left without a solution

The left parties have made obstruction of governance and policy making into something of a fine art. From international relations to domestic financial policies, seems beyond their ambit when it comes to expressing reservations and stalling progress.
There is an uncanny method in this apparent madness. Raise the stakes, make a loud noise placket your constituency - and then end it all with a whimper. In politics when cynical maneuver replaces reasoned strategy the results are stalled progress and gains ephemeral.
On two recent issues, the stand of the left parties has been appalling. On Iran the left opposed the Indian government even before the government had taken a stand. That they mellowed down - not after an explanation from the Indian government - but when China and Russia went with the vote - puts a question mark on where left loyalties truly stand.
In the more recent case of the striking airport employees, who by no starch of imagination can be described as laboring proletariat - the left’s stand has been akin to that of a street fighter out to browbeat with his brawn. The bluster is all the more galling given the pathetic record in efficiency and honesty of the airport staff.
On national television Sitaram Yechury, the articulate politburo member and MP, compared the strike with the Bofors scandal. He went as far as to draw parallel between the falls of the Rajiv Gandhi government with that of an impending fall awaiting the Manmohan Singh government on the airport issue. This is a patent absurdity. The airport strike is not a political issue f any consequence. The privatization deal has a lot to offer the airport staff including profit sharing and a sizable financial stake.
The worrying thing is that the left rhetoric is bound to get shriller still. With elections ahead in left ruled states of West Bengal and Kerela policy and programs - indeed governance itself - could be held hostage for perceived political mileage.
On its part, the congress is toughing its stand. The airport bids went ahead in the face of strident protests by the left. At the Hyderabad plenary, Sonia Gandhi made it clear that Congress will fight the state elections as a full alternative even as they remain partners at the center.The left would do well to heed a recent survey which predicated a shrinkage of their political space should snap polls be called at the current time. However as things stand, they seem to be in a happy position classic to a status where power is without responsibility.

hurriyat needs to get real

The meeting called by the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, to discuss Kashmir with the separatist elements looks to be a non starter. The Huriyat conference has decided that it will not participate in the meeting. This is a setback for those who think that the situation in Kashmir has changed enough for at least a dialogue to commence. Neither the hardliners, backed by Gillani, nor the moderates under the Mirwaiz, have come forward for the proposed talks.
The Prime Minister had offered a broad range within which talks could take place. These included discussion on some form of self governance for the state. Earlier they were allowed to travel to Pakistan to meet with that country’s leadership and make the atmosphere more amiable. By flatly refusing even to come forward for a dialogue the separatists are simply being obstinate.

In their zeal to exclude themselves from the political process, the Huriyat has come to be seen as a part of the problem rather than a solution to the Kashmir issue. For one thing, they are not the elected representatives. For another, they have not come out with any politically realistic proposal of their own for India to consider.
For the separatist not participating in talks this be bad strategy. They risk irrelevance and may be overplaying their hand. There is a change in the mood, as far as Kashmir is concerned. India has much more self assurance in dealing with the Kashmir issue - and this has given the leadership a greater room for maneuver in policy making. While terror attacks continue, some of them on prestige targets, the army has clearly an upper handover the terrorists in the valley. There is an elected government in place with a mandate to improve governance. This government is doing decent better job of managing the state. With tourists returning, the economic situation has not been better in the valley for over two decades.
In the aftermath of the earthquake India did a far better job of providing relief. By contrast, in occupied Kashmir the relief operations were tardy at best. There is some goodwill on the ground for the government today in the valley.
The separatists need to come up with a credible roadmap and demonstrated willingness to negotiate. There time may well be running out as peace returns and the economy picks up. Kashmiris have a stake in peace, to uphold peace and make it permanent, the least the Huriyat can do is to start talking.

soft power india

India's soft power
An economic growth rate of nearly eight per cent, a robust military infrastructure and the nuclear weapon capability have come together to define India’s search for security and status in the emerging world order. However, little attention is paid to a completely different set of sources that can be leveraged by India to consolidate its place in the global scheme of things. This influence becomes visible, from the capability to nurture and leverage, as, in the words of Harvard political scientist Joseph Nye, "soft power". Soft power has many sources. It is derived from the openness and attractiveness of the cultural aspects of a country that hold an abiding appeal to the international community. It encompasses the allure of its political system, the spiritual foundations on which the country has based its founding ideas and the robustness of its popular culture. On all three counts, India is almost uniquely placed. Our ability to manage such plurality and mind boggling differences within a widespread and deep rooted democratic polity is of interest to the world. This appeal is enhanced by the fact that India is in a tough neighborhood. India has on its periphery, a non-democratic, nuclear-armed Islamic republic in Pakistan, and a totalitarian regime in China that has a particularly nasty human rights record — not to mention a rabid Bangladesh and a despotic Nepal.
Democracy is the master weapon in India’s soft culture arsenal. This is not just a vague notion of goodness but a very real tool in international affairs and of interest to like-minded powerful democracies like the USA and Japan. To nurture this power, India has already taken a step by participating in the UN Democracy Fund with a large role for itself. This should help the world in finding alternatives to despotism and look at strengthening democratic institutions from around the world. The second consideration of soft power, is in the spiritual ideas that inform a nation’s history. India can, and indeed does, lead the world in this. From interest in Japan and China in Buddhism, to India’s historic role as a soft power in places as far as Indonesia—the country is well placed to leverage the spiritual advantage. With Germany, we have historic roots of language and culture, while with the UK there is the colonial connection—and with America, it’s democracy. The consumer dimension of this spiritual power should not be underestimated. Every time a future leader of the outside world comes to India as a backpacker, or a star like Madonna takes up yoga, this soft power permeates their inner space of a foreign constituency. Such bonding is all the more powerful given its voluntary nature.
The third leg of the soft power triad is the power of our popular culture. The fact that Indian movies are now screened in places as diverse as Afghanistan, Egypt and Leicester Square is proof of India’s appeal to the world. Indian movies are shown in scores of countries and have an estimated market of US$2 billion. The fact that Pakistan refuses to allow Indian movies, is proof of the fear that closed societies have of soft power. India must leverage this advantage with the systematic aim of deepening and enlarging this constituency in Pakistan. These are the opportunities, but what is the reality? On the world scene India has failed to really put soft power into practice. The vibrancy of such assets as Indian food in Britain or yoga in the USA has developed largely by default and by the initiatives of the private sector rather than by a concerted diplomatic effort. Institutions such as the ICCR have understood the need to go beyond our ancient traditions and move into the present day and age of popular culture, but they need to do more. India has the enormous advantage of a wide spread—and increasingly affluent—diaspora. With the exception of China, the country has the world’s largest non-resident community. The role of this group of 20 million people in spreading India and what it stands for, cannot be underestimated. With overseas people of Indian origin, the country has an embedded advantage.
In places like Mauritius their political presence is significant. In the United States and in Europe, Indians are affluent and slowly moving into the political arena. In the Arab world, the Indian diaspora is the only plurality on offer. The triad of soft power thus gets a leg up through this incredibly powerful overseas community. As India makes its play in the global empire of ideas, it is discovering that it has a very good hand. When played in synch with the country’s emerging economic might and military capability, soft power could be an ace in our pack. It is both a multi billion dollar marketing opportunity, and in the context of countries like Pakistan, is a diplomatic tool of increasing utility which will pay huge dividends in the future.