NOTE: This blogger writes a weekly column on Sundays in Andhra Bhoomi- a Telugu daily from the stable of Deccan Chronicle. The following column did not appear last Sunday because it was felt that the column was "too harsh on Sonia". Obviously, the proprietor who is lobbying for a RS seat does not want anything against the Congress' high priestess to go in his publications. So much for press freedom!
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Congress Working Comittee member and a deemed intellectual of sorts in AP politics, K Kesava Rao always comes out with bytes which 24 hour news channels can lap up. His recent gem of a statement was that those who won the last elections on Congress tickets were able to do so only because of Sonia Gandhi’s pictures. Does this remind you of the extreme arrogance with which a great leader of the nation proclaimed decades ago that even a lamp post, if given a Congress ticket, could win the elections? KK was only humane to give to that status to a picture of Congress President and not to a lamp post. Making a statement alone is not sufficient Mr Rao. Being a so-called intellectual, you have to answer simple questions.
The Congress election campaign projected three leaders – Sonia Gandhi, the heir apparent Rahul Gandhi and as an appendix to these two, Dr Manmohan Singh. Do you think voters saw only Sonia’s pictures?
AP Congress chief also must have carried Sonia’s picture in his campaign in Nizamabad. Why
then did he lose and lose to a BJP candidate who was one of the two who were elected on BJP ticket in the entire state?
Out of 294 seats in the state assembly, Congress could secure only 157, a wafer thin majority. Does this not mean Sonia picture did not work in the rest of the constituencies?
Why did Congress seek alliances in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Jammu and Kashmir, if Sonia’s picture could do the magic?
Do you mean that for the Congress to win, a picture or just an icon is enough and it can replace policies and programmes?
Is it a tacit admission that Sonia, who always depends on her speech writers to deliver speeches by reading them out, cannot win with her communication skills; instead has to depend on her picture alone?
A final question Kesava Rao has to answer is this. Why did he not contest an election with her picture instead of taking back door entry?
Besides rank sycophancy which is the essential qualification for Congressmen to survive, KK’s statement has political overtones. If Congress could win two general elections consecutively, it was merely because of Dr YS Rajasekara Reddy whether one may agree with his style of functioning or not. Now, there is an attempt to erase that legacy. His welfare schemes were diluted, some were abandoned citing the shrinking government coffers. In effect, these spineless and clueless Congressmen, even as they are fighting among themselves reminding us of early eighties, want to curry favour with the high command so that they can get some crumps. The only way to do that is to denigrate YSR legacy and to paint a picture as if it was the party (read Sonia Gandhi) that was responsible for coming back to power in the state. What else can please her except to say that she alone was responsible for Congress victory in the state.
Agreed, there is no trait called “virtue” in politics. But, the virtue of “gratefulness” seems to be reserved for the Nehru Gandhi family only. People have to be grateful for Nehru, Indira, Rajiv and now Sonia followed by Rahul for whatever happens to the country. And so, all the institutions will be named after them. If Jagan puts up his late father’s statue, it is not something that servile Congressmen can stomach.
Opposition to YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s tour of Telangana from Congressmen themselves and the party’s dictat to him not to undertake the tour has to be viewed in this context. Rootless wonders in the Congress party are obviously not comfortable with the response Jagan got wherever he went. For advocates of Telangana who want to wage a “civil war”, Jagan’s tour is a new found trigger for unleashing violence, especially when the sentiment is on the wane or atleast not visible. So, we promote the disgusting political culture of blackmail when we deify those who resort to immolations and take a leap from cell towers. The reason trotted out by them is that Jagan might canvass for “Samaikya Andhra”. If the sentiments are so strong for Telangana, any number of Jagans cannot undo it. Further, can anything be more irrational than this in a democracy? If a leader who holds a different point of view on an issue cannot tour in parts of the state, and if this has to be extended, BJP leaders cannot tour in West Bengal and Commis cannot venture out in Gujarat. What sort of democratic traditions we are trying to set for the posterity?
Even as this political intolerance is tearing apart our social fabric, there is a premium on religious intolerance of the minority groups. One can understand an Islamic state like Pakistan banning social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. Taking cue from a theocratic neighbour, Maharashtra government, supposed to be secular, wants a ban on Facebook. Why? Islamic and Christian groups demand such a ban because the sites carry certain images and caricatures that hurt them. Are there no sentiments for the majority group in the country? As a strange coincidence, even as there is a demand for ban on Facebook, MF Husain’s “Saraswati” is going to be auctioned in London. It is not clear whether it is the same painting that showed the Goddess of Learning in a despicable manner hurting the sentiments of the majority community. But, coincidence is not something that can be missed out.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Friday, May 14, 2010
INNER PARTY DEMOCRACY - CONG STYLE
Congressmen’s oft-repeated phrase whenever there is a rift within the party is that the only party which has allowed “inner party democracy” is the Indian National Congress. No doubt, it is true. But the problem is this “inner party democracy” is, sometimes, carried too far. This inner party democracy becomes inter-ministerial at times and explodes in different countries as well. This is what we witnessed recently when Union Environment Minister, Jairam Ramesh made remarks against the Home Ministry in China saying that the Union Home Ministry has become “alarmist” and “paranoid” while dealing with China.
Obviously, Ramesh wanted to please his local hosts who must have complained to him about the attitude of the Indian government. To be fair to Ramesh, who has been painted into a corner by everyone in the government and the party, Union Home Minister P Chidambaram had expressed in many fora that he had reservations in allowing Chinese workers in different projects undertaken by Chinese industrialists in India. He wanted to allow only those whose skills are not available in the country and he also wanted proper scrutiny before issuing work permits to Chinese workers. As Minister in-charge of internal security, it is his prerogative to frame conditions for entry of foreign nationals that too from a country which has been playing hot and cold – whether it is border dispute, carbon emissions, nuclear cooperation etc.
Does this mean that a Union Minister can go to a foreign country and blame his own government’s policies? Certainly not. But if we take a deeper look into the issue, there is something more than what meets the eye. Chidambaram seems to be the target for many of his colleagues in the party and the government. Is it because he is getting closer to 10 Janpath and enjoys the confidence of the high priestess of the party? It appears to be so.
Finance Minister Pranab Mukerjee might go on “frequent errands” for the government as lampooned by firebrand leader from his own state Mamta Banerjee. But he can never get closer to the high command for the “sins” he committed immediately after Indira’s assassination. Rahul does not seem to be in a hurry for positions of power as he has been with his own marriage. Dr Manmohan Singh who underwent two by-pass surgeries is not in the pink of health. There must be someone in the stand-by mode.
Among the cabinet ministers who puts on a pretence of efficiency and smartness and emerged as darling of the media, it is Chidambaram. That is the reason Ramesh targets him, Mani Shankar Iyer, who carries on his shoulders the burden of upholding secularism using barbaric language with his tongue choked in nitric acid, picks bones on Naxal issues, Digvijay Singh makes a frontal attack on the policies of the Home Minister in dealing with Maoists, forgetting his past as a chief minister. People are not bothered as to what happens behind the screen. What appears on stage is “inner party democracy” which, in effect, means never ending feud among Congressmen.
Even on non-political issues like Census there does not seem to be unity within the ranks of the party. While one section is vehemently opposed to inclusion of caste in the census, there is an equally powerful section which toes the line of Yadavs. Ultimately, the government had to yield to the pressure lobby of OBC leaders because of the number game in Parliament. And this does not speak well for the image of the government because it exposes the vulnerability of the government. Even during the cut motions the country had witnessed as to what levels the government could stoop down to conquer thanks to the pliant CBI.
Social issues like “Khap Panchayat” mostly in Haryana have also exposed the chinks in the party. Congress MP from Haryana, Navin Jindal, shamelessly supports the khap (caste) panchayats and goes to the extent of demanding an amendment to Hindu Marriage Act to favour a ban on the marriage between couples belonging to the same “gotra”. Is this a fallout of our failure to have a uniform civil code? This is a dangerous trend undermining the supremacy of law of the land. How can we then say “no” to shariat courts as demanded by a section of the minorities?
If this is the scene at the national level where Congressmen are fighting among themselves, Andhra Pradesh scenario is no different. Whenever the state cabinet meets, an inescapable scene is this. A section of the cabinet would find fault with the chief minister for not implementing YSR schemes and the chief minister would immediately throw in the towel.
Congress MP Rayapati Sambasiva Rao exceeded all limits when he released a list of corruption charges with graphic details against the minister from his district who happens to be his arch rival. Rao did not stop here. He said that most of the ministers are corrupt. What is the reaction of the chief minister? Not much different from the mindset of a school kid, who teased by classmate, would threaten that he would complain to the teacher. That is what the chief minister did. He cautioned both the warring congressmen that he may have to give a “report” to the high command if they continue to fight. You can imagine how strong is his leadership!
There was another Congress MP from Nizamabad, Madhu Yashki. Look at his love for his own party. He says that the Congress cannot win a single seat in the bye polls to be held for the seats vacated by TRS MLAs in the wake of Telangana agitation. Is there anyone in the party to rein him in?
Obviously, Ramesh wanted to please his local hosts who must have complained to him about the attitude of the Indian government. To be fair to Ramesh, who has been painted into a corner by everyone in the government and the party, Union Home Minister P Chidambaram had expressed in many fora that he had reservations in allowing Chinese workers in different projects undertaken by Chinese industrialists in India. He wanted to allow only those whose skills are not available in the country and he also wanted proper scrutiny before issuing work permits to Chinese workers. As Minister in-charge of internal security, it is his prerogative to frame conditions for entry of foreign nationals that too from a country which has been playing hot and cold – whether it is border dispute, carbon emissions, nuclear cooperation etc.
Does this mean that a Union Minister can go to a foreign country and blame his own government’s policies? Certainly not. But if we take a deeper look into the issue, there is something more than what meets the eye. Chidambaram seems to be the target for many of his colleagues in the party and the government. Is it because he is getting closer to 10 Janpath and enjoys the confidence of the high priestess of the party? It appears to be so.
Finance Minister Pranab Mukerjee might go on “frequent errands” for the government as lampooned by firebrand leader from his own state Mamta Banerjee. But he can never get closer to the high command for the “sins” he committed immediately after Indira’s assassination. Rahul does not seem to be in a hurry for positions of power as he has been with his own marriage. Dr Manmohan Singh who underwent two by-pass surgeries is not in the pink of health. There must be someone in the stand-by mode.
Among the cabinet ministers who puts on a pretence of efficiency and smartness and emerged as darling of the media, it is Chidambaram. That is the reason Ramesh targets him, Mani Shankar Iyer, who carries on his shoulders the burden of upholding secularism using barbaric language with his tongue choked in nitric acid, picks bones on Naxal issues, Digvijay Singh makes a frontal attack on the policies of the Home Minister in dealing with Maoists, forgetting his past as a chief minister. People are not bothered as to what happens behind the screen. What appears on stage is “inner party democracy” which, in effect, means never ending feud among Congressmen.
Even on non-political issues like Census there does not seem to be unity within the ranks of the party. While one section is vehemently opposed to inclusion of caste in the census, there is an equally powerful section which toes the line of Yadavs. Ultimately, the government had to yield to the pressure lobby of OBC leaders because of the number game in Parliament. And this does not speak well for the image of the government because it exposes the vulnerability of the government. Even during the cut motions the country had witnessed as to what levels the government could stoop down to conquer thanks to the pliant CBI.
Social issues like “Khap Panchayat” mostly in Haryana have also exposed the chinks in the party. Congress MP from Haryana, Navin Jindal, shamelessly supports the khap (caste) panchayats and goes to the extent of demanding an amendment to Hindu Marriage Act to favour a ban on the marriage between couples belonging to the same “gotra”. Is this a fallout of our failure to have a uniform civil code? This is a dangerous trend undermining the supremacy of law of the land. How can we then say “no” to shariat courts as demanded by a section of the minorities?
If this is the scene at the national level where Congressmen are fighting among themselves, Andhra Pradesh scenario is no different. Whenever the state cabinet meets, an inescapable scene is this. A section of the cabinet would find fault with the chief minister for not implementing YSR schemes and the chief minister would immediately throw in the towel.
Congress MP Rayapati Sambasiva Rao exceeded all limits when he released a list of corruption charges with graphic details against the minister from his district who happens to be his arch rival. Rao did not stop here. He said that most of the ministers are corrupt. What is the reaction of the chief minister? Not much different from the mindset of a school kid, who teased by classmate, would threaten that he would complain to the teacher. That is what the chief minister did. He cautioned both the warring congressmen that he may have to give a “report” to the high command if they continue to fight. You can imagine how strong is his leadership!
There was another Congress MP from Nizamabad, Madhu Yashki. Look at his love for his own party. He says that the Congress cannot win a single seat in the bye polls to be held for the seats vacated by TRS MLAs in the wake of Telangana agitation. Is there anyone in the party to rein him in?
Friday, April 30, 2010
NO MORE HIGH MORAL GROUND
UPA-II might have got out of the woods when the cut motions were pressed by the determined Opposition last week, but can we say that it was able to do so with political morality in tact? Every time, the government had to be bailed out either by tainted politician or political party with a quid pro quo deal.
In its previous incarnation when the Manmohan Singh government was facing a Trust vote, it was left to a wily and playboy politician like Amar Singh to play all the dirty tricks in his voluminous book of “foul games” to give a fresh lease of life to the government. Like those who live by the sword die by the sword, Amar Singh fell a victim to his own dirty games and today, he is in political wilderness. Remember? In 2004, he was not even allowed entry into the “temple of Congress party’s high priestess”. But in 2008, he was the darling of the party, because the Congress did not mind his “deals” to remain in power. But now, the Congress party has no use for him.
So, in 2010 when the government faced yet another crisis, there was no Amar Singh around. But. who came to its rescue? The principal rescuer was the one whom the party was out to finish with the help of crown prince in Uttar Pradesh. Mayawati, also known as, “Money Mala” replaced Amar Singh who has been her worst critic and political rival. Do you remember the epithets used by UPCC chief Bahuguna Joshi against behen Mayavati and what Maya did in return to her house? Well, you may say this is all common in politics and there is no permanent friend nor foe. If you think however that political morality is “constant” you must be one of those old-timers to have such “fancy” ideas. What is important is political power. Means do not matter. Well, even the principal opposition party, BJP, is no different. Its support to Shibu Soren, withdrawal after cut motion drama, and reconsidering support again smack of rank political opportunism without any moral fig leaf to hide.
Coming back to Mayawati, there is something more to it. Mayawati is not a politician who would, out of concern for political stability, have given her nod to help the government. She openly challenged the Centre as to how it could save Lalu and not her in “disproportionate assets case”. The response was quick and the CBI was made to make a declaration that there was no evidence against the poor dalit leader!
Interestingly, it is the trinity – all accused in the “disproportionate assets cases” – Lalu Prasad Yadav, Mulayam Singh Yadav and Mayawati who helped the government to defeat the cut motions. What an irony! Budget has to be passed with the help of people whose financial integrity is questionable. The Yadav duo offered indirect support to the government by walking out while the Behenji’s support was direct. All the three were the beneficiaries of the government’s tacit support to corruption.
Leave alone the political morality. The party itself is in a state of flux. The internal squabbles within the party and within the coalition are out in the open. Maoism and IPL, though both are poles apart in terms of their moorings, have exposed the fissiparous tendencies in the coalition. There are many versions to the induction of “Twitter” Tharoor’s entry into the party and the government. It is a miracle that he survived this long in politics. But he did not go down the political ladder alone. His ignominious exit also exposed the fragile relationship between the Nationalist Congress Party and the Congress. May be there is none among the keen followers of public life who may give a clean chit to Pawar and his protégé Patel. After defeating the cut motions, all the efforts of the government are to cover up the tracks of Pawar, not because of any love for the Maratha leader, but to save itself from embarrassment and consequent instability. But the question is how long will it be able to cover up? Lalit Modi, the fall guy, is waiting to bare all. A sot of “kiss-and-tell” story.
Another UPA’s ally, Trinamool Congress and its chief are unguided missiles. It is difficult to predict their trajectory. Yet another ally, National Conference chief, Farooq Abdullah, does not sail with his cabinet colleagues on IPL controversy. An important partner in the coalition, DMK, has got its own “domestic” problems to settle and added to this, there is clamour for Karunanidhi’s trusted lieutenant Raja’s scalp over the 2-G spectrum issue and if he were to go, one does not know what will be the stance of Kalaignar. Surely, after Tharoor, it must be the turn of Raja since his audacity and unhindered corrupt deals are nothing when compared with Tharoor’s misdemeanor.
In the fight against Maoists, knife is out for P Chidambaram, not from the front organizations of Maoists like innumerable NGOs, under the garb of Left intellectuals, but from within the party itself. It does not lie in the mouth of Diggy Raja to criticize anyone for the way the Maoist issue is handled. Chattisgarh chief minister Raman Singh had given a graphic account of how Digvijay Singh dealt with the problem when he was the chief minister of undivided Madhya Pradesh. According to the Congress general secretary, Maoist problem is a developmental issue and not a law and order one. But, Raman Singh challenges him on this very premise of development. He says “He (Digvijay Singh) can’t spell out a single contribution towards Bastar region or its people during the seven years of his governance”.
We have seen the divide within the party on many others issues like Women’s Reservation Bill, Nuclear liability bill, Telangana statehood and Indo-Pak relations. There are reports that the party is not on the same page with its Prime Minister on resuming composite talks with Pakistan.
Therefore, instead of gloating over its pyrrhic victory on the cut motions, the Congress party would do well to strive for a consensus within the party and the government on several critical issues that confront the nation. Further, corruption is eating into the vitals of our economy and without containing corruption, there is nothing that the party or its chief can do for “Aam admi”.
In its previous incarnation when the Manmohan Singh government was facing a Trust vote, it was left to a wily and playboy politician like Amar Singh to play all the dirty tricks in his voluminous book of “foul games” to give a fresh lease of life to the government. Like those who live by the sword die by the sword, Amar Singh fell a victim to his own dirty games and today, he is in political wilderness. Remember? In 2004, he was not even allowed entry into the “temple of Congress party’s high priestess”. But in 2008, he was the darling of the party, because the Congress did not mind his “deals” to remain in power. But now, the Congress party has no use for him.
So, in 2010 when the government faced yet another crisis, there was no Amar Singh around. But. who came to its rescue? The principal rescuer was the one whom the party was out to finish with the help of crown prince in Uttar Pradesh. Mayawati, also known as, “Money Mala” replaced Amar Singh who has been her worst critic and political rival. Do you remember the epithets used by UPCC chief Bahuguna Joshi against behen Mayavati and what Maya did in return to her house? Well, you may say this is all common in politics and there is no permanent friend nor foe. If you think however that political morality is “constant” you must be one of those old-timers to have such “fancy” ideas. What is important is political power. Means do not matter. Well, even the principal opposition party, BJP, is no different. Its support to Shibu Soren, withdrawal after cut motion drama, and reconsidering support again smack of rank political opportunism without any moral fig leaf to hide.
Coming back to Mayawati, there is something more to it. Mayawati is not a politician who would, out of concern for political stability, have given her nod to help the government. She openly challenged the Centre as to how it could save Lalu and not her in “disproportionate assets case”. The response was quick and the CBI was made to make a declaration that there was no evidence against the poor dalit leader!
Interestingly, it is the trinity – all accused in the “disproportionate assets cases” – Lalu Prasad Yadav, Mulayam Singh Yadav and Mayawati who helped the government to defeat the cut motions. What an irony! Budget has to be passed with the help of people whose financial integrity is questionable. The Yadav duo offered indirect support to the government by walking out while the Behenji’s support was direct. All the three were the beneficiaries of the government’s tacit support to corruption.
Leave alone the political morality. The party itself is in a state of flux. The internal squabbles within the party and within the coalition are out in the open. Maoism and IPL, though both are poles apart in terms of their moorings, have exposed the fissiparous tendencies in the coalition. There are many versions to the induction of “Twitter” Tharoor’s entry into the party and the government. It is a miracle that he survived this long in politics. But he did not go down the political ladder alone. His ignominious exit also exposed the fragile relationship between the Nationalist Congress Party and the Congress. May be there is none among the keen followers of public life who may give a clean chit to Pawar and his protégé Patel. After defeating the cut motions, all the efforts of the government are to cover up the tracks of Pawar, not because of any love for the Maratha leader, but to save itself from embarrassment and consequent instability. But the question is how long will it be able to cover up? Lalit Modi, the fall guy, is waiting to bare all. A sot of “kiss-and-tell” story.
Another UPA’s ally, Trinamool Congress and its chief are unguided missiles. It is difficult to predict their trajectory. Yet another ally, National Conference chief, Farooq Abdullah, does not sail with his cabinet colleagues on IPL controversy. An important partner in the coalition, DMK, has got its own “domestic” problems to settle and added to this, there is clamour for Karunanidhi’s trusted lieutenant Raja’s scalp over the 2-G spectrum issue and if he were to go, one does not know what will be the stance of Kalaignar. Surely, after Tharoor, it must be the turn of Raja since his audacity and unhindered corrupt deals are nothing when compared with Tharoor’s misdemeanor.
In the fight against Maoists, knife is out for P Chidambaram, not from the front organizations of Maoists like innumerable NGOs, under the garb of Left intellectuals, but from within the party itself. It does not lie in the mouth of Diggy Raja to criticize anyone for the way the Maoist issue is handled. Chattisgarh chief minister Raman Singh had given a graphic account of how Digvijay Singh dealt with the problem when he was the chief minister of undivided Madhya Pradesh. According to the Congress general secretary, Maoist problem is a developmental issue and not a law and order one. But, Raman Singh challenges him on this very premise of development. He says “He (Digvijay Singh) can’t spell out a single contribution towards Bastar region or its people during the seven years of his governance”.
We have seen the divide within the party on many others issues like Women’s Reservation Bill, Nuclear liability bill, Telangana statehood and Indo-Pak relations. There are reports that the party is not on the same page with its Prime Minister on resuming composite talks with Pakistan.
Therefore, instead of gloating over its pyrrhic victory on the cut motions, the Congress party would do well to strive for a consensus within the party and the government on several critical issues that confront the nation. Further, corruption is eating into the vitals of our economy and without containing corruption, there is nothing that the party or its chief can do for “Aam admi”.
Friday, March 12, 2010
WOMEN'S BILL TO REST IN PEACE?
All the major political parties in the country seem to have tied themselves up in knots so tightly that it is not going to be that easy for them to untie themselves in the near future on the much-acclaimed and fancied Women’s Reservation Bill that was touted as the most historic one marking a milestone in the post-Independence history of India.
The euphoria that was witnessed on Tuesday thanks to the hyper-active media, the encomiums that were showered on the Congress chief Sonia by her courtiers and those in the media who pay regular obeisance to her, and the images of Left and Right in tight embrace after the passage of the Bill in the Rajya Sabha (I mean the rare scene of Sushma Swaraj and her principal political opponent Brinda Karat holding themselves together) have all vanished into thin air.
What we witnessed on Thursday was just an anti-climax to the celebrations the nation saw a day before. Congress henchmen and ill-tempered spokespersons of the party may hail their leader and her resolve to push through the Bill. But, the real victory for making the principal movers of the Bill to make a U-turn on its passage in the Lok Sabha goes to those “thugs” and “goons” who made a determined bid for sabotage.
There are reports that the Congress may go slow because of the likely backlash from OBC groups and Muslims. To that extent Yadav trio frightened the deity at 10 Janpath notwithstanding her bravdo before the cameras. Though Yadavs may not have the numbers even to move a no-confidence motion, they could succeed in browbeating the ruling party and not the ruling coalition, mind you. Partners like Trinamool Congress, Nationalist Congress Party and the National Conference are also worried about their vote banks. The trio have cleverly played the Muslim card which is a potent weapon to beat the secular parties with. That is the reason the government is talking of consensus while it was averse to any consultation with its own allies like Trinamool, leave alone the Opposition without whose support it could not have dreamt of passing the bill.
Now, the issue before Sonia Gandhi is not ensuring the implementation of Rajiv’s vision as she put it before the television cameras which were repeatedly shown on the national channels to drive home the point to the national audience that the credit must go to Sonia. Even Sonia was graceless when she failed to acknowledge the role of the Opposition to push through the Bill in the Upper House. Be that as it may, her primary concern is the survival of the government especially when the Opposition parties are closing their ranks to corner the Treasury Benches on the Finance Bill. That explains Finance Minister’s overtures to the Yadavs. Stage is all set to see that Lalu Prasad walks free in the disproportionate assets case. Timing on the issue of summons to Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi is also significant as the so-called secular parties have to think twice before joining hands with the “communal” BJP on the floor of the House. After all the BJP carries on its ranks a tainted chief minister. You don’t need to be a political pundit to see through the game of the Congress in splitting the Opposition so that the passage of the Finance Bill becomes a smooth affair.
So, despite the tall talk of Rajiv’s vision and Sonia’s resolve to ensure the passage of Women’s Reservation Bill as her gift to the nation and its womenfolk, the bottom line is survival of the government. One need not be surprised if the Congress succumbs to the Muslim card and modify the Bill, if Yadavs are able to mobilize Muslim MPs cutting across party lines. Already, the MIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi had warned that in case the Women’s Reservation Bill is passed in the present form, the Lower House will become “Hindu Lok Sabha”. In case the Congress succumbs to this pressure for quota within quota for Muslims, the next logical step is to demand reservation in the remaining 66.3% strength of the Lok Sabha. History will repeat. But who cares?
When compared with the ruling party, the main Opposition BJP seems to be in greater trouble despite its stiff upper lip. When it tried to put the ruling party on the mat on Monday for its poor floor management and lack of strategy, it did not perhaps anticipate that its own MPs are not on the same page as that of the leadership. It is not just the saffron-robed MP from UP who raised a banner of revolt. Other MPs are also opposed to the Bill for different reasons, either for rotation of seats, or use of marshals. All the Muslim MPs across party lines want quota within quota. Mamta Banerjee whose eyes are on the 2011 assembly polls in West Bengal would definitely like to please the Muslims without whose support she can’t think of entering the Writers Building. Can the Congress afford to ignore her? If the party is prepared to dilute the Bill, will it be acceptable to the saffron forces without whose support it is difficult to muster two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha. So, it is a catch-22 situation for the government.
Therefore, the political realities and compulsions might force those who are keen on carrying out “Rajiv’s vision” to allow the baby to go with the bath water.
Look at the flip side. There will be no stomach upset for our chief minister Rosaiah once again!
The euphoria that was witnessed on Tuesday thanks to the hyper-active media, the encomiums that were showered on the Congress chief Sonia by her courtiers and those in the media who pay regular obeisance to her, and the images of Left and Right in tight embrace after the passage of the Bill in the Rajya Sabha (I mean the rare scene of Sushma Swaraj and her principal political opponent Brinda Karat holding themselves together) have all vanished into thin air.
What we witnessed on Thursday was just an anti-climax to the celebrations the nation saw a day before. Congress henchmen and ill-tempered spokespersons of the party may hail their leader and her resolve to push through the Bill. But, the real victory for making the principal movers of the Bill to make a U-turn on its passage in the Lok Sabha goes to those “thugs” and “goons” who made a determined bid for sabotage.
There are reports that the Congress may go slow because of the likely backlash from OBC groups and Muslims. To that extent Yadav trio frightened the deity at 10 Janpath notwithstanding her bravdo before the cameras. Though Yadavs may not have the numbers even to move a no-confidence motion, they could succeed in browbeating the ruling party and not the ruling coalition, mind you. Partners like Trinamool Congress, Nationalist Congress Party and the National Conference are also worried about their vote banks. The trio have cleverly played the Muslim card which is a potent weapon to beat the secular parties with. That is the reason the government is talking of consensus while it was averse to any consultation with its own allies like Trinamool, leave alone the Opposition without whose support it could not have dreamt of passing the bill.
Now, the issue before Sonia Gandhi is not ensuring the implementation of Rajiv’s vision as she put it before the television cameras which were repeatedly shown on the national channels to drive home the point to the national audience that the credit must go to Sonia. Even Sonia was graceless when she failed to acknowledge the role of the Opposition to push through the Bill in the Upper House. Be that as it may, her primary concern is the survival of the government especially when the Opposition parties are closing their ranks to corner the Treasury Benches on the Finance Bill. That explains Finance Minister’s overtures to the Yadavs. Stage is all set to see that Lalu Prasad walks free in the disproportionate assets case. Timing on the issue of summons to Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi is also significant as the so-called secular parties have to think twice before joining hands with the “communal” BJP on the floor of the House. After all the BJP carries on its ranks a tainted chief minister. You don’t need to be a political pundit to see through the game of the Congress in splitting the Opposition so that the passage of the Finance Bill becomes a smooth affair.
So, despite the tall talk of Rajiv’s vision and Sonia’s resolve to ensure the passage of Women’s Reservation Bill as her gift to the nation and its womenfolk, the bottom line is survival of the government. One need not be surprised if the Congress succumbs to the Muslim card and modify the Bill, if Yadavs are able to mobilize Muslim MPs cutting across party lines. Already, the MIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi had warned that in case the Women’s Reservation Bill is passed in the present form, the Lower House will become “Hindu Lok Sabha”. In case the Congress succumbs to this pressure for quota within quota for Muslims, the next logical step is to demand reservation in the remaining 66.3% strength of the Lok Sabha. History will repeat. But who cares?
When compared with the ruling party, the main Opposition BJP seems to be in greater trouble despite its stiff upper lip. When it tried to put the ruling party on the mat on Monday for its poor floor management and lack of strategy, it did not perhaps anticipate that its own MPs are not on the same page as that of the leadership. It is not just the saffron-robed MP from UP who raised a banner of revolt. Other MPs are also opposed to the Bill for different reasons, either for rotation of seats, or use of marshals. All the Muslim MPs across party lines want quota within quota. Mamta Banerjee whose eyes are on the 2011 assembly polls in West Bengal would definitely like to please the Muslims without whose support she can’t think of entering the Writers Building. Can the Congress afford to ignore her? If the party is prepared to dilute the Bill, will it be acceptable to the saffron forces without whose support it is difficult to muster two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha. So, it is a catch-22 situation for the government.
Therefore, the political realities and compulsions might force those who are keen on carrying out “Rajiv’s vision” to allow the baby to go with the bath water.
Look at the flip side. There will be no stomach upset for our chief minister Rosaiah once again!
Thursday, March 11, 2010
SONIA MANIA
UPA’s second incarnation, which is to complete a year shortly, has floundered – and unbelievably so - right from the word go and every step was a faulty and clueless step with the avoidable ruckus over the Women’s Bill being the latest. Though it is a coalition of parties, purportedly sharing same ideological platform with some differences of course, there was no apparent cohesion in the functioning of the coalition and it was in complete disarray.
Forgetting the fight by the DMK for sharing the spoils of power by trying to induct the entire first family of the party even before the swearing-in of the government, none of the other allies like Trinamool Congress, NCP were on the same page. Mamta is acting like a paramour of the UPA and she can’t stand even a suggestive wink at the Left by the Congress. Congress is supposed to be leading the coalition; but the turn of events makes it appear as though the allies or those who provide crutches from outside were setting the agenda. Otherwise, why should the Congress go to the rescue of Lalu in the disproportionate assets case after all the drama that he enacted?
When the coalition partners are pulling in different directions it is obviously the power that is acting as a glue to bind them together. We have seen it while our Prime Minister committed blunders at Sharm-el-Sheikh when he agreed to include Balochistan in the Indo-Pak talks and to delink terrorism from talks and he had to fend for himself on the floor of the House. The Opposition went for his jugular for acting under US pressure. But, none of the allies came to his rescue. Of course, the Congress party was also distancing itself from the joint statement. The excuse was that the statement was poorly drafted. Ironically, the inept draftsman is now the National Security Advisor!
Price rise is another area where the government has been put on the mat by the allies of the ruling coalition. DMK and Mamta are out have their pound of flesh for their support. Sharad Pawar, though not for his failure to control the prices of essential commodities, atleast for his ridiculous statements, must have been shown the door. First, he said that he was not an astrologer to predict when the prices would come down. He followed this up with a series of insensitive statements like middle class can afford the prices; rise in the income of rural population led to price rise; global phenomenon etc. Because of the mounting pressure from the Opposition, the Prime Minister had to confess there was failure in containing the price of sugar which, according to some, was the result of a scam. But, he couldn’t do a thing to his colleague whose colossal failure on the price front has done great damage to the government.
Home Minister Chidambaram’s mid-night statement on Telangana must take the cake for the government’s inexplicable haste, poor communication and lack of political foresight. The entire state of Andhra Pradesh has been pushed into the precipice of a cliffhanger. A state which was in the forefront of development has come to a standstill. Employment generation in manufacturing, IT, infrastructure and construction are all down in Hyderabad with companies putting their plans on hold due to political uncertainty, according to a national daily which quoted the outcome of a survey conducted among 1000 companies across 11 industry segments. Leave alone the adverse impact on the economic front, the Congress party itself is hopelessly divided and the partymen are speaking in different voices and are bold enough to cock a snook at the high command. Even on Telangana issue, the allies were not on the same side as that of the Congress.
Now comes the Women’s Reservation Bill which greatly embarrassed the government for its abysmal performance in the Rajya Sabha. If we have to believe Mamta Banerjee, even allies were kept in the dark. It was not just poor floor coordination or lack of strategy that led to a ruckus in the House. It was the Congress party’s arrogance and greed to corner all the credit for the passage of the Bill - a historical event and a milestone in the nation’s post-independence journey - made it to come out with egg all over the face on Monday. There was no choice for the government but to push through the bill on Tuesday as otherwise the damage to the image of the government would have been colossal.
A government which is in a minority in the Rajya Sabha and which does not command comfortable majority in the Lok Sabha should have taken into confidence all the parties – national or regional – before the passage of the Bill. But true to its culture it did not want to take everyone on board. The sycophantic party that wanted to “empower” the party’s first family head with all the credit thought that they could take other parties for granted. Quite deservedly, it was humiliated due to its vote bank mindset and greed for browny points.
In fact, in the absence of two-thirds majority for itself, the Congress was dependent on the BJP and the Left, especially when its own outside supporters like SP, RJD deserted the party leaving aside Mamta’s tantrums. In such a scenario, the government should have carried all the parties with this exercise so that the successful passage of the Bill would have given credit to the will of the people and sense of the House. But, it was so graceless on the part of the Congress spokespersons to shower encomiums on their leader. When the national channels, known for their sycophancy to 10 Janpath, rushed to Madam for exclusive, she was only talking about Rajiv’s vision and thanked her partymen. She did not have the decency to thank the Opposition for their unconditional support. The problem with the Congress culture is that anything good can happen to the nation only because of the Gandhi-Nehru family. Thank God, the Women’s Bill was not named Sonia Gandhi Women’s Reservation Bill just like every scheme/programme/institution is named after one or the other members of the family.
Forgetting the fight by the DMK for sharing the spoils of power by trying to induct the entire first family of the party even before the swearing-in of the government, none of the other allies like Trinamool Congress, NCP were on the same page. Mamta is acting like a paramour of the UPA and she can’t stand even a suggestive wink at the Left by the Congress. Congress is supposed to be leading the coalition; but the turn of events makes it appear as though the allies or those who provide crutches from outside were setting the agenda. Otherwise, why should the Congress go to the rescue of Lalu in the disproportionate assets case after all the drama that he enacted?
When the coalition partners are pulling in different directions it is obviously the power that is acting as a glue to bind them together. We have seen it while our Prime Minister committed blunders at Sharm-el-Sheikh when he agreed to include Balochistan in the Indo-Pak talks and to delink terrorism from talks and he had to fend for himself on the floor of the House. The Opposition went for his jugular for acting under US pressure. But, none of the allies came to his rescue. Of course, the Congress party was also distancing itself from the joint statement. The excuse was that the statement was poorly drafted. Ironically, the inept draftsman is now the National Security Advisor!
Price rise is another area where the government has been put on the mat by the allies of the ruling coalition. DMK and Mamta are out have their pound of flesh for their support. Sharad Pawar, though not for his failure to control the prices of essential commodities, atleast for his ridiculous statements, must have been shown the door. First, he said that he was not an astrologer to predict when the prices would come down. He followed this up with a series of insensitive statements like middle class can afford the prices; rise in the income of rural population led to price rise; global phenomenon etc. Because of the mounting pressure from the Opposition, the Prime Minister had to confess there was failure in containing the price of sugar which, according to some, was the result of a scam. But, he couldn’t do a thing to his colleague whose colossal failure on the price front has done great damage to the government.
Home Minister Chidambaram’s mid-night statement on Telangana must take the cake for the government’s inexplicable haste, poor communication and lack of political foresight. The entire state of Andhra Pradesh has been pushed into the precipice of a cliffhanger. A state which was in the forefront of development has come to a standstill. Employment generation in manufacturing, IT, infrastructure and construction are all down in Hyderabad with companies putting their plans on hold due to political uncertainty, according to a national daily which quoted the outcome of a survey conducted among 1000 companies across 11 industry segments. Leave alone the adverse impact on the economic front, the Congress party itself is hopelessly divided and the partymen are speaking in different voices and are bold enough to cock a snook at the high command. Even on Telangana issue, the allies were not on the same side as that of the Congress.
Now comes the Women’s Reservation Bill which greatly embarrassed the government for its abysmal performance in the Rajya Sabha. If we have to believe Mamta Banerjee, even allies were kept in the dark. It was not just poor floor coordination or lack of strategy that led to a ruckus in the House. It was the Congress party’s arrogance and greed to corner all the credit for the passage of the Bill - a historical event and a milestone in the nation’s post-independence journey - made it to come out with egg all over the face on Monday. There was no choice for the government but to push through the bill on Tuesday as otherwise the damage to the image of the government would have been colossal.
A government which is in a minority in the Rajya Sabha and which does not command comfortable majority in the Lok Sabha should have taken into confidence all the parties – national or regional – before the passage of the Bill. But true to its culture it did not want to take everyone on board. The sycophantic party that wanted to “empower” the party’s first family head with all the credit thought that they could take other parties for granted. Quite deservedly, it was humiliated due to its vote bank mindset and greed for browny points.
In fact, in the absence of two-thirds majority for itself, the Congress was dependent on the BJP and the Left, especially when its own outside supporters like SP, RJD deserted the party leaving aside Mamta’s tantrums. In such a scenario, the government should have carried all the parties with this exercise so that the successful passage of the Bill would have given credit to the will of the people and sense of the House. But, it was so graceless on the part of the Congress spokespersons to shower encomiums on their leader. When the national channels, known for their sycophancy to 10 Janpath, rushed to Madam for exclusive, she was only talking about Rajiv’s vision and thanked her partymen. She did not have the decency to thank the Opposition for their unconditional support. The problem with the Congress culture is that anything good can happen to the nation only because of the Gandhi-Nehru family. Thank God, the Women’s Bill was not named Sonia Gandhi Women’s Reservation Bill just like every scheme/programme/institution is named after one or the other members of the family.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
IS THERE SOMETHING LIKE ABSOLUTE FREEDOM?
Even as the media-generated debate on the “national shame” over Maqbool Firdaus Husain’s acquisition of Qatar nationality and the artistic freedom is on, there were two incidents, both violent, one in Karnataka and the other in Andhra Pradesh. They may be a coincidence, but the stark contrast in the attitude of defenders of artistic freedom cannot be overlooked.
A national daily carried on its front page a report quoting eminent artists that it (self-imposed exile of Husain) was a “national shame”. The artists implied that those who were responsible for driving away Husain out of the country were not punished. Interestingly, on the same day, the same daily carried another report from Khammam on the protest by Muslims against the publication of a book “Crescent over the world – is a boon or the silent holocaust”. Hundreds of Muslim youth staged violent demonstrations stating that the contents of the book hurt their beliefs and sentiments. The book is reported to have contained articles from Satanic Verses and Taslima Nasreen’s Lajja.
Responding to the incident, chief minister ordered the arrest of the author of the book. He informed the state Assembly that soon after it came to the notice of the government, books were seized, the author arrested and a case was booked.
The second incident was in Shimoga and Hassan two days later. Muslim organizations protested against the publication of an article written by Taslima Nasreen in a local daily on burqa. The protestors used petrol bombs and when the situation went out of control, Police had to open fire killing two persons. Mediamen were also attacked. According to the protestors, the article was against the religious sentiments of the minority community.
What happened the world over when a Danish daily published cartoons caricaturing the Prophet is part of history. Indian was no exception. There was a massive rally in Mumbai in protest against the cartoons which many rallyists might not have seen. A minister in UP government announced a reward for those who could get the head of the Danish cartoonist. After all, he was only following the model of Khomeini of Iran for issuing fatwa against Salman Rushdie.
Now, the question is this. Are there two sets of artistic and literary freedom, one for the majority community and the second for the minority community? Do the religious sensibilities and sentiments also differ between the communities?
Many Islamic scholars have opined that Burqa is not a must for all Muslim women. When fanatics objected to the photo identity card for Muslim women, Election Commission ruled out the objection. France has imposed a ban on veil in public places. What was the objection for the Muslim organizations in Karnataka? Does Taslima not have literary freedom to express her views on certain practices of a community? Where are the defenders of freedom of expression?
We are talking about the exile of Husain? But what was the fate of Rushdie? He had to be in hiding for years to escape from the “executioners” of Khomeini. How did we treat Taslima who sought asylum in India? She was hounded out of West Bengal and she had to be in hiding for sometime. Was it not a shame?
Coming to artistic freedom, is it an absolute freedom? Is there absolute freedom in any democratic society? The defenders of absolute artistic freedom cite two points. This is the land of Kama sutra, so nothing can be obscene. Second, when our temples have nude figures, nudity is part of our cultural tradition. So, what is wrong with Husain’s nudity and why should it offend the sentiments of Hindus when Husain paints gods and goddesses of Hindu pantheon in nude? First of all, those Husain backers should know that the temple sculptors were faceless people. Do we know the names of those sculptors who sculpted nude figures? They did not do it for money or fame or to assert their freedom. Temples were not mere centres of worship. They were symbols depicting all facets of life including all art forms. So, nudity was no taboo. If Husain could construct temples out of pure devotion, he could have paintings like we have in Ajanta or Tanjore embracing all aspects of life including nudity. But he can’t be selective.
What the defenders of Husain should also understand is that if someone writes a modern version of Kama sutra today, he can be booked under the law for pornography. That is what the Union Information and Broadcasting Ministry did when it issued notices to television channels under the Cable Television Act which prohibits obscenity, on the Sachh ka Saamna episode. The ministry asked the channel to ensure that the “Indian ethos” is kept in mind. Even the producers of Big Boss-3 were reprimanded for showing content which was against good taste and decency. But the Ministry overlooks “Indian ethos” when it comes to Husain.
A school book in one of the North eastern states had the picture of Jesus Christ holding a cigarette in one hand and a beer mug in another. The book was immediately banned and case was registered against the publisher. But any action against Husain for offending the sensibilities of a community is violation of his artistic freedom! Husain did a series of paintings of Indira Gandhi during the Emergency. Had he painted her nude as he did in the case of Bharat Mata, what would have been the reaction of Congressmen and our secularists? Would they have accepted it as an art form? Will he do one on Sonia from Qatar? He knows discretion is better than valour. Hindu sentiments can always be trifled with. What did Hindus do when Yarlagadda Laxmi Prasad rubbished Draupati in his book? It was in fact recommended for Sahitya Academy Award.
That is how we celebrate artistic and literary freedom.
A national daily carried on its front page a report quoting eminent artists that it (self-imposed exile of Husain) was a “national shame”. The artists implied that those who were responsible for driving away Husain out of the country were not punished. Interestingly, on the same day, the same daily carried another report from Khammam on the protest by Muslims against the publication of a book “Crescent over the world – is a boon or the silent holocaust”. Hundreds of Muslim youth staged violent demonstrations stating that the contents of the book hurt their beliefs and sentiments. The book is reported to have contained articles from Satanic Verses and Taslima Nasreen’s Lajja.
Responding to the incident, chief minister ordered the arrest of the author of the book. He informed the state Assembly that soon after it came to the notice of the government, books were seized, the author arrested and a case was booked.
The second incident was in Shimoga and Hassan two days later. Muslim organizations protested against the publication of an article written by Taslima Nasreen in a local daily on burqa. The protestors used petrol bombs and when the situation went out of control, Police had to open fire killing two persons. Mediamen were also attacked. According to the protestors, the article was against the religious sentiments of the minority community.
What happened the world over when a Danish daily published cartoons caricaturing the Prophet is part of history. Indian was no exception. There was a massive rally in Mumbai in protest against the cartoons which many rallyists might not have seen. A minister in UP government announced a reward for those who could get the head of the Danish cartoonist. After all, he was only following the model of Khomeini of Iran for issuing fatwa against Salman Rushdie.
Now, the question is this. Are there two sets of artistic and literary freedom, one for the majority community and the second for the minority community? Do the religious sensibilities and sentiments also differ between the communities?
Many Islamic scholars have opined that Burqa is not a must for all Muslim women. When fanatics objected to the photo identity card for Muslim women, Election Commission ruled out the objection. France has imposed a ban on veil in public places. What was the objection for the Muslim organizations in Karnataka? Does Taslima not have literary freedom to express her views on certain practices of a community? Where are the defenders of freedom of expression?
We are talking about the exile of Husain? But what was the fate of Rushdie? He had to be in hiding for years to escape from the “executioners” of Khomeini. How did we treat Taslima who sought asylum in India? She was hounded out of West Bengal and she had to be in hiding for sometime. Was it not a shame?
Coming to artistic freedom, is it an absolute freedom? Is there absolute freedom in any democratic society? The defenders of absolute artistic freedom cite two points. This is the land of Kama sutra, so nothing can be obscene. Second, when our temples have nude figures, nudity is part of our cultural tradition. So, what is wrong with Husain’s nudity and why should it offend the sentiments of Hindus when Husain paints gods and goddesses of Hindu pantheon in nude? First of all, those Husain backers should know that the temple sculptors were faceless people. Do we know the names of those sculptors who sculpted nude figures? They did not do it for money or fame or to assert their freedom. Temples were not mere centres of worship. They were symbols depicting all facets of life including all art forms. So, nudity was no taboo. If Husain could construct temples out of pure devotion, he could have paintings like we have in Ajanta or Tanjore embracing all aspects of life including nudity. But he can’t be selective.
What the defenders of Husain should also understand is that if someone writes a modern version of Kama sutra today, he can be booked under the law for pornography. That is what the Union Information and Broadcasting Ministry did when it issued notices to television channels under the Cable Television Act which prohibits obscenity, on the Sachh ka Saamna episode. The ministry asked the channel to ensure that the “Indian ethos” is kept in mind. Even the producers of Big Boss-3 were reprimanded for showing content which was against good taste and decency. But the Ministry overlooks “Indian ethos” when it comes to Husain.
A school book in one of the North eastern states had the picture of Jesus Christ holding a cigarette in one hand and a beer mug in another. The book was immediately banned and case was registered against the publisher. But any action against Husain for offending the sensibilities of a community is violation of his artistic freedom! Husain did a series of paintings of Indira Gandhi during the Emergency. Had he painted her nude as he did in the case of Bharat Mata, what would have been the reaction of Congressmen and our secularists? Would they have accepted it as an art form? Will he do one on Sonia from Qatar? He knows discretion is better than valour. Hindu sentiments can always be trifled with. What did Hindus do when Yarlagadda Laxmi Prasad rubbished Draupati in his book? It was in fact recommended for Sahitya Academy Award.
That is how we celebrate artistic and literary freedom.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
HELLO, THIS IS KISHEN, MY MOBILE NO. IS ....
Sometimes you can’t escape from comparisons though comparison, at times, may be odious. According to our mythology, Lord Krishna was quite elusive, despite his mischievous deeds and omnipresence, for those whom he tormented out of love. Our own Telugu bidda, Kishen ji, who claims to fight a dharmic war for the sake of the poor and downtrodden, is accessible to every journalist, talks to everyone at will, travels extensively, but our establishment cannot trace him or pin him down like Sri Krishna for his Gopis. He is at large for the establishment, but he is available to anyone just for a buzz.
Exchange of statements between Maoist leader Kishen and the government, especially the Home Minister sounds as if two sovereign states are talking to each other. First, when Union Home Minster Chidambaram wanted theMaoists to stop violence for 72 hours before there could be any meaningful dialogue, Kishen taunted the Home Minister that he would enforce a ceasefire for 72 days provided the government stopped its offensive. It was just a tit for tat. He knew that the government cannot accept conditional offer for talks and still he wanted to score a point over the government.
When Chidambaram wanted the Maoists to fax their statement direct to him instead of talking through the media and gave them his fax number, Kishen had the audacity to give his mobile number and asked the Home Minister to talk to him over phone. He did not leave a choice for the Minister for the timing. Kishen wanted him to call him on Feb 25 at 5 PM. “Let him (Chidambaram) call me with specific proposals. We are offering the truce in all honesty, disregarding our earlier conditions”, Kishen said with all temerity that he can command.
As a counter to Operation Green Hunt, he threatens to launch Operation Peace Hunt and put the governments of Chattisgargh, Orissa, Jharkand and West Bengal on notice. He also threatened an armed rebellion in the capital city of Kolkatta just before 2011 assembly elections.
Do all these mean that the Maoists are somewhere nearer to their objective of overthrowing a democratically elected government through the barrel of gun? Have they succeeded in establishing their “Red Corridor” without encountering any challenge from the duly elected governments? Are the Maoists talking from a position of strength vis-a-vis state governments?
So far as the West Bengal government is concerned, it is absolutely clear that there is no political will to take on the Maoists. Sildha massacre in West Midnapore district is a classic example for the state government’s complacence despite intelligence inputs, if one has to use Shivraj Patil’s phrase – “actionable intelligence”. There were five attacks on police outposts in West Midnapore district during the last six months killing 32 security personnel. West Midnapore is a stronghold of Maoists and 266 people were killed in the district since 2002 in Left Extremist violence. Of this, 155 persons were killed since June 2009.
Despite the resurgence of Maoist activities since 2004, Buddhadeb Bhattacharya feels and talks like Buddha. He feels ban will not serve the purpose when the problem is a political one. According to observers there is inexplicable reluctance to use force against Maoists. There are also reports that atleast one two occasions, the security forces zeroed in on Kishen and at the last minute they were asked not to rein him in.
Sildha is a recent example for lack of preparedness. When the Maoists ran into the camp, 50 jawans were busy in the kitchen with no arms around. It is not clear whether these jawans were aware of the Standard Operating Procedures. Jawans were poorly trained and there were no adequate arms and ammunition.
When this is the attitude of the Marxist government in containing the Maoist menace, Marxists are charging their beta noire Mamta Banerjee for being soft on Maoists or for arriving at a deal with them. It may be a fact that Mamta di must be deriving vicarious pleasure when the Maoists are targeting the Marxists in West Bengal for after all “my enemy’s enemy is my friend”. When her one point agenda in politics is to throw out the Marxist government in West Bengal who have been ruling the roost for three decades, she is prepared to take help from any quarter.
But what Mamta di should realise is that Maoists have always played this game and they will have no remorse to turn against her once she ascends the gaddi. They did it twice in Andhra Pradesh. When the late Dr Marri Channa Reddy wanted to finish TDP, he took the help of Peoples War Group and returned as chief minister for the second time. Late Dr Y S Rajasekara Reddy also followed in his footsteps and scored a spectacular win in 2004. As a thankgs giving gesture, he lifted the ban on PWG immediately after coming to power and invited them for talks. That the talks were a miserable flop is a different story. And YSR had to constitute a special elite force to wipe out Maoists from the state.
Whether the Maoists offer of ceasefire is real or a ploy to regroup, as they always did like the LTTE of yesteryears, what is there for Chidambaram to talk to them when he said “Maoists should abjure violence and issue a statement that they were prepared for talks”. Several intellectual groups (read Maoist sympathisers or front organisations in the garb of NGOs) want the Centre not to miss this opportunity for talks. This is quite amusing. Talks for what? Does the government expect the Maoists to give up their ideology of capturing power through the barrel of gun after the so-called talks? If the government thinks so, it seems to have learnt no lesson from the past. If anyone has illusions about the Maoists love for the poor and tribals, they exposed themselves when they brutally attacked a tribal village in Bihar and massacred them and burnt their houses.
The bottom line is that Maoists will not be prepared to dilute their ideology, even if – a big IF indeed - they abjure violence for a shortwhile. They are not going to come before Chidambaram with ash and sac clothes. So long as their ideology remains, talks are going to be just talks for the sake of talks. We have seen it in Andhra Pradesh where they insisted on coming to talks with their guns slung on their shoulders. What happened after the talks is history now.
Rajpaksha mantra is the only answer for the Maoist menace
Exchange of statements between Maoist leader Kishen and the government, especially the Home Minister sounds as if two sovereign states are talking to each other. First, when Union Home Minster Chidambaram wanted theMaoists to stop violence for 72 hours before there could be any meaningful dialogue, Kishen taunted the Home Minister that he would enforce a ceasefire for 72 days provided the government stopped its offensive. It was just a tit for tat. He knew that the government cannot accept conditional offer for talks and still he wanted to score a point over the government.
When Chidambaram wanted the Maoists to fax their statement direct to him instead of talking through the media and gave them his fax number, Kishen had the audacity to give his mobile number and asked the Home Minister to talk to him over phone. He did not leave a choice for the Minister for the timing. Kishen wanted him to call him on Feb 25 at 5 PM. “Let him (Chidambaram) call me with specific proposals. We are offering the truce in all honesty, disregarding our earlier conditions”, Kishen said with all temerity that he can command.
As a counter to Operation Green Hunt, he threatens to launch Operation Peace Hunt and put the governments of Chattisgargh, Orissa, Jharkand and West Bengal on notice. He also threatened an armed rebellion in the capital city of Kolkatta just before 2011 assembly elections.
Do all these mean that the Maoists are somewhere nearer to their objective of overthrowing a democratically elected government through the barrel of gun? Have they succeeded in establishing their “Red Corridor” without encountering any challenge from the duly elected governments? Are the Maoists talking from a position of strength vis-a-vis state governments?
So far as the West Bengal government is concerned, it is absolutely clear that there is no political will to take on the Maoists. Sildha massacre in West Midnapore district is a classic example for the state government’s complacence despite intelligence inputs, if one has to use Shivraj Patil’s phrase – “actionable intelligence”. There were five attacks on police outposts in West Midnapore district during the last six months killing 32 security personnel. West Midnapore is a stronghold of Maoists and 266 people were killed in the district since 2002 in Left Extremist violence. Of this, 155 persons were killed since June 2009.
Despite the resurgence of Maoist activities since 2004, Buddhadeb Bhattacharya feels and talks like Buddha. He feels ban will not serve the purpose when the problem is a political one. According to observers there is inexplicable reluctance to use force against Maoists. There are also reports that atleast one two occasions, the security forces zeroed in on Kishen and at the last minute they were asked not to rein him in.
Sildha is a recent example for lack of preparedness. When the Maoists ran into the camp, 50 jawans were busy in the kitchen with no arms around. It is not clear whether these jawans were aware of the Standard Operating Procedures. Jawans were poorly trained and there were no adequate arms and ammunition.
When this is the attitude of the Marxist government in containing the Maoist menace, Marxists are charging their beta noire Mamta Banerjee for being soft on Maoists or for arriving at a deal with them. It may be a fact that Mamta di must be deriving vicarious pleasure when the Maoists are targeting the Marxists in West Bengal for after all “my enemy’s enemy is my friend”. When her one point agenda in politics is to throw out the Marxist government in West Bengal who have been ruling the roost for three decades, she is prepared to take help from any quarter.
But what Mamta di should realise is that Maoists have always played this game and they will have no remorse to turn against her once she ascends the gaddi. They did it twice in Andhra Pradesh. When the late Dr Marri Channa Reddy wanted to finish TDP, he took the help of Peoples War Group and returned as chief minister for the second time. Late Dr Y S Rajasekara Reddy also followed in his footsteps and scored a spectacular win in 2004. As a thankgs giving gesture, he lifted the ban on PWG immediately after coming to power and invited them for talks. That the talks were a miserable flop is a different story. And YSR had to constitute a special elite force to wipe out Maoists from the state.
Whether the Maoists offer of ceasefire is real or a ploy to regroup, as they always did like the LTTE of yesteryears, what is there for Chidambaram to talk to them when he said “Maoists should abjure violence and issue a statement that they were prepared for talks”. Several intellectual groups (read Maoist sympathisers or front organisations in the garb of NGOs) want the Centre not to miss this opportunity for talks. This is quite amusing. Talks for what? Does the government expect the Maoists to give up their ideology of capturing power through the barrel of gun after the so-called talks? If the government thinks so, it seems to have learnt no lesson from the past. If anyone has illusions about the Maoists love for the poor and tribals, they exposed themselves when they brutally attacked a tribal village in Bihar and massacred them and burnt their houses.
The bottom line is that Maoists will not be prepared to dilute their ideology, even if – a big IF indeed - they abjure violence for a shortwhile. They are not going to come before Chidambaram with ash and sac clothes. So long as their ideology remains, talks are going to be just talks for the sake of talks. We have seen it in Andhra Pradesh where they insisted on coming to talks with their guns slung on their shoulders. What happened after the talks is history now.
Rajpaksha mantra is the only answer for the Maoist menace
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