It is for this reason that Goa’s chief minister, one of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) best minds, Manohar Parrikar, is now being brought into the cabinet, according to reports. The question is, why get a chief minister, particularly one who is seen as very competent, to leave his job and move to Delhi? Why bring an outsider when there are more than 300 Lok Sabha MPs and Rajya Sabha MPs available to Narendra Modi to choose from? There are two reasons why this problem of a shortage of talent has come about.
The first problem is a general one. Any strong ideology, especially one like Hindutva, which is based on anger and resentment against real or perceived injustices, will attract a certain sort of person. We must not expect those who gravitate towards the writing of such people as Guruji Golwalkar and Veer Savarkar and Deendayal Upadhyay to be subtle in their thinking.
That is why the Congress with 200 seats had many more capable leaders than the BJP with 280. The Congress had a choice of any of three first-rate finance ministers (Manmohan Singh himself, P Chidambaram and Pranab Mukherjee), while Modi must use the only finance minister he has available to also spend time on defence. There are, of course, BJP leaders who show suppleness and pragmatism in their thinking (like Jaitley and Parrikar), but they tend to be less ideological and more flexible on Hindutva issues.
The second problem is a more specific one. It has to do with the prime minister’s insecurity. He does have some talented and experienced people on his bench, but he chooses not to use them. The excuse used is either that they are too old (L K Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi, both of whom are in the Lok Sabha but with no work) or that they are too young (Varun Gandhi, who is ambitious and smart, and angling for more responsibility). The real reason these people are kept out is that they threaten Modi and he would rather not deal with them in the cabinet.
He did the same thing in Gujarat, where experienced leaders like Keshubhai Patel and Kashiram Rana, along with their supporters, were kept out of power. But there is a hurdle in the way of replicating in Delhi what he could in Gujarat. In running the Gujarat government, as with any state government, Modi’s focus was mainly on governance. That is to say, executing policies that were, for the most part, sent down from the centre. When the Vajpayee government opened up the power sector to private companies, Modi was excellent at implementing it in Gujarat, which has a power surplus, mainly from private generation. In doing this work, he empowered a team of bureaucrats who handled the work of the ministries, undercutting the politicians who were the ministers. There were only two ministers, who had real responsibility (Saurabh Patel and Amit Shah), and neither was given cabinet rank so that they understood that their work had to be supervised by Modi through the bureaucrats.
After his move to Delhi, the nature of the work has changed. Modi must focus on legislation and policy and not so much on implementation. This has disrupted his model. He has tried to exert control by giving much of the work, as in Gujarat, to ministers of state he trusts, like Piyush Goel and Nirmala Sitharaman. They manage portfolios like energy and commerce and industry, which are Modi favourites. But the main function of the Union government is policy and lawmaking. In managing this, Modi needs to bring in very bright people, of whom he does not have many. And, unfortunately for them and for the government, those he has, he does not want.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 9th, 2014.
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COMMENTS (28)
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I am so fed up with the over sensitivity of the Modi bakths against criticism. Sometimes they go such a length that failures of previous gvt. are attributed as strength of Modi. I think even Modi is mindful of this trend that sometimes he goes overboard with his own speech as a PM. These are all definitely not a healthy trend in a pluralistic democracy.
It reminds me of a quote that goes like, "Even with the noblest of intentions a ruler without critics is doomed for failure"
@Observer
It is interesting to read that you blame the slow growth on global reasons but give full credit for high growth in initail UPA period to Congress! It is a well established fact the the high growth was due to easy monetory policy adopted by USA and becuase of lots of surpluse dollars found their way to emerging marktes. During that time even Pakistani economy grew by more than 8%. UPA was highly corrupt government which did nothing for full 10 years only few guys made lots of money.
@Observer: You are wasting your time explainng all this to these indian trolls. They are die hard Modi fanatics. And cannot accept anything that portrays Congress Party or Manmohan Singh In a fair light.
@LS: @Gp65: UPA 1 created huge economic growth. That is why they were elected again. In UPA 2, we witnessed a global economic collapse. If Chinese growth has dropped from 15% to 7.2%, The EU and japan have near zero growth, and The US is still at zero interest ratyes and massive QE programmes, India has not done badly growing at 5%. We are after all globally interdependent . Also, 5% growth of a 2 trillion economy is adding usd 100 billion more to GDP. The base being much larger, whereas in UPA 1 10% on a trillion dollar economy was also the same. Further, believing in today, without understanding global issues is rather short sighted. Yes, for sure, over promise by Modi and not delivering, will ensure that like "India shining" of NDA,, this present govt wont get a second term. Indian trolls on these websites gloat over the huge Indian economy, yet run it down instead of appreciating the sterling work done by MM Singh. Indians are indeed crabby!
@Observer: @all Pakistani trolls on Indian News....
We believe in Today. Past performances are not a guarantee for future performance. They did not do much in second term and hence they are out.
If Modi does not do anything in next 5 years they would be out too in next election... Even if that means hung parliament and coalition government.
@Observer: Many of the achievements you refer to are during UPA I and this is the reason UPA got a 2nd term. We know the performance of the 2nd term and we also found out scams of the first term during the 2nd term.
@ Indian trolls. How strange that Indians can run down their own Ex govt and Ex PM, after he created one of the most powerful economies in the last ten years. India is now a USD 2 trillion economy, and the 3rd largest in the world ,on PPP basis after China and USA. Manmohan singh Clocked an average GDP growth of 8% per annum for 10 years, to create one of the largest middle class in the history of the world, by uplifting 300 million people from poverty to middle class. Aakar is right. MMS's cabinet had talent. BJP is a green horn. Modi will have to take India's GDP to USD 6 trillion in next 10 years, just to match the pace of growth that MM Singh achieved. Trust Indians to be as crabby in mentality and to run down their own country!
@C. Nandkishore: Mr. Aakar, Modi has in fact put one of the most talented TV actress as education minister. She does not know the difference between a degree and a attendance certificate.
Please do not be condescending towards Actors and actresses. Smriti Irani speaks much more sense than either the Crown Prince or the leftist dinosaurs
“That is why the Congress with 200 seats had many more capable leaders than the BJP with 280.”
Definitely, I agree. Look for instance, congress had Dr. Manmohan Singh in those 200 seats.... oh wait....
@C. Nandkishore: "Mr. Aakar, Modi has in fact put one of the most talented TV actress as education minister. She does not know the difference between a degree and a attendance certificate."
Sonia too had claimed a degree from Cambridge and she was the super prime minister. So if a waitress can be a super prime minister, no reason that a TV actress cannot be an HRD minister.
Author: "That is why the Congress with 200 seats had many more capable leaders than the BJP with 280."
So what results did those more capable leaders get? What is your measure of capbility? Are you just going by better known leaders? Naturally a party that has ruled in the center for 50 years will have better known leaders than a party has ruled for just 6 years.
"“In doing this work, he empowered a team of bureaucrats who handled the work of the ministries, undercutting the politicians who were the ministers.”
. It is for ministers o come up with policies and for bureacrats to execute them. Empowering bureaucrats does not amount to undercutting ministers.
"That is why the Congress with 200 seats had many more capable leaders than the BJP with 280."
Capable in what? Horrendous corruption? Total mismanagement? Minority appeasing? Caste and religion baiting? Soft on foreign policy? Piling up national debt and killing economic growth? Allowing terrorism to grow?
That is why the Congress with 200 seats had many more capable leaders than the BJP with 280.
Yes ,capable leaders like Mamata Bannerjee,Lalu Prasad Yadav,Azhagiri,Raja,Dayanidhi Maran,Sharad Pawar who looted the resources of our country worse than wolved devouring a carcass....
I wish we have ineffective leaders like Manohar Parriker who is just an IIT graduate
Do not underestimate BJP team...they have pool of talents in every ranks....before becoming Goa's PM who had known Parikkar? and now everybody knows that he is a good CM....and will be a good minister.....and there are lots of Parikkars in BJP...So don't worry
The question was never about talent but it is and will always be about integrity. Parriker is perceived to be honest and down to earth. Defense Ministry or enemy top Ministry for tha matter requires 100% honesty considering the "cameras" that today surround everywhere, Modi won't risk a repeat of Bofors episode esp at a time when all his enemies are struggling and weaponless. Corruption killed Congress which is unlikely to make recovery any time soon, Mulayam's Akhilesh Govt is another Model of UPA#2 and his worst foes Nitish Kumar has now lost his most precious Armour "credibility" when he embraced Lalu aka "Jungle Raj", It was like the "turning point" of Mahabharata when Karna gives his "Kavach" and "Kundal" to Indra (disguised as a Brahmin). Another of his enemy Arvind Kejriwal committed suicide. Modi-Shah duo is likely rise even further considering it's exponential expansion in WB and comeback in UP. With this 2019 it can also be another "Abki bar" for Modi.
With Modi's limited intellect,he seems to be flailing more and working less.I think he is clueless in Delhi and therefore at short notices picks up a broom and starts cleaning the verandah like kamchor domestic help who wants to appear as if he is hard working while he is hardly working!
Nice article. But I think Aakar has missed one crucial thing which is affecting India like endemic is Corruption. I am sure even Pakistan is also suffering from this disease. All the ministers that Narendra Modi has selected so far have clean record. You look at CMs of Haryana and Maharashtra, they both have very clean record. And Mr Parikar is a gem of a person. Even being a CM of Goa, he used to ride on this scooter. He has got a crystal clear track record. The issue is that there are not many honest politicians around. So Modi is taking his time and he's cherry picking good guys. Now Advani may have a clean record but he's 85yrs old so what would he do atthis age. Modi is doing the right by picking comparatively young guys with clean record. Peace.
Mr. Aakar, Modi has in fact put one of the most talented TV actress as education minister. She does not know the difference between a degree and a attendance certificate.
@Rangoonwala: You know what sir , you Pakistanis are the biggest inspiration of Hindutvavadis.
One can only laugh at the claim that congress has more capable leaders. If you consider MMS, Chidamberam and Kapil Sibbal kind of leaders as capable then there is question about what these capable leaders have achieved in 10 years?
Thats the standard problem. Very rightly said by Aakar. Modi is a manager (shaka Pramuck), not a leader. PMship is where you have to take original decisions. Not somebody decides and you do it.
For leadership calls for 1. Deep knowledge about something. Modi does not have. At least he has not shown. 2. Integrity: Modi is a frequent liar. 3. Ability to gather people with opposite views. Prime example: Rajiv Gandhi. He had the best of people in the first 3 years. Then people like VP Singh, Arun Nehru etc left him. 4. Ability to gather relevant knowledge.
That is why he does not give interviews. He has to answer the 3rd and the 4th question on the same subject.
He comes out as illiterate when he says Mangalyaan is fully indigenous. And repeats it. In USA also. Its schoolboyish.
Lets not expect too much from him. At least he has been following UPA schemes like Aadhar, MGNREG, inflation control, WTO, etc
Seems like a article by an congressman
Good Analysis Mr. Patel. Except for one point... Varun Gandhi, who is ambitious and smart, and angling for more responsibility What is the basis on which you make this statement.
Another point of note is this is really detailed article about the internal politics of India. Not sure how many Pakistanis really care about such a level of detail on the internal workings of the Indian civil governance. But then again there are probably more Indian readers of Tribune than there are Pakistani ones :-)
The author says quote "In doing this work, he empowered a team of bureaucrats who handled the work of the ministries, undercutting the politicians who were the ministers." - what does the author want ... ? ... ineffective politicians, treating his ministry as his Zamindaari, wasting time and resources, or effective bureaucrats doing the same job efficiently under the PM's leadership ... ?
Contrary to his argument, India never lacked in policies, legislation, rules and regulations in the past 68 years ... where it floundered is effective implementation, which was marred in red tape and bureaucratic hurdles ... !!
As the author has so eloquently described :- A Hindutva policy of anger and resentment is the mainstay of Master Modi's Mission Statement To be part of Modi's cabinet, Modi's inner trusted circle, you must be a card carrying Hindutva ideologue. Sadly, a brilliant mind, stellar accomplishments are no guarantees of a job with Master Modi. These, will only make him suspicious. If your resume possesses stringent Hindutva activism, you will be welcomed with open arms and heartfelt smiles. Cloaked in a Babu and a Sarkar disguise. Master Modi is at heart, a dictator. The man absolutely does not trust ANYONE. Except a cadre of a select few. And if that results in blunders and mismanagement and dire repercussions, then so be it. An obvious weakness of the superstar PM Take Arun Jaitley. The man does not know whether to talk shekels, dollars, yuans rupees OR to talk tanks, attack fighter jets, salvaged rusting, obsolete World War 11 aircraft carriers. Resulting in costly and dangerous ramifications with Pakistan. At this point in time, the collective prayers of the World are seeking a reprieve, a salvation from the Vermilion Lord.
I do not know how effective BJP ministers will turn out to be but the Congress was known to appoint sycophants without any political base to all high positions to maintain the hold of the Gandhi family. India is hungry for change and it has vast talents that are all willing to serve Modi.
That is why the Congress with 200 seats had many more capable leaders than the BJP with 280......speechless.. you cant be that naive, so i assume that this was said as a sarcasm...else you dont deserve to be with this newspaper.
Aakar Patel thinks about Modi all the time, is it love? Whatever it, is its getting quite repetitive
That is why the Congress with 200 seats had many more capable leaders than the BJP with 280.
Is this Sarcasm?