The swearing in over the weekend of social activist and anti-corruption campaigner Arvind Kejriwal as chief minister of New Delhi marks the latest stage of a dramatic country-wide rejection of the way that India is governed, which has been building up over the past four years.
This is not a single tidal wave threatening to overwhelm the country, but it does stem from a new, young and aspirational India that wants governments that genuinely offer the prospect of change and economic growth. It threatens crony corrupt politicians, who for decades have been more concerned with self-aggrandizement and milking administrations than with governing constructively in the interests of the people who elected them.
Uniting castes, classes, religions and regional interests, it led last year to the election of Narendra Modi as a presidential-style prime minister, and last week to Kejriwal’s surprise landslide victory, which has created excitement in the city. In both cases, voters’ hopes are based primarily on the leadership ability and drive of one man – even though fulfilling the electorates’ expectations is a near impossible task.
This leads inevitably to questions about where the revolt against the way India has been governed will be heading if the two men fail. Cynics suggest that voters will turn back to traditional politicians and parties – including even the discredited Gandhi dynasty’s devastated Congress Party. Sceptics see growing social unrest fuelled by increasing unemployment, especially among the young. Full story...
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This is not a single tidal wave threatening to overwhelm the country, but it does stem from a new, young and aspirational India that wants governments that genuinely offer the prospect of change and economic growth. It threatens crony corrupt politicians, who for decades have been more concerned with self-aggrandizement and milking administrations than with governing constructively in the interests of the people who elected them.
Uniting castes, classes, religions and regional interests, it led last year to the election of Narendra Modi as a presidential-style prime minister, and last week to Kejriwal’s surprise landslide victory, which has created excitement in the city. In both cases, voters’ hopes are based primarily on the leadership ability and drive of one man – even though fulfilling the electorates’ expectations is a near impossible task.
This leads inevitably to questions about where the revolt against the way India has been governed will be heading if the two men fail. Cynics suggest that voters will turn back to traditional politicians and parties – including even the discredited Gandhi dynasty’s devastated Congress Party. Sceptics see growing social unrest fuelled by increasing unemployment, especially among the young. Full story...
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