Sunday, May 17, 2009

BJP, Left face existential dilemma

BJP, Left face existential dilemma
By M J Akbar

It may be difficult to deal with defeat, but the regret of a drowned dream is quickly overtaken by the compulsions of survival. Both the BJP and the Left now face an existential dilemma, and will require honesty to pare away that part of the dogma that has checked the growth of one and undermined the success of the other.

The BJP might want to consider a fundamental fact about our country. India is not a secular nation because Indian Muslims want it to be secular. India is a secular nation because Indian Hindus want it to be secular.

It would be wrong to dismiss everyone in the BJP as communal. But L K Advani's efforts to sustain the inclusive image fashioned by Atal Behari Vajpayee were constantly undermined by the rhetoric of leaders who did not understand that the language of conflict had passed its sell-by date. The turning point came with Varun Gandhi's immature speech. The BJP condemned it but did not disown it completely, for fear of losing the extreme in its search for the centre. What seems obvious now did not seem so clear then. Varun Gandhi should have been dropped as a candidate. Worse, Varun Gandhi fell in love with his new pseudo-aggressive image, and projected it in statements and pictures that went into every home through television. This young Gandhi even began to fantasise a future as chief minister of Uttar Pradesh. It is interesting that regional BJP leaders understood that this was toxic. The Madhya Pradesh party bluntly told Varun Gandhi he was not needed while the Bihar unit was relieved when Nitish Kumar refused hospitality to both Narendra Modi and Varun Gandhi.

The national ethos is shaped by one predominant desire: the hunger for a better life. Prosperity is impossible without peace, so the passions of sectarian politics, whether based on community or caste, have been replaced by the clear understanding that peace is non-negotiable. Prosperity, on the other hand, has always been negotiable, since it has never been a universal fact. India remains a poor country with rich people rather than the other way around. The poor want to be part of the India Rising story.

It is odd that the Marxists should have missed this. They lost the Muslim vote in rural Bengal, not because of Islam but because of poverty. The message from Nandigram and Singur was that land was being taken away from the poor in order to create jobs for the middle class. Nitish Kumar has won because he created peace, and took his promise of prosperity to those at the very bottom of the top-heavy caste ladder. He will be the envy of his peers at the next meeting of the nation's chief ministers.

It might be even odder if one draws a potential parallel between Bengal and Gujarat, but Narendra Modi's industrialization just might become a problem if he does not take corrective action. Taking the Nano that Bengal lost is only one chapter of a more complicated story. The poor are sensing that this cosy relationship between politicians and industrialists is benefiting either the rich or the middle class. The landless and peasants could turn against Modi if he does not resurrect rural Gujarat with the high-profile vigour he has offered industry. The DMK survived in Tamil Nadu because it gave the poor cheap rice and free entertainment. Buy shares in television companies. Every political party is soon going to hand out free television sets to voters.

The Berlin Wall has been breached in Kolkata. Is it only a matter of time before the Communist bloc collapses? Are Prakash Karat and Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee the problem or the solution? Is there any alternative chief minister in Bengal who can fashion correctives and implement them with a hammer? The CPI(M) politburo meeting on May 18 was meant to be a celebratory event in the game of thrust and parry that was supposed to follow the results. It will now have the excitement of a dirge. Prakash Karat summed up this election pithily when he said, "We failed". It was not an individual's failure, since Marxist decisions are collective.

It is easy to sneer at the defeated, but a paradox needs to be noted. The Left may not be missed in Kerala and Bengal, but it will be missed in Delhi, since it injected serious debate into economic and foreign policies. It is not important that the Left was right or wrong. What is important is that it generated a debate.

It is obvious that governance is being rewarded, and Naveen Patnaik's vindication is sufficient evidence. But there is also a model profile for a politician that has emerged. The voter wants three qualities in his leader: honesty, competence and modesty. This is what he saw in Dr Manmohan Singh. Rahul Gandhi added the flavour of the future to the Congress offer. He has won his place in power through this election. In all likelihood there will be a transition within the foreseeable future, particularly since the Congress has silenced its allies as effectively as it has neutered the Opposition.

Chief ministers like Nitish Kumar, Naveen Patnaik, Shivraj Singh Chauhan and Raman Singh delivered on all three qualities respected by the voter. Others got by on two, but they should not confuse reprieve with victory.

The dangers of success are more dramatic than the perils of failure. Complacence is an easy trap. Arrogance is seductive. Dr Manmohan Singh has been given freedom to govern, but his first watch has to be on a slippage by colleagues. By giving him freedom, the Indian voter has denied him an excuse.

Appeared in Times of India - May 17, 2009

3 comments:

R.Alamsha Karnan said...

Why Indians love, Italian born Sonia?.

The image of fair skinned people as a superior race was built by Brahmans in India. They are always proud of their association with whites (read US/UK/Europeans) and imitate their way of life. Most of the highly qualified Brahmans settle in US/UK, marry whites, and proudly talk about their US/UK citizenship. It's a pride and social status to work for MNCs and our matrimonials have special adverts seeking alliance from US/UK settled brides and grooms, more than 90% from Brahman and high caste families.

Today, the majoriy Indian public also believes that a white lady /man from the US/UK/Europe is a God's gift to mankind and it's a pride and honour for India to have them as our PMs and Prseidents. Slavery is deeply etched in the minds of the public.

British transfered power to the Manuvadis in 1947. They have been ruling India since then and have completely screwedup the nation. What is their achievement ?. More than 70% of the population does NOT have access to toilet and clean water. We have no friends in the neighbourhood. Pakistan, China, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal - all are enemies and perceived as a threat for India. But all these so called hostile neighbours are having friendly relationship and good ties among themselves.

Look at the rise of China. It has become the default regional superpower. Can we compete with China?. We are still bending our back and run after US for outsourced jobs. Why can't we create our own jobs instead of taking jobs away from others?.

No wonder. Manuvadis have completely screwedup the nation and now blame others for their own fault.

Enough is enough. This should change. Indian Muslims should aim for top jobs like PM and CMs. This will happen, Insha Allah, in less than 10 years. Muslim leadership is the only answer to bailout India and bring equality, justice, better quality of life and wealth distribution for 1.2+ billion.

More than 90% Brahmans and high caste will support this as they have lost faith in Manuvadi leadership.

Dalit+Muslim+Christian will join hands and align. This is inevitable.

R.Alamsha Karnan said...

Muslim BJP + Muslim Advani:

Q1. How Muslim leadership can bring hopes and better quality of life for 1.2+ billion population?. None of the so called national parties have an answer for this today and people are getting fedup of their election manifesto.

The per capita space available for growth in India is one of the lowest in the world and is shrinking because of 1.2+ billiion ever growing population. This is a clear threat for India and if ignored, the ship will sink.

Who else can save India from this silent tsunami brewing right under our arse?. Only Indian Muslims have the answer. In the genuine interest of my country India, i see overpopoulation as the biggest threat and burden which does NOT allow the nation to move forward. Population grows but land does not grow.

USA has failed and lost the trust of the Muslim world. It is seen as a threat and invader of Muslim countries like Iraq and Afghanistan. India commands very high respect in the Muslim world and is home to 250 million Muslims.

In the best interest of both Muslims and Hindus, Muslims should appeal for Hijrath-Migration to 55 OIC nations. This way, 250 million Muslims can create better opportunity for themselves and also can create space for 250 million Hindus. In one master stroke, we can solve the problem of 500 million, almost 50% of India's burden. It does not mean that Muslims will cut their roots from India or Hindu brethern. Just impossible. They will always remain as persons of Indian origin and well wishers.

Muslim leadership for India will open-up the gateway of opportunities with 55 OIC nations. This will bring peace in the subcontinent, millions of jobs and better quality of life for millions of Indians, including the well educated intellectual Brahmans. More than 90% of Brahmans and high caste will definitely support Muslim leadership because they are loosing faith on Manuvadi leadership.

Q2. Will Muslim leadership compromise Hindu identity?. Are they planning for another Pakistan?. Will they protect Hinduism or unleash "Jihadi" Islamic ideology?. If NOT, prove it.

This is the biggest challenge. Our forefathers were Hindus and embraced Islam to escape the social descrimination and suppression existing even today in Hindu caste system. More than 60% of Indian Muslims are Shudra converts. How to kick out the ghost of 1947 partition?. How to prove that Muslims are NOT Babur ke aulad, rather they are as much son of the soil as Hindus?.

Muslims should do something to win the trust of Hindu majority. One best solution can be that Indian Muslims should demolish Taj Mahal and reconstruct the original Tejo Mahalaya, a palace Temple of Lord Shiva, which existed before. Ample historic evidence is available.

http://www.stephen-knapp.com/was_the_taj_mahal_a_vedic_temple.htm

Also, this is an unIslamic structure. Shahjehan constructed a Mosque like structure on the cemetry of his wife and worshipped(ibadad) her for the rest of his life, ignoring his duty and welfare of his citizens. This is "shirq" in Islam. A simple Mosque in a Muslim "mohallah" is much more dearer for us than Taj Mahal, which has got nothing to do with our faith Islam.

Above all, it was constructed by a true Babur ke aulad and persian invaders. We have numerous great Hindu architectures like the Pragadeeshwar temple of Tanjore, Madurai Meenakshi temple, The Sun God temple of Konark etc. Hindustan must project Hindu values and NOT the achievements of invaders.

R.Alamsha Karnan said...

Indian Muslims live under constant fear and threat:

The elections are over. People have again voted for growth and hopes to Neru-Gandhi dynasty who have completely screwedup the nation for more than 50 years, since 1947. Same old crooks, cronies and sycophants under a new banner called youthful Rahul, have come back to power again. Indian public has found an "Obama for change" in Rahul. Our media owned by Manuvadis likes to imitate US in everything.

Look at Indian Muslims. Again, they cut a sorry figure and wonder why they could NOT elect Muslim candidates in proportion to their 20% population?. Was there any Muslim candidate to vote in the first place?. Not a single nationalist and regional party can afford to field a Muslim candidate in Hindu majority constituencies. Defeat for sure. Neither Muslims can afford to compete under any Muslim banner as they know very well that it is impossible to win with 20% Muslim vote bank alone.

Does it mean, Muslims have become irrelevant in the electoral process?. Yes. It's hard but true. Muslim votes do NOT count any more in the win / loss of a candidate. They have to choose between the devil and the deep sea. Neither they can demand nor can command. Few of those handful of Muslim candidates, won by the party tickets given by national and regional parties, will remain thankful for ever to their masters and will continue to silently count their blessings with their traditional dole eater portfolios like minority commission leaders and wakf board members. Muslims have become political Shudras, officially.

Again they have been pushed back into the same old hell hole. Sachar committee, Haj subsidy, Minority commission, appeasement, vote banks, Paki agents, jihadis, terrorists, dole eaters, national burden, Babur ke aulad, hum paanch hamaare pachees, desh drohis, Babri masjid, Gujarat massacre, Batla house, bomb blasts, Mecca Masjid, Malegaon, Mumbai terror attacks and what NOT?. Nothing will change.

It's just impossible for Muslims to break out of this political Shutradom by counting on Muslim vote bank alone. They must reach out to the 80% Hindus, in order to compete for top jobs like PM/CMs. Muslim league and mullah Bukharis can NOT do this.

Muslim BJP + Muslim Advani is the need of the hour. Better late than never.

Pls read this blog:

[URL=http://alamsha.sulekha.com/blog/post/2009/05/muslim-bjp-muslim-advani.htm]http://alamsha.sulekha.com/blog/post/2009/05/muslim-bjp-muslim-advani.htm[/URL]