JK PANORAMA FEBRUARY ISSUE 2018

for Social, Legal, Economic, Political you see one person who thinks beyond
and Technological. Another variant of realpolitik? The great leaderaan of our
this is the PEST analysis, which does not times are actually great business leaders,
take the legal aspect into account. If one who lead in the business of politics –
adds the variable of Environment to the whether it translates into votes or notes.
mix, it becomes PESTLE analysis. Add They are not content being simply
ethical and demographic factors and you leaders of people in the sense of
get something STEEPLED – which is dedicated thinkers of their future wellmore
recent and currently more being. If push comes to shove, they
fashionable. SLEPT was, and is, would much rather deconstruct history
routinely used to map the external than construct a future.
environment of an existing or proposed
The business tool that comes
business and on the basis of strategic handy for this business class is called
analysis chart a course for it. The state of PLOP analysis, where PLOP is the
Jammu and Kashmir has routinely failed imagined acronym for Profit, Loss,
nearly all parameters of the test, what Odium and Plaudits. Every successful
with all the factors being continuously a- business executive, or political leader as
flux (if one might coin the term) and that in the instant case, computes the profit or
may well be the reason industry has been loss of every single action, utterance,
so shy of investing here. Although one stand or position paper. The tradeoff
can't entirely rule out the lotus eating between profit and loss is the real meat
nature of us Kashmiris, at least the on this bone, because profit is not always
probable managerial class among us. or invariably desirable or aimed at. You
There has always, in every society, been must know how to make a strategic loss
a class of very hardworking people who to be counted as a top drawer politician.
work to earn a daily wage with respect As far as odium goes, no politicianfor
self undiminished. The Kashmiri business executive wants it. Every one of
lotus eaters, on the other hand, is content them loves a cheering crowd, fawning
contemplating the navel lint of others hangers on and starry eyed followers
rather than contemplating his own navel looking for stardust. In the business of
and is far better analysing politics rather peddling old dreams, or pre-sold ones,
than business. Not that politics is not new costumes are required to dress up the
business.
demonetized dreams and make them
As to the matter at hand, that of believable and credible for people. It is
politics being a business besides being really a tough job but then our savvy
business – it is effortlessly so, especially politician is no softie.
in as pickled a jar as Kashmir. Can you
It is an oft forgotten fact that in
think of a contemporary politician, of the slush and mush of political dreamany
hue and colour, any denomination or selling, at times it is the odium that
persuasion, who has the makings or catapults one right up to the podium.
markings of tomorrow's statesman?
Look at the length and breadth of the ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
state, look at its legislature and outside,
look at registered or recognized political (This article appeared earlier in a Srinagar based
daily)
parties and unrecognized or unregistered
ones. Now look at the whole of
leadership and all the workers in this
great galaxy of 'servants of people'. Do
19 February 2018