China's National People'Congress has voted to do away with the Presidential term limits. It was a political order set in place in the '80s and '90s by the late Deng Xiaoping, who led China on a path of economic opening and liberalisation. It included the system of collective leadership and regular, orderly transitions of power that became the norm after he died in '97.
Nearly 3,000 delegates of the NPC, the party controlled legislature, lifted the existing presidential term limit almost unanimously by approving an amendment to the Constitution. Xi Jinping, thus holds all the three powerful posts viz. Communist party secretary, Military chairman and of course, is the President.
Did Xi require to do this? In fact, he has got himself labelled as the leader-for-life, a euphemism for a modern day dictator. He was firmly placed as the President, his writ ran large across the country and has handed over initiatives like the OBOR, the revival of the ancient Silk Route, the longest freight movement from Shanghai to London and the South China Sea activities - though, the last one is illegal and infringing upon the neighbouring countries' territorial waters, questioning the very tenets of the UN's Laws of the Seas.
With unbridled power in hand and with no meaningful opposition to his decisions, a person can go to unimaginable lengths to run his writ and stifle dissent in any form. There must be a few of his contemporaries and people, immediately junior to him in the power hierarchy, who having nurtured attaining the top post, one day, are suddenly faced with a situation that their growth has been stunted permanently. Their dashed futures can become a focal point for dissent in the days to come.
How would it affect the Sino-Indian relations? Whenever a political dispensation has trouble at home it creates a volatile situation on its borders to divert public attention. Xi Jinping could take the same route and what is available on a platter to him is the long standing disagreement between the two countries on the Line of Actual Control and the Mc Mahon line. India needs to be on its guard and engage the Chinese on meaningful talks to ensure that no flare up takes place, while reinforcing its border infrastructure to meet the military requirements.
Xi Jinping was a normal person till yesterday. Today, he has been made extraordinary as an individual who can do nothing wrong. Such godlike powers can only make a person heady with power and make him tend to be a monster which will bring about his end. So, is it the beginning of the end?
What needs to be seen is as to whether Xi Jinping turns out to be a benevolent dictator and a statesman or a dictator who instills fear and hatred to the world at large and is despised by one and all. Only time will tell. It's my fond hope that the first alternative comes true!
Tailpiece.
The kisan march of about 30,000 farmers - of the CPM - from the interiors of Maharashtra to the capital city of Bombay is poised to sit in agitation at the Legislative Assembly from tomorrow. There's no doubt that it will cause a huge administrative disaster in the city that's bulging at its seams, thanks to the population. It's hoped that the people concerned will see reason and not swoop to low levels to score political brownie points. Already, the Shiv Sena backing the farmers' demands, while sitting in government shows lack of principles as it's been a party to all the decisions taken by the government till now. Secondly, it was only just a few months ago when the Maharashtra government had written off a huge amount of money as loan waivers to the farmers. So, the farmers' needs now are not understood.
Or is it the aftermath of the CPM's poll debacle in Tripura to teach its political opponents a lesson?
Nearly 3,000 delegates of the NPC, the party controlled legislature, lifted the existing presidential term limit almost unanimously by approving an amendment to the Constitution. Xi Jinping, thus holds all the three powerful posts viz. Communist party secretary, Military chairman and of course, is the President.
Did Xi require to do this? In fact, he has got himself labelled as the leader-for-life, a euphemism for a modern day dictator. He was firmly placed as the President, his writ ran large across the country and has handed over initiatives like the OBOR, the revival of the ancient Silk Route, the longest freight movement from Shanghai to London and the South China Sea activities - though, the last one is illegal and infringing upon the neighbouring countries' territorial waters, questioning the very tenets of the UN's Laws of the Seas.
With unbridled power in hand and with no meaningful opposition to his decisions, a person can go to unimaginable lengths to run his writ and stifle dissent in any form. There must be a few of his contemporaries and people, immediately junior to him in the power hierarchy, who having nurtured attaining the top post, one day, are suddenly faced with a situation that their growth has been stunted permanently. Their dashed futures can become a focal point for dissent in the days to come.
How would it affect the Sino-Indian relations? Whenever a political dispensation has trouble at home it creates a volatile situation on its borders to divert public attention. Xi Jinping could take the same route and what is available on a platter to him is the long standing disagreement between the two countries on the Line of Actual Control and the Mc Mahon line. India needs to be on its guard and engage the Chinese on meaningful talks to ensure that no flare up takes place, while reinforcing its border infrastructure to meet the military requirements.
Xi Jinping was a normal person till yesterday. Today, he has been made extraordinary as an individual who can do nothing wrong. Such godlike powers can only make a person heady with power and make him tend to be a monster which will bring about his end. So, is it the beginning of the end?
What needs to be seen is as to whether Xi Jinping turns out to be a benevolent dictator and a statesman or a dictator who instills fear and hatred to the world at large and is despised by one and all. Only time will tell. It's my fond hope that the first alternative comes true!
Tailpiece.
The kisan march of about 30,000 farmers - of the CPM - from the interiors of Maharashtra to the capital city of Bombay is poised to sit in agitation at the Legislative Assembly from tomorrow. There's no doubt that it will cause a huge administrative disaster in the city that's bulging at its seams, thanks to the population. It's hoped that the people concerned will see reason and not swoop to low levels to score political brownie points. Already, the Shiv Sena backing the farmers' demands, while sitting in government shows lack of principles as it's been a party to all the decisions taken by the government till now. Secondly, it was only just a few months ago when the Maharashtra government had written off a huge amount of money as loan waivers to the farmers. So, the farmers' needs now are not understood.
Or is it the aftermath of the CPM's poll debacle in Tripura to teach its political opponents a lesson?
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