19/11/10

listen

listen to a lobbyist talk casually, protectively about how 'She has to follow what she’s father says, no' (sic). that's how close she's to 'kani'. listen to a journalist promise a lobbyist that 'they promised me that Azad will speak to her'.

thanks harini, for posting all those transcripts and tapes.that's how power is done in delhi, that's how the all-knowing, most wise, all powerful 'high command' congressmen in a.p., keep talking about like they were talking of god's baap listens to the troubles of the aam aadmi through its network of naradas in the media and 'civil society' and niras in business and industry. and that's how kcr and other separatist politicians have to reach delhi. grovel before the right narada or nira. so they in turn would have 'long chats' with 'ghulams' or 'patels' and implore the 'high command' to listen to the 'democratic' demands of the people of telangana.

listen to them dishing out high offices now, listen to them carving up or not carving up the people tomorrow, as casually.
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11 comments:

SS said...

k:
Couldn't agree more.

One realization that hopefully has dawned on everyone in this State is the complete absence (obliteration?) of a strong State leadership that brooks no interference from the Centre, unlike say Tamil Nadu, Kerala, or Bihar. Even the sole exception NTR was not immune to the seduction of 'going national', was he (the National Front?)

8:48 am
Anonymous said...

Kufr,
Do you now see that it is not SC vs BC after all?
Do you see what happens when governments amass power to dispense favors?
Do you now see what is the moral standing of proselytizers in the media?
Do you remember how NDTV and Times Now suddenly changed the debate in the midst of 26/11 to divert attention from failure of Congress Govt at center to prevent/counter terror attacks on India?
Did you not notice how CNN IBN went back on its promise to telecast the sting op regarding notes for votes in the parliamentary vote on nuclear deal?
If we don't notice these things in the media, we are illiterate

6:11 pm
kuffir said...

ss,

hmm. what i've always been talking about is the redefining of roles of the centre, states: the centre still controls a large part of the economy. especially the part which actually drives growth-- industry and services.. how investments are distributed or directed in those sectors, among and to different states is still mostly a function of politics in the centre. that's why the dmk keeps demanding telecom, it, and infrastructure portfolios, and the ncp aviation etc to have control over areas where they see growth.

it's my view that the states need more autonomy to control their economic roadmap-- that is the only democratic way.

'Even the sole exception NTR was not immune to the seduction of 'going national', was he (the National Front?)'

the kammas were a shudra community trying to claim their own place among the national elite, given their ascendence in agriculture, industry and education and their need to consolidate their position among the regional elite.. their tactics followed the traditions set by other shudra communities, in similar positions in the caste hierarchy, in tamil nadu, u.p., maharashtra etc.. all such movements have started out by questioning the dominant brahminical idea of the indian nation, and then slowly are co-opted into that dominant discourse as their place among the 'national' elite becomes more secure. witness the dravidian parties who can go along with either 'national' (read: brahminical) party at any given decisive moment these days.

but that doesn't make the cause of opposing the brahminical idea of the indian 'nation' with still older, non-brahminical identies like the telugu identity any less sound, given the always urgent need to inject the still-forming idea of india with a greater sense of plurality.. it is these non-brahminical identities which are always the biggest challenge to total hinduisation of india.

anon,

thanks for the comment. sad that not everyone is endowed with your kind of rich imagination.

2:05 am
Kiran said...

Kufr

Is that why you think congress high command and BJP support or take a soft stand on telangana whereas they take a ruthless stand on Kashmir and NE ? To weaken AP and make "India" stronger

5:59 am
Sridhar said...

Kuffir,

"that's why the dmk keeps demanding telecom, it, and infrastructure portfolios, and the ncp aviation etc to have control over areas where they see growth."

Isn't it that there is more money in these growth sectors that the parties and its leaders can benefit by selling permits or buying shares?

"it's my view that the states need more autonomy to control their economic roadmap-- that is the only democratic way."

Does the proposal also mean that states collect all the taxes themselves and keep most of it? Would you also suggest that states be exempt from the oversight of institutions like CAG, CBI, and Supreme court so that they can fully exercise their automony.

11:29 am
Anonymous said...

The only one that needs autonomy is MAN (no gender bias). Not center or state.
If you put in the pocket of state what you have been paying in taxes to the center, we will have more dhanayagnams, more indiramma houses. By the same logic, districts should have more autonomy, then Mandal....finally Man. So, no taxes, except what is needed for security etc.
Unless we reach that logical conclusion, all other efforts will only change the looter, not the loot.

10:04 pm
Anonymous said...

k:

Thanks for that. You seem to read 'autonomy' largely in terms of economics. Not that I disagree, but isn't autonomy needed for other reasons as well, such as choosing a leader, making decisions about the day-to-day running of the State (like the current SI exam fiasco). Why do some states (even other Congress-ruled ones)seem to have more bargaining power over the Centre than AP? (Curiously enough, does the TRS have some such hold?)

I agree with what you say about NTR representing the Kamma aspiration for upward-mobility, but then isn't there some difference between Tamil regional parties and the TDP? How do they manage to have more arm-twisting powers over the Centre than even the AP Congress?
Why does AP not see the importance of such sectors as telecom or aviation?

I wonder if there's a lot more that goes into centre-state dynamics than economic control. Some cultural factors perhaps related to the degree of importance attached to regional identity?

(Prolly both my comments are off-topic, but am responding largely to what you said about 'reaching delhi and grovelling'.)

11:51 pm
kuffir said...

kiran,

'To weaken AP and make "India" stronger'

crudely put, yes. to make the hindu idea of india stronger, yes.

i'd also pointed out in one of my earlier posts how jharkhand and chhattisgarh, though the demands were older than independent india and basically adivasi demands, were announced only after the adivasis were reduced to a manageable minority in both regions.

2:44 am
kuffir said...

sridhar,

'Isn't it that there is more money in these growth sectors that the parties and its leaders can benefit by selling permits or buying shares?'

money is made from all positions of power-- yes, more from some sectors and less from others- if you wish to look at it through that lens. but there's also the question of consolidating power, your hold in your region.

'Does the proposal also mean that states collect all the taxes themselves and keep most of it? Would you also suggest that states be exempt from the oversight of institutions like CAG, CBI, and Supreme court so that they can fully exercise their automony.'

more than a proposal, it is about strengthening democracy,in general. which means a bigger share of revenues for the states, yes. and also expanding the justice system in the states.

anon @ 1004 pm:

thanks for your comment.

anon @ 11.51 pm:

no, i don't see your questions as off-topic. i don't see culture as divorced from the economic aspects of life.

'.. but then isn't there some difference between Tamil regional parties and the TDP? How do they manage to have more arm-twisting powers over the Centre than even the AP Congress?
Why does AP not see the importance of such sectors as telecom or aviation?'

i don't think some states having more arm-twisting power-- just that different regions have different socio-economic strengths, weaknesses. t.n., has higher rates of literacy, is much more urbanized etc.. there is also the history of earlier industrialization and introduction of modern government institutions. there are relatively larger number of people looking for urban jobs in t.n.. that makes politics in t.n different from those in a.p.,, i think.

those are my early thoughts. interesting questions.

7:33 pm
SS said...

kuffir:
Sorry, that anon @ 11.51 pm comment was mine; after I posted the comment I noticed that I'd logged in as anonymous; mistake.

Socio-economic differences...hmmm. Do you know of any good social history of AP in Telugu? Recent?

10:59 pm
kuffir said...

ss,

can't think of any right now..

12:38 am

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