Speak the NEEDFUL...Please....

Rahul Gandhi was a cult figure right from the time of his birth. It’s his ancestry to blame if not to be grateful to. Being the Gandhi scion it was imminent for others (at least Congress supporters) to look up to him for the top spot. Obviously he is the Chosen One for Congress but definitely not the Best One. His looks backed by his dimples, well clipped beard might be an attractive asset (especially for a politician) but his speeches don’t serve that similar cynosure. 

Rahul’s oratory gets tough to take when he hits the emotional pitch of his. And mind it, it’s more often than not that he coughs out his emotions. For a listener it is puzzling as in whether to sympathize or be shrewd and expect deliverables, not personal feelings. Inclination to the latter is obvious as the electorate is in no mood to commiserate with emotions and that also of Congress which is hit by anti-incumbency and failures on various fronts. This is good enough to out -weigh whatever emotions Rahul tries to invoke frequently in his speeches. It’s a big no to ‘emotional blackmail’ as there are emotions of crores of Indians to be attended to. Talks about core actions and not beggar for compassion will induce the electorate.

The pattern of Rahul’s speeches continues to revolve around the same recipe. First lionizing UPA’s schemes, then nose diving into his family history and a few digs here and there at the BJP. He seems to be a young boy speaking earnestly from his heart and on way hitting a strikingly philosophical pitch!! Stating power as poison, talking about assassination of his grandmother and father, crushing his own dreams for India, threat to his own life or be it highlighting his emotional mother at time of passage of Food Security Bill, all instances follow his patterns of oratory. Might be a bit harsh on him but surely for a top post like that of PM he needs to shed his naiveness (be it pretentiousness or not). But the first big thing is that is he vying for the top post? He continues obstinately refusing to throw his hat into the ring. The doubt- whether he will or won’t continue to bewilder us. The answer to this doubt will decide whether he is worth listening to and whether the poll pundits are right in assuming Rahul as Congress’s PM candidate.  It’s time Rahul decides and allows us to make up our minds.

At the same time Rahul Gandhi does deserve a few accolades as well. Dismissing the ordinance meant for saving tainted politicians (except for the way he did it) was commendable and was a good use of his supremacy in his party. But as a PM candidate or at least as the Vice President of Congress he needs to come up with more matter. UPA-II’s dismal performance can’t be over looked and its better if Rahul doesn’t attempt to do so in his speeches. Accepting short comings audaciously and presenting bold remedies is what the electorate desires. Just indulging in a negative campaign against BJP will in no way help Congress cover the distance. Rahul needs to be more responsible in remarks he makes. Take for instance, him stating that ISI is reconciling with the Muslims of Muzaffarnagar. Such baseless remarks are not expected from Rahul Gandhi. Better if Digvijay Singh comes up with these and not Rahul !!

Harping on his family tragedies more often than not does no good to an electorate which is heavily populated by youth who, frankly speaking are more interested in the future rather than in the past.

It’s high time that the speeches made get more specific about country’s problems and their solutions. And more importantly it’s the action that needs to follow the words!

WHY COMMUNAL VIOLENCE IN INDIA??

"An eye for an eye makes the world blind". What Gandhiji’s golden words alluded to can be universally applied to any human society across the world. Talking about India what's disconcerting is that, the issues which churned violence at time of Gandhiji are still equally prevalent in modern India even after 66 years of Independence. India can be proud of its secularity but this secularism at many instances got diminished to just a feeble form of tolerance, blown off by the smallest of sparks.

Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh-50 dead and about half a lakh people forced to take refuge in camps!! Harassment of a Hindu teen by a Muslim boy was rumored to have started the entire gory chapter. The Muslim boy was killed by the teen's brothers and in retribution the two Hindu boys were killed by the Muslims. What followed is riot and bloodshed claiming lives of 50 and hard earned property of thousands. Although the reason behind the spark is contentious and both the communities involved have come up with their own versions, the form it took was horrifying. It is doubted that a minor tiff between boys of the two communities might have triggered the mayhem. Whatever be the initial backdrop, the incidents which subsequently transpired were extreme forms of vindictiveness. Incidents of women being teased are unfortunate but occur very frequently in our society. Same is the case with minor quarrels given how quickly people get offended in these days. So most of us would agree to these issues being trivial and such incidents engulfing peace of the community only highlights the deadly volatility lurking in our Indian society. Initial revenge (to the extent of killing) followed by a spree of killings on communal patterns have taken lives of thousands of innocents in the country. There is a very thin line separating secularism and communalism in India. Everyday society treads cautiously when it comes to communal divisions. But over the decades many petty issues have spiraled into big communal clashes. Would scenes in Muzaffarnagar have been that violent if the issue had involved a single community?? Definitely, not. An issue which should have been closed by immediate and appropriate police and administrative intervention was allowed to be fuelled even further. The usually latent animosity existing in minds of people residing in areas like Muzaffarnagar has been highly shaped by the communal history of the place. The cumulative factor therefore enables an otherwise petty issue to spark off a big conflagration.

In the case of Muzaffarnagar riots the political parties as expected have just bickered and have done nothing except for trading the blame for inaction and deliberate escalation. But definitely its the police and the government which are to be held accountable and responsible. Samajwadi Party being the government can't play the blame game just as any other political party. It is the ruling party and all the powers required for action were in its hands. SP's complicity and decision to go easy with one community to consolidate its minority vote bank has taken it nowhere. In 1990's Mulayam Singh earned the sobriquet of 'Mullah Mulayam' for his stand to protect the Babri Masjid. The order to shoot kar sevaks at Ayodhya on 30th October, 1990 further earned Mulayam the trust of the minority community. But this time around, both Hindus and Muslims have been equally on the losing side. Akhilesh Yadav government's has thus been facing flak from all parties and most importantly from the common people of all communities. Its routine appeasement policy didn't save its face as it failed to take action when it was most required. SP has thus turned out to be the biggest loser and the riots giving the much hyped CM a big blot on his tenure. The SP's appeasement policy only shows its insecurity backed by the party's lack of substantial development and administration in the state. 

Bodies butchered beyond recognition, doctors reporting horrifying conditions of dead bodies found shows the anarchy and uncontrolled slaughter that took place. The police's inaction further escalated the tensions. Politicians of all parties marking their party's support by freely delivering fiery speeches added fuel in large quantities. Provocative posts circulated on networking sites undeterred did the same. Warrants were issued for the sake of action but no leader was actually arrested at the right time. The politicians dared to arrest them and the police just submitted to the situation powerlessly to avoid any political backlash. Top police officials were blamed and suspended just as a token of the government's action. 

But knowing the obvious fact that political power pulls the strings of police in this country, shouldn't the politicians be actually suspended? Every police personnel has to budge to their pressure to hold on to their tenure and posting.

In the case of Durga Shakti Nagpal SP was so farsighted that she was transferred in a jiffy. 41 minutes was boosted as a record time in which decisions regarding her were taken. But despite getting alerts from Central agencies regarding brewing communal tensions in Muzaffarnagar, no action was taken or more correctly, no action was allowed to be taken by the government. In almost all riots which have ravaged India, dozens of Commissions subsequently set have raised fingers on the complicity of politicians and the alleged role of police in blindly following their orders to go slow on the situation. Be it the Nanavati report of 1984 anti Sikh riots, Srikrishna report of 1993 Bombay riots, or reports of Gujarat riots and others, all have pointed out to the connivance of political parties in giving shape to the situation according to political benefits and their communal ideologies. 

If the so called leaders of Indian politics want to do something for the people apart from their languid lip service post such riots, they should urgently look into the implementation of police reforms. The Supreme Court's directives sought to achieve functional autonomy for the police (through security of tenure, streamlined appointment and transfer processes, and the creation of a "buffer body" between the police and the government) and enhanced police accountability (both for organizational performance and individual misconduct. Setting of a State Security Commission, fixed tenure for top cops (to have someone who is conversant with the area), grievance redressal authorities in each district are few of the desired features. The reluctance of state governments is understandable as the reforms will rob the political parties off their impunity. But the Supreme Court needs to push for its directives with stricter deadlines. The Supreme Court's ruling on tainted MPs and MLAs is a silver lining. It snaps the network the gundaas, criminals and other gangs have developed with the bureaucrats and the government.

Wooing one community (and in process alienating another) by playing tokenist politics has always been clouded by insecurity. Providing better administration, security and inclusive growth is the only way to create a healthy political environment and a healthy democracy. More importantly it's the best way for a government to credit its incumbency!! 

Leave AYODHYA Alone

VHP (Vishva Hindu Parishad) once again blew the trumpets for amplifying its rhetoric of Ram temple at Ayodhya. This time it was in form of the ’84 Kosi Yatra’. The ruling Samajwadi Party’s crackdown on it brought about its failure but more than that it was something else that made VHP’s so called ‘Yatra’ a flop show. 

The Hindu sants severely criticized the timing and the political motive of the Yatra.

The local people of Ayodhya dismissed it completely.

This might have been a blow for VHP but is an evidence of a better, matured and an understanding India. In 1992 VHP accompanied by BJP had stormed Ayodhya which eventually resulted in Babri Masjid demolition. Repercussions that followed continue to be a blot on India and its tag of secularism. But times have changed and Indians have moved on. Development has become the most vital aspect and people are using it as the sole yardstick for any organization (party) demanding their support. Modern India is clever enough to dig out the motives of a yatra, such as the one organized by VHP. At a time when economy is tumbling, every Indian would desire for some sort of respite from inflation, poverty and multi thronged issues of the society. Exhorting for a religious structure that also at a highly disputed land and in process inviting communal violence is the last thing wanted. Igniting communalism can only give India miseries. Growth and that too inclusive is the need of the hour. Public fury on closed shops, disrupted transportation, and slew of barricades in Ayodhya made the stance of India crystal clear. It means that politics in garb of religion is not going to be entertained any longer by the common man. 

Work is worship and it is better that everyone did that, rather than holding processions for ‘no need’ issues. There are hundreds of far important problems which can be attended to rather than the one dealt by the VHP.

The political parties supporting Ram Mandir also need to gauge the affect of their support on their vote banks. It may garner votes of few more Hindus but the risk of losing on minority votes is alarming. At a time when India is struggling with numerous and diversified issues, politics on communal lines can badly backfire. Both majority and minority groups can turn their back on parties which don’t score on core development of the society. This may be the reason why BJP (the so called sister organization of VHP) was mum on VHP’s Yatra!

More than anything else VHP should respect the religious sanctity of Hindus. Why to play politics in name of Ram? They are most welcome to build a temple on any non disputed land of India. Obstinacy of building the temple at the much disputed place in Ayodhya shows extremes of identity politics and this should be dealt with a heavy hand. India has witnessed enough riots between Hindus and Muslims. No further seeds of communalism should be allowed to be sown in India. 

As for VHP (Praveen Togadia, Ashok Singhal) and its supporters I would like to dedicate a few lines of a beautiful song from the film Swades –

Ram Hi To Karuna Mein Hai, Shanti Mein Ram Hain Ram Hi Hai Ekta Mein, Pragati Mein Ram Hain Ram Bas Bhakton Nahin, Shatru Ke Bhi Chintan Mein Hain Dekh Taj Ke Paap Raavan, Ram Tere Man Mein Hain Ram Tere Man Mein Hain, Ram Mere Man Mein Hain Ram To Ghar Ghar Mein Hain, Ram Har Aangan Mein Hain Man Se Rawan Jo Nikale, Ram Usake Man Mein Hain Pal Pal Hai Bhari, Woh Vipda Hai Aayee Mohe Bachane Ab Aao Raghurai Suno Ram Ji Aae, More Ram Ji Aae Raja Ramchandra AaYeh, Shri Ramchandra Aayee Ram Ji Aae, More Ram Ji Aae Shri Ramchandra Aae...Ho... ( Suno Ram Ji Aae, More Ram Ji Aae Shri Ramchandra Ji Aae, Ho

Dead LO'c'K SABHA

The next time you brave the incessant rains, the potholed roads, the irritating traffic jams and what not in bid to reach your workplace on time; you can draw some inspiration from our Lok Sabha members.

As per news reports Lok Sabha sat for 7.42 hours in 10 days of the monsoon session which accounts for just 12% of the total available sitting time. 88% time was lost to adjournments. 7 bills were introduced and none were passed. This is the productivity of people who pull the strings of our country!! No wonder India is lacking direction due to futile legislation and add on to it the pathetic implementation. 

Important bills like Land Acquisition, Direct Taxes Code Bill, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill are in queue to be passed. The much disputed Food Security Bill of an ambitious UPA also makes to the list.  

Over the years our parliamentarians have been governed by their humongous ego which disallows them to budge. Chained by loyalty and commitment to their respective parties, our MPs can’t avoid a cynical view about most proposals presented by the opposition group. Obstinacy often shrinks the bandwidth of functioning of our parliamentarians. As a result important legislations remain unfocussed. Previous grievances which are often least related to the bills engulf much of the sitting time. In the current monsoon season anti Telengana protests, missing Coalgate files did the same. The affairs are worth debate but yet shouldn’t be done at the cost of important bills. 

Political issues arising from every day India and most frustratingly from corrupt, inefficient politicians are never ending. Stalling sessions at the expense of ‘need of the hour’ laws symbolizes insensitivity and lack of prioritization. Perceiving everything in terms of political edge has been paralyzing India for years. Filibustering, shouting of acerbic remarks leading to chaotic Parliament and its eventual disruption needs to be checked. One shouldn’t get offended at everything. 

The MPs need to be sensitive about the bigger picture. Their experience should help them gauge the implications waiting to arise from their abysmal productivity. A more coherent and united Parliament is what India needs.

Every citizen of India is directly or indirectly affected by the legislations passed in the Parliament. We all look up to our MPs for proper administration and for laws needed to drive the nation properly. It is time the notion got cleared –

It is not the people who owe their existence to the Parliament; rather it’s the Parliament which is solely for the service of the people.

                                                   Pic Courtesy : The Hindu

                                                     Green: Sitting hours
                                                     Red   : Lost Hours

272+ @ 2014 Elections

With the country slated for general elections in 2014, political parties are busy gearing themselves for the grand event. The election mode turned on, a move by any major political party is bound to be seen in context of wooing the electorate. Onset of this political atmosphere also brings enough fodder for every responsible citizen of India to get engrossed. This fever can only be expected to rise and become more political in the process of build up to 2014. 

For many years now, Congress and BJP have been the major national level political parties. The others are regional parties. But India being a multiparty country ensures enough strength of the latter, both in terms of number and also the impact on the political landscape. But still the general election in India has always been a battle between the Congress and the BJP. This time around on menu is Mr. Narendra Modi and Mr. Rahul Gandhi. Although their names haven’t yet been declared officially, there is no stopping the media and the social networking sites in breathlessly showcasing the 2014 election as a showdown between the two.

Despite towing his controversial image Narendra Modi is the choice of BJP because of his popularity and his much advertised Gujarat success. On the other hand Rahul Gandhi who is although not that expressive on public forums emerges the best man for Congress. He being a youth icon (somewhat, mainly for his age) and most importantly being the Gandhi scion explains the choice. Supremos of certain regional parties expressing their ambitions of becoming the next PM is frankly  perceived by most as a dream which is least likely to come true. Thus Modi vs. Rahul Gandhi is what most of us are anticipating for. Polls on ‘Who is the better PM?’ or ‘Who will be the next PM?’ are often conducted by media and networking sites. 

But the election is more than just the individual Modi, Rahul battle. The real contest is between their armies (their political parties). The scenario is different from other countries like US where two candidates engage themselves in epic debates to persuade the electorate in voting either of them directly. In India we elect a Member of Parliament from each constituency. This choice is mainly dictated by local issues of the constituency. So because of our decentralized election process the question-who will be the next PM, may not find that much importance at the grassroots (constituencies). A recent poll conducted by a news channel showed NDA getting 158 seats, UPA 132 seats and other political parties getting 253 seats. This is where the collision of coalitions comes in the picture. Both NDA and UPA cannot reach the magical figure of 272 without joining hands with regional parties.

Today’s national politics is heavily commanded by coalitions. Nitish Kumar withdrawing support from NDA on issues with Modi was a big blow. His party JDu willing to support UPA on terms of Centre conferring special status on Bihar will be a big game changer. Recently when Sonia Gandhi tried to intervene in the Durga Shakti Nagpal’s affair, Samajwadi Party threatened to withdraw its support in passing UPA’s Food Bill in the Parliament. Given the importance of the bill for UPA, it’s the coalition that will prove the most decisive. 

The country is currently disarrayed by the Manmohan Singh government. Dissatisfaction is brewing in minds of many people as UPA has failed on many fronts. Comparatively Modi who is more active, communicative and well connected with the public holds an edge. Success of Gujarat development backs him. For many who want actions and commencement of development Modi government might be the best choice. But Modi who is often called a ‘one man army’, someone who doesn’t entertain opposition needs to induct that flexibility for harnessing successful coalitions. His alleged involvement in 2002 Gujarat riots has always proved to be a big blot. It continues to be a major impediment on his way to fulfill his national dreams. Like many people (especially minorities), many political parties might think twice before they support NDA. For them the extra Hindu votes might not be good enough to compensate the loss of Muslim votes. The image of Modi has been blown so much out of proportion that BJP/NDA has become synonymous with Narendra Modi. That is where NDA lands itself in troubled waters. 
For its success BJP can’t allow Modi become something which is more than the party itself. Then only people who are sceptical about Modi can vote for BJP freely. But coming full circle the question remains the same, will Modi’s projection as BJP’s prime ministerial candidate provide that freedom to such people.

Let us all vote and wait for the 2014 general elections to unfold. 

Regardless of what the result will be, Indian electorate as always will try to choose the best from the available alternatives which it thinks will steer the country to further milestones of development.