Polite Indian

This is my third post on the topic. I wanted you all to know about this as many of you have commented asking for details.

Bharat Punarnirman Dal (BPD) have launched their website. It is by no means a comprehensive website but has the initial elements in it. There is a page about BPD and another about its Strategy.

After years of study and hands-on experience at the grassroots level it became clear to the group that without reforming the political system any attempt to reform the society or the governance will be futile. Soon it became clear that the problem is not the lack of resources but it is inefficient management of the resources. In other words in order to get a lasting and widespread solution instead of trying to solve the problems and issues themselves it is better to improve the problem solving mechanism. This problem solving mechanism or the System that governs the country is already there and has sufficient reach and resources but because of inefficiencies at every level of this system it has become ineffective. (link)

According to them they have entered the political stage with an aim to reform the political system. I think the aim is noble and hope every memeber of the party holds it dear.

Bharat Punarnirman Dal was founded with a belief that qualitative improvement at the topmost level will be reflected throughout the structure that lies beneath them. Thus this political organization is an attempt to fundamentally reform the political system, which produces the top level managers – the politicians, by introducing quality and dynamism at the political level so as the country is run by politicians by choice not by chance or by birth.

The website throws some light on what their strategy is.

Unfortunately politics figures no where when it comes to choosing a career option. The talent pool of the country opts for other career options with which it always remain subservient, as far as policy making is concerned, to the political echelons, which ultimately is chosen by those who have nothing else to choose.

Taking into account the sordid state of affairs as far as the existing political system is concerned, with nepotism and undemocratic structures prevalent in the existing political organizations, even if somebody wants to opt for politics as a career option, he has no choice available that he can choose and stick to with dignity. Thus in the present scenario politics has become an exclusive preserve of people either with abundance of money or with muscle power or with some political legacy. A common man with a vision for his country and a plan to implement it finds no way to enter the legislature, even if he wishes to.

This is very true. Nobody today talks about politics as a good thing to be in. If BPD can change that I think that will be an awesome thing to do. In other countries like US you will find young dynamic guys fighting elections on issues and very keen to enter politics even after graduating from Harvard, Yale or Princeton. But in India, very few will even think about it as a career.

Bharat Punarnirman Dal as an institution is meant to fill that lacuna. Knowing that competition begets quality, Bharat Punarnirman Dal is an attempt to make politics more ‘competitive’ by making it more accessible to the people. It intends to provide a platform to the people who have a vision for the country but lack the wherewithal, in terms of institutional support and electoral experience, to participate in active politics.

This is all good if done properly. Two main things in their strategy are

• Make politics accessible to people.
• Make politics a career choice for people.

I think both of these are good. I just hope they do it right and get the right message to the people.

Now for all those who have commented previously asking the contact details. Here it is

Ghaziabad: KJ-116, Kavi Nagar, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh–201002 Phone: 9990160360, 9212189125 info@bharatpunarnirman.org bpd@bharatpunarnirman.org	Lucknow: Bharat Punarnirman Dal House No.459, Sector-14, Indira Nagar, Lucknow-Uttar Pradesh Phone: 09935420762
Mumbai: Ekta Rahiwashi Sangh, Charai, Thane(West), Maharashtra-400602 Phone: 9819810785/9821037731	Hyderabad: S-3, Diamond Towers, OU Road, New Nallakunta, Hyderabad-500044 Phone: 9247710504
Pune: B/14 Shrinivas Park, Baner Road,Pune-Maharashtra Phone: 09960582233

On the face of it, looks like BPD is doing the right thing. Time will tell how far they go. In any case we wish them good luck.

When I first wrote about BPD I didn’t think that there will be such positive response to the initiative by ex IITians. Lot of you asked me about the contact information and one commentator (Mr. Suresh gangawar) had been kind enough to leave Mr Ajit Shukla’s phone number. I called just to check whether it was the right number and indeed it was. I spoke with Mr. Ajit Shukla for 15-20 minutes and told him about the response on this blog. He was very happy just to receive a phone call from New York and said it was morale boosting.

BPD will soon make their website public and then anybody who wishes to contact them can do so there. In the meantime I have Mr. Ajit Shukla’s email address. Anyone who wants it leave a comment and I will send you that since Mr. Shukla asked me not to publish it on the blog. I will send the email address to those who have already asked for it.

Mr. Shukla was in Dehradun Uttranchal when I spoke with him and is pretty busy with his campaign. He himslef is contesting UP election from Lucknow. He will be a busy man for the next few months so all of you eager to write to him keep in mind that he might not respond to all of you. Eventually he might but not right away.

I hope to see more from BPD and wish they will publish their ideas and plans on the website which is due for a launch in couple of days.

We Wish them Best of luck.

Bharat Punarnirman Dal is a political party started by a bunch of IITians. Now they are planning to fight the upcoming Uttaranchal, UP and Punjab elections.

Young men like Ravi Kishore and Ajit Shukla - who both studied aerospace engineering at IIT Mumbai - are now hoping to engineer a social change through their party, the Bharat Punarnirman Dal (BPD).

Mainstream politics, dominated by money and muscle power can be a scary place to be for the educated middle class, but these young IITians are changing all that.

Says BPD spokesperson , Ravi Kishore, “The time has come when we stopped talking and instead start acting. We are creating a platform for people who want to make a change now and we have come here to deliver that change.”

These young men don’t have a fixed ideology, money or cadre to call their own.

They say all they have is integrity and big plans for the country - plans to hire people who will be solution providers, make sure the administration is clean and most importantly, retire politicians at the age of 60.

Says BPD President, Ajit Shukla, “It’s not about the money. Everyone has to begin somewhere. People will ultimately follow you if you have the conviction.”

And it’s on this belief that they are fighting the upcoming Uttaranchal, UP and Punjab elections.

I always wanted that a new party should be formed by intellectuals to take on the big political parties of today. The existing parties have very little good to offer to the nation and whatever they do have to offer comes only after their own benefit is taken care of. Politics first and nation later.

I hope BPD might be able to make a difference. If they are successful in only a couple of states then it might encourage the educated sensible youth to take up politics. If they start the process right and guard their integrity well and still achieve success it will be beginning of a new era in Indian politics.

Their attitude seems to be that of a corporation and they want to run their party as that. It is good that they want to retire politicians after 60. I would think that it would be a retirement only from active politics but they could still be part of the think tanks.

Now only time will tell if the IITians can make good politicians or not. I think it might be interesting to keep an eye on them. If they do what they say they will do I think we all should support them for that.