An Honest Leftist Is Still A Leftist

If welfare programs, Nehruvian economics, government interference via red tape were effective ways of governing then India would have continued to be the proverbial “Sone Ki Chidiya”. However, the last sixty or so years of the Congress rule bears testament to the contrary. States which have tried to break free of these practices have fared better than the nation. Maharashtra used to be one of those states but ten years of Congress rule has turned a once prosperous state into a non-performing one. Can’t blame that on the migrant workers from UP. Narendra Modi has turned Gujarat into the kind of state that conservatives all over the world dream of. Small government, un-intrusive bureaucracy, developed infrastructure have all helped. But where the system truly stands out is the non-welfare mentality. Gujarat government does not hand out doles and people do not expect it. People make the system work for them. Gujarat still has a lot of work to do but remember one thing – they are here based on their own work with no help and all the interference from the central government. States emulating the Gujarat model are showing better progress than the rest of the country.

On the other hand we have states run on socialistic ideology (UP – Lohiaite system), West Bengal (truly leftist system) and other states run on confused hodge-podge methods. NONE OF THEM WORK. UP is being run by less than honest people. However, Bengal is run by probably one of the most honest leaders in the world. However, the state is being run into the ground because the only thing Mamata Bannerjee has got going for her is her honesty. Even if she were a little more capable then also she would fail because she subscribes to the welfare state concept.

The current darling of the India media is an avowed leftist whose first actions are confusing even the leftists in the media. After all, someone has to pay for the free stuff. How different is Kejriwal’s plan different than freebies promised by less honest and non-IIT educated (or not educated at all) CM’s? One of the things that the media is praising about Kejriwal is the way he is pointing out the existing problems. That is something that anyone who is remotely aware of his surroundings can do well. However, the thing that is remarkable absent is any hint of a long term solution to the mentioned problems. If this man is the panacea to all ills then where is his vision for the future? Corruption free India is everyone’s dream but that is only the beginning. What does he plan to do after installing watchdog organizations? I have a feeling that we will have to wait for a very long time to get those answers.

Meanwhile we probably have the most corrupt government in our history at the helm right now. Congress has been trying to implicate Modi in any or everything. The latest is the pathetic attempt of the snoopgate. Even with all the state machinery, media and CBI, the Congress has not been able to charge Modi with any financial scam. Now if they had been trying to do so for a couple of years we could have said that Modi is smart in hiding his money. However, he has been in power and in Congress crosshairs for over a decade now. Therefore the implication is that Modi is truly an honest man. Of course he does not make a spectacle of his honesty because he has real achievements unlike Kejriwal who can only claim honesty as his achievement. Again, I have a name for him – Mamata Bannerjee.

We have a number of honest leaders. But of those only the non-leftist kind are performing well. Modi heads the list. My appeal to the fence-sitting voters is following – please do not waste your vote in protest. Evaluate your options based on facts rather than lies spread by an obviously biased media. The future of the country is at stake and cannot be trusted in the hands of populist opportunists. Vote for the man who has been performing honestly and well for over a decade. Your kids will thank you for it.