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Here’s How You Can Change The Politics Of India: An Interview With Amitabh Behar
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Currently the Executive Director of the National Foundation for India (NFI), Amitabh Behar, is also the Global Co-chair of the Global Call to Action against Poverty and the National Convener of the Social Watch Coalition India. His deep involvement in advocacy, networking and coalition building, reflects in his campaigns aimed at enhancing accountability of public institutions, with special focus on issues of governance and civil society from the perspective of rights and justice. In a tête-à -tête with Pooja Malhotra, Amitabh shares his views on participation of youth in politics and gives insights on how mass participation can catalyze social and political transformation.
Do you think young people should participate in electoral politics?
Certainly! I think that young people should actively get involved in politics and when I say politics, it is not just restricted to electoral politics. I believe politics is everywhere; the real arena of politics starts from our homes and extends into streets, cities…and the broader framework. We should not shy away from mainstream politics because politics is not about power — it’s about our ability to influence power….our ability to make & influence changes.
Will the involvement of youth and their active participation make a difference to policy making. Is it possible for the common man to cause a change?
In a country like ours the only thing that can make a difference is mass participation. Active engagement of the masses, especially young people, in electoral politics, their involvement in selection of electoral candidates, being aware about party manifestos, canvassing for the ‘right’ candidate…are steps towards making a difference. The important aspect here is that in order to create an impact, these steps should be taken in an organized fashion. Young people need to be aware of what exactly is entailed in the manifesto of the ruling party; what are their promises. We need to question and seek answers — Are there any vested interests of the political allies? Are their promises designed to fulfil any personal agenda? Are the promises being twisted & turned for their own benefit?
The common man can make a difference by identifying the issues and mobilizing fellow citizens to pool in their energies to form a larger, well organized group which makes a systematic attempt to create a win-win situation for all. One should not have a separate, individual agenda; instead there has to be one homogenous agenda. The answer lies in plurality. We need to understand that we are not on the other side. After all, politicians hold a position in government offices; they are government servants, people’s servants. They are there to facilitate public interest and their own legitimate interests. A government officer needs to be a good citizen, while simultaneously being a good father, a good son, a good uncle. But accountability is important.
How do you think young people can make our governing bodies and our political leaders/parties accountable?
There is definitely an accountability deficit in our country. Though the process may be slow, we need to enhance accountability of public institutions and there are several ways of doing that. First and foremost, we need to focus on active people’s participation and that too, as I said earlier, mass participation! It’s not just the responsibility of a few people and I’m not elaborating, it’s the inherent responsibility of each citizen in a democracy. Active participation involves asking questions starting from intervention at the local level. How many of us would have gone to the local government school and asked how much money is being spent to provide good facilities to the students? How many times have you gone to your Local Corporator and asked what is being done to improve the conditions of your roads? And believe me, the Corporators will be only too glad to answer…to help. But the problem is how many of us take that initiative to go to them and ask. What we need is larger participation!
So there are two frames which are important — one is participation, the other is transparency. Public institutions need to be more transparent in sharing how and where public money is being spent. If a new school has built, how much money was spent? If a street or a road has been repaired, what was the cost incurred? If one has to go a government department for some work, there’s a preconceived notion — ‘teen chakkar toh lag hi jayenge, ek baar mein toh kaam hoga nahin’. We are not even aware of a citizen’s charter, wherein we have the right to know beforehand as to what all documents would be required for the work to be completed successfully in just a single visit to the department. For transparency to flow within the system, it’s important to be aware of all that’s happening around me. If there is a village meeting, I need to go and attend it, be a part of the system, be a part of politics.
Please share details about “Wada Na Todo Abhiyaan”.
The idea of Wada Na Todo Abhiyaan is to monitor the performance of the ruling party at three levels. Firstly, at the level of the Manifesto – The manifesto entails the promises that the political party makes before being elected and being brought to power. Suppose they had promised jobs for the unemployed, but once they are elected, they simply forget what they had promised. Now we need to monitor and take corrective action on that front. Secondly, what are the developmental goals that should have been accomplished (as per their promises)? These are the goals that have been documented for everyone. Our big goal is to monitor the performance around specific short-term goals. Thirdly, we need to monitor the international goals at let’s say, the UN level. Monitoring goals would require mobilization, pressure and advocacy of community processes and government processes.
With elections round the corner and the arrival of the ‘political season’, what would be your message to young people in India.
Very often we start looking at the world as ‘Binary’ — our government is seen as an entity outside of us. As citizens we don’t take responsibility of our own actions. We are the ones who violate laws. For instance, it may be something as simple as parking your car. We park irresponsibly, block traffic, cause inconvenience to others and remain unperturbed unless we are brought to the book. I even joke with my friends who own big cars and tell them that two/three families could be provided shelter in the space that your car occupies when parked outside your house…As a matter of fact we don’t realize but it’s actually government land that we are encroaching for parking our vehicles. Knowingly or unknowingly, we are violating rules.
So my message to young people is to take responsibility. Be responsible for your actions/inaction, right/wrong, good/bad, justice/injustice… Wake up, get out of your comfort zone and get actively involved in reclaiming spaces — public spaces, streets…spaces where your voices are heard; reclaiming agenda…rights; reclaiming their place in the parliament. Young people need to leap forward and facilitate action on real issues. Public pressure and mass participation are an answer to creating accountability and making a difference!
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SHEHZAD KHAN
Whatever is suggested by the above named person is well and good. Let us hope it may prove fruitful and beneficial for the entire country.
Apart from these words we must be aware that whatever he suggested is golden words but most of things suggested by him is to be followed by others……And the policy and mentality of our indian peoples are based on “who cares”…….
so before coming on the point suggested by him we need to take some steps to make our youths aware about their resposibilities and their duties first and after that automatically it will work……
thank you
Pooja Malhotra
You are absolutely right, Shehzad! It’s our ‘who cares’ attitude which is behind this sorry state of affairs. Even when stuck in traffic jams (which are quiet rampant nowadays), most of us want to just wriggle out somehow…who cares about the rest…who cares about why it’s happening or how it can be curbed…
As suggested by Amitabh, each individual needs to take resposibility of his/her actions/nactions, right/wrong, justice/injustice.
SHEHZAD KHAN
ya pooja you are right…!!! I appreciate the efforts of you all…..!!
we humans are the most dangerous ANIMAL of this planet we need to realise this and work from the very beginning. IN LAW there is a legal MAXIM “res ipsa locuter” that means things speaks itself we dont need to define it ….
I feel really very sorry for my country and like all others am not going to criticise it but instead of criticising we can still make efforts to bring our country on track and it is possible only when we youngsters come forward..
Still the vision 2020 is possible……
we all need to realise this….
i am born with potential
i am born with goodness and trust
i am born with ideas and dreams
i am born with greatness
i am born with wings…..
I CAN FLY, I CAN FLY, I CAN FLY
Ashish Sanyal
Great article but it all starts with registering as a voter especially the First Time voters. Please register as soon as possible
Bela Shah
An idea of “Wada Na Todo Abhiyaan†is very unique and seems to be promising unlike other politicians who are not even bothered. Hope this idea actually works which will definately take cities, states, country to next level of becoming among the developed countries.
bansi dhameja
I really appreciate the clarity that Shri Amitabh Behar has about our political system and all that he has suggested is in the real interest of our nation. The youth must take active role in politics. I fully agree QUOTE Young people need to be aware of what exactly is entailed in the manifesto of the ruling party; what are their promises. We need to question and seek answers – Are there any vested interests of the political allies? Are their promises designed to fulfill any personal agenda? Are the promises being twisted & turned for their own benefit? UNQUOTE I would like to add that THE TRACK RECORD OF THE PARTY IS AS IMPORTANT AS ITS MANIFESTO.
One thing that I find missing is his views about the alarming corruption in the implementation of government schemes and remedies there for. I feel the root cause of the deteriorating economic condition of our country is the corruption at the highest level and unless this is tackled nothing in my opinion will work.
I would like to suggest WADA NA TODO ABHIYAAN may, if possible, make efforts to take the government to task for the corruption in governing also.
LET US PRAY GOOD SENSE PREVAILS ON OUR POLITICIAN TO DO GOOD FOR THE PEOPLE
Pradeep Baisakh
Very inspiring interview. It gives direction to the youth about their role in people’s politics.