BJP’s IT Vision: A Critical Review
by Anshuman Goenka
Last week, LK Advani released the BJP’s IT vision with much fanfare in Delhi. It drew some publicity for a couple of days and a few critiques in some dailies from those who had read the document in full. However, during the week, any discussion on this was completely drowned by bigger challenges - a reported rift between senior leaders of the party, an irresponsible speech by a debut Lok Sabha candidate with a famous name, and the usual theatre of coalition politics.
At the prompting of a few friends, I spent an hour trying to understand what they have put together - as a lay person, since I am no IT expert. My first reaction was of surprise. After all, BJP is a political party accused of communal identity politics, led supposedly by a beleaguered octogenarian that could take India back in time and not to the future. It is curious therefore, that such a document comes from the BJP and not from the original harbingers of IT in the mid-1980s. It is more curious that this turn is neither worthy of a serious discussion in mainstream media. One was expecting more discussion on natural questions about whether this was mere lip service (ancillary to the party’s core identity politics) or a serious turn, whether it was feasible, and whether it was sensible policy. One was also worried about the wisdom of politicians poking their nose in the IT industry which had done as well as it has without any support or meddling.
Getting into the document, I was taken aback at the sweep of the scope - the document begins with a reference about using IT for telemedicine, financial inclusion, governance, new jobs and land records. A natural skeptic like me wonders whether technology is construed as that magic wand which will be the panacea to all problems in this country. But, the document then goes to cite specific statistics, quote topic experts (not many of whom are BJP-friendly) and outline next steps. The second striking feature of the document is its focus on social justice, laptops at Rs 10,000 and special focus for the disadvantaged groups. Will scale & innovation really be able to push prices low, or will there be backdoor subsidies? If there is an expanded government expenditure or mass procurement, will there not be obvious leakages? As a business professional with a belief that government failures are worse than market failures, I dread the thought of more subsidies and cynically see this as the neta’s attempt to win votes. These remain open questions. The third remarkable point is reference to citizen identification numbers and digital sovereignty. The skeptic worries whether this will lead to another avoidable debate on who migrated when from where, and be a source of divide. Such apprehensions cannot be brushed under the carpet but must be addressed.
One also wonders whether this was really the document one needed. For the economy, isn’t there a more imperative need to focus on finding some way to revive consumer confidence, business capex and capital flows? Would the concerns on social justice referred to in the document not be better met by universal primary literacy and primary healthcare ahead of any other goals? Isn’t police reform more important than identity cards? Like anybody else, I can think of many other areas that should be equal, if not higher, in competing with this vision for the attention of a new government.
Indeed, there are many places to find faults. Even if very little of what is said is finally implemented, should one not credit them for the boldness of this document and this initiative, especially ahead of the election, when the number of people who would respond to it are still not considered critical electoral mass? And can one, at all deny that this is a sharp break from the kind of communal politics that BJP has been accused all along of? It is unlikely to turn this election, may find only a few votes this time around, and may actually be bettered by a rival party, but if this is any pointer of electoral politics in India in the next decade, that alone makes me very happy.
Comments
5 Responses to “BJP’s IT Vision: A Critical Review”
Dear Anshuman,
Some inputs to BJP are here.
http://retributions.nationalinterest.in/guest-post-a-10-point-agenda-for-bjp/
I’m not a BJP Supporter, but learned about this by Rajesh Jain.
It is heartening to see a Political Party adopting blogging and more so, it’s 81 year old stalwart L K Advani blogging daily.
Surely, “India Deserves Better” and wish you folks best of luck.
Irrespective of our political affiliations, India must surge ahead.
I’ll keep coming back to this site.
Thanks,
Mallik.
Right since 1986 when I was 11 have followed elections and Indian Politics with intent,BJP has been an emotional connect becuase if sanity prevails is India a democracy or a feudal society and if my father grew up under NEHRU,I grew partially under Indira Gandhi,then Rajiv Gandhi and was lucky enough to see ABV be at the helm for sometime, now will the next generation grow up under Rahul….So my fundamental question let’s be clear are we a Saudi/Jordan as after 150 years even Bhutan has become a democracy..These sycophants of Congress need common sense or even a better though let Congress bring in a constitutional chnage and declare India as a Monarchy ruled by HIS HIGHNESS RAHUL GANDHI….How can we as self respecting Indians accept this….Guess we need to be vocal if need be shout on top of our voice and make people think,if need be talk to the people who supposedly are their vote bank ( with due respect illeterates) and change their opinion even if each one can change one’s opinion in that segment India shall be saved from Monarchy……Another bit why the forum can’t be more vocal about Pseudo Secularism and instead of Congress/Leftist defining what secularism force them to define Communalism as feel they shall fit in perfectly as a Communal party….Projecting oneself as a Champion of Minority doesnot mean you are Secular rather it means you are more communal than others…..
Few valid points raised by Anshuman but i didnt understand this part “The third remarkable point is reference to citizen identification numbers and digital sovereignty. The skeptic worries whether this will lead to another avoidable debate on who migrated when from where, and be a source of divide. Such apprehensions cannot be brushed under the carpet but must be addressed.”
This is very essential and we need citizen identification numbers. Let this lead to another debate and the illegal immigrants been shown the door… There is no doubt about that… thank you
I think there remains an element of doubt after reading this article about BJPs IT vision. I found the original document more straight.
Commendable is the BJPs efforts to change the way elections are fought in India.
Even in the worst case scenario of BJP not winning this election, BJP shall be creditted for changing Indian Politics once again. But will our Media notice and bring out this. As Anshuman said, media has in more than one occasion tarnished the image of BJP.
But should we not respect a party that changed the whole politics of india, from a family run single party business into a modern insync with world politics. Shouldnt we respect a party which gave us a descent government for 6 years from 1998 to 2004, which kickstarted the Infrastucture revolution in India.
and today BJP is the only party which has a clear LEADER, clear vision, will provide us with a real government and will not push us back to the old fuedel family business..
Cheers to BJP
BJP’s IT vision is yet another example that there is a political party in India which cares for development of INDIANS. People (particularly mediapersons) who call this party as “communal” should introspect themselves. They must define the words “communal” & “secular”. If they feel “appeasement of minority” as SECULARISM and “working for betterment of common masses irrespective of religion, caste, creed & gender” as COMMUNALISM, then definitely they should join primary classes of linguistics.
The era of NDA governance would be long remembered for basic infrastructural developments in the country and goverment’s effective control over the market economy. Did BJP allow only Hindus to tarvel on golden quadilateral? Did it ensure timely distribution and availability of LPG cylinders only to Hindus? Was there no Non-Hindu minister in the Vajpayee government? Whether BJP does not admit any Muslim leader in the party? Whether making efforts to ensure EQUALITY among INDIANS is a crime? If answers to these and many such identical questions is NO, then there is no reason why one should be allowed to call BJP as communal party.
I feel the BJP leadership often takes recourse to defensive and rather self-protective approach against such accusations. They are embarrased as it reflected recently in Varun Gandhi’s episode. In my opinion, such accusations should be given an agressive treatment and proper legal actions should be taken against persons castigating the party as “communal” and thus defaming it without having any substance in their accusations.
Wishing the BJP all the best in forthcoming General Elections with the hope that the world would soon witness a VIBRANT INDIA under a “political party with a difference”.