When will something happen, isn't the first question anyone would ask. Much before you ask the when question, you should have asked the what question. So what are we talking about? Acche din. The battle cry that the current Indian prime minister is often trolled on. Roughly translated, it means - Good day. So was it a biscuit, as the expression goes in Kannada? India is definitely going to need a lot more political will for the country to begin seeing any Acche din.
To the uninitiated, this was a phrase used by the current ruling party before they came to power. What was being implied is that better days were coming for India... if there was a leadership change. And there was a change. But did the better days happen? But nobody really defined what they meant by Acche din. Without being skeptical, let me tell you what Acche din means to me. And you can add what it means to you in the comments below. And believe me, many of these should not have taken more than a single term in office. 5 years is a long time. At least enough to show intent.
All Kinds of Reservation: Groaning at the top of the list. On one hand, we educate the best minds in the world and pack them off to western countries. And on the other, we fill our rank and file with misfits who continue to get in because they were born in a particular caste. 3 to 5 generations have passed through this system which has outlived any utility it was supposed to have achieved. It seems to make the 'reserved' more dependent on the system, while the 'deserved' suffer. And yet we cling on to vote bank politics. If there was ever a 56-inch chest, most of us would have hoped to see it in action here. Get rid of the reservation system. Stop encouraging communities en masse, from competing among themselves - on being called backward! Let merit be the only criteria for selection. That would be Acche din. Not our Achilles heel.
The right of Life over a right of way: They come with folded hands when it's time to seek votes. The position - public servants. But after they get to power, the servants become kings. And the whole world is inconvenienced when they move around in the city. And on the other hand, every struggling soul in an ambulance is playing a game of Russian roulette with the traffic.
Acche din for me would be when our public servants use public transport to move around without inconveniencing the people they are supposed to serve. Why is their time more important than mine? What happened to equal treatment? The same attention that the cops pay for the movement of a politician - should be paid to the movement of an ambulance. In fact more. Creating corridors so life an be saved. Not to get an always late politician make everyone else who would have been on time - late! Get your priorities right. People would be willing to wait if the police had the same coordination made for an ambulance. After all, like the tire company ad goes, the streets are indeed filled with idiots. Let our dear netas use public transport and understand the pain of the people. That would be Acche Din.
Taxes: I've cribbed about this enough in Why taxpayers in India need Burnol Today, taxpayers don't get anything more than those who don't pay taxes - even though many of them get the same levels of income. Instead of doling out loan waivers, try to increase the tax net. And like I've explained in the link above, try to return value to those who are already paying! Otherwise, you'll have a lot of people leeching off those who pay up. I've shared some thoughts on a few initiatives that could change this for your 'nation builders'. Make them a more willing bunch. And inspire others to pay up. That would be Acche Din.
Education: If you really want Acche din we need big changes in the education system. Right now, we subsidize our education and then export the best results. Just like that. Teachers should be paid well. Get rid of the those-who-can't-do-teach set of people. Please! They are crapping on our future. Encourage and develop government schools. Like they have done in Delhi. Get the best teachers to teach there. Why do you have so many people interested to join the armed forces? It's because of the support system. Extend the same support system to teachers. The good ones. You have IAS and IPS exams to take in the best people for administration. Why not have similar systems for teachers? Make sure they are the best. And then compensate the best. Follow the Ekalavya model of education. Take a relook at what is being taught, how is it being taught and how is this knowledge being evaluated. Think utility. Think inclination. Introduce law as a subject in school. It's time people knew about what the law provides for an what it doesn't. Provide free education to any child who wants to study to any level. Reducing the entourage that follows our VIPS alone can probably fund this. That would be Acche Din.
Healthcare: Have you ever visited a government hospital? Forget about government hospitals, even the best private hospitals in India aren't good enough for our dear politicians. When they fall sick, they are flown outside the country. Probably to be operated by an Indian doctor settled abroad! There's less than 1 doctor for every 1000 people in India. Improve this dismal ratio. Let the government servants use government hospitals. instead of flying away to the US. Or Singapore. On public money. And then watch how the system improves. That would be Acche Din.
Corruption: No scams in this term? Think again. Go and try to get some work done at a government office without someone demanding an over oiling with grease. If life hasn't changed for you at the grassroots, how can you be sure that everything is hunky dory at higher levels? I've talked to entrepreneurs who have told me shocking stories at what happens at the highest levels. It's not that the crap isn't happening. It's just that it is well hidden. Make every interaction through a single window. Remove people interactions whenever possible. Suspensions aren't enough. The corrupt should be charged with treason. That would be Acche Din.
Judicial Reforms. How long does someone wait to get justice from the Indian Judiciary? Will they get a fair hearing in their lifetime? What is the current count for pending cases? I'd rather suffer injustice than lose hair in a court waiting for justice. Is it any easier to file an FIR? What are you incentivizing in the system? Justice can't have a vacation! That would be Acche Din
Cleanliness. Swatch Bharath is not about sweeping already clean streets. Or about building septic tanks. Learn from the Indus Valley Civilization. It's about building drainage systems to treatment plants. Otherwise, it's the same shit, just a few feet deeper. And that's not Acche Din
Electoral changes: If people working in government and public organizations are retired at 58 and 60, why should there not be an age limit in politics? Do away with useless positions like Governor and President. Reduce the voting age to 16. If you can get a driving license at that age, you are probably responsible enough to vote. That would be Acche Din.
Cleanliness. Swatch Bharath is not about sweeping already clean streets. Or about building septic tanks. Learn from the Indus Valley Civilization. It's about building drainage systems to treatment plants. Otherwise, it's the same shit, just a few feet deeper. And that's not Acche Din
Electoral changes: If people working in government and public organizations are retired at 58 and 60, why should there not be an age limit in politics? Do away with useless positions like Governor and President. Reduce the voting age to 16. If you can get a driving license at that age, you are probably responsible enough to vote. That would be Acche Din.
We'll talk about the 15 hundred thousand rupees later.
