Ram:

I have already expressed my fault -- of holding up Singapore's democracy as a model for emulating.

But I also explained, WHY I did that. It was very specifically in the context of BAD people, like BAD Indians or BAD Assamese, or (BAD Malays and Chinese), who could not be expected to behave well. But the same Indians and Malays and Chinese with similar British colonial pasts and inheriting similar British governance seem to have overcome those traits in just a quarter century.

What happened?

Take wild guess Ram.

Knowing what I do now, I am not advocating replacing Indian democracy with the 'Singapore style of democracy'.

But knowing that even the Indians or Chinese or Malays could be taught to be responsible citizens one could argue that by replacing or reforming what is dysfunctional in Indian democracy, it is indeed possible to change things for the better.

Now does it mean that one must emulate Singapore alone? No way.

How about the British System? Or how about the American System? Or how about those parts of such systems that could serve well for India, either in whole, or modified to fit India's needs?

There are umpteen different ways to demonstrate the same things that Rajib does in far more useful, productive and beneficial ways. Just because Rajib is stuck in that mode does not mean that it is the ONLY possible outcome, just like reforms to desi-demokrasy does not necessarily mean adopting Stalin style or Pol_Pot style regimes.

Such mindless comparisons only demonstrate a paucity of imagination or creativity, that's all.

c-da













At 9:12 AM -0500 5/21/05, Ram Sarangapani wrote:
 > I assumed the discussion was about Singapore model in
 its entirety - not just Singapore's record of
 cleanliness. Am I wrong there?

No, no, Rajib, you are wrong here. Didn't you read C'da's response.
They would like the whole enchilada.

Nevertheless, you solution will work. It just ought to be made
permanent, and not just for 5 years. That way, Assam will not only
have clean cities, but good governance for ever.:-)

C'da - don't you and KJD love Rajib's solution here?


So much for this 'the grass is greener on the other side' attitude!
--Ram
On 5/21/05, Rajib Das <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
 I assumed the discussion was about Singapore model in
 its entirety - not just Singapore's record of
 cleanliness. Am I wrong there?

 If I am, why not just impose presidential rule for 5
 years (the governors of Assam have been very proactive
 in recent years), throw all politicians out of the
 state, bring in the army - yes even to do policing
 duties, allow them unfettered access to the "boys",
 hunt them down and kill them without asking questions,
 kill those who support them, sack corrupt or even
 non-performing bureacrats without due recourse to law
 to defend themselves and yes throw all Marwari
 businessmen out. Let's see: take the guns away from
 SULFA and get the AASU to stop doing anything other
 than studies.

 Yes.. beat people up for peeing on the roadside, raze
 slums to the ground, lathicharge folks when the
 protest about bad roads, break all the extensions
 people have done with encroachments on the road, close
 the roadside vendor shops that don't have permits,
 don't allow village patients to come to town hospitals
 and park by the road. Jail kids who bunk classes to
 watch a movie. Cane them publicly when they get into a
 fight.

 Finally, the public, bureacrats, police, the judiciary
 cannot complain if and when the governor decides to go
 transfer all of Fancy Bazar real estate to his name.

 Which to do and which not?






 --- Ram Sarangapani <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:

 > KJD,
 >
 > Bhale ne?
 >
 > >By all appearances and measures, it has  been
 > working astoundingly
 > well.If anti->social behavior(
 > corruption,littering,jaywalking,spitting) is allowed
 > > to
 > > continue in the name of democracy, then that class
 > of democracy should be
 > > thrown out of window--as simple as that
 >
 > That is a mouthful. Why do think, some netters (I am
 > one) do not think
 > Singapore is a model for India or even Assam to
 > emulate?
 >
 > Let me try and explain, if you will.
 > Singapore is considered the cleanest in the world.
 > And how did it
 > accomplish this feat (that even a rich and advanced
 > country like the
 > > US hasn't)?
 >
 > Simple, by instituting draconian laws and
 > punishments on people who
 > misbehave, are corrupt, litter etc, etc. And sure
 > enough, people fall
 > in line and do whatever the great leader stipulates
 > (since 1959, if I
 > may add).
 >
 > People will have to choose. Will it be law & order,
 > or law & order
 > with a dash of 'due process' for people who break
 > civic laws. There is
 > NO due process in Singapore. Would you want that in
 > Assam/India?
 > Inspite of what C'da thinks, India does have more
 > 'due process' than
 > Singapore.
 >
 > I agree that anti-social behavior should not be
 > confused with freedom.
 > The problem, I see is in the applicability of such
 > standards in say
 > for example Guwahati.
 >
 > You ban jaywalking. Millions walk everyday. There
 > are no crosswalks or
 > even cops to regulate pedestrians. How would you
 > apply this law?
 >
 > I can go, but you catch my drift. First the Guwahati
 > authorities must
 > have a system in place, and then you can order
 > people to follow the
 > rules. But you can't impose rules and regulations
 > (and punishments)
 > and expect people to follow them when they just
 > cannot.
 >
 > If you ban littering. The last time I checked,
 > Guwahati had little or
 > no trash pickups or dumpsters. The GMC just doesn't
 > function well,
 > There are no thrash dumps that all the city garbage
 > can be picked up
 > and processed. Then to top it all, after the rains
 > every year, we
 > suddenly come to realize, that Guwahati actually
 > doesn't have a
 > drainage system that works. Where will all that
 > filth & muck go?
 >
 > The other point is educating people. The rickshaw
 > puller or the dhobi
 > has never been 'educated' in civic duties. How do
 > you plan to get a
 > model civic society?
 >
 > And what about those middle class people in nice
 > homes. They manage to
 > keep their homes clean, and throw the trash out on
 > the streets. I am
 > not sure they need to be educated on civic duties,
 > but they too may
 > not have any other options than to throw stuff on
 > the streets.
 >
 > I don't know the answers.
 > But the price in the Singapore model is just too
 > darn expensive. The
 > price of having vastly curtailed other freedoms
 > because I want my city
 > to look clean.
 >
 > Its easier said - about this emulation business.
 >
 > --Ram
 >
 >
 > On 5/20/05, [EMAIL PROTECTED]
 > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
 > >
 > >
 > > Cd,  Mridul Bhuyan has said it all.You
 > see,Singapore just does not fit some
 > > of our fellow netter's categories.By all
 > appearances and measures, it has
 > > been working astoundingly well.If anti-social
 > behavior(
 > > corruption,littering,jaywalking,spitting) is
 > allowed to
 > > continue in the name of democracy, then that class
 > of democracy should be
 > > thrown out of window--as simple as that.But
 > then,folks of this forum seem to
 > > have mastered the craft of devising  means by
 > creating new alibi or pretext
 > > or rationalization ( Whatever one calls it) in
 > order to buttress their
 > > arguement.Fling in few catch-phrases like "
 > democracy/political rights" and
 > > the job is done.Can anyone deny that India is a
 > prime example of a
 > > de-administration--a system of
 > administration,which is as dumb to the need
 > > of its citizens as a dead dodo?
 > >
 > > Well,well--set up "Institute of moral science" in
 > every nook and crany of
 > > Assam and all problems will be taken care of, of
 > couse, by itself!!!
 > > >
 > > KJD
 > > _______________________________________________
 > > Assam mailing list
 > > Assam@pikespeak.uccs.edu
 > > http://pikespeak.uccs.edu/mailman/listinfo/assam
 > >
 > > Mailing list FAQ:
 > > http://pikespeak.uccs.edu/assam/assam-faq.html
 > > To unsubscribe or change options:
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 > >
 > >
 >
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