New Delhi: The debate about the 'outsiders' role in the on-going West Bengal elections deserve deeper studies and analyses. There is a need to look at things which are beyond the layers - what is seen by naked eyes or understood at their face values.
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| Populism is an art: What about anarchy? |
This is more so because as a pan-India national party, the BJP is now the only party in the scene as the Congress is badly marginalised and thus, 'fighting' the BJP or the Narendra Modi-Amit Shah duo would be solely left to regional players in various states.
So 'radical linguistic players' banking on chauvanism like the 'xenophobic' Shiv Sena would become more relevant in respective states. There would be more 'north Indian' bashing by Sena cadres and Raj Thackeray's MNS.
Hope, Bengal does not set this bad precedent.
One is typically mindful of Bengal's bad influences - what Bengal thinks today etc etc. My reference is to a place called Kharagpur and that gave India or Delhi politics - the 'muffler man'. Remember the aggressive chest-beating claim: I am an anarchist, and an attempt to sabotage Republic Day function in 2014.
Yes, talking about Mamata Banerjee - is she an anarchist ?
The self-righteous 'more Left than the Left' !! She has really taken her anti-'Bhoiragoto' politics to a new narrative by her appeal to Bengali women to come out with 'haata - khunti (kitchen spoons those matter - the larger the size, the larger impact they can have).
Her tirade is no longer just against Gujarati politicians. Her party has targeted 'choti wallah Brahmins' and needlessly the central armed forces.
Analysing these have become all the more relevant as to remind the nation its 'grip' in national politics, the BJP celebrated its founding day on April 6.
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| Blogger with Advani |
Of course ever since it has come to power, especially with enhanced mandate in 2019, the saffron party is fulfilling all its erstwhile tall promises which even a few years ago were dismissed as mere wishful thinking.
The political detractors used to even mock --- saying - "Mandir wohi Banayenge, Tariq nahi batayenge (We will make the temple at Ayodhya, but will not reveal the date)". This entire narrative has been countered strongly. The Ram Temple armed with the Supreme Court verdict is now a reality!
Secondly, the Modi regime has implemented another major electoral promise - often clubbed as 'contentious issues' - and abolished Article 370.
Now comes the story of BJP's growth graph since 1980. Once it was dismissed as a party of north India and that too for Baniyas and Brahmins. Today, they have 12 legislators in Nagaland and their nominee Y Patton is the Deputy Chief Minister of a state which takes pride 'in media and unofficially' to claim being a state that pledged 'Nagaland for Christ'.
But we must look back too. When the BJP was floated after the split in 'Janata Parivar' - a result of post-Emergency politics, as party chief Atal Bihari Vajpayee was a big failure electorally. He himself lost in 1984 at Gwalior.
It may be mentioned that Vajpayee had the vision and the understanding to make a difference between BJP as a party and the RSS as a 'bigger force'. The BJP constitution pledged 'Gandhian socialism'.
Now how much of 'Gandhian socialism' is left is best left for debate. Of course, the economic elements stand as PM Modi has given his own phraseology 'Sabha Saath....'. L K Advani soon took charge and the BJP rejoiced in the reflected glories of 'the Sardar Patel-2'. But with Modi, Shah and Yogi Adityanath things have moved a bit ahead.
"Wah rey Modi...," remarks Union Minister Giriraj Singh, adding "It goes to Prime Minister's immense success that today leaders such as Rahul Gandhi and Mamata Banerjee have to visit temples".
This is just one part of the story or tip of the iceberg. Well, it is easy to say the BJP needs to become 'more and genuinely inclusive'. At the same time, it is pertinent to understand that even BJP's well known detractors like Rahul Gandhi and Mamata Banerjee should reconcile to accept 'electoral defeat' whenever that happens.
Leftists are experts in giving spin to any story, any situation and turn 'adverse' moments as moments of self-glorification. Their rumour mill industry and informal 'adda campaigns' too are just fantastically successful. Mamata can excel in these also.
I have an important point to underline here as someone who covered Gujarat mayhem extensively in 2002, and not as a 'riot tourist' from intellectual papers in Kolkata.
I slogged for a highly demanding news agency called PTI and was stationed in Ahmedabad for months.
In my book, 'Modi to Moditva', I had underlined, "In Gujarat (2002 during riots), the issue could be between Hindus and Muslims .....but there was no issue between Gujaratis and non-Gujaratis. At the peak of 2002 riots, the non-Gujarati journalists flourished in the state. This writer had the first person experience....Thus, I often tell my friends that the native Gujarati and outsider (Hindus from other parts of India) relationship, probably deserves a closer look". (page 115).
Modi had made first conciliatory note about Muslims on December 20, 2012
Modi had made the first conciliatory note on December 20, 2012 while addressing a victory rally in Ahmedbad after returning to power as Gujarat chief minister for third time in a row. "If I have committed any mistake during my time in office I apologise to the six crore people of Gujarat. Even by mistake there should be no mistake in the future," BJP's PM candidate had said
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| Statesman report |
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