India can be transformed in 5 years: Dr. JP

Lok Satta Party President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan has told NRIs that it will not take more than five years for his party to reform the present political system and usher in revolutionary changes in a number of fields.

“A decent healthcare system comparable to the one in Britain can be put in place in India within a year, although reforms in education may take longer.”

Close to 150 NRI Lok Satta supporters from the U. S., the U. K., Canada and other countries interacted with Dr. JP in a teleconferencing session and posed a host of questions.

On the role of NRIs in the Indian democratic system, Dr JP said the 2009 elections presented a priceless opportunity to change history for all. “The NRIs are aware of the possibilities and the absurdities in Indian democracy.”

On the issue of there being no visible leadership other than himself in the party, he said it was one of the most crucial challenges the party was facing right now. He, however, pointed out that a number of leaders had come to the fore in the recent past.

Asked how he ensured that that party representatives adhered to the party’s core values, he said the party conducted internal elections by secret ballot to various elected posts and put in place a disciplinary authority to keep a check on erring individuals. For the first time in India, the candidate for State Assembly from the Patancheru constituency has been elected by secret ballot in open primaries. Lok Satta Party will institutionalize such a mechanism in all elections to make the party the forum of the public for political engagement and not a private family estate.

On the issue of NRI voting rights, Dr. JP said that proxy voting was a practical solution. NRIs should be allowed to appoint a ‘person of trust’ as a proxy voter to cast ballot on their behalf, he added.