FROM THE EDITOR
The February – March
issues of Power Politics,
devoted to the country's
most critical challenge
of Good Governance on
the occasion of our
magazine's 10th Anniversary, were
prompted by our deep concern for
the state of the Nation. Our
concern is not merely confined to
murky politics in Lutyen's New
Delhi, in Parliament and outside of
it. We are particularly concerned
about the lack of right focus of the
ruling elite on the people's
manifold problems which affect
their day-to- day life, from the
grassroots upwards.
Good governance is not a matter
of rhetoric or misleading promises
by leaders. It is a serious business of
creating a transparent and
accountable administrative and
functional system to meet the
people's rising expectations. This
demands a flexible and responsive
mechanism, not for the benefit
of the rich and the mighty but
for common citizens, the poor
and underprivileged sections of
society. This is the area where
our system and those at its helm
have failed.
The February cover of Power
Politics had its own value and
significance. Drawing from our
ancient scriptures, Dr Murli
Manohar Joshi provided our rulers
an insight into Rajdharma on how
they ought to conduct themselves
and ensure the freedom of
expression and participation in
discussions on important matters
related to the affairs of a
democratic state. Our focus was on
wide-ranging issues of public
health, the quality of leadership and deteriorating public discourses,
dirty politics, misplaced zeal for
demonetization, the absence of
human touch at the grassroots,
judicial dharma, divisive forces,
crimes against women, Triple
Talaq, Muslim youth, national
security and foreign policy. We
recalled how Mahatma Gandhi's
mass focus generated awareness on
national issues across the country
during our freedom struggle.
We have already spelt
out how the ruler has
to conduct on the
chessboard of power.
Be that as it may.
Good governance
demands a
transparent and
accountable system
which can checkmate
high-profile frauds
and scams at all levels
of State functioning.
The Arathashastra says that the
king alone cannot run the state. He
has to be guided by the learned and
the wise and right type of advisors,
counselors and ministers. Kautilya
states that an ever vigilant loyal and
devoted team would keep the
treasury full. Ironically, today's
system is tilted in favour of the rich
and the mighty who gain at the cost
of honest tax payers. Hence we
have had multi-billion banking
scams.
Amidst the past and present
scams-cum-frauds ridden
chessboard of power, the March
cover of Power Politics tries to
depict the power setting of a King
(ruler) only with the pawns who
represent ordinary men and women
attempting to move across the
board of life.
We have already spelt out how
the ruler has to conduct on the
chessboard of power. Be that as it
may. Good governance demands a
transparent and accountable
system which can checkmate highprofile
frauds and scams at all levels
of State functioning.
Mercifully, Indian democracy is
vibrant. It has to be strengthened by
empowering the pawns--the poor,
the have-nots, tribals and
minorities, left behind in the 71
years of the nation's forward march.
