Sunday, August 12, 2012

End or beginning?
Team Anna gave up it's fast after failing to get the government to see reason. It may be that it was felt a waste of effort or as others feel, more effective methods are needed to get the torpid political class to wake up. One such move is to start a new political party.

Will this move to initiate a new political party succeed? Those who have had the experience of watching the experiment of the Janata party rule after the defeat of Madam Indira [1975] will realize my fear. I cannot forget the euphoria I felt at her defeat and the bitter disappointment of the failure of the Janata party to give a viable alternative.

To start an agitation is not that difficult but to build a party from the grass roots level is a very difficult and time consuming task. I have great respect for Anna Hazare and his team members, but will they be able to build a party with out the pulls of caste, religion, language and other local issues? I very much doubt it, especially in a short period available before the next general elections are due.

Jayaprakash Narayan led a countrywide movement against Indira Gandhi's despotic rule but he didn't build a viable party. The result was the misfire of Janata hotchpotch.

Then should they not try? Yes they should, even if it takes 5 to 10 years. The sociopolitical climate in the country is ripe for a transformation and an alternative to Congress [major evil] and BJP [minor evil]. If this doesn't happen, we will be left with more of the present and progression towards anarchy and bloody revolution and more mess.

Cruel game

The game of golf is more a mind game. This applies to the pro as well as to the amateur. Adam Scott lost The Open because of the tension and inability to keep negative thoughts away. It happened to me this morning. I was playing to one over till the 7th hole when my fellow golfer put the idea that I was playing well under my handicap. This made me think and a wave of negative thoughts took hold of my brain and I finished the next eleven holes 12 over!

So easy to self destruct when you play golf!

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