HimVani
To see a full-page advertisement on Saturday in a national English newspaper featuring Himachal leaders was a rare surprise. Though there was no mention who issued the advertisement announcing inauguration of Himachal Textile Park Limited, reportedly by the Jindal group, the underlying message did not go unnoticed. It speaks of undercurrents about how politics is shaping up in the state.
While ads are an important part of armour used to fight political battles in Punjab, the hill state has still remained aloof from employing menacing media propaganda machines to win over their rivals. Though the last Assembly elections saw parties splurging on advertisements, it was not anywhere near to Photoshop-created rally crowds seen in the neighbouring states. But the context this time is different. The present ad announced the first major textile park in the state, and it undoubtedly was meant to glorify the ruling leadership, or maybe a family, highlighting it as a major achievement.
Leaving aside the technical issue that it did not mention who issued the congratulatory note, it heralds a new chapter in the state politics, one that is fought over deciding the economic fate of the state. While bringing in investment to the state undoubtedly can be converted into votes, but it also raised fear of Nayamgiri coming to Himachal. While there is already sizable resistance to big projects in the state, the two major parties have more or less maintained a similar approach towards welcoming industry and investment. But increasing use of industry as a bulwark to secure political interests is sure to polarise the industrial atmosphere in the state.
Though relevance of heavy industralisation in the state itself is quite debatable, the state certainly requires investment but not at the cost of spoiling its political environment. In a state where the electorate has been rational enough to give both ends of the political spectrum to make a difference, entry of a hidden face altering power equations can only being opprobrium for the political class.
great reporting to start with.
as long as the people realise that they hold the power at the end of the day, to pull down a ruling government and replace it with some other mob, they should be able to keep the politicians on their toes. election time is the best time to send a message to all political parties, strong or subtle, indifferent or suggestive. ad campaigns infiltrating media will only increase in years to come. days of local hooligans flying past your street in 'open' jeeps, brandishing party flags and helped by loud-speakers blaring unintelligible propaganda while conveniently littering the streets with party leaflets could soon be over. press is the first step, it'll soon be on your TV screens and verbal attacks on politicians would get more personal.
having said all of that, it shouldn't really matter as long as people retain the power of voting parties 'in' and voting the same parties 'out' if they don't perform.
in an irrelevant but remotely related (to the political ad-campaigns) example, political parties spent millions of dollars in the last month in Australia on their ad-campaigns. We still ended up with a hung parliament and 5 independents are calling the shots at this time… people power 🙂
great reporting to start with.
as long as the people realise that they hold the power at the end of the day, to pull down a ruling government and replace it with some other mob, they should be able to keep the politicians on their toes. election time is the best time to send a message to all political parties, strong or subtle, indifferent or suggestive. ad campaigns infiltrating media will only increase in years to come. days of local hooligans flying past your street in 'open' jeeps, brandishing party flags and helped by loud-speakers blaring unintelligible propaganda while conveniently littering the streets with party leaflets could soon be over. press is the first step, it'll soon be on your TV screens and verbal attacks on politicians would get more personal.
having said all of that, it shouldn't really matter as long as people retain the power of voting parties 'in' and voting the same parties 'out' if they don't perform.
in an irrelevant but remotely related (to the political ad-campaigns) example, political parties spent millions of dollars in the last month in Australia on their ad-campaigns. We still ended up with a hung parliament and 5 independents are calling the shots at this time… people power 🙂
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