Early in the morning, well not so early in the morning, I saw this cartoon in The Times of India. This got the cogwheels of my though process churning at full speed.Sitting on my throne, read the pot, enhanced my thinking capabilities (this is the reason why I always read newspaper in the loo). Are these netas really serious about this austerity crap? Or rather, will this I-travel-economy-class rhetoric help our economy in any way?
I am sceptical about this. And I have my reasons.
Lets sample this news piece from ibnlive :
The Congress-led UPA Government is on an austerity drive. UPA chief Sonia Gandhi flew down to Mumbai on an Air India flight and traveled in Economy class. But add to the expenses, the costs of fares for five rows reserved for the security personnel and the three SUVs flown down to Mumbai by another aircraft at the cost of rupees three lakh.
Sonia Gandhi’s status of ‘the most guarded VIP in Delhi’ necessitated that she travels with security personnel. The total expenses of the economy class travel with 15 seats in all were Rs 55,000 compared to the travel in business class with six security personnel at the cost of Rs 62,000. The savings were a mere Rs 7,000.
This is some real saving, huh!!Anyways, I looked up the Internet and found out the meaning of austerity:
the trait of great self-denial (especially refraining from worldly pleasures)
Hmmmm... so the netas are going to give up their worldly pleasures. Wonder what will the Mallayas and Ambanis think of that.
In a country where we spend some 500 Crores a year just to let 545 bozos have fun in a big round building, I don't think we can talk of austerity. If these netas want to utilize our money better, they need to show results. We, the people, would be ecstatic if the netas save money for millions of people by governing well, allocating money properly and avoiding wastage.
To show these token reduction of costs by travelling economy is bullshit. BTW, did you hear? Rahul Gandhi has taken a train to travel to Ludhiyana. Wonder what bogey did he sit in. For the sake of all the poor passengers, I hope he didn't get on the second class compartment.
P.S. I just found out that the Shatabdi Rahul took was pelted with stones. Though Rahul was unhurt but this caused a major security concern for the normal people on the train. People who paid from their pockets and not from the deep pockets of the government machinery.
16 Comments:
so true..
shilpa
i completely agree...this austerity thing is a gimmick to act good and show down-to-earth nature of these politicians...
damn, they play politics in almost everything now...in name of austerity, poverty etc etc...
@Shilpa
:)
@Rahul
And the worst part is that they want us to believe in them.
true hey!!!
This is my take on the subject(from my blog)
Nation’s Shame
Is it not a nation’s shame that two of the high ranking union ministers had to be reprimanded by their high command to vacate the five star hotels where they were staying for 100 days and to shift to government bungalows as an austerity measures in view of the time country is reeling under economic recession and draught like situation. While one minister clarifies that he is footing the bill from his pocket, the other one is diplomatically telling that he has made his own ‘private arrangement’. Now it is for him to clarify what does this private arrangement means? Definitely it does not mean ‘from one’s own pocket’.
But the question is why in the first place these learned ministers and Member of Parliament needs directions time and again from higher ups to behave or to project simplicity? In fact, nowadays High Courts & Supreme Court is stepping in to give directions to the civic authorities and the governments to act in a particular faishon.Why do such people need directions and support all the time when there is a drought or panic situations. Does this mean that during other times, one is free to display and live with extravagances?
Than, there is a news about two ex- Jharkhand cabinet ministers (during 2006-08) who are now in judicial custody having non taxable income on paper but have business concerns, mines, real estate companies and hotels in Singapore, Dubai, Indonesia and Thailand.
Other kinds of politicians includes local corporators who keep going on foreign jaunts to Singapore, Dubai or China on so called Study tours at the tax payer’s expenses. Each one of them wants to make their city or town to be model city like Singapore or Dubai but ends up with a fat bank balance of their own in India or abroad.
A large number of Government servants (aptly called Babus) have fallen in to the trap of ‘Lokayukta’ for corrupt practices and for having assets beyond their means but all these disclosures have remained headlines of newspapers but nothing has moved beyond. Not a single babu appears to have been punished or jailed till now. Oh yes, these babus and politicians when caught pretend to get chest pain and get themselves admitted to a hospital!
The common man is just left behind to fend with high voltage political jargons like ‘Garibi Hatao’, ‘India Shining’ or ‘Aam Admi ke liye’ etc etc. The age old fanda ‘Simple living, high thinking’ is no more valid. There is no place for any ‘Introspection’ for them anywhere, whether you live or die!
....Let's see for how long they keep up the austerity drama.....
...PNA
@Ayyangar Sir
I totally second your thoughts on the politicians.
@PNA
Do you still have the patience to wait for them to show their true colors?
matter is honest but the thought one cant say..your own it is.
think again we always have a subject whenever a step is forwarded by any government,
i think we have to give time to politicians too.. after all this is also the step towards nations benefit
however it is small enough but good it is.
and development,progress is on so high levels for an entire nation that they can't be imagined under days limit, it also take time..
Rahul gandhi actually saved Rs 445 by travelling in train!! :p Some great savings!!
http://vu-point.blogspot.com/2009/09/why-this-great-austerity-show-off.html
@Roopam
I am ready to give time to these politicians. But not for these comic capers. What the hell are they trying to prove by this whole media circus. And remember, these are the same politicians who scoffed at Laloo when he went on a cycle - rickshaw to file in his nomination. His gimmick that day is being tranformed with more grandiose today.
Let the politicians say that give us some time, we will get the development work completed in this time frame. I am ready to give them a hundred years but not for this bullshit.
@Sanchit
That Rs. 445 cost some thousands for the railways to mend the broken windows.
bade log bade vichaar....
politicians rocckk!!
@RSV
:D
See this type gimicks works in India So you Rahul Gandhi going and spending time in huts or working in fields with Reebok shoes :D ... as the song says "It happens only in India"....with no other issues they want turn to a new gimmick..
@Dhiman
True. Gimmicks bring them the media frenzy and cheap publicity. But what about us citizen, we should have a say in their theatrics too.
Sonia Gandhi and her son have so much confidence that will lose in their future elections that they are taking part in such cheapo gimmicks!
All we can say is, better luck next time!
Btw, the plane in which Sonia Gandhi is travelling doesn't need an air-hostess, as she is one by profession hence minus the charge of one air hostess dude!
Cheers!
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