Meera Sanyal: AAP’s useful idiot?
There is an interesting term that was perhaps coined by Lenin—‘useful idiots.’ It connoted the intellectuals who were seduced by the mendacious claims of communism and who sympathized with the ideology. Unaware of the real nature and goals of Bolshevism, these credulous grandees bestow considerable respectability on the political philosophy that was responsible for the death of over 100 million people. This is what made them idiotic, while their usefulness lay in promoting the vicious ideology. Evil, be it socialism or militant Islam, has meretricious charms, to which many well-meaning people fall. The latest victim could be CEO & chairperson of RBS India Meera H. Sanyal.
She could be the Aam Aadmi Party’s useful idiot because her own beliefs are poles apart from those of AAP’s. One of the principles that she cherishes, as per her website, is that one should prosper on the basis of one’s “own enterprise and hard work.” This is in consonance with classical liberalism. But it is astonishing that Sanyal chooses to ignore the AAP’s disdain for philosophy of liberty. Its Vision Document reeks of dirigisme, the antithesis of freedom. Further, party ideologue Yogendra Yadav has admitted that the AAP believes in socialism, and its two decisions, on free water and subsidized electricity, leave no doubt about its creed.
In a recent interview to Business Standard, she said,
I believe this [corporate bosses joining politics] is a very positive development. Up to very recently, politics in India was considered a dirty business—and therefore people with ideals, integrity, and competence eschewed it. India needs good leaders and honest and competent administrators—and we have several such talented people in the corporate sector. Their entry into politics is a very healthy and encouraging sign.
Inasmuch as attracting “people with ideals, integrity, and competence” to politics is concerned, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal deserves full marks. But the question is: what would these people do? She said, “I look forward to contributing to the formulation of AAP’s economic policy and manifesto.”
But this begs the question: contributing to what? It would be good if she is able to engender a paradigm shift in the AAP’s economic philosophy. The danger, however, is that she might end up like Nandan Nilekani: instead of bringing in corporate competence in governance, the former Infosys chief has become a key figure in establishing postmodern feudalism in the country. He has not helped to bring down the size of government—in fact, the paraphernalia under him has augmented the size and scope of government, and it is another drain on the exchequer. Worse, he is trying to perfect the system that would transmogrify a large section of citizens into serfs, perennially looking for succor from the state.
The AAP’s Vision Document, though silent on the specifics, gives enough indications that it would increase rather than decrease state intervention in the economy. “Privatization of this [water supply] is inhumane and unconstitutional.” Yet, Sanyal believes that the party’s “policies are pragmatic and favor enterprise and education, and focus on decentralized local governance and grass roots accountability.”
The AAP’s Vision Document also says, “Water, Forest, land and all natural resources should be under local custody. Natural resources of the country are national wealth. This should be used for the development of the population. It should not be used for private profit of individual companies.” This means bar on private sector participation in mining; in fact, taken to its logical conclusion, it would lead to the nationalization of private companies in the sector. But, in her website, Sanyal says,
An economy built on broad personal ownership and the freedom to make contracts, stimulates enterprise and initiative and encourages people to take responsibility. It is the economic model that provides the greatest space for people’s freedom and prosperity.
Like any decent citizen, Sanyal believes in the rule of law. Unfortunately, this is not shared by her party colleagues, including Kejriwal. He, Manish Sisodia, and Prashant Bhushan have campaigned for Binayak Sen, who has been convicted of helping the murderous Naxalites. Further, Kejriwal has been no different from other political parties when it comes to Muslim appeasement. He has questioned the Batla House encounter and sought an inquiry, despite the fact that the Supreme Court, the Delhi High Court, and the National Human Rights Commission did not find anything fake about the shootout. He also sought favor from the notorious cleric who had made a call for Taslima Nasrin’s death.
Such nefarious behavior obviously militates against a principle Sanyal believes in: “In the matter of religion the state should adopt the policy of dharma nirpekshta” or neutrality towards religion.”
In a nutshell, Kejriwal & Co. stand for everything Sanyal is opposed to. I hope against hope she is not indulging in self-deception. If she is, she would become a useful idiot. The only consolation in that case would be that she would be in the company of such personages as George Bernard Shaw, H.G. Wells, and Keynes.
May I encourage you to write an intelligent investigative work on the precarious relationship between the “intellectual or academic Bengali” and the Indian State, as well as the difficult and at times a bi-polar relationship between “Dravida politics and the Indian State” (apparent in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh). You may also want to look at the contradictions in “minority politics protesting against a majority elected government, while the same minority argues for ‘better democracy’.”
Bad mouthing Ms Sanyal, using poor language and not well thought through analysis, brings down your reputation. Try to be sophisticated and relevant. Or, be crude if you want…but still be relevant. This article does not provide a “relevant” link or analysis.
I can appreciate your critique of, or concern over, some of the contradictions in Ms.Sanyal’s statements or her weblogs. But I do believe calling Ms. Sanyal a “useful idiot” is crossing the line of objectivity and respect. Such a language reflects your arrogance, and your dangerous territory for stifling disagreements and free will. I think Ms Sanyal’s decision to join AAP is a bad decision, and she might regret that soon. But by constantly using rude, crude and impolite language against anyone who opposes your party or your position you are degrading and demeaning your “status as an objective fair fact-checked media” that also happens to be Hindu in its sensitivity or sensibility.
I would not call Ms Sanyal a useful idiot. I might call her a very useful tool or even a useful strategist….who might not help Socialism as much as Kejriwal. There are many non-AAP or non-Congress and even pro-BJP supporters who believe in free food, free water and good shelter as a human rights issue…that will bring in confidence, security and ultimately patriotism.
Once basics are well met over two or three generations one can promote hard work and sacrifice not for food and water…but for real advancement in science, technology and future growth. US does offer people free water and it is drinkable. It also offers food at a very subsidized rate. My one gallon of milk with some good bread, cheese, fruits and vegetables costs less in the US than in India. US is a capitalistic country. India is neither Capitalistic with appropriate regulations and laws, not is it truly Socialist. It is a country somewhere stuck or trapped in the middle, or in the boonies. I enjoy your newsletter, but this indecent labeing of an Indian woman, herself a Hindu (though she may not be practicing) makes you look like a “petty reactionary boyish newspaper”…Kindly do not develop such an image.
Mrs. Meera Sanyal is highly respectable, clever and down to earth woman & she ia international figure. Her choice of selecting AAP must be respected. In fact once I suggested my close friend that Meera would have been a right head for AAP so that party would have been more systematic and disciplined with definite and constructive agenda of the nation and she would have got tremendous support all over India. But to my surprise my friend got wield and justifying me how AK is 100 times better than her etc. I just ignored but none of his words ever affected my thinking.
Another opportunist. She stood as an independent…Lost, Now for MP…. will loose, then she will stand as a MLA in Mah. Assembly elections….. will loose, that will be the end of her political career. Not to be in a possession of a crystal ball and taking into account the theory of probabilities, even if she wins, she will leave the party …. there is nothing in common!!!!!
I have never read an author as stupid as this . He is a true example of stupidity . These type of people are bought by BJP to facilitate their propaganda of hatred .
FRT to FRT my humble observations – Lessons for BJP
I am writing this out of my sincere wish that someone like Narendar Modi must lead the country to great glory.
Take a note of Facts, Reality and Trends For Reaching the Throne.
“Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence.” – John Adams.
“We can evade reality, but we cannot evade the consequences of evading reality.”- Ayn Rand.
Trends are tornadoes which do not let you listen to other sounds nor can it allow other sounds to overpower it.
You cannot ignore facts or reality of the situation by living in an environment of just mutually admiring crowds or get cocooned in your traditional support bases or confine yourself to few intellectual debates and discussions inside the cozy air –conditioned rooms in Delhi or meaningless debates in TV channels.
You need to come out of your Ivory Tower syndrome and make a note of the following dangerous trends which propagate certain myths and establish certain facts for us to note.
They are and quiet obvious ones:-
Facts
Highly paid and professional team of foreign funded anti national NGOs [let us not assign religious color as that would be counterproductive] and Media persons are working overtime with some overseas agencies to project AAP as an alternative day in and day out through several media net works. Chief among them being the popular print media, television channels, frustrated leftist Marxist pests infesting our TV channels etc.
Reality
They engage in multipronged ways through
A] Very soft and very subtle, very convincing or hard to refute type of style of projecting as if AAP and Kejeriwal are a new found panacea.
B] AAP has a swelling mass of very powerful and criminalized power structure with strong grassroots level coordination and vigor because most of it is made of immature youth who have fallen prey to all hidden ways in which perception has been manufactured and new notions of reality forced on the people who are powerless, helpless, frustrated etc.
C] Constant monitoring to enforce and maintain strategically desired distorted divisions. The game that is being played is very dangerous.
.
Trends
A] 90% of the population still prefers passive consumption of whatever is dished out through some sick TV channels and highly corrupt polluted but popular print media and that creates a huge impact especially in areas where BJP has not been in power with CMs like MODI in Gujarat or Chauhan in Madya Pradesh or Parrikar in Goa who have all nullified this effect through concrete overall economic development. BJP need not worry about these areas but it areas like UP, Bihar, Karnataka, Punjap, Tamilnadu , Andra etc where BJP need to concentrate if it wants 272+
B] All sane people know that AAP besides its hidden agenda has no proven track record of governance nor are they capable of charting out a good plan of economic growth in tune with the progress of 21st century with their fanatical admiration of 18th century ideology of failed Leninist –Marxist- Indian brand of Left which needs to kept only in the attic of a museum. But these sane people hardly form 3% of the population and out of this only 1% will vote the rest will only talk or write.
What can BJP do now?
I do not want to narrate many suggestions falling on deaf ears within BJP and resort to blame game now.
All the more now as it is too late even to change the trends, too fallacious to feign that facts do not exist and too risky to refuse to acknowledge reality.
To do and keep harping on these:-
A] Whenever anyone from BJP gets any question about AAP make it a party policy to refuse to discuss about AAP brushing it aside as a benami outfit of Congress to split anti congress votes as congress did with sponsoring Chiranjeevi’s Prajha Rajyam in Andra and similar such outfits in many states.
B] Attack Kejeriwals credentials on these lines.
One his political sloganeering is devoid of any real action.
Has his party filed any case against any corrupt politician of congress so for and exposed them whereas Dr. Subramanya Swamy has done so in many cases.
C] Kejeriwal declared he had 300 + pages of documents to prosecute Sheila Dikshit where have they disappeared and for what amount or for considerations?
D] What about Kejeriwal himself? Isn’t he prima facie corrupt?
Arvind kejeriwal being an IRS cadre did not attend his duties for 4 years without notice and worked for some NGO got some big awards. He accepted the crime and paid the penalty of some lakhs as stipulated by law and on top of it getting pension for that non attendance and who is he to talk of corruption. Isn’t the corruption enough?
E] Is it not corruption to use funds collected for Anna Hazare movement for promoting his political career?
F] Is it not corruption to use people from Anna Hazare movement for his political party when Anna was against formation of any political outfit?
Nothing new
A] Nehru misused Gandhi’s collective anti colonial sentiments of the people [though Gandhi wanted to dismantle the congress after Independence] and used it as a platform to perpetuate his family rule in the country and spoiled its economic growth and development. Incidentally Gandhi never held any post.
B] EVR in Tamil Nadu launched a movement which was misused by some elements and they have grown and perpetuated their rule. Incidentally EVR never held any post.
C] Anna Hazare started a movement with good intentions and never wanted anyone to convert it into a political movement and despite that the opportunistic Arvind Kejerwal misused the funds and folks associated with the movement, aided by secessionist elements and funded by congress and foreign powers through NGOs and much publicized by the paid media persons, launched a political outfit and perched himself as a messiah of breathing and brining newness into Indian politics. Incidentally Anna Hazare is not holding any post politically.
All these do’s must be printed as pamphlets in different languages to expose the AAP’s hidden agenda and distributed door to door in all villages across the country and also spread through social media.
Romance of words raped and killed by politicians and media.
Why do you find fault with AAP and CONG?
1] As a polyglot I witness with glee the grand strides a word takes, because of the suppleness and substantial survival value, in the course of its evolution acquiring a carapace of connotations.
2] This makes sincere preachers, philosophers and scientist to spend reams and reams of paper or lot of time in first ‘defining’ the meaning of the word through which what they are trying to say or want to say or communicate.
3] Very often these connotations also feed a profession which thrives on camouflaging and cleverly interpreting or manipulating cases through verbal diarrhea?
4] Words sometimes carry within it some affinity to its etymological root; sometimes it gets exalted due to the deft handling of it by great writers, philosophers , linguists etc; sometimes it gets struck up in some vital context; sometimes it also act as the very fulcrum of certain contexts; sometimes it unfolds hitherto unraveled different dimensions of its original meaning; sometimes it exquisitely spreads its wings to fly and catch the subtle nuances which bring out the various facets of its overall splendor ; sometimes it embellishes and establishes through experiences or thoughts newer meanings; sometimes a newer connotation gets added to the word in its journey through how it is perceived by socio cultural acceptance and assimilation; sometimes it establishes its life because of its relationship to some other words or as a part of a popular idiom or phrase; sometimes it keeps modifying itself aesthetically to survive or supplement some specific situation; sometimes it unshackles its fetters and acquires several new meanings totally disconnected from its original DNA to sustain the life of something else whose survival/life it is supposed to enhance and expand beyond recognition of both its own original identity and that of what it refers to and in the process getting totally delinked from its very root [ as in the case of the word ‘religion’]; sometimes its plasticity is optimally used to refer to a multitude of emotions, feelings, situations etc some of which could be even totally contradictory; sometimes its elastically expands to give space in its womb to give birth to new jargons or new idioms or phrases; sometimes it gets married to some other word/s and in its proliferation of love lives to copulate and cohabit with a stranger quiet oblivious of its own identity in that romantic movement.
5] But sometimes because of her innocent, pleasant and hospitable nature she is abused and raped by sloganeering ideologists [who seek to establish some ‘ism’ misusing her], publicity peddlers, propaganda pushers, religious zealots, mass opinion molders, brainwashing brigands, scandal mongering media mafia, political manipulators etc.
7] I wanted to write in detail the story of life of words in general but for want of time and to focus in present context I am confining to certain specific words and the circus ring in which they are made to obey the ring master [the politician ] and the whip at his disposal [the media].
8] The Indian political class along with an aiding abetting media have already abused and distorted the meaning of the word ‘Secularism’ beyond any sane recognition and they have now decided to do the same to the word ‘Corruption’. What else could it be when Rahul Gandhi says he wants fight against corruption? And Arvind kejeriwal, who did not attend work as an employed IRS cadre and is aligning with congress, says he wants to fight corruption.
9] Through populist schemes of freebees and unreasonable entitlement you paralyze the nation’s economy which is otherwise to be developed through education and employment generating activities [and the worst part is to do this you bleed the educated youth and middle class through multiple taxes and price rise].
10] Through parochial, prejudiced and puerile definitions you putrefy the cultural fabric of the society which has been holding people together even without institutional control and thus destroy national unity by creating divisions among people.
11] Through constant propaganda by abusing and misusing words and sloganeering and resorting to blind labeling you petrify human thinking and thereby suppress their mental development.
12] Finally you ensure people are kept constantly busy struggling for their survival materially and striving for a social unity and they are castrated of their independent thinking through manipulating vocabulary which is purposefully mutilated beyond recognition and thus majority are prevented from even thinking otherwise and the whole media is a big culprit in this strategy of frenzied sabotage involving a treble murder of material, social and psychological growth.
13] History is replete with many examples of how many empires, dictators, megalomaniacs, a former super power [USSR] and even some recent democracies collapsing into utter chaos and catastrophe socially, economically and psychologically. [Argentina- Swaminathan Gurumurthy | Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/SGurumurthy.Official A case study on Rise and Fall of Nations (Argentina and India) … Largely forgotten today is the fact that earlier in this century, Argentina was the fourth richest].
15] In India the AAP and CONG combine with a selected media houses are engaged in this activity.
Let us all at least remember the wisdom of common sense that says prevention is better than cure.
An old fashioned background check , the Royal Bank of Scotland and its international doings and undoings case could have been more helpful.
Indiafacts, please do a detailed piece on whether the Ford Foundation is encouraging dissent in India to the point of anarchy. I believe they are because the US can’t digest Modi who will not be kind to American machinations.
Methinks, she imagines herself to be stupenduous, much like the mediocre Bengali film director and hyperactive, socialite actress, Aparna Sen. Their twin weaknesses are for the genocidal Maoists (cf. Prof. Frank Dikotter) and the vile Islamists. Actually, the resentful educated Bengali abhors the Indian Union and the anti-national brother of Subhash Bose, the opinionated Sarat, had wished for an independent Bengal, outside India. It was to become a temporary Bose family fief, denied all of India to lord over. But it would be a statelet that would be abandoned to Islam rather than subjected to the hated tutelage of north Indians. Meera darling, in addition to being from this foul political stable, is also an ambitious political entreprenuer, plain and simple. Dumbly misunderstaning the dangerous AAP, no, self-seeking yes!
Yes, indeed! Ms Sanyal has not been misled. She knows well what AAP stands for. She has fallen for no idealism of intelligent experienced business leaders contributing to nation building. She is in it for the opportunity she sees for herself of becoming a holder of political power at a quick pace even if Indian hopes are grind into dust in the process!
No, they are not useful idiots but there are many like her the Jekyll and Hyde with a healthy public view and a filthy private ambition that is quiet contrary and most of the Indian bureaucrats fall in this category. They will brush off killing of 100 of innocent citizens as inevitable collateral damage but if you take a small needle near any of their near and dear ones then they will start a huge human rights campaign. The left over left from Bengal , the notorious Naxals and the militant Maoists have all combined into a Marxist mafia and conspired to use the media. The beauty of this Indian Marxist left is that it is a poisonous decoction getting funded by some vested interest groups from non scocialist and non communist countries and organizations which can create selective damage to India’s economic growth [that’s why this group seeks to collaborate with agitators of Kudankulam nuclear project but have never expressed any opinion about Indo-US nuclear deal] and push us commercially backward by another few decades because US also does not want two highly populated,educated youth filled powerful economies in Asia,namely China and India
Liked this “healthy public view and a filthy private ambition”. That’s what few people are when they say ‘I don’t support any political party’!!!
this is precisely what this present bunch of AAPians were saying posing as if thye had a healthy contempt for every politicians but ultimately revealing their own hidden agenda to emerge as a benami congressmen
Its really interesting to see stupid remarks like “Evil, be it socialism…” , where our constitution adopts socialism in its preamble and directive principles. Author should have read political fundamentals well before coming up with this kind of low article. I am not an AAP supporter, but the way author puts, he doesn’t understand the difference between socialism , communism and Naxalism. India envisions socialist society as per constitution and planning commission objectives. Read and then write, don’t throw ur prejudices under cover of ignorance of political fundamentals.
@Excel Pathetic comment that our constitution adopts socialism and hence socialism is not evil! Unless one is living under a rock or is born with thinking disability, it is impossible to miss that all socialist countries have failed. A rude reply is not desirable, but less so is silence on such comments
yes you are right
Dear Sir,
The problem with right wing fanatics is that they are not even ready to accept what is written in constitution. That is why you end up justifying the comments of Jairam Ramesh when he calls Modi “Fascist”, although I don’t endorse his view. But Please respect constitution and read about freedom movement before judging why great men like B.R Ambedkar adopted socialism for Indian society. Even greatest of Indian revolutionaries like Bhagat Singh, Azad (Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA)) and Bose were staunch socialists.,,I request you not to disregard their vision. After all , right wings fanatics always used Bhagat Singh’s name against Congress, so respect it.
Dearest Excel, socialism becomes helpful only when it is a mental construct rather than an economic one. the one that is inserted in the constitution at the behest of the Marxists is the economic one propounded by those who had no idea of the eastern culture where far greater equitable constructs were practised in everyday lives. for instance the rule of renunciation which advocated that one even give up what he/she has for the sake of others. the problem with India are the western educated self styled scholars (don’t know whether you too is one) for whom anything indian is primitive and crude. and what makes you jump to the conclusion that all those who speak against it are right wing fanatics?? by your logic, its supporters should be left wing maoists.
Very well said.
Excel ji, it appears the great “socialist” torch-bearer Indira Gandhin injected the word “socialism” in our Constitution’s preamble –> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forty-second_Amendment_of_the_Constitution_of_India And maybe we should judge a particular ideology based on the results it has delivered on the ground, irrespective of the people who advocate it….or is that just right-wing fanatical thinking for you?
@VT Badari. firstly you dont know the differentiation between socialism and communism so get your basics right, did you know that the Labour party in Britain is also a socialist party and there are many other socialist parties in EU and the world without the countries failing. Secondly while the policy of water and electricity is not what i agree to, in India water Cannot be privatised when there is a crisis all around us. Blatant crony capitalism is very harmful as seen from the financial crisis and even in UK and US the prime financial markets is moving towards greatehis fact has been acknowledged by tr market regulation. Further three of the natural resources you mentioned, land should still define how the land distribution system works which faces huge chances of corruption and forceful land grabs without adequate compensation with state help and the Supreme Court of India
@Bihar@89 I have just one doubt. If as you say there are many successful socialist parties across the globe, why can’t any of them see eye to eye with the other? why can’t Indian socialists borrow the uk socialist model or uk borrow the french socialist model? the economies of all these “socialist” EU countries were competing to get the Indian contract for the fighter jets (MMRCA) so that their people atleast get jobs. why? India had a healthy culture of private and public enterprise co-existing. but western influences destroyed everything indigenous and planted some half baked systems on us.
why is the Ford foundation suddenly taking so much interest in India. Is someone cultivating Kejriwal to ensure that no partyall India will get is a hotch ptch Look at its director board. N R Narayanamurthy is a member of the board of trustees and he is soft on AAP. what’s the link? any guesses anyone??
Ignoramus Communist countries ae a failure. Know the difference between socialist and communist. Rather Democratic socialist.
Most rich European countries are democratic socialist and there is no poverty there.
Sweden is the best example. Their famous pop starts like ABBA member still lead a very simple life. No living in extravagant bungalows like their less talented American and Indian counterparts.
Socialism simply means caring for society as a whole
This is an amazing video http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-april-21-2009/the-stockholm-syndrome-pt–1
(sarcasm Alerts its from a comedy show so don’t take it literally )