Kamal Nath's Perverted Clientelism

New Delhi: June 11, 2008: 0730hrs
Kamal Nath is the epitome of the intellectual-moral perversion that is the hallmark of a true Congressman.

He wants to get elected by promising poor people free electricity.

But he doesn’t want them to trade freely with foreigners so that they can themselves climb out of poverty.

The other news about him is that he is being accused of “wrecking” the WTO talks.

As long as politicians like Kamal Nath promise to deliver free electricity to their poverty-stricken constituents, the power sector will remain under State control – and all of us will suffer erratic power supply.

And as long as politicians like Kamal Nath wreck international trade, the people will remain poor, and their votes can easily be bought.

Do note something “evil” in Kamal Nath’s political strategy, which is basic to Congressism: keep the people poor, and keep promising them something or the other free – that is, at somebody else’s cost.

This cannot be called “socialism”.

It should be correctly labeled “political clientelism” – that too, of the most perverted kind.