Politics of "Bans"-Musings -1

Bans are Slothful Governance  

Our political and social leaders continue to use Bans and Prohibitions even in the face of strong evidence of their ineffectiveness and in many cases bad and vicious outcomes.

Banning or prohibiting is politically and administratively easy; a stroke of pen literally, in response to pressure from any righteous group large enough to carry some political weight.

Our leaders are savvy politicians. The bans and prohibitions are useful and easy tools in the scramble for moral high ground, beneficial in electoral politics. And also help  to draw the attention away from their own failings and misdeeds.

 However, enforcing bans and prohibitions takes much administrative and managerial capacity and energy. The outcomes are questionable and we as a society keep lurching from one ban to the next without any succor.  

In addition many forces- largely the underground which is fundamentally inimical to the society are let loose. 

To confront and control ganglands evermore admin capacity and energy is expended. We generate a vicious cycle- a downward spiral. 

Clearly, bans and prohibitions don't work; at the minimum, do not achieve the stated objectives.

Is there a better way? Surely methods can be devised for better social and political and even economic ends.

We will have to analyze, understand and re-state the objectives sought to be achieved by of Bans and Prohibitions. 

DeMo - NaMo is Arjun

DeMo  - NaMo is Arjun   

I apologize. I thought NaMo was an Abhimanyu whose economic adventurism will take him into a Chakravyuh.  It turns out that NaMo is Arjun in the art and science of Politics. He could only see the "fish eye" of upcoming election to 5 state assemblies. And did he pierce the fish eye !

The promised data on the quantum of SBNs- the old notes, returned to Reserve Bank of India, well, is still reserved. The data denied is data made irrelevant. The data must be damaging to the Political Program and public persona of NaMo. It is very likely that even the fake notes got converted into crisp new currency.

But DeMo was excellent politics: Any one questioning the economic logic was branded a "Desh drohi" "kaale dhan wala" etc. And trolls -the attack dogs- were let loose on them.

The thumb-sucks of NaMo brand of "patriotism" and "nationalism" were doled out on hourly basis and  lapped up by the adoring common man, aam aadmi, mango man. A few lives lost, many lives destroyed economically are not even a blip on the rising graph of Indian population or middle class. 

 

And NaMo won handsomely, in UP and Delhi, and thru back door in Goa and Manipur, setting new water marks of ruthlessness in Indian Politics and Public life. (Substitute Indira with Modi and 'Madam' with Modiji)  

I was wrong. The Abhimanyu - NaMo- was entering a Chakravyuh, so I thought, while his eyes were steadfast on the "fish eye" of UP, ably supported by Amit Shah.   

 Hats -off  Modi Ji.