Sunday, April 14, 2013

In 2008 Karnataka elected the BJP. Can we undo past mistakes?

The mistake of being swayed by a false notion of being correct, by voting for the BJP when the JD(S) 'betrayed' the BJP in 2007 by not handing over or transferring power  to the BJP after the expiry of 20 months. How does the electorate of a state like Karnataka make efforts to set right the mistakes it has made such as the one mentioned above? This mistake has proved very costly because such a decision by the electorate was not weighed fully in the light of available information and knowledge. 

Just how costly - was shown by the Govt in an annual lurching from crisis to crisis. Overall this has resulted in a govt which while voted in with a near majority to rule for five years creating the largest debt burden on the citizens of the state increasing it by additional Rs 70,000 crores in 5 years. This also nearly doubled the state debt to Rs.124,000 crores resulting in an increase in debt from Rs. 5,000 to 10,000/-per capita.

This was done by a BJP  govt which was seen as a source of instability, corruption and lacking governance. This happened in what was a fairly  progressive state where the original Indian rural decentralisation models were brought forward and implemented by political thinkers. Instead the debt financing model of the World Bank and Asian Development bank was pushed forward by the BJP. This was because the inexperienced politicians of the BJP were not in any position to say no, because they really did not know better. Can this continue? the answer is no.
The debt financing model can be brought to a halt with alternatives.These must be identified and the ruling party(ies)must be informed of  how this is possible.
But this will also call a halt to the speed at which the so call world class infrastructure is being developed.
and generate a debate on development vs non-development... but that will be dealt in a seperate blog.

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