India is hosting its 17th Lok Sabha election this year and the country is appearing to be divided on lines which were assumed to have vanished after the partition.
The world has seen a gradual shift towards nationalist parties, more so in North America and Europe, which many consider to be the most worrisome political development of the Trump Presidency. India has also seen a similar shift, which has been born from a growing online community of armchair critics and rabble rousers. Unfortunately, this shift has come at the cost of real development and growth of the country.
While the mainstream media is preoccupied with broadcasting every snarky, passive aggressive remark directed at individuals, we feel that key issues which plagues the states (and the country as a whole) are being left out. The logic is simple: a threat like climate change will not have the slightest regard if the state is governed by Party X, Y or Z; droughts will not consult the manifestos of leading state parties before raining hardships on the farmers; and, rivers will not flood based on the date and time of a CM’s prayer. India and her composite states need to focus on the issues ahead of the politics, a priority which has drowned in the noise of late-night shouting matches on broadcast news.
In the state profiles we present, you will find some of the finest analysis on India’s twenty-nine states, spanning the entire spectrum of political issues. As you continue reading our curated analyses, you will be made aware of the problems hiding in plain sight; the smallest of issues which compound over time and how our states can counter them. At Synergia Foundation, we believe in the power of research and the responsibility of engaging in the policy making environment of the country by combating half-truths and avoiding party worship.
Every state counts. Every constituency counts. Every vote counts.