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By:

C.S. Krishnamurthy

21 June 2025 at 7:45:51 pm

A Spade Has No Party

There is something reassuring about a spade. It does not ask who is holding it before doing its job. It digs where it is told to dig. A hole made by a government worker is no different from one made by an opposition worker. The earth, fortunately, has no political affiliation. That simple image offers a useful way of looking at the Cockroach Janata Party, or CJP, a youth-led movement that has emerged around concerns over education, employment and accountability. Its significance may...

A Spade Has No Party

There is something reassuring about a spade. It does not ask who is holding it before doing its job. It digs where it is told to dig. A hole made by a government worker is no different from one made by an opposition worker. The earth, fortunately, has no political affiliation. That simple image offers a useful way of looking at the Cockroach Janata Party, or CJP, a youth-led movement that has emerged around concerns over education, employment and accountability. Its significance may ultimately lie less in whether it becomes a political force and more in what its emergence says about the changing relationship between young citizens and traditional politics. The CJP story reportedly began almost as a joke. But jokes sometimes possess an inconvenient habit of revealing truths that solemn speeches avoid. What began as satire attracted digital attention and developed into youth mobilisation. Beneath the humour lies something more serious: a generation that may not want another political flag, but wants existing flags to pay attention. A New Language Established political parties appear increasingly uncertain about how to speak to Gen Z. The problem may not be a lack of communication, but its direction. Traditional politics has often spent too much time speaking at the young and too little time speaking with them. Gen Z’s concerns are hardly confined to the digital world. Education, employment, security, dignity and accountability remain real-life concerns. Social media may provide the vocabulary, but the grievances are not virtual. Digital platforms have simply provided a meeting ground where concerns that conventional political structures may have failed to accommodate can find expression. This does not automatically make CJP a political party, nor does every participant necessarily subscribe to a common ideology. Its significance may instead lie in its ability to provide a forum for a generation-based articulation of concerns. We use the word “political” rather carelessly. Anything involving public affairs, government or collective decision-making is political in the broadest sense. But political does not necessarily mean partisan. A citizen demanding better examinations, employment opportunities or accountability from a minister is participating in democracy. He need not be preparing an election manifesto. This is where CJP becomes interesting. Its real test is whether it can remain an independent voice without eventually becoming another conventional political formation. Imagine a movement saying: we will criticise the government when it is wrong, the opposition when it is wrong, and ourselves when we are wrong. That would be an unusual political creature. It would also be a useful one. The real test of non-partisanship is not what a movement says about neutrality. It is whether it applies the same yardstick to everyone. If a government mishandles education, question it. If another government does the same, question it again. If a political party demands accountability in opposition but forgets the principle in power, call that out too. A spade should remain a spade even when somebody paints it in party colours. The Cricket Test The temptation to choose sides is understandable. Political discourse increasingly resembles cricket played by spectators who have forgotten that the scoreboard exists. A batsman from our team can edge the ball and we call it bad luck. The same edge by the other team becomes evidence of cheating. The problem is not cricket. It is our loyalty to the shirt. Democracy suffers from the same habit. We become so invested in who said something that we forget to ask whether it is true. An independent political voice must therefore be prepared to disappoint its own supporters. That is easier said than done. Digital technology has made mobilisation remarkably easy. But digital reach is not democratic depth. Followers are not necessarily volunteers, and viral outrage is not sustained civic engagement. The CJP’s challenge, therefore, is to convert attention into participation and measurable accountability. Every movement born outside established politics eventually encounters the gravitational pull of politics. Remaining independent is considerably harder in practice than in principle. CJP’s credibility will depend upon whether it can resist becoming what it criticises. Yet there is another, more interesting measure of success. If, a year from now, political parties begin placing education, employment and youth concerns more prominently at the centre of their agendas because they fear ignoring younger citizens, the CJP may have achieved its purpose without becoming a conventional party. Perhaps that is the deeper relevance of CJP that it may remind political forces that citizens are not permanent spectators in the democratic arena. (The writer is a retired banker and author. He can be reached at krs1957@hotmail.com. Views personal.)

Tata had ‘Make in India’ vision four decades ago

Updated: Oct 22, 2024

Make in India

After getting inducted into TATA Sons, Ratan Tataji’s first responsibility was NELCO- a company that manufactured radio sets. I had just joined NELCO back in March 1981. The company was just recovering from an 8-month closure due to a workers’ strike. At such a critical time, the company was handed over to Ratan Tata. Very soon a gate meeting by Dr. Datta Samant was announced and the danger of closure loomed over the factory. On the same day when the meeting was scheduled, a close associate of Ratan Tata came to the shop floor and stood on a cranky table appealing to all the workers & officers to gather. He gave a superb speech, stating how Ratan Tata Saheb treats the company as his family & how each one of us have a great respect for him as a family head, and that we would render him our unconditional, wholehearted support in pulling out our company from the crisis. This had a very positive impact and the gate meeting turned out to be a flop show. All this because of the very good quality of Ratan Saheb of dealing with all officials from top officials to the workers with grace & humanity, imparting a high level of motivation.


The same year on NELCO day he delivered a speech about his future plans for the company. I clearly remember him saying- This can become a state-of-the-art electronics gadgets manufacturing company & can be named as TATA Electronics Company. He said, “There will be a second TELCO in that case”.


I had seen many blind workers working on the assembly line manufacturing radio sets in NELCO. It was so thought provoking for me. He was a businessman with a difference. Earning profit was not the only motive. His gesture of contributing a great deal to humanity, uplifting or supporting life of the downtrodden, handicapped and the likes was exceptional. What a noble philosophy indeed! This had and continues to generate unprecedented loyalty to the brand name TATA from workers to consumers and masses.


Occasionally Ratan Saheb used to visit the shop floor of NELCO. In those days the company was manufacturing over 25,000 radio sets in a month. He would visit the assembly line and talk to the assembly workers, and managers of other disciplines like production, materials, R&D to understand their grievances. This would enhance the sense of belonging. I was fortunate enough to witness such visits of Ratan Saheb and having a close glimpse of him. I used to wonder how he was so involved in understanding the manufacturing problems at the micro level.


During all his visits his attire used to be quite modest. I always saw him in white full shirt. He would always be polite, never raised his voice and never complained about how hot and humid conditions prevailed on the shop floor. His broad, affirmative and convincing voice with absolute clarity of thoughts would establish a direct connection with the employees.


He had the vision of ‘Make in India’ four decades ago. Everything in house - all the allied processes related to radio manufacturing, hot foiling of radio front panel, printed circuit board manufacturing can be easily outsourced, which is the present trend. Ratan saheb ensured that everything was made in the NELCO factory.


NELCO, in spite of having enough space, R&D and manpower to have mass production of TV sets, it was the era of license raj and licenses were issued only to small scale industries, as per the then prevailing industrial policy. How disappointing and frustrating it must have got for ambitious industrialists like Ratan Tata! However, instead of running away from the scene, he found a solution. Vendors were developed with due licenses to manufacture TVs and NELCO’s first colour TV “Chroma Delux” was rolled out. Our entire team under the leadership of Nabar was busy streamlining the manufacturing line. After few days of working tirelessly, I still feel proud to recall how everybody strived to make the first perfectly working set of “Chroma Delux” that was to be sent to Ratan Tata’s home. If we compare today’s TV set “Chroma Delux” was quite a primitive version. Still like all of us Ratan Tata was extremely eager to see the new baby.


Life takes you back to the ideologies and inspiring people you met in life during the initial stage of your career. I left NELCO soon. Later after ten years, I met Nabar once again by coincidence. Today I am a vice President with an Indian company promoted by Nabar called Ikebana electronics Pvt Limited. The company produces heat shrinkable products. I am in-charge of Indian operations and export to neighboring countries & design & type testing of Ikebana products. Ratan Tata’s ideals and his aura will always remain a source of inspiration for me in my journey ahead. 


(The writer is BTech (BHU) and a former employee of NELCO, headed by late Ratan Tata)

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