Market reform in politics
One reason why politicians have fallen in public esteem is because they are not seen to be operating in an open market, I argue in this article, " Market reform in politics ", published in the Mint, on 22 July 2008. The run-up to the trust vote has been as exciting as a Twenty20 (T20) game of cricket. Fortune is fluctuating every hour. It is a cliff-hanger! But rather than enjoy the political game, commentators are lamenting that high principles of parliamentary democracy have degenerated to lowly bazaar bargaining. It’s time our politicians took a leaf out of the T20 experience and created a legitimate market for politics. Indian Premier League’s success was not in the T20 format. Beginning with the private ownership of teams to auctioning of the players, branding and marketing, cricket was commercialized as never before. It produced quality entertainment for the paying public and unearthed new talent. In contrast to cricket, parliamentary discourse is handicapped by accusa...