A glimpse of our political future

Year 2050

Act 1 - The crowning

The FIRST party of India is still controlled by a dynasty. They are true rulers. The family has been controlling the party very well. The Grandma has grown old but her son just couldnt grow up. He kept everybody guessing and never really took the challenge to be the No. 1. He is now nicknamed "Evergreen No. 2". Old age has started showing signs. She had been on too many sick leaves. But she was never ready to sideline her amul baby.

The core committee meeting was going on. The next general elections have been declared. The main agenda for today's meeting was to decide who is going to lead the party into the elections. The Grandma was unusually silent today. She seemed to be listening to the arguments but her mind was wandering. Can she hold on for one more election? Will the No. 2 be ready to accept the top position, though he had rejected it this morning at the breakfast table. Suddenly, BANG!!!! It was a thud on the desk. Everybody muted and looked at the Grandma.

Grandma said "Raj is going to be the party president".

She looked at everybody, eye to eye. She knew no one had the guts to go against her. She is considered a game changer. No voices were raised and meeting ended.

"Where is Raju beta", she summoned coming out of the meeting.

Raj Vardan was the chairman of India's largest real estate conglomerate. His dad Vardan had built the company to this level with lot of hard work and lot of right connections at the right places. Raju's grandma has helped his dad, of course.

Raj was at the board meeting when his personal secretary informed him about the Great Declaration that has hit the headlines. He was surprised. Bewildered. He had dreamt of this news innumerable times. Yet it had never come. He dreamt of today from the time he was wise to understand politics. He had been wishing to be the No. 1.

His Grandma liked his uncle. She would not think of anybody unless his uncle refused. "Oh uncle, why dont you tell Grandma to give it to me", he had told his uncle once. Alas! uncle dint have the courage to say that. Managing India's most valued company was not a bad proposition and Raj had relinquished his dream and took up the reins of the company's board.

Today was the day for celebration. A promotion. From the chairman of No. 1 company to President of NO. 1 party. Raj started thinking of the future. It is election time. He will lead the party to power that it had lost. His uncle had been responsible for all the losses because of his bull shit talk. Not any more. He is going to be victorious. And that would mean the Prime minister's chair would soon be his. After all, nobody can categorize him as a foreigner. He and both his parents were born Indians.

Act 2 - Elections around the corner

Its early elections in India.

The budget session of Parliament had been very noisy. Slogan shouting, rushing to the well, disruptions, walk Off. People on the streets have started talking about change. The media has been blaming the govt for everything that is wrong in the country - high unemployment rate, low economic growth (we have slowed down from 15% growth rate to 13%), reducing population, everything.

Yuva Party is running the government now. 35 years before, the Yuva Party was the new, clean, energetic bunch of youth wanting to clean the corrupt Indian political system. They wanted to revolutionize politics. And they did. After 10 years of sitting in the opposition, Yuva Party was elected to power in 2030.

They were fearless. They dug up all the old corruption cases, all old CAG reports, all the CBI records. Their mission was to take all the corrupt to task. Many old timers had a tough time and few had to suffer. A few?? Yes only a few. Money was still a bigger power than the government. Those who had enough of black money in safe havens utilised it. A few poor ones were caught and jailed.

Yet the Yuva Party was considered a success among the common man. They were the messiahs of the century. They had rallied the country to 20% growth in GDP. They made India a superpower. Yuva party became an epitome of Capitalism. Ayn Rand kind. Everything is done for profit. The country's youth appreciated it. They were willing to work hard for higher profit. It worked for Yuva Party for 20 years. And they ruled for 20 years on the trot.

Now things are on the decline for the Yuva Party. Almost all the founders of the party are still at the helm. And they are not really young!! As professed by The Grandma "power is a slow poison. It consumes the powerful". The present day govt is not really corrupt. But their supporters are close to retirement age. They cant work hard anymore. When Yuva party was formed, taking credit, partying hard, enjoying life was the mantra. So they dint have enough savings. Now they expected social security from the government. The govt should take care of them. They thought their party will do it for them. But Yuva party was stuck to its ideology. It cant change that. It represents the youth.

Government has to do something so that Yuva party can sail though the stormy sea and get re-elected.

Act 3 - Around the world

World economy is not the same as it was 40 years back. America and Europe used to be super powers. Europe's decline had just begun. India was still a developing country. China was growing but nobody really knew their actual growth rate. China's economy was kept as a black box for outside world.

In 2030, China declared that it is a super power now. It came as a shock to everybody. But the military strength showed by China silenced the doubts that were raised. Chinese had been secretly developing bullet sized nuclear weapons and they had amassed the largest fleet of war planes and bombers in the world.

America tried to counter the rise of China but failed. Whole of Asia, Africa and Europe had been silently converted to Communism and a sudden coup in multiple countries resulted in almost all the world obeying orders from China.

America's economy was also not in a great shape. It tried to instigate traditional rivals (warring countries) so that their arms industry could bring in the dollars to the treasury. But governments were afraid of war. The diktat from China was to stop war altogether else face complete destruction.

Now, 2050. America has ended up same as Europe - Debt ridden. Chinese were controlling American treasury. America has to listen to China or default the borrowings it has done from Chinese over the years.

Act 4 - Communal forces

The "so called" communal forces had done well 35 years back under their new leader, Nr. Inder. They were successful in ousting the First party by beating the drums of corruption, good governance and development. They tried to bring a new wave of enthusiasm and hope amongst the civil society. But they got consumed by their own mentor, Nationalist Selfish Society. As the name suggests, they started serving their own greed rather than the country. There was tremendous development of their own assets. And the Yuva party gained from their downfall.

But that was long ago. Things have changed. All parties are on equal moral ground in terms of fulfilling their promises. NSS doesn't have much control on the Indian Republican Party. The party has grown truly inclusive. There is no talk of any particular community or religion. Their manifesto looks very close to the Socialist Party. 

Act 5 - Will the phoenix rise

The First party sees the current political scenario to be their best chance to come back to power. A huge wave of anti-incumbency is sensed to be present against the Yuva Party. A weak opposition, IRP, and their non-existent ideological partner NSS doesnt seem to spring up a surprise in the next election. They are busy fighting amongst themselves to decide who is superior to the others and worthy to be named the Prime Ministerial candidate.

Ah of course there are the communists!!! How can we forget them. They had been there in the country from the time of independence with all their revolutionary politics. They had even run successful governments in two states - one down south and one in the east. They had strong organizational support at grass roots level. They had gained lot of momentum during the Maoist insurgency in central India. But the communists and maoists somehow couldnt co-exist and finally frittered their advantage due to internal politburo politics. Maoists were pure socialists and communists wanted to adopt the China model (pseudo-capitalistic-communism).

But times are different than what was there 20 years ago. China's model had been proven to be successful to become super power of the world. The Communists in China had defeated the capitalist West in their backyard, in their own territory, within their economy.

Amongst the turbulence and mayhem, will the phoenix rise from the ashes and regain the position of its glorious past, true to its name, The First Party.