In 'Digital India,' Government Hands Out Free Phones To Win Votes (nytimes.com) 48
Forget the old American campaign slogan of a chicken in every pot, or the Indian politician's common pledge to put rice in every bowl. The New York Times reports: Here in the state of Chhattisgarh, the chief minister, Raman Singh, has promised a smartphone in every home -- and he is using the government-issued devices to reach voters as he campaigns in legislative elections that conclude on Tuesday. [...] The phones are the latest twist in digital campaigning by the B.J.P., which controls the national and state government and is deft at using tools like WhatsApp groups and Facebook posts to influence voters. The B.J.P. government in Rajasthan, which holds state elections next month, is also subsidizing phones and data plans for residents, and party leaders are considering extending the model to other states.
Chhattisgarh's $71 million free-phone program -- known by the acronym SKY after its name in Hindi -- is supposed to bridge the digital divide in this state of 26 million people, which is covered by large patches of forest and counts 7,000 villages that do not even have a wireless data signal. The plan is to add hundreds of cellphone towers and give a basic smartphone to every college student and one woman in every household to connect more families to the internet and help fulfill the central government's goal of a "Digital India." But this election season, many of the 2.9 million people who have received the phones have found themselves targeted by the B.J.P.
Chhattisgarh's $71 million free-phone program -- known by the acronym SKY after its name in Hindi -- is supposed to bridge the digital divide in this state of 26 million people, which is covered by large patches of forest and counts 7,000 villages that do not even have a wireless data signal. The plan is to add hundreds of cellphone towers and give a basic smartphone to every college student and one woman in every household to connect more families to the internet and help fulfill the central government's goal of a "Digital India." But this election season, many of the 2.9 million people who have received the phones have found themselves targeted by the B.J.P.
As the old saying goes (Score:2)
" Beware of strangers bearing gifts "
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In this case, the fool is handing out the rope to hang himself with. It's the tool that thinks it's a genius and everyone else is stupid in comparison. From the controlling the controlled message of paid for main stream media, to provide the tools where citizens can talk to each other all of the time, where they control the message, inevitable (they either like your message and listen or listen to someone else's, your opposition). The master mind, thinks it real cunning because delusionally it believes it w
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Comment removed (Score:3, Funny)
Bush43 Phone (Score:2)
The Obama Phone program was actually started by Bush43.
Very common in India. (Score:2)
The goodies bought with the government funds will be liberally slapped with the pictures of the politician.
One woman (Score:1)
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Oh good... (Score:3)
Oh good, India's Nationalists are not only bribing voters but doing so in a way that they can keep can keep an eye on them.
Heaven help their minorities with this kind of nationalist bullshit.
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Oh good, India's Nationalists are not only bribing voters but doing so in a way that they can keep can keep an eye on them.
Heaven help their minorities with this kind of nationalist bullshit.
Can the 'Oh the poor Muslim "minorities" are targeted' crap.
This is nothing more than yet another foolish, wasteful election time bribe. This has been going on a long time in Indian politics and is anything but healthy for the country, but I'll thank you not to use that as an excuse to push your silly agenda. Doesn't fit the narrative one bit.
Just search for 'india election freebies' and you'll find that this isn't anything new.
Plenty of jokes going around on this topic too including one where a we
Re:Oh good... (Score:4, Insightful)
Oh good, India's Nationalists are not only bribing voters but doing so in a way that they can keep can keep an eye on them.
Heaven help their minorities with this kind of nationalist bullshit.
Can the 'Oh the poor Muslim "minorities" are targeted' crap.
It's not just Muslims that are targeted by the BJP. Dalits are a favorite target as well. Heaven forbid you get caught by a "cow protection group" transporting a cow you just bought to add to your farm. They assume you are going to butcher it, so they butcher you. And they have the tacit and sometimes explicit permission from the BJP to do so. Don't forget that there is a minority population of Christians as well. If the Hindu nationalists get their way, Indian Christians will be a target as well.
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The current rise of the BJP directly correlates to increases in violence against minorities in India https://www.indiatoday.in/indi... [indiatoday.in] .
Nationalists in any country have no love for those who are different.
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"But when Obama bribed voters with free phones it was OK"
Are you referring to the federal lifeline program from 1985 that was broadened to cell phones in 2008 under Bush Jr.?
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They were very clearly part of federal policies that existed before Obama came into office. I've sited my own references, please site proper references for what you are claiming.
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"It was a tiny program before Obama ramped it up."
The only way the program may have been "ramped up" under Obama is because of the higher number of eligible people due to the massive recession that happened just before his presidency. The qualifying circumstances went unchanged under Obama.
"but it gained attention during his administration when recipients began to associate the free phone with other benefits he doled out to the poor."
Obama made zero attempts to associate his name with this program. If some
Meanwhile... (Score:2)
In Soviet Russia, Phones hand out free governments.
or something like that.
Old American campaign slogan ? (Score:1)
It was the king Louis XVIII who said " Je veux que chaque laboureur de mon royaume puisse mettre la poule au pot le dimanche" (I want each peasant to be able to put a chicken in the pot on sundays). It isn't an old american slogan but a french slogan, you fucking ignorant twats.
Digital Payments, then Votes! (Score:1)
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery... (Score:1)