The Interview that wasn’t
The election season has begun. Just
50 days to go. With this,a new mania
has begun. Interviews and Interviews everywhere. The journo-politico combine
run after self promotion and TRP . There begins the unholy nexus. The tailors
begin their tailoring, Even the interview hall is tailored as a way to cover
votes. A Bhagat Singh for nationalists,Ambedkar
for Dalits the list is endless. A genuine interview is hard to find on TV.A
interview high on content and low in controversy is extinct. We had Arnab’s
empowerment and RTI interview with Rahul Gandhi.I wonder what has 1984 got to
do with future elections?. 30 years have passed since 1984,the same goes for
2002. Elections are more about future and not the past.
Every Journalist around the corner wants an
interview with a politician the most sought being Narendra Modi, the Bjp Prime
Ministerial Nominee. The topic has either been on communalism or what the
Gujarat model is?.For Rahul it goes back to RTI/NREGA.I agree that past record does have a value on paper. But
isn’t it supposed to be what do they plan to do when they come to power? What
economic reforms do they intend to bring? Their foreign policy views on
Pakistan,China?.Now that nobody is ready make or take an interview on pressing
issues.I have decided to make my own interview.
I have my
doubts my questions on various issues as a common man.Let me make this clear
the questions will not be on RSS, Yashodaben
,Communalism, Muslims, Advani , Gujarat Model. I don’t give a damn what you did
in your past 6 lives. All I care is what you bring to my table now. Please do
not speak about your election manifesto. We don’t read it neither do we believe
it.
I have
serious questions on various issues. The interview will be in “Segments”.
The
Segments being
1..National Security-
(a) Internal
(b)External
2.Climate
Change and Green Energy
3. Economic Reforms /Welfare
Programs
4.Foreign Policy
5.Disaster
Management
6.Infrastructure
7.History
8.Experience
in Administration
9.Electoral
& Police reforms
10.Mistakes
that you would like to correct
11.Crucial
Amendments that you would like to bring
12.Changes
you would like to bring in Public Sector, Your Disinvestment plan
13.The
extend to which you will privatise public sector
14.Educational
Reforms
15.Corruption
at various levels
16.Steps
you would take to correct the delivery systems.
17.Health
related reforms
18.Agricultural
reforms
19.India’s
Energy needs
20.Bridging
the Urban and Rural divide-steps to nullify the push and pulls factors
21.NGO
22.The
Final
These are
22 topics on which the interview will revolve around I give you Mr.Narendra
Modi the right to pick the segment in the order you would like it to be. Since
I don’t have to privilege to interview Mr.Modi in person.I shall put forth my
questions on this blog.what is the use? .Atleast the next time he speaks on TV
we could search for an answer that we want.
I request
the readers to correct me if I am wrong of facts /logic or question I raise.I
am no journalist no a PhD in any subject. Just your good old newspaper reader
National
Security(Internal and External)
1. The Naxal menace is one of the most stable security threats to
internal security how do you intend to change it?
2. Is only brute force coupled with
development the only solution?If yes how far do you intend to push this
plan,there has been case of Naxals taking support from terror organization?
3. Are you open using Army against the Naxals?There has been double
mindedness in this issue,how do you view this?
4. There has been reports of terrorist
entry through the open border with Nepal, are open to open border with any
country ?
5. A lot of terrorist entry has been
through the Nepal border,Yasin Bhatkal & Dharbanga Module being the classic
example how do you intend to handle this issue?
6. Are you open to Army reduction in
Kashmir?If No how long can sustain this be sustain what do you see as the
solution to reduce human rights violation in Kashmir?
7. It is true that Army presence is important
in case of Kashmir but isn’t there a way to improve the way of life in J&K?
8. The North East been one the major
victims of terror and ethic violence how do you view the situation in North
East what plans do you have to improve the state of North East section of
people?
9. Illegal immigrants from Bangladesh
has been a worry for India there rate of fencing borders has been slow,there
has also been accusations of corruption what is your view on this issue?
10. How
do you believe can India weed out Bangladeshi immigrants from genuine Indian
citizens?
11. India
has been the largest importer of weapons this a huge loss of foreign exchange how do you intend to improve
Indian domestic weapon production?
12. Are
you open to private player entry in Weapon production?
13. There
has been large scale of suicides in Armed forces how do you intend to improve
the life of an normal low level army jawan?
14. There
has been a lesser level of participation from women when it comes to armed forces,
how do you intend to increase their participation?
15. There
has been repeated attacks on Indian fishermen on coasts how do you intent to
handle this?
16. There
has been accusations of Indian fishermen crossing their borders what steps will
you take to improve this state of fishermen populace?
17. What
is your view on Nuclear proliferation?
18. There
have been murmurs that India took a wrong step by signing the 123 agreement
with USA ,in effect we are yet get anything from this agreement because of the
Nuclear liability law which USA doesn’t seem to like what steps will your
government take on this issue?
National
Security Segment Ends
Economics and Welfare schemes
My first
question to you Mr.Modi
1. India has been struggling to make
its ends meet there have been little prudent investment the most the current government has done is create
a group of mass labourers under NREGA,what are your employment creation plans
on the long run?
2. We are running on high inflation
both food inflation and core inflation what are steps you have in mind to
reduce this?
3. There has been a talk of abolishing
income tax and replace it with a single bank transaction tax do you believe in
this idea?
4. S.Gurumurthy a respected columnist had
put forth and idea of bring out the idle gold stuck inside the house holds and
transfer it to reserve bank for interest how do you see this suggestion?
5. NPAs have been on the rise in banks there
has been news of some PSBs being in the state on insolvency and barely
running,how do you intend to cut short this crisis?The SARFEASI act has been a
very late correction do you intend to strengthen the hand of the banks by
introducing more powerful laws?
6. What are your views on black money?will
you release the names of these illegal money holders?
7. Let us assume that a large business
with hi reputation is found to hold a large amount of blackmoney and obviously
mass employer how do intend do handle such a scenario?
8. You had claimed that you would bring
it back and incentivize the tax payer, don’t you believe it as way on wasting money
instead of creating infrastructure or better the health system that needs a
bigger over haul and needs larger investments?
9. Assuming that you really return a
chunk of black money to tax payers wouldn’t as such have an cascading impact on
price of real estate sector and other sectors and affect the less affordable?
10. The
popular scheme of UPA the NREGA seems to be a complete waste of public money neither
do they create any returns nor have the made a greater change in the life of
lower class,NREGA is basically a temporary job isn’t the govt supposed to create
a better and sustainable for of employment?
11. Though
policy rates are not under your control do really believe keeping it high will
help control inflation? Doesn’t the high policy rate affect the business
environment?
12. There
have been reports and surveys showing that it is the smaller investors who hold
up the financial market and as such it is these small scale businessmen who are
more affected by this rate hike and not the big businessmen who can bear higher
rates?
This
ends the economy segment
Environment,Climate Change and Green Energy
1. Environmental clearances are crucial
for any project, development without destruction is impossible how do you
intend to balance this razor thin issue?
2. A overtly environment sentimental
approach could mean loss of revenue but over exploitation and pushing of
tribals from their homes leads to discontent leading to Naxalism do you have a innovative
plan to balance this sensitive issue?
3. Indian rivers are the real life
sustainers how do intend to improve the
current state of rivers? There has been high level of pollution by dye
manufacturers how do you intend to correct this?
4. If the principle of “polluter pays “
is your answer does that by anyway reduce the rate of pollution?
5. The rate of deforestation is a cause
of worry we have acts to protect forest and endangered species and the state of
forest protection has been very poor, how do you plan to improve this?
6. There has been accusations of cases
where a industrial project crossing the allowed mandate of deforestation and
later seeking clearances? What kind of plans do you have to correct such anomalies?
7. Are you open for a binding climate
change agreement if not what is a point in running a climate change summit which
has no impact assured impact?
8. If yes you are open to a binding document don’t
you believe the possibility of it affecting industrial growth of the nation and
why should India agree to sign such an agreement which even larger polluters
like USA and China are not ready to.?
9. India on average has 300 sunny days
how do plan to promote solar energy?
10. How
do intend to bring down the cost of solar energy production?do you believe a grid party is possible in India’s case? If
yes how?
11. India
is one of the lowest investors in R&D there is huge need for funds in Green
energy based R&D?How do you intend to involve private players in this Greenfield?
Foreign Policy(Only Neighbours)
1. What is your China policy?
2. We have a very skewed balance of
trade with china in which India has much to lose than china how do you plan to
correct this imbalance?
3. Do you see China as a threat and an
aggressor?
4. There have been repeated cases of
violations from Chinese side what steps will your government take to cool off these confrontations other than the
much clichéd “Confidence Building Measures (CBM)”?
5. How do you intend to solve the
Arunachal and Aksai Chin issue which China claims as its own?
6. How do you intend to get back
Pakistan occupied Kashmir?China has been building massive infrastructure in
this region,your views?
7. Do you believe in Non Alignment policy
?Is such a policy possible in a Multipolar World?
8. Do you think India and Pakistan can
be friends?how
9. What is you Pakistan policy?
10. How
do you plan to take down terror machinery in Indo Pak border?will your
Government take pre emptive strikes on these locations?
11.
There
has been repeated argument of no talks with Pakistan till it shuts down its
terror machinery do you believe in this policy?
12.
What
is the point of telling it to shut down its terror machinery when its Schools
teach hatred towards India? How do you see this?
13.You
have spoken of breaking up MEA into two for better management please elaborate
14. What
are your view on Bangladesh?
15. Are
you open to Land Agreement with Bangladesh?
16. India
needs transit through Bangladesh to reach transit to North East which
Bangladesh will accept when the Land transfer agreement is accepted what are
your views on this issue?
17.What
is your view on the river agreement between India and Bangladesh how do you
plan to improve relation between India and Bangladesh?
18.What
is your Sri Lanka Policy?
19.Sri
Lankan Tamils issue has been a sensitive issue down south what does you government
plan to improve the lives of Srilankan tamils?
20.There
has been reports of Srilanka moving towards China with port development of Hambantota
port and Chinese help in Satellite in Sri Lanka how do you view this?
21. Do
you support country specific resolutions in UN?
22.What
steps will your government take to attain the status of Permanent membership in
UN?
With this I
end the Foreign policy segment of the interview.
Now lets
take a break folks
I am
stopping with this part of the interview the next set of questions will be
updated based on the feedback I get.I wish I could ask him all this for real :-)
Thank you
