COMMUNICATION WITH SHASHI THAROOR

  Esteemed Mr. Shashi Tharoor,

Read your article in Tehelka 17 Dec.2011 on Presidential form of Govt. While I highly appreciate your strong arguments on the subject; wish to put across my opinion on the subject for your kind reference and contemplation at leisure.

1. Why go for an expensive surgery while we can manage with a few dosages of strong medicine?

2. The problems with the current model as you have rightly pointed out:

       a. Parliamentary paralysis- a few MP holding entire parliament to ransom

       b. Quality of lawmakers

       c. Politics at the cost of Policies

       d. Divisive Politics against Decisive Governance

       e. Too many political parties/lack of single party parliamentary majority

       f. Emergence of strong regional parties’ vis-à-vis Declining National Party

      g. Competitive Politics-little space for collaboration

3. In my opinion all the above problems can be easily dealt with within the current model if and when realization dawn on the two major political formation—how little have we achieved even after 64 years of Independence in terms of Human Development/ Economic progress. While China made 10 times of GDP in 28 yrs. (1978-2006) and other Asian countries progressed much faster. Our politicians are apparently, innocent about the butter in their bread; and, not very sure if they wish to be ruler of a rich & prosperous country or a poor & deprived Nation?

4. The current spate of divisive politics is due to INC desire to regain single party majority and BJP trial & tribulation to regain power at any cost and stakes are so high for both the parties that no body wishes to miss one punch any where to gain in the game of public perception; eventually, which ever party wins India is going to loose.

5. SOLUTION:

• Equal respect for each political party in parliament
• More inter and intra party debate on all issues
• Opposition view point given weightage beyond their numbers
• A permanent mechanism of engagement with opposition
• Private member’s bill for enactment of law
• Filibuster mechanism
• Stronger house rules against frivolous stalling of parliament

Though Presidential model looks alluring; as India currently needs a benevolent dictator and could find one in a directly elected President; but, difficult to predict how the system of division of roles between Executive & Legislative would work in a highly heterogeneous country like INDIA?

Thanking you a lot.

Warm regards,

BIKASH CHOUDHURY

BHUBANESAR

ODISHA