Of all the moves made by the political parties so far in the run-up to this election, I am impressed by these: The two most maligned parties have made the top 2 most progressive moves: 1. Congress is giving 15% reservation to women. Yes, it could be more and a lot of the candidates are dynastic, but so what, it is a good start, especially when nobody else is doing it. Rahul Gandhi was mocked so much for repeating womens empowerment like a mantra in his interview but let us also give credit when he is acting on his promise (though not on others). 2. DMK has come out with a categorical stance against capital punishment in its election manifesto, probably the first mainstream party in India to do it. When the courts are fearing that the rage of the society will not be satisfied, it is a brave thing to do. The third most heartening aspect is the entry of resolute fighters like Medha Patkar and S.p. Udayakumaran, scholars like Rajmohan Gandhi and Yogendra Yadav, and upright journalists like ஞாநி சங்கரன் (Gnani Sankaran) into the electoral fray, thanks to AAP. I hope their voices will improve the quality of our political discourse, represent the unheard farmers and fishermen, and provide the much needed sustainable balance to our mad quest for growth.
Posted on: Fri, 14 Mar 2014 06:19:41 +0000