get rural Bengal divorce its Left affiliation, and fall for her hook, line and sinker. Mamata has played her political card like a shrewd poker player. She has used the Lalgarh unrest well to her political advantage to batter the already-bruised Left in Bengal.
But at the same time, Lalgarh had almost fallen off the map of Left Front’s governance. So the neglected people of Lalgarh were all the more interested in lapping up the attention of a Central government minister. They have nothing to lose anyway. Rallying behind Mamata would give them some positive mileage in the media, which has always painted them with a black brush. They have been seen as villains of peace and democracy by the home ministry and the elite holding forth drawing room discussions while tinkling champagne glasses. No wonder that the elite news media uses the derogatory expression for Maoist strongholds: they call them “Naxal-infested areas”. The media discusses them with disdain, without even caring to devote an inch of newsprint to the other side of the story where the rich are mining into the villagers’ right to livelihood, and displacing them in return.
It is high time to test the sincerity of politicians to assure the Maoists of their humane face.
Salaam Mamata! Whatever is her gameplan. At least, she has inadvertently gifted the Maoist struggle an element of credibility.
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