Dr.JP and Lok Satta

I was an audience for a speech by Dr. JP at a TiE annual conference in Santa Clara about 4 years back. I was impressed and I communicated to Dr.JP the same after the speech. He gave his business card to me and said people like you should join the new movement. 'Yes, of course!', I thought. But today, I am more than convinced about his comment.

I used to read Dr.JP's columns online once in a while after that. It was not until a month back I checked what's this person up to and I was once again impressed by what I found out. I couldn't agree more with him and the agenda that he has outlined for his political party. I also couldn't agree more with him that if you need to make a real large social impact, political revolution is a must.

Indian politics today has turned out to be a joke. It's a business line for many - it's a corrupted business line. Invest Rs.6Cr for an MLA election; if you win, you can double the money or make even three times more! Invest Rs.15Cr in an MP election; if you win, make 5x in five years! Yes, it is an open secret. Why do you invest money for? To buy votes, of course. The amount of corruption today is about Rs.200 thousand crores per annum!!! Every party secretly wishes for a ‘Amar Singh’ today.

I am aghast by the current state of Indian politics. This is no VC business!!! There was a time when the job of a political leader was a respected one. When I was young, I grew up with stories of great leaders who fought for independence for our country. Today, unfortunately, we acknowledge that politics is the last option of a career of a scoundrel! Don't we deserve better? Doesn't our country deserve better? How can we bring a change? We need leaders like Dr.JP.

There has to be a massive movement at the grass root level. It's high time that the 300 million middle class come out and participate in change. One third of our population could definitely influence the rest. We need thought processes like the ones in Lok Satta party.

Jai Hind.