A PEOPLE’S MANIFESTO FOR THE 2008 ELECTIONS
Call him what you will, like him or hate him, agree with him or disagree with him, there is no denying U.R. Anantha Murthy’s zeal as a tireless public intellectual.
While the political parties count their electoral chickens even before they are hatched, and while most of us helplessly watch the nanga naach of money and muscle, the 76-year-old Jnanpith Award winning Kannada writer has rightly swung the limelight on what the parties should do to secure our votes—and what they should deliver once they come to power.
Anantha Murthy has come up with an 11-point “People’s Manifesto” for the 2008 Assembly elections, and invites readers to add their own suggestions to it, to modify, change and alter his own.
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The salient points he makes are (loosely translated):
1) There should be a ban on mining which has corrupted all our political parties.
2) Children should have access to high-quality common schools at least till the 10th standard. There should be no discrimination among children and they should have a common experience of childhood.
3) The future growth of our cities should keep in mind the requirements of elders, children and the disabled. Every locality should have parks and libraries. There should be bicycle paths and easy means to cross roads.
4) Poor minorities with self-esteem should be given access to education to help them obtain jobs in the public sector. There should be reservation for them.
5) The reservation privilege should be taken away from those who have already enjoyed the benefits of reservation, and given to those who haven’t obtained its benefit.
6) There should be restrictions on the media and and candidates who seek to exploit the elections by creating enemity on the basis of caste, community, religion and language.
7) The acquisition of agricultural land for the setting up of special economic zones should be stopped.
Farmers should get the right price for the produce they grow.
9) Instead of encouraging the setting up of giant chain-malls, small local shops should be patronised.
10) Instead of American style development which endangers the environment, we should go in for sustainable development which benefits the greater common good.
Also read: The U.R. Anantha Murthy interview
The mahaan elastic buddhijeevi of the year is…
Not one single intellectual among the right
‘Who’s Anantha Murthy? What’s his contribution?’
Acknowledgement: Mahamed Ismail
Tags: Churumuri, Karnataka Elections, People's Manifesto, U.R. Anantha Murthy
8 April 2008 at 10:32 pm
1. Change the election process in some way that money is the least important deciding factor. Every possible idea can be considered - even rule by a single ‘royal’ family whose needs are taken care of so they can focus on the people should be considered. Finance for the next election cycle should be just an afterthought in a leaders mind - not the prime aim in life.
2. Think of your neighbourhood first, then your village town or city, then your state, then your country, then the world. Improve yourself and only then talk about larger things (Think I heard this in some talk from Prof. Nanjundaswamy).
8 April 2008 at 10:43 pm
Pseudo secular manifesto is it ?? How come only mining and sez is targeted .What about the real estate mafia led by the Congress and Janata Dal S.
Ananthamurthy seems to be Selectively picking up some points and trying to make it look like a moral issue.
Any talk of naxalities or Rowdyism cant be expected from this so called intellectual.
8 April 2008 at 11:09 pm
Hi Point 4 is in direct contradiction to point 6. Bloody Communist!!!
8 April 2008 at 11:20 pm
haha .. every one has freedom to dream
8 April 2008 at 11:28 pm
whats so great about URA coming up with these points? Infact, are these points not so loosely thought of that they lack a sense of direction? Why does poor people of only minorities get reservations? Are they no poor in the majorities? He might be a damn rich dirty brahmin, but not all are.
sumne koorOdu eeyappana jaaymaanadalle illa!
8 April 2008 at 11:31 pm
and banning all mining activities just because politicians are exploiting the mines is so stupid idea! only URA can come up with this! moron kahin ka!
9 April 2008 at 12:09 am
I guess URA is missing one last point:
12. BJP should not be allowed to contest the elections
9 April 2008 at 12:27 am
I suppose churumuri is the first site in the world to be read by visually-challenged people.
The introduction to the people’s manifesto, at least the one on my computer, clearly says that “Anantha Murthy invites readers to add their own suggestions to it, to modify, change and alter his own.” Meaning, the manifesto is not cast in stone.
Yet the fact that we find it so easy to sidestep his invitation and play the usual game of affixing labels such as “pseudo-secular” and “bloody communist” means we may be able to solve all our problems except ideological blindness.
On an aside, I wonder how many South Indians would like point no. 7. Instead of “dodda dodda maalugalu” URA proposes “sanna sanna maalugalu”!
9 April 2008 at 12:36 am
Some modifications and alterations…
1. Better regulation of mining activities, combined with investigation of assets of all officers posted in these districts.
2. Clean up mid day meal scheme. Give Panchayats the power to dismiss errant teachers. Every child must be within 5kms of a school.
3. Existing parks will be maintained, where possible with public funds, or with the assistance of RWAs. Tax breaks for corporates who “adopt” a park or fund a library.
4. Scholarships for students who cannot afford to study higher because of economic hardships only. No further reservations on any basis.
5. No disagreement.
6. No restrictions on media, but the law already exists for those who try to do the same.
7. No acquisition of any land by the State for SEZs. All acquisition has to be made by the promoter of the SEZ.
8. Improve roads and communications to rural areas so that farmers can sell their produce quicker and and cut out the middleman.
9. Encourage large scale retail. Small scale retail isn’t going anywhere any time soon.
10. Make the State Level PCBs stronger (with more powers) and better funded to tackle environmental pollution.
11. Hang, draw and quarter Deve Gowda
12. Shoot people who make renaming places, cities, stations and roads their personal agenda
9 April 2008 at 12:56 am
Aatmasakshi,
The nature of internet blogs invite these kind of responses. Name-calling, ad hominem attacks, responding to the tone as opposed to the content etc. are all part of the game.
Just have to get used to it and mentally filter out what is not interesting.
9 April 2008 at 1:04 am
Churumuri, Churumuri, why dost thou persecute us by giving this man what he craves–publicity and more publicity?
9 April 2008 at 4:08 am
What a pity! URA could have used his writing skill better by taking help of some social worker with intellect to pen People’s manifesto. The current one is not a manifesto at all. It is not even a wish list.
9 April 2008 at 4:41 am
Aatmasakshi has a point.
Anantha Murthy invited readers to add their own suggestions to his 11 point ‘manifesto’, to modify, change and alter his own’ meaning its neither final nor comprehensive.
Where are the ‘other’ points’?
Well, may be the blind cannot read but they can think.
This ‘lot’ cannot even think.
Not surprisingly some do not even like others making a stand on behalf of the deprived, exploited or down trodden.
‘Bloody Communist’? That fits the saffron goons better.
Obviously,they cannot tolerate the fact that in spite of being a Brahmin, he has not joined the ranks of the putrefied ’saffron’ brigade.
Aatmasakshi, the mentally challenged cannot come up with anything other than calling names.
9 April 2008 at 6:09 am
Whether novel or jaded, the ideas are OK. The next step for URA is to tell us how to implement his program. Almost everything he advocates can be accomplished by radical redistribution of wealth. I say “almost” because utopias are a product of the imagination rather than that of a culture, especially ours which has paid homage to stratification and amassing wealth by any means for centuries.
We have to establish “common schools” first before sending our children there. What are common schools? How are they to be funded? A country which secretively spends thirty per cent of its national income on defence is not likely to rush to improve education. There is nothing more dangerous than an educated electorate.
Fight the power of the media, big business. Yes, sir, but how?
Isn’t there a viable way of extracting and selling ore?
Cities like Bangalore are already grown. Where do you put parks and bike trails? Can we really make the lives of our older citizens better without thinking about population explosion? To think that India can support a population of 1.1 billion souls is pure nationalistic self-deception.
Help minorities. Yes, but how, especially when everybody clamors to be part of a minority?
Protecting the farmer. Yes, how? The days of India as a primarily agricultural society undergirded by fragmentation of arable land are long gone. The government telling our farmers what to grow, when to grow it, and how much to grow should have made this clear to us.
If Mankuthimma can buy for fifteen rupees something that costs twice as much at our kiraani angadis at a chain store, why would he do his shopping at the former?
America’s share of pollution and global warming is an unforgivable twenty-five percent. A damn alarming statistic. We don’t need to follow the American model. But how are we going to retire all energy wasting contraptions? From Ambassador cars to electric plants?
URA’s last suggestion. It is an invitation to fascism. Are there any parties that pass muster in terms of considering the well-being of people? They all need to be demolished. What’s left then?
These are my modifications, amendments, reservations, or whatever you want to call them. I wonder how many responses to the content of my post, if there are any, will be free from non-sequiturs and ad hominem bullets.
9 April 2008 at 8:08 am
Deccan Herald
Hotel faces KRV ire over BIA taxi service launch!
Where are we heading? Is KRV so powerful. If so, where is the future.
Are they linked with the RED LEFT?
9 April 2008 at 8:44 am
4) Poor minorities with self-esteem should be given access to education to help them obtain jobs in the public sector. There should be reservation for them.
Choose one: Madarasas or Modern Schools. You cannot have “education” in Madarasas and seek benefits like reservation.
6) There should be restrictions on the media and and candidates who seek to exploit the elections by creating enemity on the basis of caste, community, religion and language.
Do do! Most unaffected will be BJP!
9 April 2008 at 9:51 am
Yaako URA didn’t name Modi. wILL WAIT TILL the results are out. Then somemore points can be added.OK.
9 April 2008 at 10:23 am
URA makes perfect sense. Thank god somebody dares to still uphold good old values such as common schools (against donation-driven ones), suggests steps to deal with the rising tide of communalism and the reckless commercialization and rowdiization of out politics.
More power to URA.
9 April 2008 at 11:51 am
1) Give powers to the Lok Ayukta to prosecute the corrupt, including ministers and the chief minister.
2) Get rid of the “District in-charge Minister” system which has diluted the powers of the local authorities and only created additional power centres.
3) Hold one session of the Assembly each year in a non-Bangalore city, preferably Belgaum, Hubli-Dharwad, Mangalore, and Gulbarga.
4) Come up with a 6-month, 12-month and 24-month plan for the Bombay-Karnatak and Hyderabad-Karnatak regions.
9 April 2008 at 6:22 pm
Mr. Murthy you are an old man. let us be realistic. We are the future. We want all this. So please follow the popular rout to success.
This is from a VOTER, we want some changes please
The Congress party has promised TV, Reduced interest etc. We want more. If any party can give all this, we will vote you to power.
Free cable connection, preferably TATA sky(boycott will not affect)
Free power for TV
Free Gas stove and cylinder
Free bicycle for all students
Free education for all, at all levels
Free refill
Free tooth brush and paste
Free oil for body massage
Property tax exemption for all
Free bus pass for all Govt servants, Farmers, Ladies , Children and the old
Double increment for all Govt servants
Free vegetables and fruits to all sick people.
Many more thing, will come up with a better list!!
Tax free budget for the full term
9 April 2008 at 11:40 pm
1. Dismantle the Indian bureaucracy, completely. It is one thing to pass exams and another thing to have the creative genius to build a great nation.
2. Switch to Presidential style Politics. Dismantle the party system. Every elected representative should be an independent with no affiliations to any party.
3. Enforce a knowledge test on the basics of democracy and governance before letting a person vote. The right to vote should be earned, not given to every uninformed scum.
4. Ban all religious organizations (Yes, this includes communists). Let religion be an individual quest. There should be no right to congregate on the basis of identity.
5. An equal, centrally controlled school education system, that hires the best and pays them high wages. This, of course, should not exclude private schools for those that can afford it. The higher education system should be completely privatized.
6. Finally, No country that has pretensions to being an equal opportunity society should allow a product called “Fair and Lovely”: Fucking disgrace!!
A great country is built on the freedom of choice and extreme individualism: This fosters incredible creativity and makes for a great civilization.
10 April 2008 at 6:35 am
We all sound pretty much like URA even as we disagree with him. In all these responses we say that such and such a thing should be done. By whom is the question.
Let’s start with that rickety document. Rewrite the constitution.
10 April 2008 at 9:55 am
G, one more may be added, free burial/cremation for all at state expenses. That means Govt will take care of everything from womb to tomb. Go on offering and people will go on receiving. Free is free to everybody in all walks of life. Jai Karnataka Political Parties!
10 April 2008 at 12:41 pm
Point to add:
1. Intellectuals should be banned from (unnecessarily) commenting on anything and everyting.
10 April 2008 at 8:16 pm
Since NONE of the above suggestions in URA’s manifesto will ever happen in my lifetime, I suggest you make 1 final suggestion -
1, Give H1B visa to ALL qualified Kannadigas.
That way all qualified Kannadigas can get out of Karnataka & live happily in USA where all the above suggestions have been met since 1900. Great schooling, bicycle path, park, beach, chain mall, small shop, whatever you want. If you want Kannada you pay $14.95 for Udaya TY through Dish Network, you can have Kannada also, right here in USA.
11 April 2008 at 2:45 am
To reiterate the point over the great Indian Bureaucracy!!
Read below:
http://education.guardian.co.uk/egweekly/story/0,,2271578,00.html
Should one weep or laugh?!
11 April 2008 at 5:44 am
JAS: “Give H1B visa to ALL qualified Kannadigas.”
Small correction: ALL Kannadigas except the leftist URA who can be exported to Russia or China.
11 April 2008 at 7:18 am
JAS–
You point out a major contradiction in URA’s thought process. He is crushed that India is Americanized, yet he wants our cities to be like American metropolises.
12 April 2008 at 4:07 pm
ನಾವೆಲ್ಲ ಸುಮ್ಮನೆ ಹರಟೆ ಕೊಚ್ಚುತ್ತಿರುವ ಹೊತ್ತಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಅನಂತಮೂರ್ತಿ ಜನರ ಮನಸ್ಸಿಗೆ ಕೆಲಸಕೊಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದಾರೆ. ಸಿನಿಕರಾಗದೇ ನಾವು ಅವರ ಪ್ರನಾಳಿಕೆಯನ್ನು ಬೆಳೆಸಬೇಕು. ನಮ್ಮ ಕನಸುಗಳನ್ನೂ ಸೇರಿಸಬೇಕು. ನಮ್ಮ ರಾಜಕೀಯ- ಹಣದ ಅವಲಂಬನೆಯಿಂದ ಅಥವ ಹಣದ ಕತ್ತರಿಯಿಂದ ಹೊರಬರುವ ಹಾಗೆ ಮಾಡಬೇಕು. ನಮ್ಮ ಆರ್ಥಿಕ ವ್ಯವಸ್ಥೆ ಕಾರ್ಪೊರೇಟ್ ಬಕಾಸುರರಿಗೆ ಈಡಾಗದಂತೆ ಮಾಡಬೇಕು. ಗುಬ್ಬಚ್ಚಿಗಳಂತೆ ಸರಳವಾಗಿ, ಸಹಜವಾಗಿ ಈ ನಾಡಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಬದುಕುವಂತಾಗಬೇಕು…..
12 April 2008 at 9:28 pm
URA has been more interested in politics. I feel he misses a lot of good things in life because his vision is clouded with politics.
13 April 2008 at 1:19 am
Just happened to remember. When Kumaraswamy broke his power to make Yed CM, URA, whose faith in Indian democracy suspires in every word he utters, did not mind fascist President’s Rule. Morality cannot bend with every wind. Remember Indiramma who said she had to suspend democracy only to save it?
14 April 2008 at 7:37 am
Doddi buddiyore,
Yaake sumkaagbuttiddeeri?
16 April 2008 at 6:47 am
Tanay–
Murthygalantha harate kochchuva prachanda berilla.