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 The
winds of change
The winds of change are blowing across the world. Apparently
people are tired not only of the old but ineffective policies
but also of the faces that have little to offer them. This
wind of change has already claimed Hillary Clinton as its
victim. She was a strong candidate and her being a female was
considered an advantage but no sooner had Barack Obama begun
to blow his trumpet of change the wind began to raise momentum
to gather the force of a gale. Poor Hillary Clinton never knew
what hit her. In the end she could only gracefully exit from
the stage and wonder at what might have been. This wind of
change has also blown in our neighborhood even though a little
less effectively. But in bringing back the discredited parties
of late Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif the people of Pakistan
demonstrated their desire of getting rid of President Pervez
Musharraf and his brand of politics. The same wind is blowing
in our country though some in the Congress party may like to
believe otherwise. Even the communists, those eternal
harbingers of change are refusing to accept that change is
what people want. Thus it has taken a beating during the local
Panchayat elections in Nandigram and Singur. The two places
may only be two in number but there significance is great. The
communists would do well not to ignore the message of these
defeats. Karnataka has a more significant message for the
Congress. It has demolished the long held belief that the
saffron wave is only confined north of Vindhyas. People have
wanted development and clean, accountable administration. They
have now opted for a party that promises all that and has not
been given an opportunity to prove its credentials. So change
they have brought. This should be a warning bell for the
Congress high command. It needs to change to come up to the
expectations of the people and the people need more
representative, honest and accountable governments. Expression
of good intent is not enough nor is the planting of good but
ineffective men and women in positions that require more
democratic culture.
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