To Parrikar's credit One local publication parodies him as an Adolf Hitler, no less. Yet, an economic nationwide newspaper ranks him among the top 13 "most admired politicians" in the country. The jury might still be undecided over the cost-benefit analysis of the Manohar Parrikar chief ministership for Goa. But surely the gap in perceptions is yawning.
On Sunday, the Economic Times said India's "first-ever CEO survey of most admired politicians" rated union disinvestment minister Arun Shourie on top, and the Goa CM at a creditable Number 13. For the BJP in Goa, this is a feather in the cap, worth crowing about, going by the response to the 'India Today' rating of Goa as the Number 1 state. But there is also room for some circumspection. First of all, this is a 'perception index'. It simply reflects the perception of those surveyed, not the reality. Secondly, the media create perceptions. Now, it is the media that are reinforcing these perceptions, by undertaking polls on them. Given the tendency of sections of the media to curry favour with whoever's in power, one could wonder whether such polls are totally apolitical in intent. 'India Today' praised Goa on aspects which didn't tally with reality. Thirdly, the poll was taken among the top CEOs in the land. It remains to be seen whether the views of the captains of industry tallies with that of the common voter. CEOs were asked to rate the politicians as being visionaries, transparent operators, the best managers, the best money managers, trusted by business, investor friendly and global ambassadors. Mr Parrikar indeed has a clear vision -- whether you agree with it or feel threatened by it, that's another issue. His claims to transparency suffer not just due to sloth overtaking the functioning of the Right to Information Act and the public men's corruption panel during his administration, but also due to his perceived reluctance to part with information on mega-contracts -- IFFI, the GSIDC and others. Goa's mounting liabilities raise concern over money-management here. So does the dole-and-subsidy culture being promoted. Finally, if Goa is considered all that investor-friendly, why aren't investors coming here now? Maybe we in Goa are simply too close to the subject to take a balanced perspective. On the other hand, time will tell whether it was just a case of Mr Parrikar being unduly favoured by a positive media image. ########################################################################## # Send submissions for Goanet to [EMAIL PROTECTED] # # PLEASE remember to stay on-topic (related to Goa), and avoid top-posts # # More details on Goanet at http://joingoanet.shorturl.com/ # # Please keep your discussion/tone polite, to reflect respect to others # ##########################################################################
