Letter From The Editor: Why Conflicts Matter

Some very smart people I know seem to believe that our Parliamentary system of democracy has let us down. They are agitated that a whole winter session of Parliament has passed without a single item of business being transacted. And that it might well be the same story in the next Budget session as well.

On the face of it, it appears to be the season of conflicts. It isn’t just the political sabre-rattling between a belligerent Opposition and an equally combative government. Across all shades of public life, there are fights breaking out in full glory. For instance, the Jairam Ramesh-versus-Lavasa Corporation slugfest or even the stand-off between micro-finance institutions and the Andhra Pradesh government that started last year has already set the cat among the pigeons. And as the year unfolds, I’ll bet that you’ll discover many more.   

In this edition’s cover story, our senior editors have sifted out the biggest battles that you’re likely to witness across the spectrum. And we’ll tell you why they’ll make a difference to our lives. 

Now, let me go back to the original thought: Is our noisy democracy really a deterrent for progress? To my mind, there’s nothing better than conflict in triggering new thought and knocking out sheep-like passivity. Conflicts have a way of unleashing a wave of creative alternatives. Think about it: However improbable it may seem, would we have really seen a new Cabinet minister promise the much-needed telecom reforms in the next 100 days if it weren’t for the impasse in Parliament? I think not.  

As always, I’ll await your feedback on this story and the rest of the edition.