•Many NGOs believe that politicians are part of the problem, and avoid dealing with them. But you directly work with MPs. How come?

I think all NGOs see a disconnect between people’s expectations and the priorities of politics. We are no different. But our understanding of the problem is possibly a bit nuanced. Political careers typically begin with politicians helping in resolving problems that people face in their day to day lives — accessing public services, settling disputes and benefitting from government schemes. These essentially require politicians to act as arbiters, negotiating with the Block Development Officer, Tehsildar and the police. Unfortunately, as they rise up the ranks to become, say, MPs, politicians don’t see that they now have a bigger role — as policy makers. They continue to practice the same kind of mohalla politics, undercutting into governance and creating personal fiefdoms. Changing that is half the solution.

•What is this “policy-making role” for MPs that you talk about? Isn’t corruption a bigger problem?

Of course there is corruption. But its not the only problem. Given the fact that policy making space is so centralised and constricted, politicians think their only role is to be as “powerful” as a district magistrate. Even we voters are part of the problem. We tend to approach politicians for fixing drains, but not for working out a coherent policy on urban management. This is the role that MPs should play, which many of them are unaware of — rule and policy making: the ability to see that the lack of drainage is linked to bigger problems, and formulating a coherent policy with regard to drainage. Schemes like MPLAD also push MPs towards playing an executive role.

•How do you change this “executive” mindset of politicians? Can you give an example of how inputs from your NGO has worked on the ground?

Well, take one MP we work with — Dharmendra Pradan. He represents a mining area in Orissa, and its been a mining area for the last 90 years — so the biggest political issue there has always been displacement and rehabilitiation. And typically, politicians have only focussed on giving compensation — either agititation on behalf of the displaced, or accepting money from mine-owners. Traditional politics was very small-minded. But after we worked with Pradhan, both of us are able to see that the real problem, the policy issue, was that the displaced constituents in his area simply did not have the skills or the enabling mechanisms to benefit from industrialisation. His current focus is on ensuring that opportunities for skill enhancement are made available to a large number of rural youth. We have worked with many other MPs, but don’t want to mention their names. But our inputs involve facilitating a mind-set change from fire-fighting to policy making.

•When you talk about the smallness of the ambitions of our politicians, part of the problem is that voters reward this smallness. How do you plan to change this?

The key change required is the kind of communication between constituents and their elected representatives. Voters pass verdicts once in five years, and in the absence of any mechanism for systematic guidance from the electorate in between the elections, several political leaders just move from one election to another with no clear sense of priorities for development and their role in it. Change has to begin somewhere. For instance, we are currently working with a coastal MP and educating him about the policy implications of coastal politics; we have created focus groups of fisherfolk to meet with him repeatedly. He now understoods that there exists global research on how to deal with coastal issues. He will soon be completely clued into the needs of his most important constituents — fisherfolk. We are providing him with a communication channel that is independent of party workers and bureaucrats. Hopefully, voters will reward this.

•What plans next?

In the run up to the general elections, we are planning a live television show involving youth from tribal and rural areas, small towns, and slums, along with young MPs, on issues which are relevant to the youth. Hopefully, politicians on the show will be asked the big questions — about employment and education policies; and that will prompt the big answers.