IDEOLOGY OF THE “PEOPLE’S GUARDIAN” PARTY

FORMED BY ARUN BHATIA

A SIMPLE AND OBVIOUS IDEOLOGY

1. OUR IDEOLOGY IS SIMPLE. IT IS TO GIVE EVERY HONEST INDIAN A BETTER LIFE AND FREEDOM FROM FEAR.
2. WE AIM TO GIVE THE COUNTRY BACK TO THE HONEST CITIZENS. GOONDA (MAFIA) RULE MUST GO.
3. WE ARE DISGUSTED, ANGRY AND DETERMINED TO BRING CHANGE. WE WILL START THE CHANGE FROM PUNE.

NO NEED FOR “ISMS”

Ideology is an over rated term in today’s world and in the context of India’s poverty and corruption. Any politician or political party has to be wedded to honesty and anti-poverty programmes. Also, as everyone knows, pure communism and capitalism do not exist. Adam Smith has been diluted by state intervention to create employment, regulate trade and deliver social security which props up the weak and discards the concept of unbridled competition and survival of the fittest. Marx has been modified by conceding to private entrepreneurship and the profit motive and by resort to forced labour.

NO NEED TO PRETEND WE ARE NOT SCARED

There is no need to pretend that we are not scared of the tax man, the policeman, the factory inspector, the municipal engineer or even the typical doctor who has no time for our queries. We keep away from the politicians and the mafia that supports them. But most of all we fear our guardians, the police, because of their power which they easily abuse to make arbitrary arrests and false charges.

Who can contend that we are not in the third world. Exploding a nuclear device means nothing unless governance is improved.

We fear the system that can turn against us if we try and reform it or expose its corruption. We fear to break ties with people in the power game (bureaucrats and politicians) even when their corruption is well known because our security depends upon these feudal relationships. Basic services, whether in a hospital or a police station, are well delivered when “social contacts” are used.

In one sentence, our ideology is to rescue this country and ourselves from mismanagement and fear. Where there is fear there can be no real freedom, democracy or welfare state. And fear there is in this country in such abundance that we assume it to be a natural aspect of polity.

THE CLEAR BOUNDARIES OF OUR MANDATE

We have formed a new party called, “People’s Guardian Party” (Lok Rakshak) which divides its objectives into two clear categories. In category “A”, the focus is on improving the city of Pune in terms of delivery of civic services to citizens and enforcement of good governance by all government departments and offices functioning in Pune. In category “B”, are broader issues pertaining to gender, minorities, secularism etc.

OUR CLEAR PROMISE

In category “A” objectives pertaining to governance and delivery of services in Pune, concrete results will be guaranteed and achieved within about 8 months. Regular progress reports will be published. In category “B”, relating to national issues, the party and the MP will create awareness, initiate litigation and perform an advocacy function.

Keeping this in view the aims of the party are stated below:

AIMS OF THE “PEOPLE’S GUARDIAN” PARTY

Main objectives as stated in the party constitution

1) TO BRING HONEST PEOPLE INTO POLITICS
Many good persons do not contest elections because they fear the mafia that manages elections. The party will make mainstream politics more inclusive.

2) TO FOCUS ON PUNE AS A DEMONSTRATION MODEL
Initially the party will exclusively focus on the election of Arun Bhatia to parliament from the Pune constituency which is the first objective of the party and for which party resources will be fully utilised. Later, the party could expand its activities. Arun Bhatia, the first party MP, will not accept any salary or free trips abroad.

3) TO TRANSFORM PUNE INTO A MODERN CITY TO SERVE ITS CITIZENS AND ATTRACT DOMESTIC AND FOREIGN INVESTMENT ESPECIALLY FOR JOB CREATION
Ensuring immediate commencement of piped water schemes for all, upgrading roads, municipal transport and public hospitals, facilitation of IT and other industry, cleaning the river by sewage treatment etc., resettling slums, monitoring allotment / utilization of government lands in city, stopping corruption and harassment of citizens by PMC and other government departments (priority item), monitoring departments (eg. Police) etc.

4) TO PROTECT WOMEN, THE ELDERLY AND MINORITIES (RELIGIOUS, LINGUISTIC AND CULTURAL)
Establish subsidized homes in Pune for destitute women and old persons, and hostels for street children, advocate law giving women automatic and compulsory access to portion of parents’ and husband’s property (priority item with safeguards against abuse), and law for children to support aged parents.

5) TO STRENGTHEN CIVIL SOCIETY AND SHOW HOW A SINGLE ELECTED REPRESENTATIVE CAN BRING CHANGE BY CREATING CITIZEN POWER AND PARALLEL GOVERNANCE.
The aims will be achieved through participatory governance. The elected representative will form and train citizen groups to participate in urban governance and closely supervise municipal administration. Powerful citizen committees will examine municipal budgets, do physical audit of works, inspect corporation and ward offices and files, interview officials and elected councilors etc. The functioning of all departments, including the police will be brought under citizen control in partnership with the judiciary. Thus even one elected representative of the party will be able to achieve results since he/she will be working, not individually, but through citizens. Pune city will be controlled by its citizens who will form a parallel governance mechanism. One party MP will bring about this change. (Please see the section on “What after Winning the Election”.)

6) TO REMAIN CONTINUOUSLY ACCOUNTABLE TO VOTERS AFTER ELECTION
Persons elected from the party will give an account of their work and activities to citizens at least every three months through the media and public assemblies. In addition, a written report will be given to the members of the Central Committee of the party every three months.

7) TO HONOUR AND FINANCIALLY ASSIST PUNE FAMILIES OF SOLDIERS KILLED IN BATTLE AND FREEDOM FIGHTERS
The sacrifice made by them needs to be adequately recognized and rewarded.

8) TO ADVOCATE GOVERNANCE REFORMS
To improve the quality of governance the party will promote administrative, constitutional and judicial reforms (already tried and tested in other countries) through publicity, lobbying, dissemination of information, and public interest litigation and attempt to introduce this subject in schools and colleges.

9) TO ADVOCATE ANTI-POVERTY SCHEMES
Improve implementation of EGS (Employment Guarantee Scheme), distribute land in irrigation projects to poor, increase budget of public health and primary education etc.