[Reader-list] my view on cellular silent day on 30/01/09 by Ranjan Kamath

[Taha Mehmood]

Dear Bipin

Thank you for your response.

The data, I think, which the Indian express article refers to, is
gleaned from a variety of sources like the National Health Survey,
NCAER , MS Swaminathan Research foundation and Lok adhikar manch.

I appreciate your citation of all the macro data and let me say that I
agree to your interpretation in most of the cases. However I do not
think that Gujarat or any other state could mirror national averages
in every aspect.

All I was asking was this- Mr. Modi seems to have this image about
efficiency and 'getting the work done' attitude. There was a view
expressed in the IE article which seems to going against this image.
Your petition makes an attempt to argue for an efficient administrator
image of Mr. Modi. Hence in this respect, I was wondering how would
you respond to the view articulated in the IE article. All you have to
do is cite any data from these organization or other organizations
like NSSO or State planning Commission that either challenges this
view or negates it solely on the basis of some evidence.

That's all.

We are not talking about roads, railways, national employment figures,
or nuclear policy or any such thing. We are not talking about macro
terms like Nation or India's image etc. In this case we are just
talking about Mr. Modi administrative skills and efficiency in
handling three things-
cases of malnutrition,anaemia, low body mass index.

We are talking about these indexes solely with respect to Gujarat. We
are not interested in what WB govt's position is or Kerala's position
is, or Maharastra's position is on these three indexes. Let us for the
sake of Mr.Modi concentrate on Gujarat only.

The reason why we must do this exercise and not compare with other
states is because there is a view that for the RSS and the Hindu right
Gujarat is a laboratory. What happens in Gujarat in so far as the
Hindutva politics go, does not happen anywhere in India. So if Mr.
Modi  has managed to first grab and then cling to power from a
political strategy which is unique, I think, it is only fitting as a
mark of respect to this uniqueness that we must judge his
administration and his skills uniquely.

Regards

Taha