Being independent

This was Meera Sanyal's reply when she was aksed why would she stand as an independent candidate and not join a party. This is one of the most inspiring blog or reply or whatever you call it. Surely we need more people like her. FOr those who are unaware..Meera Sanyal is the India head of ABN AMRO, has some outstanding achievements to her credit and has decided to stand as an independent candidate frm South Mumbai. For more refer to her website : http://www.meerahsanyal.in.



Why Independent

This is a question I have been asked repeatedly over the past few days both on the blogs and by the media – why am I standing as an independent, and not with a party ?

The meaning of “independence” is to be free. Free of constraints imposed by others, free of the dictates of those who make decisions on citizens’ behalf based on the cold calculations of party politics, free to vote on issues on the basis of principles without having to worry about trading off one interest against another.

I listen to my conscience. I’m guided by our constitution. And I represent my constituents. I can do it effectively only if I am an independent – independent of parties, but connected with the people.

Our mainstream political parties seem to choose candidates based on their perceived powerbase, not on experience, principles, or ideology.

Some candidates are chosen because they are related to politicians who held the seat before them; others are chosen because they belong to a particular caste, group, religion, or background; others because they have a mass following like filmstars or sportspersons; yet others because they are perceived to be “winnable” notwithstanding a criminal background.

I can only assume this happens because political parties are interested in acquiring power and winning elections, by any means, and the candidate’s background doesn’t matter. It used to be said in Jawaharlal Nehru’s time, that such was his charisma, that even if a lamp post stood in the Congress’s name, it would win an election. Today, we have no Jawaharlal. But we have many lamp posts.

Since the candidates are chosen to ensure that the party wins seats, they remain exempt from any internal scrutiny or examination. All transgressions, even the most heinous ones, are forgiven for the sake of political imperatives.

I want to change that.

As an independent candidate I will represent my constituency without being beholden to the murky business of large-scale politics. My causes are the causes of my constituents, not those of helping a party in coming to or remaining in power.

I will be directly accountable to the people who elect me. They will be my High Command. My motivations are not diluted by expectations of office. My allegiance will always remain with my constituents.

The last time a single party secured governing majority on its own in India was 25 years ago. Since then, we have had coalitions, alliances, and groupings; and our coalitions are getting more and more fractured. As a result, even a single MP’s vote on issues as well as voice in Parliament will count.

Needless to say, who that MP is, matters—but what she stands for matters even more. We have had scandals of suitcases full of cash changing hands to support governments; of MPs taken away to guest houses for days before votes in legislature, to ensure that nobody changes alliances. 20% of our MPs have a criminal record – what will they, and the parties that support them, stand for ?

My constituency is my home and I believe its citizens can and will identify with me. I grew up in this constituency; I studied at the Convent of Jesus and Mary, Fort Convent and later at Cathedral; my college was Sydenham; and I work both from Nariman Point, and my office in Lower Parel. I shop at Crawford Market for my fruits, at Sassoon Docks for my fish, at Nal Bazaar for meat and at Byculla for vegetables. I have jumped on and off locals and run to catch buses. I have sat and debated on the steps of the Asiatic Library, spent endless hours at Jahangir Gallery’s Samovar, delighted in the monsoons on Marine Drive and drawn inspiration from Mani Bhavan. I am the daughter of South Mumbai which is why I am standing from this constituency.

I have seen the deterioration of our city, and I know how vulnerable it is—not only to the terror attacks of 2008, but the many bombings – at the Gateway of India, at bus stops, in suburban trains, at Air India Building, at the passport office, over the past two decades. I have seen the city come to a halt and worried with other mothers when communal statements and riots have forced a panicked shut down at schools. And I’ve seen the city crumble after the torrential rains in 2005.

Are we satisfied with things as they are? Or do we want change?

We undermine ourselves if we continue to choose between candidates who despite having been elected and had the opportunity to improve matters have not done so.

I want to trust the good sense of the people of this city, who believe in rising through merit, irrespective of caste, creed, language, faith, family or connections.

Political calculations are important—I make them too. But what business has taught me is that if you have a good product or idea, you take it to the market. And the market will reward you if your product is right. In the business world, I did not stop myself, or my bank, from introducing a fresh approach because somebody had entered the market before me.

From a bank that was completely unknown in 1992, we have built ABN AMRO to the fourth-largest foreign bank in India. Starting with a team of just 10 people in 2001, I built ACES, into a global ITeS firm employing approx 6000 people, of whom over 2000 work in Lower Parel.

I am in this election to win. I am not taking away anyone’s votes; I am winning my votes.

Other products have been tried and tested and found wanting. I don’t take a single vote for granted. And I don’t want to insult any individual or community by assuming that they are part of an undifferentiated vote bank, who vote similarly on every issue. I know that irrespective of their views on different issues, the citizens of my Mumbai, feel that we must reclaim our city.

This is why I am an Independent and also why I am not alone.