What are the priorities that lie before the new government that comes to power in Karnataka? What can the common man expect - better governance, political stability or more jobs? Can the new govt bridge the Bangalore vs rest-of-Karnataka debate?
In order to get an answer to all these questions and more, IBNLive.com organised an online chat with Ramesh Venkateswaran, Director, SDM Institute for Management Development, Mysore.
Here we reproduce the full text of the chat.
Rama: I feel that new govt should make locals feel happy and Kannadigas should get due respect in Karnataka. What’s your take on it?
Ramesh Venkateswaran: Without doubt local people must be acknowledged and respected in their respective states. The greatness of India has been our ability to accept people from all over the world and across various cultures. In fact another greatness has been that these people from across cultures in our country have accepted our ways of life and have been absorbed in the mainstream of India. This is a strength that not many people can boast of and we must take full advantage of it. Cross-fertilisation of ideas and philosophies are important for growth and development and thus I believe that across the country we must encourage the live and let live approach. I am sure many of us Indians are not happy when the US or other countries put caps on visas, restrict work permits for Indians etc. Should we do it for our own people? We will lose out on the essence of the rich culture and heritage that is India.
Ravi D: Why is Karnataka not able to develop fully? Why is Bangalore only developing? Why is there no industry (manufacturing and IT) outside Bangalore?
Ramesh Venkateswaran: I think this is about the larger policy and vision of a government. There are so many small places in the country that have developed because of initiatives taken by various governments. It does call for long-term vision and planning and of course the need to invest in the long term.
Gehna: What is your opinion about the new government and how positive are you about this government bringing a positive outlook for the current education sector?
Ramesh Venkateswaran: I have no opinion of the new government since it has not come in! A lot of what the new government will bring in will depend on the kind of position they have - the extent of majority they enjoy etc. Karnataka has the good fortune of having some excellent educational institutions. We must cash in on these - by getting better infrastructure and also ensuring adequate checks and balances to ensure that people get good quality education at all levels.
Aamitk: Should we not expect the next govt to connect Mysore with Bangalore with a new age mode of transportation, for example the speed train?
Ramesh Venkateswaran: Aamit, the government has been talking of an expressway – it’s taking years. We should first look at a very planned development map for Mysore - education, research, IT, tourism etc. When this happens the speed train corridor will make sense.
Sridhar: Hi Sir, am an ex-SDMIMD guy. Just wondering what will be the situation if JDS gets 30 odd seats with no political formation getting majority. I want your comments on infrastructure, Bangalore dream and the overall importance of Karnataka in Indian political scenario.
Ramesh Venkateswaran: Dear Sridhar, the issue is not only about JDS getting 30 odd seats but about any party getting a majority. All indications are that this will not happen. Going by the past record of coalition governments in Karnataka, it will be unfortunate for Karnataka if we do not get a majority government. We have seen the state of infrastructure and development in the last few years - flyovers, Metro, BIAL , NICE corridor , power etc. I think we need to seriously take stock of these factors - we are not only losing out within the country. More importantly we are losing out in the international race - this will indeed be unfortunate considering the tremendous way in which Karnataka and Bangalore made an impact in the world. Bangalore should not get Bangalored!
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Deepak: What is the best and efficient way to bridge the gap between Bangalore and other cities?
Ramesh Venkateswaran: Karnataka has the good fortune of having many parts of the state that can support various kinds of industry. One way to bridge the gap, therefore, is to encourage and give incentives on development in other parts of the state. We have proven our intellectual capabilities in the IT and research field in Bangalore. This can easily be taken to other parts of the state - to allow for all-round development in the state.
Gehna: Are there any new educational reforms expected with the current government , which could be a turnaround for the education sector?
Ramesh Venkateswaran: Not sure what you mean by educational reforms. I believe the government should establish Karnataka for high quality and reliable education at all levels and across the state. Which means more accountability and guarantee that educational institutions are delivering value to the students at all times.
Ganesh S Kudva: Will there be a coalition govt in the future? Will Karnataka get a stable govt during this elections? Do you support regional parties?
Ramesh Venkateswaran: By all accounts we seem to be heading for a coalition government. We have some idea of how such coalitions have worked in the country these last few years. I see that strong regional parties can work well if they have clear visions of what they want to do and demonstrate action to the people.
Ranganathan: Who will get majority in Karnataka polls and will the Cauvery problem be solved after a government formation?
Ramesh Venkateswaran: Good question. I need a crystal ball to answer this question. Your guess will be as good as mine. The Cauvery issue like many other inter state / inter country matters would require tremendous political will on the part of all concerned to look at the larger interests of people without being limited to boundaries and maps. Do we have this anywhere in the world? If we could achieve this, the world would be a great place to live in, would it not?
Jay: Why don’t we have the right to vote saying "I definitely don’t want this guy’s party to come into power"? This is a democracy, right? But, I guess our systems are so corrupt that we will create further confusion and violence by doing something like that.
Ramesh Venkateswaran: Democracy is about exercising your right to choose. When we vote for someone, we are, in fact, saying we do not want the others. I guess we have to acknowledge the right of others to vote for whom they want however much we may disagree with them. That is democracy!
Aamitk: Mysore is a beautiful city. Will the next govt promote it as a tourist destination?
Ramesh Venkateswaran: Yes, Mysore is a truly awesome city. The local government is doing a bit to promote tourism. But not enough. Mysore can truly be a world-class tourist destination and generate substantial income and employment for the local people.
S.V.Padmanabhan: Do you expect a verdict in favour of a single party? If not, how can a multi-party govt. provide all-inclusive growth? Is there hope for Karnataka? Or for the country which has witnessed failure of UPA on most major issues?
Ramesh Venkateswaran: Much as one would like to see a single-party government, all polls and opinions point to the fact that this will not happen. It seems clear that as long as we have alliances, they will be marriages of convenience and parties will spend a large part of their energy in maintaining this relationship and may not have much time to devote to the development of the state. I still believe that focusing on the strengths of Karnataka - education, IT and research-based industry, tourism - these are very strong areas that can drive Karnataka to the top of the charts as a state. We have natural advantages - any government that comes to power should have some people devoted to these areas so that the state does not suffer.
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Siddharth Krishnan: Sir, Have two questions to ask: 1) Politicians standing for this election - seem to be no different - they are barely intellectuals, propagate populist measures and still practice 'Power-Money' politics. For a state suffering corruption, red-tapism, scarce infrastructure, imbalance regional growth - we need more selfless politicians! One cannot blame them, cause selflessness as a virtue is uncommon. How does one incentivise them to work for the state? 2) In the recent past, we have had elections coming every 4th year. For any government to formulate its policies, to plan. execute and implement them till the grass-root level, it would take some time. Further to which to reap the results of the same takes even longer, by the time its tenure has ended. Which ironically means that the next govt reaps the benefit of the predecessor's efforts. For instance, we are probably reaping the benefits of liberalisation (1991) today!!!! As a ruling party - knowing this, what is my incentive to plan something visionary for the people of my state?
Ramesh Venkateswaran: Q 1 : We see changes taking place in the country over the years - though not as fast as we may want . Unless we get more people from the masses, with a passion and zeal to work for the larger good of people we do have an issue. More education, increased levels of awareness and of course economic independence are factors that will help. Q2: The issue you raise is not unique to Karnataka or the country. This exists in almost all countries of democracy. Part of the answer lies in Q 1 - getting the right kind of people with the right motivation. Various countries across the world have done well on this count.
Ravi: Has the mood in the state moved from a 'versus' debate (Urban-Rural, IT-non IT, Kannadigas-Outsiders, Infrastructure for the elite- Basic services for the poor, etc.) to a truly inclusive stance that allows for reasoned debate and best outcomes for all?
Ramesh Venkateswaran: I am not sure that we have moved from a versus debate yet. I think the political system and the citizens should definitely focus on an all-inclusive stance for the long-term benefit of all people in the state. The versus debate is taking away energy and preventing Karnataka from reaching its true potential.
Umesh Murthy: Will we get a single party government in Karnataka? If yes, do you think they will keep up the promises?
Ramesh Venkateswaran: The way current opinion polls go it appears very unlikely that we will get a single-party government . Most of us will be praying for a miracle! A single-party government will be in a better position to honour promises made and be citizen friendly.
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