Inside the BJP's Training Camp for New MPs

(Dr Vinay Sahasrabuddhe is in-charge of BJP's National Good Governance Cell and Director of Public Policy Research Centre, New Delhi. He has also been heading Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini - South Asia's only academy for training of politicians and social workers for the last 26 years.)

"Training of Politicians? You mean these ministers and MPs? Don't tell me. What can they learn? They always preach. Will they listen?" Questions galore and doubts persist as few believe that politicians can ever be trained.

In a polity already reeling under multiple crises including one of credibility at its centre, even a significant attempt to restore confidence in the system is often jeered and looked at with suspicion, needlessly! A case in point is the two-day workshop organised by the Bharatiya Janata Party for its first-timer MPs. Considering the fact that BJP is the only national political party conducting such capacity-building programmes, not only for its MPs and MLAs but also its ministers and other office/bearers, it is important to understand BJP's Philosophy of Training.

For the BJP, training is not new. Right since the Jan Sangh days, training camps have been regularly conducted in the BJP. The sincerity of such efforts is reflected through both the meticulously-planned conduct and thoughtfully-designed content of such programmes. Most such training happens as a residential programme as it facilitates rubbing of shoulders, meeting of minds and eventually evolving a commonality of approach.

The way to effective organisation-building passes via sharing of mind space and staying together and eating together. This essentially promotes greater collectivism. Besides, in the BJP, training is much more than a typical classroom learning. Always, every session is highly participative, engaging and with enough scope for questions and answers. Resource persons, regardless of their seniority, make it a point to mingle with the trainees, break bread with them and interact to develop bonding.  

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Since a structured syllabus forms the course content, ready-made study notes are distributed early. Many resource persons also compliment them with a PPT. I remember, in 2005, a noted psychiatrist in Mumbai had even used clippings of Bollywood movies while conducting a session on self-management.

As for course content, for years the BJP has been stressing on three principal ingredients: Motivational Development, Knowledge and Information-centric training, and finally Skill-Oriented sessions. The motivational crisis in politics is not only grave but also multi-dimensional. Here, the BJP's thrust has always remained on motivation through a deeper understanding of its ideology. Often, it has helped promote greater clarity in thinking as also restoring the purity of purpose. In the other segment concerning knowledge and information, the emphasis has always been on developing sound understanding of developmental issues, policy matters and at times legal and technical aspects. When it comes to skill orientation, focus largely remain so soft skills, IT, Social Media and Media skills as well as aspects of personal management including time management.

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Does training make any impact? Yes and no. Since it is -- always and for any segment -- hard to monitor the impact of training for a longer duration, a confident "Yes" may always sound hollow. But yes, as it certainly helps the trainee turn the searchlight inward. Politicians are also human beings. They too yearn for righteousness and have a desire to do good. Training rekindles the fire. Training serves as a reminder of lofty ideals and goals and at times also makes one re-dedicate oneself to them.

Sadly, the BJP is perhaps the only party that focuses on training in a methodical way and through sustained efforts. Unfortunately, even in other democracies, the training of politicians has largely remained neglected. For any democracy, to deliver able and efficient elected representatives is a prerequisite. And ability cannot come without integrity, purity of purpose, clarity of thoughts and mastery of certain skills. After all, only capable elected representatives can make democracy bring value addition and thereby enhance popular confidence in democracy.

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