Western Influence or Indianisation of the West?

Political Animal

Why it is wrong to expect Dr Manmohan Singh to try to become one SANKARSHAN THAKUR IT IS something LK Advani needed to be a shade embarrassed about, but then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh bailed him out in a rare moment of cleverness — Advaniji was too nervous about what’s going to happen in Gujarat, he’s hurried to get himself enthroned, the PM told the press in Ahmedabad. He had, of course, meant it as a barb at Advani’s insecurities on the leadership question, but in effect the PM had stung his own party hard in the heat of campaign. To mock Advani for being in an unseemly rush to get himself anointed prime ministerial candidate before the Gujarat results were out was surely also to admit fatal midcampaign concessions in Gujarat, it was to admit that Narendra Modi was riding back to power. Irrespective of whatever happens next week in Gujarat, the PM has already given the plate over to the adversary. And sure enough, Advani was quick to pounce on it and begin to preen when he should have been sheepish about the timing of his anointment. There could not have been a worse time for the PM to put his political naivete on display. But it is nothing to mock or laugh at. Manmohan Singh is not a political creature and it is foolish now to expect him to turn into one. He just does not possess that gene. And it is for the lack of that political gene that he was made PM in the first place. Sonia Gandhi would not trust anyone who can play the game. She has an embarrassment of political talent in her stables — Arjun Singh, Pranab Mukherjee, Digvijay Singh, ND Tiwari to name just a few of the lead horses. But does any of them stand a chance to be picked for the top job as long as Sonia Gandhi is doing the picking? Chance would be a fine thing. And should Manmohan Singh actually spring a political gene suddenly and begin to behave like a mover-shaker, he will begin to lose trust where it matters. It could well be that the PM was trying to answer demands from within the party to turn “more political”, especially as general elections approach, but then that is an unfair demand to make on him. Here’s a man whose essential talents lie in governance. Here’s a man put there because in Sonia Gandhi’s scheme of things, there should exist a diarchy — administration with the PM, politics with the party. Whatever the merits of such a scheme, that’s where Manmohan Singh has been lodged. Can’t suddenly expect a square peg to fit into a round hole.

From Tehelka Magazine, Vol 4, Issue 50, Dated Dec 29, 2007

Saffronazis

Cries of nationalistic sentiments are on a rise all across this great nation. Most of them being narrow-minded pseudo nationalists who promise to give salvation to this developing nation with millions of problems at hand. They preach what they don’t practice, and practice that which none with straight mind would intend to. These wolves in goat skin are emerging all over the country mainly by getting hold of popular (meaning religious or spiritual if it concerns India) sentiments.

The cruel blood hungry picture of these men was seen in the Gujarat riots in 2001. The perpetrators of this headhunt, who occupied the highest seats of administration and the doers claim that they have done the greatest deed for the Hindu community.

In the recent Tehelka expose they have claimed (not confess) that they themselves did the cruelties. And one can understand the mental derangement of these minds when one says he had torn open the abdomen of a pregnant woman and toasted the foetus. Another man claims in front of his wife that he had tasted some grapes, since fruits were available in plenty. An elaborate account of these would be dealt in yet another blog.

But the sad thing is that the then PM Vajpayee who is believed to have some minimum humanitarian concerns, not even talked against Modi, but supported his moves. It was shameful to let free the event managers of a man-slaughter of such an extent. And the real shame came when other countries began to reject entry for Modi on their soils. And the manager became wordless when asked in a TV interview about the riots and went out of the show. And he believes he can repeat the performance after the next elections and also spread this to other parts of the country, even to the south.

It all began to get popular when the karsevaks stripped down the Babri-masjid in Ayodhya. And another national leader had flagged off the karsevak march to Ayodhya, but ultimately became the innocent lamb. Another blot to the pride of the country, which boasts to entertain a vast number of castes and religion with a slogan of unity and integrity in each ones’ lips.

RSS and VHP karsevaks (having their logo itself as the trident or thrishul) had been given weapon training to build a Hindu nation by force. In front of the educated ones this Hindu nation means a nation with many traditional and spiritual values, but when it comes before the illiterates it’s a nation devoid of other religious groups who are said to be anti-Indian. And when something bad happens its all the problem of illiteracy and minority friendly attitude of the governments.

Shivsena too began to march into the arena by destroying cricket pitches of India-Pakistan cricket matches, pulling down internet cafes for not banning orkut for its anti-national contents. But the ultimate ‘victory’ of the Sena is claimed to be the Bombay riots. Killing and mutilating hundreds and making the life of minorities unsafe was the immediate result. They had even resorted to violence when a book said to have derogatory remarks on Chatrapati Sivaji was published.

Are all these happening because Hinduism as a faith originated when the kingdoms were on the war front? Or the Gods were all warrior-Kshatriyas? But there was a difference. The God’s had been waging wars for the victory of the Good over the Evil. And never had they fought against weapon less opponents. When is the true Hinduism going to get into their heads? As everything else ends, these are all the faults of corrupted politicians who can’t think beyond the margin of vote bank politics. And literacy, social security and balanced development would mar their dreams completely. There would be no end to this problem unless the responsible citizens start another movement, another freedom struggle or a youth government with novel thoughts and dreams come forward. As it is said it never ends, it just goes on everyday, everywhere.