POST-UBER, CAB OPERATORS AFRAID TO BOOK ORDERS

After the recent Uber cab rape incident and subsequent statement from Home Minister Rajnath Singh to ban all web based cab services, various cab operators are afraid to operate in Delhi. The taxi count on roads has declined, causing problems to commuters in the city. Cab operators like Ola and Taxi for Sure who function on the same model like Uber, are difficult to find on roads, and on their mobile app.

Bal Krishan Jha, a taxi driver with Taxi for Sure says, “The people are talking at a superficial level. We are still to come to terms with technology. How can anyone blame technology and a service if there is one person who commits a crime?” Jha, who hails from Bihar, also holds a Bachelors degree in Music from the prestigious Banaras Hindu University. “As a cab driver, my integrity is also questioned when politicians say cabs must be banned. Has anybody suggested that we should ban a bus or a train after rape incidents there? Cabs these days are extremely affordable, and needs to be promoted. Yes, there needs to be check and balances and any operator who is not adhering to the guidelines must be dealt in a lawful manner.” adds Jha.

Shweta, a school teacher (name changed on request) says, “I cannot plan a late evening film with my friends as I am not sure if I will get a cab for back home or not. Also, the recent Uber cab incident has made me skeptical if I should take a cab or not. But then I am not left with any other choice.”

The electronic media is busy investigating the integrity of cab services in Delhi. The picture which has been portrayed by the media is not helping the situation and forcing people to cancel weekend plans in absence of personal vehicle. Braham Roop (name changed on request), another cab driver, says, “I hear that after the incident 1000 PCR vans will be added on Delhi roads. This will only make sure that we have to pay more bribes. The police even takes a bribe of Rs 50. The problem is with the system and the government is not courageous enough to talk about the problem in the system.” When asked about the verification of the cab drivers, Braham adds, “The verification is one big hoax. If I have to get my verification done, I will go to any police station and provide my Identity Card and few documents along with Rs 200. The police never go through the documents and put the stamp. A proper verification must mean that the police visit my home, ask the neighbors about me and other things like that. But neither have they time for it, nor are we interested as any delay means loss of income. So the verification which everybody is demanding will be a fake verification at most.”

As various loopholes in the system are shown after the Uber cab rape incident, nobody is ready to take the responsibility- be it the administration, police or the cab operators. As a result it is the people of Delhi who face problem in absence of proper cab services in the winter season.

This article was first published on LokMarg on December 12, 2014

Permalink: http://lokmarg.com/post-uber-cab-operators-afraid-to-book-orders/

Why Should We Discuss A Chaurasi Kosi Yatra When The Country Is Falling Apart From Every Angle?

I know this statement will hurt the sentiments of many Hindu friends. Let me try to convince them that I do not intend to hurt your sentiments but there are many supposed leaders of Hindutva who try to. Let us try to see Hinduism in a broader perspective rather than just as a tool with which politicians have been playing for quite some time.

I have been following the development of the events related to Chaurasi Kosi Yatra for almost a week now. I have closely seen all the interviews of VHP leaders and also of SP/ Congress/ BJP leaders for all this time. My only concern, is how is it related to an average Hindu like you and me? Why religion is given so much of priority at a time when our economy is falling like anything? The elections are round the corner and it is high time we should be debating and critically analyzing policies which have affected our lives, and can affect our lives in the near future. (We can have discussion regarding the same in the comment box here, to start with!)

Discussing a religious ceremony which otherwise was supposed to be a local activity, on a national level, shows the sad situation our country is in. It seriously questions the intellectual growth of the far Right groups. When the far Right VHP says that the ceremony was supposed to be an activity of saints only, then why was it taking care of the fights at every possible point, be it on a television show or on the streets? It is clear that this organization has only one agenda and that is of creating a polarized India.

I am also concerned as to why many of my friends have been taking this issue so seriously. A friend of mine, who is struggling to get a job, trying hard to cope-up with things in his personal life; is so emotionally attached with this entire episode that this is the only matter of discussion for him. It hurts to see a friend being emotionally exploited by a force which is driven to polarize the country only for short term goals.

It also hurts to know that the constituency which is in question, region of Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh, has not been able to match the pace of growth in other cities of the country because of the highly volatile political situation prevailing there. Certainly when Chaurasi Kosi Yatra is the major concern for the area, then who will talk about the condition of education, job opportunity and infrastructure in general. That area is a classic example of futility of politics of religion. It is so easy for Hindutva friends, with due respect, in other parts of the country and the world to comment about the temple and ceremony in the region of Ayodhya because they do not have to live there. It is the people, many belonging to the economically weaker class, who has to face the wrath of the time there.

I only hope that at least my friends, especially the younger generation, show some sincerity and respect for humans rather than things which remotely affect their lives.

This article first appeared in Youth Ki Awaaz on August 27, 2013

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In The Wake Of Dabholkar’s Murder Let Us Struggle To Create A Society Which Is Free To Think

Like many others, Narendra Dabholkar is dead too. He was a fighter and his fight was not against any particular man, but ideas- ideas which have been the rule for thousands of years. He dreamt of relieving citizens from the superstition which surrounds them. But then he was killed by those who want to save the interests of frauds.

A Fighter

In past 24 hours, much has been written about Dabholkar’s life and his fight against the ideas which cripple the minds of humans. We must also try to see the larger picture and understand what it means to lose even one Dabholkar from the society. It means a lot! The society is a result of few influencers who decide the fate of the larger populace. This gives power to select few, who essentially exploit the minds of many. It is this situation when people like Dabholkar become more important than anybody else. It is their struggle which attempts to fight and eradicate the viruses which have attacked the elastic minds of humans and have made them stiff.

Dabholkar’s murder also shows how afraid the businessmen of religion are; they are very afraid of free thought. A free thought alone has the potential of destabilizing thousands years of belief in superstition. This murder gives another reason to believe that Dabholkar’s struggle was not just a jargon but had serious connotations. This murder also makes us aware that the business of superstition is real, extremely real in fact!

Let us not weaken the momentum Dabholkar’s four decades of fight has created. Let us strengthen the ideas- ideas to free our minds of the vicious circle of superstition which intends solely to subjugate the society. Let us not hero worship any human but talk about the ideas which Dabholkar tried to expose us to. Let us struggle to create a society which is free- free to think.

This article first appeared in Youth Ki Awaaz on August 21, 2013

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The Curious Case Of Ticket Offerings: Of BJP, Kiran Bedi And The Election Ticket

If you have still not noticed then let me repeat it for you: Kiran Bedi has been offered a ticket by BJP to fight against Sheila Dixit in the upcoming elections. This also implies that she has been offered a ticket against Arvind Kejriwal as well, as Kejriwal has well announced that he will fight against Sheila Dixit in the Delhi elections. This is a very complex situation, and needs a critical analysis. To make things clear, Kiran Bedi has not accepted the offer made by BJP.

Kiran Bedi has been hailed as a BJP supporter. She is known for all the good as well as a few bad things. She is known as an authoritarian and somebody who believes in the proper usage of power- we guess that was the reason why she has been approached by BJP. She was also a core member of the team Anna, where she used to work closely with Arvind Kejriwal. But later both of them developed few disputes and Kejriwal’s forming the political party distanced them more. Now, we are not aware of what she actually thinks about Kejriwal, but it is clear that political parties want to capitalize on the disputes among the anti-political establishment movement and uprising which took place in the country sometime back.

If, however, Bedi would have accepted the offer then it would have only tarnished the social stature she enjoys in the society. Our society has a very complex behaviour. It respects only those who maintain distance from politics but talk about political reforms. This is an oxymoron though, but people of this country don’t believe in the idea of oxymoron and consider the conflicting ideas as rational. There are people saying that Bedi understands this and knows that even if she defeats Dixit or Kejriwal, she will only be acting as a pawn in the hands of BJP, who will present her as an anti-corruption face capitalizing on her Anna association. Later, she will be treated only as a mere MLA who will have no say in the larger political scenario.

Few reports suggest that Bedi may accept the offer if BJP presents her as the Chief Ministerial candidate from the party, which is less likely given the dispute among the Delhi BJP members and the uncertainty the party sees in the present leadership.

We do not know the future of BJP or of Kiran Bedi, but certainly this report comes as a part of more complex behaviours we will see in the coming days!

This article first appeared in Youth Ki Awaaz on August 18, 2013.

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Who Is The New ‘Nitish Kumar’?: Of Shivraj, Modi And The Politics Of Topi

After Nitish Kumar took an exit from NDA, Shivraj Singh has become the new Nitish Kumar for Indian media and also for NaMo. This statement quite easily sums up the emerging political scenario in the country. Shivraj Singh’s wearing of the auspicious topi while celebrating Eid two days back in Madhya Pradesh comes as a big turn in the partisan politics within BJP.

Few days back Nitish Kumar used to be the newsmaker while talking about Modi’s communal politics. He was the only secular face within the larger NDA alliance. Shivraj Singh’s attempt to take a secular stand is more important to analyze because he is part of the BJP and is widely considered as an able administrator in the country. He has been hailed for his development work in the state of Madhya Pradesh.

Analyzing the Secular stand of Shivraj Singh

Shivraj Singh’s secular stand may remind us of Advani’s secular stand few years back, because of which he lost the backing of RSS and the Hindutva cadre both in RSS and BJP. Shivraj Singh’s attempt of playing the secular card is a bit different though. He is relying on the anti-Modi faction within and outside BJP and RSS. This is a different ballgame altogether, and has the potential of becoming big, or rather huge in the coming days. Shivraj Singh has been trying hard to prove himself better than Modi in the recent past. He has been trying to tell that he is the leader of all who has the immense potential of inclusive development. His Uttarakhand statement which came promptly after Modi’s alleged 15000 Gujarati statement is an important example in this case. He has also said several times that Madhya Pradesh has a real model of development which must be acceptable to the entire country.

After Nitish Kumar’s loss in popularity, it is Shivraj Singh who has taken the centre role of contesting against Modi. The debates on Social Media illustrate this. Nitish is no more a subject of discussion now. Shivraj Singh on the other hand is being criticized by hardcore Hindutva/Modi supporters.

Major Concerns waiting ahead

My major concern is how positive is this development in Indian polity? I cannot consider Shivraj Singh a secular leader; rather I will preferably call him an opportunist leader, which is an essential part of the Indian polity- Modi being a bigger opportunist for that matter. Raza Murad’s praise for him was indirectly pointed towards Modi, and Shivraj Singh had an innocent smile on his face. This politics oftopi is a game which is essentially playing with faith and aspirations of the people, many of whom are afraid and many trying to heal their wounds.

A true secular leader would never talk about any religious matter in the public domain. Secularism does not mean embracing all religion for a political motive, but rather keeping a reasonable distance from any religion in the public domain. By this standard, India doesn’t have a single secular leader who has a mass appeal. We have a bunch of communalists trying to screw this country a big time!

This article first appeared in Youth Ki Awaaz on August 11, 2013

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When Power Is Used Only To Suppress: Here’s About The Petty ‘Dictators’ Of Indian ‘Democracy’

The recent arrest of writer Kanwal Bharti unleashes another face of Indian Democracy. We must see this as a continuation of previous incidents in other parts of the country and not as a separate isolated incident. We have seen what happened with Cartoonist Aseem Trivedi, Prof. Ambikesh Mahapatra and many others over the past few years. These incidents clearly point out that it will be insane to think that we have democratically elected members representing us; rather we have a set of dictators ruling the country.

The Petty Dictators of India

Indian democracy functions in such a way that it gives rise to emergence of few people who have authoritarian values to govern. This is among the many problems our democracy faces. I’d like to term these people as ‘petty dictators’ as they have their constituency to dictate. Somebody is a dictator in Rampur, somebody in Nagpur, somebody in Gandhinagar. We must not think that we have only few dictators. In fact we have dictators at various levels- village level dictator, block level dictator et cetera. There are bigger dictators always protecting the smaller dictators.

The Not So Socialist Face of Socialists

The way Akhilesh Yadav and company is functioning in Uttar Pradesh it may confuse the younger generation to understand the meaning of Socialism. To start with the Yadav family claims to believe in socialist values. Give me one political example to show that they have an iota of understanding of what Socialism is! They have indulged in the caste and religion politics; have shown their communal face to the country by making religion and caste a bigger issue than poverty. The way they have promoted family politics- Bhai-Bhatijawad rather than Samajwad- shatters every belief that they are socialists. The atrocities they have committed on honest administrative officer, Durga Shakti Nagpal, divorces the tiniest relation of Socialism from the party.

As a matter of fact, this pseudo-political understanding of politics has worsened the situation. I am not blaming only Samajwadi Party for this. BSP or Congress has not helped in improving the situation. BJP too has many petty dictators, and also a big one for that matter. The problem is that we are not able to make these issues big. The political class has a superiority complex which has come with the power they have been bestowed upon with. We, the members of society, need to make it a bigger issue so that we are not forced to lead a life of subjugated class in the future.

Given the present scenario, this article has the potential to get me arrested. I will not be shocked to get arrested, and if my life is ruined (given the fact that media picks only selected few cases), because it is people like us who have shown apolitical behaviour in the past to ‘save’ them from the dirt of politics.

Way Ahead

I am glad to see the power of Social media which has become biggest tool for the younger generation to raise the voice. The present case got momentum on social media and then was taken by the mainstream media as well. This is the power of communication. We need to communicate well and make sure that people understand that being apolitical is not the solution in a situation which is politically volatile. We need to fight back, not for others but for ourselves.

A poem by Martin Niemoller becomes very relevant to our times in India as well.

First they came for the communists,

and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a communist.

Then they came for the socialists,

and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a socialist.

Then they came for the trade unionists,

and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews,

and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a Jew.

Then they came for the Catholics,

and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a Catholic.

Then they came for me,

and there was no one left to speak for me.

This article first appeared in Youth Ki Awaaz on August 7, 2013
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Does The Bodhgaya Attack Point Towards A Less Tolerant And More Communal Future?

Another bomb blast at a religious centre. What’s new this time? It has targeted a Buddhist centre and is the first major serial bomb blast in Bihar. We still need to focus deeper into the matter and try to deconstruct it through the political and religious lens.

According to one of the reports, NIA and other related bodies had warned not only Bihar government but also many other states where they suspect such attacks can take place. This includes Kali Temple in Kolkata and Shirdi Sai Temple as well. This brings to focus the fact that religious institutions are once again under deep threat from many fundamentalist organizations, which have no religious tolerance. Ironically, we have many political parties which have zero tolerance level for others’ belief system. This introduces us to another threat- are we, as a society, moving towards a less tolerant tomorrow and are we going to have a more communal future?

Many tweets and FB status updates were trying to link the BJP-JD (U) break-up as one of the many reasons for today’s blast. It also tried to see BJP behind the blast in order to defame the JD (U) government. It will be immature for me to reach to any conclusion without knowing the backdrop of the story. That is the duty of the investigating agency. For that matter, it is too immature for anybody to blame anybody for the same. At the same time we cannot deny any possibility. People are also talking about RJD’s and LJP’s role in it. Where will this blame game end?

I personally feel Bodhgaya could never be any terrorist organisation’s target in order to spread terror in the area. But then, we just doubt the stupidity of any terror organization! The phenomenon of hatred is over powering all that is peaceful. Buddhism is considered a peaceful religion (if we are not considering the Sri Lankan political Buddhist organizations here), and has a deep relation with nature and yoga. These blasts must have disrupted the peaceful life cycle of many monks and devotees.

Today’s terror act points towards a more complex future. I have more reasons to question the national security. At a time when security should be the major question one year before the general elections, we have a random politician in Ayodhya asking to re-build the Ram Temple- certainly misplaced priorities of politicians! In few hours from now we will also listen to different political voices criticizing Nitish Kumar for the ‘mis-governance’ rather than taking serious administrative steps to ensure a better tomorrow. Sadly, our politicians are too friendly in front of the camera, but extremely lethargic when taking administrative steps!

This article was first published in Youth Ki Awaaz under Daily Drama on July 7, 2013 

Permalink: http://www.youthkiawaaz.com/2013/07/does-the-bodhgaya-attack-point-towards-a-less-tolerant-and-more-communal-future/

Modi To Set 3 Committees For Election Campaign: Agenda Of Hindutva Or Development?

The campaign committee chief of BJP and Chief Minister of Gujarat, Narendra Bhai Modi, has taken charge of campaigning for the general elections scheduled in 2014. If news channels are to be believed then Narendra Bhai will set up 3 committees to take care of the entire election campaign. The 3 committees will take care of Manifesto, PR and campaigning in general. It is expected that Dharmendra Pradhan, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Murlidhar Rao will play key roles in these committees with NaMo’s favourite Amit Shah making way in some or the other committees.

It is worth interrogating what will be the priority of Modi’s committee- development or Hindutva. Recent developments suggest that Modi will not focus on only one aspect but will try to bring in focus both- Hindutva and Development- as a token to attract as many voters as possible. Naqvi is BJP’s Muslim face which it uses as a debate point to show that it is truly a secular party and not ‘pseudo-secular’ like others. The step is also to suggest that he is not going the Hitler way and is trying to make a consensus within party using democratic tools. But recent comment by Shivraj Singh Chauhan comes as a criticism for Modi. Shivraj Singh Chauhan, in an interaction with the media, said that his government not only saved people of Madhya Pradesh but also 1800 people of other states in Uttrakahnd rescue operations. Modi has earlier claimed to save lives of thousands of Gujaratis. This statement from within party again suggests that Modi is essentially not the popular choice of BJP but a choice of a certain faction of the party. Shivraj Singh Chauhan has been hailed by media and other political stalwarts and has often been discussed while discussing Modi’s model of development. Advani once compared Shivraj with Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

In this scenario each and every step of Modi must be critically analysed and debated. The step of including more people from within the party in his team is to create a consensus about himself. As a political step it is necessary for Modi to include as many people from within the party to work with him so that not only the cadre but extended leadership also accepts him.

But more importantly, will this inclusive policy let Modi play the Hindutva card as well for which a particular faction of BJP has taken all the risk? Everything is still in the nascent stage and it will take some time for Modi to open his cards for us to understand his politics even though we all claim to understand his politics!

This article was first published in Youth Ki Awaaz under Daily Drama on July 2, 2013

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The Media, The Politicians Or The Society: Who Should Be Blamed?

It is extremely sad that our part of the world is facing the consequences of a natural disaster, which some people have rightly termed as man-made disaster. Many people lost their lives and many are still stranded. Ideally, this should have been a situation where all of us-politicians, media and common citizens- should have been concentrating on relief activities and discussing our preparedness as a society to face the situation. But what are we discussing: Phenku, Pappu and Rambo! I never thought any society could be this insensitive in a situation like this.

Should we blame the media?

Give me a reason why Rahul Gandhi and Narendra Modi are the centre of discussion on most of the news channels? Because they went to have a “better understanding” of the situation in Uttarakhand! What value have they added to the rescue operation? I guess there is no point in discussing this as Arnab Goswami has been discussing it with more zeal than anybody else on this planet. But what are the news channels telecasting- an extremely insensitive and highly sensationalized coverage of a tragedy. I am sure the cameras are adding to the problem in the hill station. And to top it all, they are having serious discussion on Prime Time- Phenku Vs Pappu!

Should we blame the politicians?

I saw few debates (better we start calling them fights) on news channels. As a ritual, for every second issue, they have a spokesperson from BJP, one from Congress and few Social Scientists. BJP claims that it is doing better. Congress claims that it has a history of taking care of disasters. Social Scientists claim that both the parties are speaking only rubbish. Excuse me! Were we not discussing a national disaster? How can a disaster become so political that our politicians visit the place to make sure that people remember them as leaders who were there when the opponent wasn’t?

Should we blame ourselves?

We do not have answers to any question, and we will end up blaming the society. Let me take a stand this time- NO. Our society cannot be blamed for this. Just because elections are near and few people make us very agitated, we start thinking that the only problem in the world is the society. I cannot accept that it is the root cause of each and every problem.

Let us end this drama and bring forward the real culprits. Let us get out of the illusion that every problem is because of us and our leaders are only a part of the larger picture. There are a few people who are orchestrating a dance and we are just dancing like puppets.

This article was first published in Youth Ki Awaaz under Daily Drama on June 26, 2013

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From 24 To Just Three: NDA’s Dream Of Coming Back To Power

Little more than a decade back NDA had some 24 coalition partners which has drastically come down to 3. JD(U)’s exit from NDA brings forth many questions which NDA, especially BJP, has to answer.

BJP called Bihar bandh today. Senior Bihar BJP leaders were spotted on the streets of Patna protesting against JD(U) and its leader Nitish Kumar. Nitish’s exit from BJP led NDA doesn’t come as a surprise. It was expected. JD(U) has worked hard over the years to establish itself as a secular face. Nitish’s policies in Bihar are testimony for it.

Meanwhile something very interesting has happened in BJP. Narendra Modi has become more important than the entire party and all the senior leaders. A certain faction of BJP has worked hard to project him as the new face of BJP which, in my opinion, will have serious consequences. Contrary to what all the spokespersons of BJP say- Modi is the most popular leader of the country- he is the most communal face of the country, at least that is the perception about him for what so ever reason. BJP tried to project him as the ‘natural leader’ and JD(U) was compelled to leave the alliance.

When Atal Bihari Vajpayee, comparatively a moderate Hindutva leader, led the coalition government, he had 24 partners to support him and in no way one could call the coalition a representation of a certain fraction of the society. After 2002 few partners left. After the general election in 2004, few more left the alliance. A decade later 21 partners have left the alliance and NDA is left with BJP, Akali Dal and Shiv Sena- 3 communal faces as we call them. JD(U) was the last Secular face the party had. We also need to understand that Shiv Sena is a small party from Maharashtra, Akali Dal is a party limited to Punjab and BJP doesn’t have presence in North-East, the Southern India and many other regions of the country!

It becomes hard to believe how BJP or the three parties of NDA can expect to form a government in this scenario! Even if they perform too well they cannot cross the figure of 272. They will need support from other parties later. If BJP nominates Modi as its PM candidate then it will become difficult for NDA to get support from others later. But we cannot ignore the fact that we have many political parties who believe in the politics of opportunity more than anything else.

The present developments within NDA must be giving hope for Congress as many of these steps will result in division of vote and can help Congress indirectly. The Indian politics is in a very interesting phase and is more entertaining than any reality show right now. We have people and parties fighting for power even when the mandate has not been declared; certainly amusing!

This article was first published in Youth Ki Awaaz under the category Daily Drama on June 18, 2013

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Indian Political Parties Are Playing With The Word “Secularism”

Congress’s remark for JD (U) is nothing more than politics of opportunity.

Now that the divide between BJP and JD (U) has widened and is in the public domain, Congress has come up with its praise for JD (U) on the grounds of Secularism and if tweets are to be believed then it has said “JD (U) is like-minded party, and can be trusted on secularism.” NCP has also‘welcomed’ JD (U) in the Secular fold.

We need to understand what Secularism means for the political parties of the country. It has got nothing to do with religion and fighting against discriminations and prejudices in the society. If it was, then the country would have been in a different state altogether. Rather it is reinforcing the prejudices and playing on the Secular cards in order to secure a certain vote bank in a particular region. JD(U) has, no doubt, done some good work in Bihar. But it has also played the politics of religion and caste. Similarly BJP and Congress have also not helped the country in any manner. As a matter of fact we do not have any national or regional political parties which are not playing with the cards of religion and caste. The kind of secularism which the political leaders are preaching is adding to the problem rather than solving the problem. We are adding to the ghettoization in the society.

When Congress says that it can trust JD (U) on terms of Secularism then the larger question comes “isn’t it a Communal behaviour on the part of Congress as well, which is trying to polarize certain vote bank in its favour?” It is! No one can deny this fact.

A true secular party would have never discussed religion and caste in its political strategies. It should have discussed them to solve the existing related problems but certainly not to create a political agenda out of it. It is a myth that we have threat only in the form of a communal face- BJP and RSS. Instead we have many. And they are no lesser problems as they are playing with the emotions of many; as they are creating hopes in many and then destroying it themselves. Even so called Socialist parties like Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samajwadi Party are playing with the caste card for decades now. These politics of tokenism will show some small results, but will only widen the gap between the people of the country. Communist Parties are also no less in exploiting people.

I hope all this results in at least educating the people and they know that there are people who are using them only as pawns in the game of power and politics.

Photo Credit: Anosmia via Compfight cc

This article was first published in Youth Ki Awaaz under Daily Drama on June 16, 2013

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Gadkari Meets Sharad Yadav; Nitish Ignores Third Front Possibility

Gadkari’s meeting with Sharad Yadav early today point towards the fact that BJP cannot afford to lose its most important and old ally JD(U) just like that. They realize the importance of JD(U) in regional politics and, it seems, also respect the coalition.

It is ironical how JD(U) is comfortable with everybody in BJP but Modi. In the post meeting interaction with the media, Sharad Yadav said that they still have the same respect for Advani Ji irrespective of whatever happened within BJP. Does this mean JD(U) doesn’t consider Advani a Communal figure? I am sure his role in communalising the nation in late 1980s and early 1990s through his Rath Yatras is not unknown to JD(U). Modi is comparatively new in Indian Politics and has been highly overrated by Indian media. He might be the face of far right Hindutva these days, but Advani was the face for a long- very long- time. Not only Advani, but many BJP members with whom JD(U) stalwarts have worked, and worked to a great extent, were communal faces.

Gadkari’s meeting also brings forth the existing dilemma within NDA. Sharad Yadav, also the convener of NDA, has also called an internal party meeting of JD(U) to discuss the future prospects. Meanwhile, Nitish Kumar acknowledged that he had talks with Mamata Banerjee. He said that Mamata is interested in creating a Third Front, but ignored sharing his views on the same. Many media houses are interpreting it as Nitish’s rejection of the Third Front, which might be a wrong assertion. If JD(U) plans to step out of NDA, then it will like to have few options for itself. It might try to create a Front itself under the leadership of Nitish Kumar, but all this will lead to a no man’s land and only divide the votes of existing coalition partners, which can ultimately help people like Lalu and Paswan and Congress in the region- a situation which the people of Bihar will like to ignore. It is important to know that Bihar General elections are also nearby. The drama on the national level will have severe consequences in the State.

Anyway, we all must wait for the JD(U)’s meeting which might take place anytime within two days. Nitish has once again asked BJP to declare the name of its PM candidate. BJP will not announce it now for sure, even though it is promoting Modi like never before. But it will certainly widen the rift between the two parties.

We hope our politicians are able to address today’s chaos and we have a better political scenario tomorrow.

This article was first published in Youth Ki Awaaz under Daily Drama on June 13, 2013

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As Nitish Threatens, What Will Be The Future Of NDA With Modi On The Forefront?

JD(U) has threatened to leave NDA. JD(U)’s senior leaders are in talking terms with TMC and other political parties. Mamta di is also in talking terms with few political parties including BJD for the creation of the Federal Front. In fact if Times of India is to be believed then Mamta di has said, “I spoke to Nitish Kumar. Nitishji is in agreement that it would be good if we come together and form a federal front.”

All of this comes after elevation of Narendra Modi as the face of BJP. No one can deny that JD(U) forms a very important part of NDA. Sharad Yadav, veteran leader of the party, is the convenor of NDA. Nitish is the most popular leader in Bihar and is leading a coalition government with BJP. If JD(U) decides to step out of NDA (which seems a little unrealistic as of now, but then politics is a game of uncertainties! ) then Nitish will require only four more MLA’s to save his government in Bihar. Needless to say, all the independent MLAs will come to him without any invitation.

News reports say that Advani ji called Nitish and discussed the future of the coalition with him earlier today. As a matter of fact BJP cannot afford to lose the support of Nitish and his cadre in Bihar, a state considered very important to rule India. BJP has only around 10 Lok Sabha seats in the state. Polarisation of the votes (if Modi is the PM candidate) will create a wave of upper caste Hindu support for BJP in the state. But then it will cost them dearly as the Dalit, Mahadalit and other minorities will either go with JD(U) or RJD in the state. A wise politician cannot afford this. But the way Modi has been promoted within the party it seems the BJP people are willing to take the risk.

Why Nitish cannot support Modi?

It is not that Nitish hates modi. But the kind of politics Nitish is involved in cannot afford Modi by his side. It will be political suicide for him. Modi can be a great human according to few people, but he has a certain image in the country which alienates a major section of the population from his vote bank; the same vote bank which hails Nitish as one of its leaders.

The Federal or the Third front will pop up because of these complexities of Indian politics. There is a huge possibility that many regional political parties will come together to form a front, just like they did before the last general elections or even before that. India has entered a coalition era and these kinds of occasional possibilities pop up just before a major election. But sadly, they cannot make a government on their own. If they do, it will collapse within a year. Apart from this, many smaller parties of this front will run after Congress or BJP (who ever has more seats) after the results are declared.

This brings us to the larger question: what will be the future of NDA? Should BJP project Modi as its face? Can they afford to lose support from regional parties?

Ah, difficult questions!

The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind,

The answer is blowing in the wind.

This article was first published in Youth Ki Awaaz under Daily Drama on June 12, 2013

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Who Will Be Gujarat’s Next CM?

Now that Modi has been appointed as the Chairman of the Campaign Committee, Indian media has taken this too seriously and has almost declared Modi as the next PM. Few channels have eulogized him by creating a program on his life with highly romantic notions about his politics. With the help of Social Media supporters and APCO, team Modi has also not left any stone unturned to make us believe that Modi is the next PM of the largest democracy of the planet. So the question which must come to our mind must not be who is going to be our next PM, but who is going to be Gujarat’s next CM!

It is useless to repeat what Modi’s elevation as Chairman of the Campaign Committee mean. It is time to look into deeper consequences of it. There is no blinking to the fact that Modi has extremely critical experience of campaigning for several years in Gujarat. The Gujarat experience will bring value to his campaign in India as well. But we must not forget some points. Modi also led the campaigns to a great extent during the 2009 Lok Sabha elections. His campaign in Uttar Pradesh at that time failed to polarize the upper caste Hindu votes, but was able to polarize the votes for his opponents. We can say that he was able to polarize the Muslim votes against BJP. I am sure BJP is ready for this. But can any party survive with alienating a major section of the society? As a senior journalist said, “In politics Perception is bigger than Reality”, this holds good significance for BJP.

We must also not be so harsh on Modi and BJP. This is a different time now. Past two years have proved that India can react too. This anti-government wave will be a crucial factor in deciding the future of not only Congress but also BJP in General Elections. The Modi model has created an economic hype and there are people in the country who believe that by one person coming to power everything will change and they will get better jobs, and price of milk will drastically decrease in many Chapras and many Belagurs.

I wonder what the Gujaratis must be thinking. Many of them are happy that their leader will become the leader of the country; that their model of governance will be India’s model of governance. But sadly, India is not Gujarat. India is a larger constituency with many factors deciding the national result. In politics, at many times, it is not about selection of the best, but elimination of the worst. We are not sure what the country thinks.

Leading the Election Campaign Committee is one among the many first signs of Modi being projected as the PM candidate. This will make the other parties revisit their policy for the upcoming election. Does not matter how much Modi talks about Economic growth, he is still not able to accept‘topi’ as a gift. This non-inclusiveness can cost him dearly in his campaigns and subsequent results.

Future is uncertain. But that is the good part of future: being uncertain!

This article was first published in Youth Ki Awaaz under Daily Drama on June 10, 2013

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Who Is The Bigger Hindu(tva)? Hindu Sena or Advani?

A certain group called Hindu Sena is protesting outside the residence of Advani in support of Modi. BJP spokesperson has clearly stated that the protesters are not part of BJP cadre. One protester was spotted saying that Advani must clear the way for Modi. The rift between Modi and Advani has come to the forefront after Advani decided not to attend BJP National Executive meeting at Goa citing health reasons. But Modi supporters were able to grasp the message from Advani, who has abstain himself from attending the meeting for the first time in past three decades.

Moments before the protest Prakash Javadekar addressed the media saying that Advani is suffering from minor illness and will not be able to join rest of the team even though he wants to join. He added that whatever decision has to be taken will be taken even in his absence and the leaders will visit him later. This must come as a blow to Advani supporters within BJP.

Advani is no more the face of Hindutva, and the Hindu conservative faction has found his new leader. Now they are out in the open saying that Modi needs to be given larger responsibilities. This becomes even more interesting when the demand comes from Hindu Sena, which BJP maintains has got nothing to do with the Party. So Modi has a larger fan base, comprising of non BJP members as well!

What does this imply?

This certainly makes Modi a bigger leader, or rather bigger Hindutva face who will be the deciding factor of BJP. Advani was nowhere in the race. His last Rath Yatra was severely criticized by RSS and was asked to announce that he is not interested in any post. He even announced that! Modi’s emergence as the new Hindutva face will certainly polarize vote bank, which we all have been discussing for a long time. But the road to power for Modi will not be as easy as Hindu Sena thinks. Being a CM is a different thing and being a National Leader is a different ball game.

Modi will face criticism and protest from stalwarts of the party. And today’s protest against Advani gives reason to believe that he has his army in place which will tackle all the protests. What is important to note is that all this will constrain other parties, especially regional parties to polarize their vote bank. BSP, SP, AIADMK, DMK, JD(U), AIMIM and all other parties will play the politics of polarization in coming one year to tackle the bigger force. Something like the battle of the bygone era!

Certainly, protest against Advani is politically motivated and it must be seen in the light of the coming general election. If speculations are to be believed then Modi will be given the charge of Campaign Committee which will be a setback for team Advani within BJP.

Let us wait for the Drama to unravel itself!

First published in Youth Ki Awaaz under DailyDrama on June 8, 2013

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Why We Must Read Too Much Into Advani’s Absence

Team BJP has reached Goa. Rajnath Singh, Venkaiah Naidu, Smriti Irani, Prakash Javadekar, Balbir Punj and others were seen waving hands to numerous TV cameras. And almost each and every camera was trying to capture the image of Modi, who was spotted with Amit Shah and Manohar Parrikar.

Few interesting faces were still absent- Jaswant Sinha, Shatrughan Sinha, Uma Bharti and most importantly Lal Krishna Advani. Rajnath Singh informed that Advani was ‘ill’ and will join the National Executive meeting tomorrow. Interestingly Jaswant Singh also informed a TV camera that he was unwell and was going to a hospital. Naidu asked journalists not to read too much into the matter as Advani ji will join rest of the team tomorrow.

It is important to read too much into the matter.

Political analysts say that Modi’s name will be announced for the head of Campaign Committee for the upcoming elections. This will be a blow to team Advani which includes all the names who are going to hospital today and are expected to join tomorrow. Advani’s love for the post of PM is well known to us. His take on Modi’s escalation to power is also well known. But a major section of BJP has realized that Advani cannot turn potential seats into majority in Lok Sabha. All the members of team Advani are people who are against Modi and have their own lust for power within the party.

The announcement of Modi as the head of the Campaign Committee will give more reasons to believe that he will also be announced as the PM candidate from BJP. RSS and BJP have realized that polarizing votes in the country will lead to a desired result for the party. All the Hindutva names of the newer generation have been put forward as in charge of different committees of the party. This will shape up the upcoming general election. Manohar Parrikar, CM Goa, remarked yesterday that if they announce Modi as the PM candidate then they will transform many seats into their favour.

This holds ground. There is no blinking to the fact that the communal forces are trying hard to come into the forefront of nation’s politics. Upcoming election will see a crucial time. The problem is we have one communal face against other communal face. The nation doesn’t have any choice. Secular forces have failed miserably in last few years.

But this doesn’t mean we have a bleak future. This certainly means that secular forces need to come together like never before and counter the sectarian politics.

First published in Youth Ki Awaaz on June 7, 2013

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