Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan on Sunday said the non-BJP-ruled States should look at delivering an alternative governance model based on the idea of “human being society” and real governance, which is the best thing to do as the Opposition in the run up to 2024 general elections.
“Our job is to show an alternative model that shows a government and governance structure, and where you can ask why should you settle for not having food, jobs, medical treatment but have jingoism, false pride of Hindutva or hatred of Islam or whatever,” he said during a webinar - ‘From Mixed to Crony Capitalism: Re-defining India’s political economy?’, organised by the Dravidian Professionals Forum.
“You don’t have to settle for that. There is actually governance that can deliver for you. You can retain your self-respect and dignity, participate in the process and get good jobs for your children, good food and better houses,” Mr. Thiaga Rajan said. According to him, post Uttar Pradesh Assembly election in 2017, the BJP has not won any State election convincingly. Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Manoj K. Jha said the Opposition should come together for an alternative programme. “The question should be ‘if not Modi’s kind of politics, then what kind of politics?’ The alternative model should talk about radical programmes in terms of an economic model, which is more inclusive, a social model, where you don’t sell fear to the majority,” he said.
Ece Temelkuran, author and political commentator said, the “if not Modi, who, if not Erdogan (Turkey President), who” kind of questions means “we have lost democracy already up to a certain degree.”
Politics should strengthen people’s faith in themselves and the in this world. All the protests should be staged with the theme of dignity, which activates the masses so that they do not make choices against their interests, she said. This is already happening as evidencedseen during the Glasgow climate summit and through the Indian farmers’ movement,in India Temelkuran said.
