Rise, Challenges, and Decline of the New Class of Politicians
Origins of a New Class: One need not be a Kautilya or a Marxist to understand that in all human societies, there has always been a class of active members of the community that dominated the other members and enjoyed some privileges, prerogatives and advantages because of their power and wealth. From priestly elites to monarchs, aristocrats and merchants, different classes have directed the affairs of state. The governance activities of the state are called ― politica‖ by the Greeks and the term politician later came to describe those who are…
How to Redeem Ourselves from a Curse: Constructive Approach to the Caste Census
I. Caste Consciousness Remains a Curse for the Emerging Open Society Since Gandhiji’s return to India, i.e., for the past 90 years, we have been fighting to liberate India from the clutches of the caste consciousness. Under his leadership, the crusade was largely led at that time by upper-caste Hindus and the elite in other religions. The founders of the Constitution aimed to bring equality in dignity and provide equal opportunities for all residents in their social, economic, and cultural relations. But, they proposed ten years of affirmative…
How to Improve Communication between the Civil Society and Media
Dr Rao VBJ Chelikani How can communication between the media and civil society organisations, including the Resident Welfare Associations be improved? Relations between these two entities is being debated worldwide, but we might say that the situation is worsening in India, since successive governments have been showing incremental authoritarian tendencies. Further journalism as a profession is in crisis. As N. Ram, former Editor-in-Chief, the Hindu said in Kozhikode in his lecture in memory of M.R. Veerendra Kumar, former MD of ‘Mathrubhumi’…
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India has to be a Pacifying State, Internally and Externally
Rao V. B. J. Chelikani I. The State is for the People: When Sir Arcot Ramaswamy Mudaliar on behalf of India, along with 49 other countries signed the Charter and joined the United Nations Organisation on June 26, 1945, in San Francisco, USA, a new world order was born with the promise of lasting peace among the states. It is an appeal for ―a general international organization, based on the principle sovereign equality of all nations.‖ Since then, there are now 193 states that claim to adhere to the UN Charter. It is a declared realization t…
India should have a New Policy of External Relations
Dr.Rao VBJ Chelikani The Global Risks Report presented before the World Economic Forum at Davos-25 identifies the state-based armed conflict as one of the five risks that require immediate attention. The realpolitik approach of conducting diplomatic or political negotiations with other states is based traditionally on the assumption that each state should pursue "strategic autonomy" to satisfy its own national interests exclusively. That was how marriages were arranged among the royal families in the past. No wonder, the current PO…
Foreign Policy should Necessarily Improve Relations between the Peoples
Dr Rao VBJ Chelikani At present, foreign policy is understood as a government's relations with other states through diplomats designated and installed abroad at high cost to keep the states friendly. The assumption is that each state acts in its best interests, and the job of the diplomats is to negotiate to convince the other states that it is not against their interests. In the course of time, out of experience, each state lists the friendly states, enemy states, and states that are enemies of enemy states. These diplomatic relations a…
An Appeal to the Conscience of the Indian Citizens
Dr. Rao V.B.J. Chelikani Today, the states and their governments are playing havoc in the world, bringing it to the brink of a nuclear explosion in chain, which would threaten the very existence of the human species from the planet. Even without waiting for the day of total destruction, every day, the states are attacking other states causing immense human suffering and destruction as we see in Ukraine, Gaza, Syria, Myanmar, Sudan, etc. It is not for the people implicated but for the grandeur of the states and its operators. More and more sop…
Emerging Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs)
Dr Rao VBJ Chelikani It is a fact that more and more Indians are living in urban areas, mostly in Colony Welfare Associations, apartment buildings and Gated Communities. They are a hard-working middleclass forming self-governing micro-urban communities and manage themselves to increase their standard of living. They strive to be more and more productive and are maintaining a growth rate of our economy, year after year. The municipalities in which they live are receiving good revenue as property tax. They pay all kinds of direct and indirect ta…
RWA Mission Statement
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