Level Playing Fields

 Level Playing Fields 

In a democracy, elections are a pivotal point in the life of an aspiring politician. Her social, political and even economic standing depends on the outcome of the election. Therefore, the 'animal spirits' of the political humans are in full roar. 

 

*"Model code of conduct" (a 312-page document for GE 2019, and 215 pages for GE 2024) and massive policing ‘bandobast’ and spends end up catching some 'freebies' and/or a slap on the wrist of erring politicos (friendly?). The punishment for a similar misbehaviour is wildly different depending on the stature and level of the offender. 

And many wide-eyed accounts of soaring election expenses by Candidates (in tens of Crores), by Political Parties (in thousands of Crores) and by Government and non-state actors (in hundreds of Crores) appear in the public domain: The Election commission in its wisdom tries to ensure a ‘level playing field’ by allowing an election expense of ₹95 Lakh per candidate for Lok Sabha and ₹40 Lakh for Vidhan Sabha. A small change!  

*And the cries for “level playing field’ become strident and shrill.

Recently, another element has been added this ‘cauldron’ viz. “loss of governance time’: A ‘High Level Committee’ of “High-Level Personages’ has been constituted to work on this oxymoron.  

 

*Shakespeare opined that “all the world’s a stage, and all the wo/men are but actors”. The Contestants in every ‘competitive’ human activity- sports, business, politics and all else, require a ‘level playing field’ for effective and beneficial ‘play’ of their capabilities.    

Most ‘stages’ in human affairs are naturally uneven; but the ‘wo/men in power’ are wont to design ‘rules’ that tilt the fields in their favour and dig holes to handicap the ‘others’.

 

*The Election Processes need an urgent reset ensuring that ‘We the People’ are enabled to elect a candidate worthy of our trust.  

Factory Reset 1.0: The Election Commission should first call for nominations to be completed by a given date. 

Reset 1.1: The EC after scrutiny and approval of nomination must announce the list of candidates for each of the constituencies, by day 30.

Reset 1.2 “We the People” will be duly informed the list of Candidates who are vying to win our trust, and their declared credentials, thru the local media. 

Reset 1.3: The district administration will organise 'Election Townhall' to educate the electorate. 

Reset 1.4: Panchayats will ensure that ~1,200 households under its jurisdiction (average for India) are well documented, enabling them to vote. 

  

Factory Reset 2.0:  On the 31st Day all nominated persons will be declared and addressed as "Candidate"; and all must resign their positions of power and profit.    

Reset 2.1: The President's Rule will be imposed and the Government will function with a council of Secretaries under leadership of the Cabinet Secretary. 

Reset 2.2: On the 31^st days the Election Schedule will be announced. 

 

Factory Reset 3.0:  The Candidates must return to their constituencies and must campaign only in her constituency and nowhere else, for next 30 days. 

Reset 3.1: Candidates may canvass and speak to their electorate from a common and same platform, as practiced in Mizoram. (Mizoram tops the “happiness index’ charts in India)

Reset 3:1 The ECI will schedule the voting and result days appropriately.

  

*The Book "Factory Reset of Governance Rules" -Democracy FOR the People, which is a 'business plan' for Good Governance, lays out resets to ensure that a candidate may hope to win the election by spending less than ₹ One Crore. 

And, the cost to the "Bhartiya Lok Nidhi" - the Consolidated Fund of India will be almost NIL. 

 

*The Economy may gainfully utilise additional ₹60K Crores to ₹70K Crores for uses that economically strengthen the Republic: Enabling it to move many citizens to economic security.

*More importantly, our ‘unshackled’ People’s Representatives will operate with adequate ‘degrees of freedom’ to discharge their compact with her constituents and her constitutional responsibilities: Enabling Bharat to take firm strides towards a “Khushhaal Bharat”.     

We Cousins Across Borders

 Anwar Maqsood, despaired at the economic social and political degradation of his country, Pakistan, in this interview with rafter.tv, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JNQ_-6uV44

*Coming from a usually sunny personality; a Rishi, these observations were deeply disturbing. His ardent wish for a saviour in a “good mullah” or a “good general” has an uncanny resonance with Dr Ambedkar’ who cautioned that “good wo/men’ operate the Constitution.   

 

*Rishi Anwar Jalalpuri of Lucknow rightly argued that Vedic literatures underpinning the subcontinental culture and civilisation were composed eons before the advent of currently dominant religions. Though our civilisational DNA is same we, India and Pakistan took divergent paths to creating democratic republics that work FOR the People (supposedly).    

*Pakistan took on the formidable but core challenge of reconciling ‘religious and democratic values to develop institutions of the State. Pakistan took 26 years to craft a Constitution: In 1973, post the cathartic separation of the East.  

We Indians, got lucky in that for the first 20 years after 1947 our ‘good’ leadership was able to establish and strengthen democratic institutions lay the foundations for economic growth.

*While researching for the source of Janab Maqsood’ despondence, it came to the fore that the Hindu businessmen of the East eagerly pushed for partition of Bengal, while their Muslim counterparts did that in the West. Kindly recall that only propertied and monied classes could vote (about 3% of the population) and they drove (funded) the politicians as usual (the world over).  

*The Pakistani politicians rowed hard towards Middle-East to craft new Pakistani identities that are far removed from the subcontinental ethos; with little success. The continuously pumped-up war hysteria is another such effort (to my mind).   

 

*We, Vanprasthi’s have a panoramic view of life as experienced, and know that one man’ patriot is the opposing party’ terrorist. The Big Wo/Men ruled for 12000 years: it is only 225 years that democracies were forced upon them: They now masquerade as democrats.

*The real push back will come from the educated masses, that have grown from 17% in 1947 to about 70% in three nations (there is evidence of slide back in Pakistan). The West achieved this level in 1750’s, a good 275 years ago. 

 

*Maqsood Saheb’ eyes lit up while discussing Jaun Elia and his normal witty personality came alive.  Allow me to attempt a smile from Maqsood Bhai: “Pakistanis got religion as a “Jhtaka’ in 1947, we in India are getting it as “Halal” now. (Pun intended!) 

You may enjoy the mind- expanding (or bending) by reading my book.  

A Pleasant Journey Thru (ONLY) Life

 A Pleasant Journey of Life

Any society must move along the scale of Jungle (0) to Civilized (10), the “Matsya Nyaya”, for it to rise up on the "happiness Index": At say 7+ most Individuals may thrive and live out a “pleasant journey of life”.  

*In the modern world all persons are 'equal rights' fellow citizens, implying ‘rights’ to a ‘pleasant life’ – a life of "dignity' as a ‘person of worth'. The idea has been variously articulated ‘no one left behind” Or welfare of ‘last man standing’, ‘Antodaya” etc. over last 200 years.  

*It is well understood that “economic wellbeing” is the necessary, though not sufficient condition for living such a journey of life: The ONLY Life.

 

*There are two groups – the unskilled workers and farmers, who have very low bargaining power; also called ‘pricing power’ who must therefore be supported.

 

*The Lowest unit of administration decides and declares minimum wages, say quarterly for ‘unskilled worker’ – a mason helper, a housemaid, a farm picker, that must at least be “Consumption Needs of a Household +30%, the savings rate.".

*The same lowest unit of administration will, every month, declare a price for “All Farm Outputs” and “primary goods” that is at least 50% of the price a housewife/buyer pays in the nearest town.

 

*These two measures will ensure that Billions can live out a ‘pleasant journey thru life”. All other economic measures (so far) effect people in millions. And most jurisdictions will experience a steep rise on “Happiness Index’ say by 2034.

 

*Detailed computations in support are set out in my book “Factory Resets of Governance Rules”. The Governance Structures, Systems and processes have been “Reset’ with strong incentive structures such that the Wo/men, who steer our governments work FOR the People. 

Factory Resets - Economic Management

 

Inflation Control – Factory Resets For

*The complex data thickets used to control “Inflation” keep many of our brightest minds busy with breathtakingly nuanced discussions. The top-down’ fixing of MSP, subsidies and basic incomes, loan waivers schemes and farmer suicides keep many in the administrations, elected and selected, ‘rishi’, ‘maharishi’ and ‘buddhi jeevi’ concerned, exercised and agitated.  

*The net result of all these ‘boiling the oceans’ is that the Rural communities, that supply “Foods & beverages” and other primary goods continue to suffer an adverse term of trade of 1:2 (arguably) for ever. 

*The devise of “Cost plus ‘formulae’ end up supporting minuscule amount of Agri Produce, in items and quantity, leaving the rural populations- two thirds of India gasping under the chokehold of market forces’ as ever; forcing the ‘majority’ of Indian People into a life of ‘penury’ and ‘indignity”.

 *Any good business must play the market to its advantage. The Farming communities just don’t have adequate economic muscle, i.e. the ‘pricing power’. So, it must be supported for our own good. Allow me lay out a few “Factory Resets’ for “Thought Scape’ that feed inflation control.

 *The Local admin of Taluka/ District +FPOs, decides and declares, every month, "Kurien Price" for all upcoming produce; that is 50% (at least) of the price that a housewife pays or it sells for in the Taluka/ District town. Now we have 6000+ outfits deciding prices, that leave a very adequate markup (~100%) for the logistics chain.    

*Farmer brings the crop /produce to Mandi. It gets graded, sorted, bagged and stored.

*The Mandis, FCI and all others warehouses accept and issue Warehouse Receipts", possibly co-issued by a local Bank/post office.   

*Farmer can release her produce to sell as s/he needs money. The wholesale buyers and the govt pays for its needs. Alt, the Banks/PO can lend to the buyer (better collaterals) and even to the Farmer if s/he decided to ‘wait’ by discounting her WRs (full collateral).

*All pressure on CFI (Bhartiya Lok Nidhi) and FCI etc is lifted. The logistics chain is forced to become efficient. Now the farmer is truly a 'business man' whose prices get linked to market prices, allowing her to manage her cropping decisions.

*That's how Varghese Kurien grew our Milk Industry that became the world' largest, by 1995. It is well documented.

 *With the local admin and banks providing real support at the grass roots, the Agricultural economy 'rebalances': It will have surpluses, to set up value adding industries locally and to weather bad times.

*This ‘system’ can be effectively worked by the crème de le crème of our society, “elected and selected” who man the Administration: FOR the People.  

 

Another set of People who have ‘no pricing power’ is the “suppliers of their labour’.

*It is estimated that 80% of those employed DO NOT have an appointment letter- the foci of all the kerfuffle or folderol about voluminous labour laws!  

*The Local admin of Taluka/ District, decides and declares minimum wages, every month, for ‘unskilled worker’ – a khalasi, a housemaid that must at least be “Consumption Needs of a Household +30%, the savings rate.". The local units of outfits like CACP will have work cut out for them here.   

*These Taluka minimum wages, called “Lokhande Wage” to honour Pandit Narayan Meghji Lokhande, the 19^th century father of trade union movement in India set out by 6000+ outfits will be adequate, enabling a young worker to live with her household as a “person of worth”. There would then be surpluses with the households, to support ‘capacity building’ of next generation.

 

*The Kurien Prices and Lokhande Wages are unlikely to ‘harm economy as empirically demonstrated by the 2021 Nobel Prize winner David Card. The manufactured products would certainly experience a swell of demand from the bottom of the pyramid.   

 *A stable fiscal foundation so created will help reduce subsidies and ‘freebies’ over time and rebalance economy, where Monetary Policies can be meaningfully applied, i.e. “inflation control”.  

*These two ‘first principle’ measures are foundational to achieving “Antodaya’, as envisioned by Mahatma Gandhi: And the Constitutional values of our Republic.  

 

*The ‘largest’ economy tag (concern of a few millions) may elude us but our steep rise on “Happiness Index’ (adding a 1000+ million to happy list), would be the envy of the world- by 2034.

*Detailed computations in support are set out in my book “Factory Resets of Governance Rules”. The Governance Structures, Systems and processes have been “Reset’ with strong incentive structures such that the Wo/men, who steer our Democracy, work FOR the People: Favour pleasantness of life’ journey over productivity and control.

Factory Resets of Governance Rules

My book "Factory Resets of Governance Rules" is now published.  

The foundational construct of the Book is "Democracy FOR the People": in my view that alone is the way to ensure a "Pleasant Journey of Life" for all persons.