6th March 2018
6 March 2018
Musings.......
A lot of water has passed under Aluva bridge through Aluva river as they say in this part of the world since I last ventured on my writing endeavour.
When I was writing my previous article, the National Congress was on the path of a comeback and we saw glimpses of a maturing leader in its new President Rahul Gandhi. A few weeks can do a lot in Politics is something I have heard of many times and am experiencing it now firsthand. The reason- well as the media puts it - a devastating result for the Congress in the recently concluded assembly elections of Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya with a huge saffron wave engulfing it and the CPIM led Left front.
I do beg to differ from the paid media and would like to put in some points in my defence taking into account each hill state.
Let us first come to the beautiful state of Meghalaya. Thinking of Meghalaya a lot of memories come flooding into me. I go back to my school days and summer holidays when we went on a family trip to the hill state. From what I remember it was heaven on earth. Respected MM Jacob Sir was the then Governor of the state and we were state guests. I remember his late grandson Aby who also happened to be my classmate in school. One of my most memorable holidays those. Those were the times. Those were the times for the Congress party too I guess. Powerful at the centre and also invincible in the North-East. I remember hearing from elders discussions about the huge number of development works undertaken by successive congress governments in the North-East, with its mainstreaming with the mainland India.
So what happened in Meghalaya. Congress party emerged as the largest party in the assembly but short of majority , and as usual the BJP with its power at the centre came up with a coalition putting into the helm Conrad Sangma son on late PA Sangma as the Chief Minister. His sister Agatha Sangma and a brother too have won the elections.
This put to end decade long rule of the Congress in the hill state, however they remain a strong force. It is interesting to note that the BJP has just won 2 seats in the assembly. Talk of irony I guess.
Next we come to Nagaland. The congress was never a force in Nagaland with regional parties holding fort for a long time. The Naga Peoples Front being the dominant force here. However I could not see any saffron wave here as it lost most of the seats it contested. They just made good friends as allies and are trying to form a government with former chief minister Neiphu Rios new party. Present CM KT Zeilang seems to be out of the good books of the BJP this time round. So saying there was a saffron surge in Nagaland is misplaced.
Tripura is someplace where I would appreciate the BJP for their well thought out election management and victory. From no seats in the assembly they have captured two-thirds majority this time round. The Congress was the main opposition for the 25 year Left front rule in Tripura. The BJP managed to usurp the Congress MLAs into their fold and 40 of the 50 BJP candidates this time were previous office bearers of the Congress. Through good election management and money power they played a good game. However things were easy for them considering a huge anti-incumbency of Left rule, underdeveloped as expected in a CPIM rule and gross violence all over. The aspirations of the tribals and the youth were never met. Considering Tripura was still following the 4th Finance Commission recommendations when the rest of the country has reached its 7th F.C. is enough proof of poor governance. Gone are the days when Communist ideology and speeches on Russian and Chinese revolutions can win you elections. The youth is an unsatisfied lot and they demand results. Unless political parties meet their aspirations they will go into oblivion.
From this we can concur that there was no Saffron wave. There is no Modi wave in this country. Meghalaya and Nagaland the BJP has meagre presence, and are forming governments with the help of regional parties who are the big brothers in the coalition. Tripura they have won on huge anti-incumbency and playing the development card. It is true the Congress could not capitalise which is a fact we have to accept, however you cannot call it a saffron wave. To add to it the CPIM has its base intact with a good vote share.
However we have to note that from these election results and from results the world over we are able to see a pattern emerging.
The world over popular sentiment is towards Right leaning political parties and movements. What does this say?
This means the people no longer have confidence in the Centre and Left parties.
I will give you recent examples of elections all over Europe- France, Italy, Germany and even Spain where Right Leaning parties made huge inroads in its Parliamentary elections. Needless to say USA where Trump represents the Right in its purest sense.
So where have the Centre and Left parties gone wrong. Why are they losing elections and why such a huge Rightward surge?
This is a point to be pondered upon. There may be many local reasons also contributing however we cannot neglect the bigger picture. I will point out reasons which I think plausible-
⁃ Anti-Incumbency -
⁃ Unemployment
⁃ Economic Stagnation, Stagflation, Inflation
⁃ Lack of good governance
⁃ Political corruption
⁃ Lack of good leadership
⁃ Lack of leaders with larger than life personalities
⁃ Lack of policies which can attract the public
⁃ Not able to change with the times.
⁃ Marginalisation of the Majority when too much focus is on the Minority
⁃ Marginalisation of the Minority in some cases
The age we live in is the post Modern world. Here ideologies do not matter. The youth don’t remember the Freedom struggle. Most of them including me were not born during the freedom struggle. What they remember is unemployment and lack of development. What they remember is Corruption. In the age of 24/7 news channels and social media every scam true or fake is highlighted.
I will give you an example. The communists speak of The October revolution. It was a revolution in Russia which ironically took place in November by which the Czar was overthrown and USSR came into existence bringing in days of communist rule and socialism which at that time led to good economic development, in stark contrast to the Czarist days of oppression and poverty. However giving speeches on those days won’t win you elections in India especially now when successive Communist governments have contributed very less in terms of development.
Another example is Indian Freedom Movement. I am and always been a student of History and I know the part played by the Indian National Congress in giving us the India that it is now. How much it’s then leaders were oppressed and how much our freedom fighters suffered to get us the India that we enjoy with pride is anyone’s guess.
Gandhiji, Nehru and others idea of an India that is Secular and Democratic in its truest extent is the reason we have this constitution and the reason why we are not a failed state like Pakistan. Then again coming generations won’t even study the history that I studied , due to the saffronisation of textbooks we are witnessing from the Right wing governments.
What are they aiming for?
The BJP leaders especially the present leadership i.e Modi-Shah duo are born and bred in the RSS and Sangh Parivar school of politics. It’s leaders from Golwalkar to Godse to Deen Dayal Upadhyaya wanted a different India. They were against the Gandhian idea of India which we have now.
What the Parivar and Sangh wanted was a Hindu Rashtra. What they believed in was territorial nationalism rather than the Gandhian model of nationalism.
So what is Teritorial Nationalism? They believe the people living in Hindustan are all Hindus.
However our Leaders of the Nationalist movement under the able leadership of Gandhiji, the statesmen that they were, knew exactly such a situation can lead into India becoming a failed state and hence we have enjoyed democracy.
Now comes the Modi-Shah duo. They seem to have a well thought out plan to bring into effect the RSS dream into existence.
To cause changes in our Constitution, there has to be Two-Thirds majority in both Houses of Parliament and each Legislative Assembly of every state of India.
Now the BJP has massive two-third majority in Lok Sabha, growing majority in Rajya Sabha and they have government or are part of the Government in 21 Indian States out of 28.
Amit Shahs recent statement that the Golden period of the BJP would come when they make governments in the states of Orissa, West Bengal and Kerala has to be seen seriously.
In a scenario where these states come in their kitty and they get a good mandate in the next general elections in 2019, then we could have an India so different from what we are seeing now.
When Modi declared from the Red Fort that by 2021 we will be able to see a new India there were many speculations about what he is talking about. Will he bring another “jumla” just like Demonatisation was everyone’s guess. However now their plan is clear as summer sky.
In the even of such a massive mandate the BJP will definitely bring about Constitutional Amendment. India becoming a Hindu counterpart of a Muslim Pakistan may not be a dream anymore.
This is something the people who are blindly voting for the BJP should realise.
Now blind bhakts may ask me what’s wrong in aspiring for a Hindu rashtra- are you not a Hindu? I am a Hindu dear bhakts however I am not a fanatic. India has come a long way being a Secular-Socialist-Democratic-Republic where there is freedom for any religion and we are a poster child to other third world countries when it comes to Democracy and inclusion.
The Centre, Centre to Left and the Leftist parties should think of revival. If they have to revive themselves they have to change with the times. They have to play the game the BJP is playing when it comes to Media Management and Electioneering and defeat the fascist forces in their own game.
Unless the opposition parties unite under a common leadership, setting aside their petty differences we could be stuck with this form of governence for a long time to come.
This governance has not done anything special as they claim. Past 4 years of NDA government we have witnessed the continued economic policies of the previous UPA governments. Is their even a single scheme or development work that they can show for which has led to direct benefit to the common man? I am not seeing any and I do not expect any from this Government.
Hence it is imperative that the secular forces unite against a common fascist enemy. It is imperative that the common public is educated against the hidden agenda of these fascist right wing forces. I am not undermining the power of the common man to think nor am I doubting their common sense to differentiate right from wrong but unless there is proper education and awareness, the public could be easily misled through the so called “jumlas” and fake news propaganda and we may be stuck living in a fascist “Hindu Rashtra “, a Hindu Pakistan as early as 2021.
Food for Thought.......
DISCLAIMER:- THE COMMENTS AND OBSERVATIONS IN THIS ARTICLE ARE PERSONAL VIEWS.
RC

Musings.......
A lot of water has passed under Aluva bridge through Aluva river as they say in this part of the world since I last ventured on my writing endeavour.
When I was writing my previous article, the National Congress was on the path of a comeback and we saw glimpses of a maturing leader in its new President Rahul Gandhi. A few weeks can do a lot in Politics is something I have heard of many times and am experiencing it now firsthand. The reason- well as the media puts it - a devastating result for the Congress in the recently concluded assembly elections of Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya with a huge saffron wave engulfing it and the CPIM led Left front.
I do beg to differ from the paid media and would like to put in some points in my defence taking into account each hill state.
Let us first come to the beautiful state of Meghalaya. Thinking of Meghalaya a lot of memories come flooding into me. I go back to my school days and summer holidays when we went on a family trip to the hill state. From what I remember it was heaven on earth. Respected MM Jacob Sir was the then Governor of the state and we were state guests. I remember his late grandson Aby who also happened to be my classmate in school. One of my most memorable holidays those. Those were the times. Those were the times for the Congress party too I guess. Powerful at the centre and also invincible in the North-East. I remember hearing from elders discussions about the huge number of development works undertaken by successive congress governments in the North-East, with its mainstreaming with the mainland India.
So what happened in Meghalaya. Congress party emerged as the largest party in the assembly but short of majority , and as usual the BJP with its power at the centre came up with a coalition putting into the helm Conrad Sangma son on late PA Sangma as the Chief Minister. His sister Agatha Sangma and a brother too have won the elections.
This put to end decade long rule of the Congress in the hill state, however they remain a strong force. It is interesting to note that the BJP has just won 2 seats in the assembly. Talk of irony I guess.
Next we come to Nagaland. The congress was never a force in Nagaland with regional parties holding fort for a long time. The Naga Peoples Front being the dominant force here. However I could not see any saffron wave here as it lost most of the seats it contested. They just made good friends as allies and are trying to form a government with former chief minister Neiphu Rios new party. Present CM KT Zeilang seems to be out of the good books of the BJP this time round. So saying there was a saffron surge in Nagaland is misplaced.
Tripura is someplace where I would appreciate the BJP for their well thought out election management and victory. From no seats in the assembly they have captured two-thirds majority this time round. The Congress was the main opposition for the 25 year Left front rule in Tripura. The BJP managed to usurp the Congress MLAs into their fold and 40 of the 50 BJP candidates this time were previous office bearers of the Congress. Through good election management and money power they played a good game. However things were easy for them considering a huge anti-incumbency of Left rule, underdeveloped as expected in a CPIM rule and gross violence all over. The aspirations of the tribals and the youth were never met. Considering Tripura was still following the 4th Finance Commission recommendations when the rest of the country has reached its 7th F.C. is enough proof of poor governance. Gone are the days when Communist ideology and speeches on Russian and Chinese revolutions can win you elections. The youth is an unsatisfied lot and they demand results. Unless political parties meet their aspirations they will go into oblivion.
From this we can concur that there was no Saffron wave. There is no Modi wave in this country. Meghalaya and Nagaland the BJP has meagre presence, and are forming governments with the help of regional parties who are the big brothers in the coalition. Tripura they have won on huge anti-incumbency and playing the development card. It is true the Congress could not capitalise which is a fact we have to accept, however you cannot call it a saffron wave. To add to it the CPIM has its base intact with a good vote share.
However we have to note that from these election results and from results the world over we are able to see a pattern emerging.
The world over popular sentiment is towards Right leaning political parties and movements. What does this say?
This means the people no longer have confidence in the Centre and Left parties.
I will give you recent examples of elections all over Europe- France, Italy, Germany and even Spain where Right Leaning parties made huge inroads in its Parliamentary elections. Needless to say USA where Trump represents the Right in its purest sense.
So where have the Centre and Left parties gone wrong. Why are they losing elections and why such a huge Rightward surge?
This is a point to be pondered upon. There may be many local reasons also contributing however we cannot neglect the bigger picture. I will point out reasons which I think plausible-
⁃ Anti-Incumbency -
⁃ Unemployment
⁃ Economic Stagnation, Stagflation, Inflation
⁃ Lack of good governance
⁃ Political corruption
⁃ Lack of good leadership
⁃ Lack of leaders with larger than life personalities
⁃ Lack of policies which can attract the public
⁃ Not able to change with the times.
⁃ Marginalisation of the Majority when too much focus is on the Minority
⁃ Marginalisation of the Minority in some cases
The age we live in is the post Modern world. Here ideologies do not matter. The youth don’t remember the Freedom struggle. Most of them including me were not born during the freedom struggle. What they remember is unemployment and lack of development. What they remember is Corruption. In the age of 24/7 news channels and social media every scam true or fake is highlighted.
I will give you an example. The communists speak of The October revolution. It was a revolution in Russia which ironically took place in November by which the Czar was overthrown and USSR came into existence bringing in days of communist rule and socialism which at that time led to good economic development, in stark contrast to the Czarist days of oppression and poverty. However giving speeches on those days won’t win you elections in India especially now when successive Communist governments have contributed very less in terms of development.
Another example is Indian Freedom Movement. I am and always been a student of History and I know the part played by the Indian National Congress in giving us the India that it is now. How much it’s then leaders were oppressed and how much our freedom fighters suffered to get us the India that we enjoy with pride is anyone’s guess.
Gandhiji, Nehru and others idea of an India that is Secular and Democratic in its truest extent is the reason we have this constitution and the reason why we are not a failed state like Pakistan. Then again coming generations won’t even study the history that I studied , due to the saffronisation of textbooks we are witnessing from the Right wing governments.
What are they aiming for?
The BJP leaders especially the present leadership i.e Modi-Shah duo are born and bred in the RSS and Sangh Parivar school of politics. It’s leaders from Golwalkar to Godse to Deen Dayal Upadhyaya wanted a different India. They were against the Gandhian idea of India which we have now.
What the Parivar and Sangh wanted was a Hindu Rashtra. What they believed in was territorial nationalism rather than the Gandhian model of nationalism.
So what is Teritorial Nationalism? They believe the people living in Hindustan are all Hindus.
However our Leaders of the Nationalist movement under the able leadership of Gandhiji, the statesmen that they were, knew exactly such a situation can lead into India becoming a failed state and hence we have enjoyed democracy.
Now comes the Modi-Shah duo. They seem to have a well thought out plan to bring into effect the RSS dream into existence.
To cause changes in our Constitution, there has to be Two-Thirds majority in both Houses of Parliament and each Legislative Assembly of every state of India.
Now the BJP has massive two-third majority in Lok Sabha, growing majority in Rajya Sabha and they have government or are part of the Government in 21 Indian States out of 28.
Amit Shahs recent statement that the Golden period of the BJP would come when they make governments in the states of Orissa, West Bengal and Kerala has to be seen seriously.
In a scenario where these states come in their kitty and they get a good mandate in the next general elections in 2019, then we could have an India so different from what we are seeing now.
When Modi declared from the Red Fort that by 2021 we will be able to see a new India there were many speculations about what he is talking about. Will he bring another “jumla” just like Demonatisation was everyone’s guess. However now their plan is clear as summer sky.
In the even of such a massive mandate the BJP will definitely bring about Constitutional Amendment. India becoming a Hindu counterpart of a Muslim Pakistan may not be a dream anymore.
This is something the people who are blindly voting for the BJP should realise.
Now blind bhakts may ask me what’s wrong in aspiring for a Hindu rashtra- are you not a Hindu? I am a Hindu dear bhakts however I am not a fanatic. India has come a long way being a Secular-Socialist-Democratic-Republic where there is freedom for any religion and we are a poster child to other third world countries when it comes to Democracy and inclusion.
The Centre, Centre to Left and the Leftist parties should think of revival. If they have to revive themselves they have to change with the times. They have to play the game the BJP is playing when it comes to Media Management and Electioneering and defeat the fascist forces in their own game.
Unless the opposition parties unite under a common leadership, setting aside their petty differences we could be stuck with this form of governence for a long time to come.
This governance has not done anything special as they claim. Past 4 years of NDA government we have witnessed the continued economic policies of the previous UPA governments. Is their even a single scheme or development work that they can show for which has led to direct benefit to the common man? I am not seeing any and I do not expect any from this Government.
Hence it is imperative that the secular forces unite against a common fascist enemy. It is imperative that the common public is educated against the hidden agenda of these fascist right wing forces. I am not undermining the power of the common man to think nor am I doubting their common sense to differentiate right from wrong but unless there is proper education and awareness, the public could be easily misled through the so called “jumlas” and fake news propaganda and we may be stuck living in a fascist “Hindu Rashtra “, a Hindu Pakistan as early as 2021.
Food for Thought.......
DISCLAIMER:- THE COMMENTS AND OBSERVATIONS IN THIS ARTICLE ARE PERSONAL VIEWS.
RC

Comments
Post a Comment