In Defence of the Shiv Sena

On February 14, 2010, In Politics, By

Shiv Sena leaders from Maharashtra have come under severe criticism lately. They have single handily taken a stand on issues of national concern and have been hauled on coal for their actions – by the media.

All the issues that Shiv Sena raised are relevant in today’s time. But they are cleverly side lined by the media. They are provoked constantly on the issue of Mumbai. The TV anchors are provoking eminent personalities like Sachin Tendulkar, Mukesh Ambani etc and creating sound bytes. If proper analysis is done and all issues separately analysed then Shiv Sena’s concern is valid.

These are the 5 issues for which Shiv Sena has come under heavy criticism:

1. Stoking Regionalism

Indian states were created on linguistic basis. Every linguistic majority gets best deal in their respective states. Maharahstra state was created only after a long and agonizing agitation in which over 100 people had to give up their lives.
If regionalism is anti-Indian then why did the government agree for separate Telangana state? Why non-Himachali’s are not allowed to buy property in Himachal Pradesh? Or why the grossly anti national autonomy report submitted in J&K. Does J&K not belong to all Indians or is this privilege restricted only to Maharashtra/Mumbai?
The Marathi speaking population must be given priority in Maharashtra – Period.

2. Deteriorating Law and order problem

Media has launched a shrill campaign as though because of Shiv Sena the law and order has collapsed in Mumbai. They even created a term – “violence of the mind”. In fact the only time there was law & order problem was when MNS activists were beating people who had come to attend railway exams. And every one now knows that encouraging MNS has only resulted in dividing the traditional Marathi vote bank and benefited the ruling party.
In last week there have been a series of naxalite attacks in Jharkhand, infiltration attempts in Jammu, kidnappings in Bihar.
Rahul Gandhi’s visit was all about one upmanship and did the job of rubbing salt on wounds of the Maharashtrian pride. The Shiv Sena had only spoken about raising black flags during Rahul’s visit and the protest was thwarted by a huge contingent of police force.
If only the Police had taken a similar stand during terrorist attacks.

3. Uncontrolled Migration to cities

There is a huge migration taking place from UP & Bihar. It must be analysed and corrective action must be taken. The leaders of those states must be taken into account and made to mend their corrupt & inept ways. This will ultimately lead to a uniform development across India. Just saying India is for all Indians and any Indian can work anywhere is an escapist statement and will not solve the problem.
Those media people who are talking about Mumbai are sitting in Air Conditioned TV studios in Delhi and have never been to overcrowded filthy areas of Mumbai like Govandi or Mankhurd. Due to uncontrolled migration the infrastructure in Mumbai just has collapsed.
Today it is Mumbai; tomorrow it may be Bangalore or Ahemdabad to crumple.

4. Not mixing Sports & Politics

Pakistan has no sports relation with Israel. Telangana activist’s recently dug the pitch to prevent IPL from taking place in Hyderabad. Those who say don’t mix politics with arts or sports are being hypocrites.
In spite of all the fake statistics put up by the media, majority of Indians still believe that Pakistani cricket players & artists must be kept out of India. Their love for art/sports/films is because of the huge market that India offers and has nothing to do with passion.
We have to learn from History. The main reason why apartheid was eliminated was because the world took a tough stand and boycotted South Africa. Similar tough effort is required to eradicate terrorism by boycotting those countries that encourage mindless violence on Indian’s i.e Pakistan & Australia.
And that is what Shiv Sena advocates – Isolate countries that support terrorism.

5. Release of movie – My Name is Khan

Sharukh Khan is a very sharp business man. He was indulging in a publicity stunt for promoting his film. He may have thought that his pro Pak statement would consolidate the global Muslim community. Unfortunately it has gone horribly wrong. It has angered the average Indian who is at the forefront of bearing the brunt of bomb blasts.
The strange thing is that he did not actually bid for a Pak player. Now he is giving stupid excuses like they did not have funds.
Lack of genuine Muslim leaders in India is the reason why hypocrites like Sharukh Khan are given importance. He has managed to consolidate Muslim vote bank and has behaved like a typical minority politician by giving anti-national sound bytes.

It is a matter of time that he joins politics.

Maharahstra will witness a destructive game of politics because congress is trying to establish its vote bank in UP & Bihar. The first step that Maharastrians must take is to unite forces. All the five great Maratha leaders (Udhav, Pawar, Raj, Athavle, Munde) must leave aside their differences and join hands or else Mahararashtra will go the Andhra way.

Or they will end up carrying the slippers of Gandhi’s on their heads.

P.S: The Author is a North Indian who has spent considerable time in Mumbai.

 
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Indo-Pak Friendship

On January 3, 2010, In Politics, By

Yet another naive attempt is being made to impose Indo-Pak friendship by the media (Aman Ki Asha). They need to be reminded of the famous quote – “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.”

Today with lots of efforts, India has managed to disassociate with Indo-Pak centric policy decisions. Even the US government has a new Af-Pak strategy now. So what is the need for us to associate our self with a country that is hell bent on a path of self destruction?

In Pakistan, a group led by singers, writers & cricketers are crooning for friendship. But they all have a special reason for that. And that outpouring is not love or brotherhood but money.
The lucrative Bollywood deals, publisher royalty & IPL contracts are making them sing peace songs. But what about the rest of Pakistanis, have they changed?

Have the mujahadeens across the POK closed training camps?
Has the Pakistan army reversed its anti-Indian attitude?
Has ISI stopped promoting anti-Indian activities?
Have the mullahs stopped spread of fundamentalist Islam?
Have the politicians given up claims of annexing Kashmir?

They are the real power centres in Pakistan. And what single action have they taken towards building peace & goodwill with India?

Perhaps the Indian’s in the peace committee needs another betrayal to remind them of facts. And they won’t be made to wait too long by our Pakistani “Brothers”.

 
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Some suggestions for Mr.Gadkari

On December 27, 2009, In Politics, By

This New Year ushers a hope for BJP.
There is a new chief, Mr.Nitin Gadkari, who can turn around things for BJP by implementing novel ideas. He has risen from the humble post of party worker to occupy the senior most position in BJP. His desk is full of – to do things & there are several issues of priority but these are some of the points which we feel are very important and must be addressed at the earliest:

1. Better Media Management
Indian Media & News channels in particular have played a major role in projecting BJP as a pariah and making it untouchable. Unlike in the past, media used to take on the government and expose its misdeeds; today most journalists are in the pockets of congress party. They are working on a single point agenda to somehow discredit BJP. So BJP needs to be smart & setup its own media network.

2. Zero tolerance for indiscipline
A loss is never easy to digest especially if it is a second consecutive one. After the disastrous lok sabha election results, the knives where out in the open and everybody was at each other’s throat. Now there is certain degree calmness maybe because of RSS diktat. The disciple message needs to percolate right across the organization especially at the top & those with feudal background.

3. Focus on winning elections
People are clever than we think. They have generalised that all politicians are same & will decide on whom to vote on the basis of – direct benefits provided by the respective party. Good governance comes after winning an election & for that BJP has to induce voters. The party must launch a series of measures that alleviate the problems faced by its core constituency i.e middle class voters.

Today the country is facing several serious challenges that affect its basic integrity. Governance has become nothing but – divide & rule. It is imperative that BJP strengthen itself and offer an alternate system of governance that focuses on twin pillars of nationalism & economic growth.

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Are News Channels in India part of Congress Media Cell?

On May 20, 2009, In Politics, By

Apart from losing election, the blatant partial approach adopted by the TV news channels was shocking.
Media is supposed to be the fourth pillar of democracy however it behaved as the third leg of the congress stool.
News channels worked as an integral part of congress media cell and it appears to be a strategic alliance.

Observations:

1. It was very anguishing to watch BJP spokesman being grilled one after the other almost endlessly
Thier opinion on most issues was trivialised not only by plastic smiling anchors but even by biased audience.
It was as if they had entered in an interrogation centre.

2. On issues related to weak governance, the anchors were seen batting for the congress.
The congress ministers were being prompted/helped during interviews.
There was no coverage of ineffective congress ministers & their policies – at all.

3. During the last phase of elections the news anchors went a step further.
They tried to break BJP alliance partners, pushed Left front in UPA camp and formed an anti BJP front.
They started quoting constitutional experts, that the largest party need not be invited to form government.

4. Just before counting day, the media also fooled the Left front & regional parties into forming a “secular front with congress”.
While it was the Congress party that ate into major chunk of their vote bank.
They were quoting left front – “We won’t allow BJP to form government at any cost”.

The result was surprising & regional parties were decimated.
In Bengal, it was BJP that prevented a complete rout of the Left by dividing votes & saving them 6 seats.
BSP was left with only dalit/hindu votes & SP does not have a single Muslim MP!

It was a trick in visual imagery.
The general middle class perceptions on BJP would have been different had the TV channels shown repetitive videos of:
Shivraj Patil fumbling, virulent speeches of Muslim League leaders, divisive policies of Arjun Singh etc.

So my humble suggestion to BJP is to setup own TV channel.
The above view echoed in several of the comments posted across the internet.

Benefits of setting own news channel:

1. Instantly reach an audience in Kerala/West Bengal/Tamil Nadu/Andhra Pradesh, where the BJP presence is zero.
They constitute 143 out of 543 seats and in those states the TV penetration is staggering.

2. Unlike other parties, BJP has intellectual depth. Its leaders are presentable & knowledgeable.
Information can be presented cohesively – especially without stupid interrogations.

3. Using your own TV medium would allow you to present your side of the story and set your agenda.
Let the Left, SP, BSP, NCP etc take on the Congress in TV debates.

4. Every political party except the BJP has its own TV channel.
By proxy Congress operates several TV channels across regional lines apart from the leading two news channels in India.
Even regional parties now have their own TV channels.

In TV news channels it was the BJP interviews, speeches & briefings that were most watched/popular programs.
Every spokesperson was articulate, knowledgeable and had an air of superiority.
However the news channels used BJP, presented them as a ruling party, polarized voters, increased their own TRP’s while all time vilifying them!

It is time to give the agents of congress party some competition.
For a start – stop visiting those two news channels and watch their TRP fall.

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The Third Front – The Alternative to Congress

On March 18, 2009, In Politics, By

Indian politics is witnessing a slow but steady transition. BJP is replacing the Congress as the single largest party. However it is not an easy phase for the Indian polity. The communists, pseudo secularists, media & missionaries will try their best to avert BJP’s quest to power. Recently they have started the bogey called the Third Front.

Since they are quite sure that congress will fail to win even 100 seats on its own they are projecting a rag tag of political parties as a front which the congress party will be forced to support. Just to keep the BJP from coming to power.

The process has already begun in Orissa.
The reason why BJD withdrew from NDA is because it realized that congress, its principal enemy is no longer a force in the state. Congress is decimated in Orissa and the BJD & BJP is growing. So the anti congress compulsion & the need to stay in NDA is not there anymore.

Left front hogs limelight in Orissa even though it has only 1% of the vote back. The BJD has taken a calculated gamble. While the BJP needs only about 40 assembly seats to bring Biju Patnaik back on the negotiating table.

However the results in Karnataka have shown how quickly the table were turned when the alliance partner of BJP ditched them after completing their term. Kumaraswamy & JD(S) got wiped out in the subsequent elections.

The third front may actually hasten the nemesis of Congress and help BJP in the long run.
Moreover there are many fence sitters in this election like Jayalalitha, Sharad Pawar, Mayawati, Chiranjivi, Chandra Babu Naidu & Biju Patnaik who will play their cards only after the results are declared. And the left front would be left with empty sack since their own tally is expected to reduce drastically this time.

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Elections – Let there be fair games

On March 11, 2009, In Politics, By

Just few days back TV channels were playing the No1 Haryana ad campaign. While the ad is OK, it is inexplicable why the ad was being played 5 times in a row! Have the politicians not learnt anything from the “shining India” campaign. Similarly there were several full page ads about foundation laying ceremonies for Airport buildings all across India.

Will people vote for a political party just because mobile connections have increased or a slew of launch of foundation stones?

It is election time in the largest democracy of the world. The contest is very tough and all political parties will fight aggressively for every seat. However the campaign managers must realize that they have to attract voters and not just launch a barrage of disinformation.

In the run up to elections it is very important that the political parties maintain some standards during campaigning. The following must be avoided by all political parties:

1. Loud blaring speakers
Nothing is more disturbing than a constant barrage of noisy sermons and speeches using old loudspeakers. E.g. rickshaws going around blaring patriotic songs aimlessly.

2. Distorted secularism
There is absolute revulsion when religious leaders stoop down to the level of being agents for political parties and recommend their flock which way to vote.

3. Defacing walls with posters
As it is India is a very dirty country where the municipal authorities are just not functioning. There must be a fine of minimum of Rs 10,000/- per poster on a defaced wall.

4. Justifying Dynastic politics
By definition democracy means “by the people” but Indian politicians have converted it to “By the family”. All parties are guilty of converting their organizations to a Family Inc.

5. Media manipulations
Mass Media in India is today, just a business. There is no ethics or journalism involved. Each and every media report, analysis, story, debate or interview the media adopts a very biased approach. In fact most psephologists appear jokers because of their continuous wrong predictions & and an anti- BJP bias.

6. Buying voters
This new trend of using liquor, free food and even cash to woo voters has spread to all political parties. The politicians are so rich that this practise if implemented uniformly may even remove poverty from India.

7. Swearing
Election campaigning is telecast in prime time TV and for family viewing. It is therefore necessary that all politicians must maintain a sense of decency in their speeches.

8. Show Off’s
India is a poor country with most people struggling to make a decent living. However the assets of politics would rival those of the richest of businessmen in the world. Driving around in a cavalcade of luxury cars to visit a poor village appears nothing but sheer revulsion.

9. Booth Capturing
Most political parities used to employ local henchmen, criminals and mafia dons to intimidate voters, now these men have themselves graduated to being politicians and are adept at stuffing ballot boxes.

10. Lies, lies & damned lies
Political parties must not promise in their manifesto, anything they cannot deliver. It will come back to haunt them later, like Ram Temple for BJP. They must honour their commitment however stupid the election promise was, like colour TV scheme of the DMK government.

In a country rattled by terrorist attacks, absolute poverty, corruption – the success of parliamentary democracy is a miracle. Let’s sustain it for future generations and have a clean election this time. Let the games begin and most important – let the best person win.

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Barbarians at the Gate

On February 22, 2009, In Politics, By

In a major development, Pakistan government agreed to introduce Islamic law in Swat valley and neighboring areas. It was a result of ceasefire agreement with the Taliban. The Taliban fighters will be encouraged by this agreement and will soon launch a major offensive all across the region. Pakistan’s policy of “strategic depth” with Afghanistan or “thousand cuts” with India is in tatters. Very soon it will be fighting a deadly war with a monster of its own creation.

The three A’s of Pakistan “Allah, Army and America” have been replaced by “Anarchy”, “Al Qaeda” and “Afghanistan”. The Pakistan army has suffered severe causalities and is not interested in fighting fellow Muslims. At the same time the Durand line (Pak – Afghan border) is becoming diluted and the generals know they are fighting a losing war. America is no longer interested in this region and will be making cosmetic arrangements so that its stand on Al Qaeda doesn’t get diluted.

In a nutshell Pakistan has become a major security threat for all nations especially India. No country is interested in fighting this new war because of the complex nature of the enemy and their own demographic compulsions.

Indian security establishment must take serious note of the development or else it will be caught napping as before. Mumbai attack was just a trailer.
More such barbaric attacks from western border are going to happen in future.

The mass media in India is busy romanticizing Islam, glamorizing western lifestyle and dehumanizing Hinduism; it has no guts to take up serious issues. Similarly the Pakistan media was obsessed with Kashmir, Palestine & global Muslim atrocities, unconcerned that they would be devoured by the monster of Islamic militants. Which had been created and nurtured by their successive governments.

The future strategy should be to somehow convince the Pakistan military & government to launch an offensive against Taliban and other Islamic insurgents. The Indian government will also have to become more proactive and borders will have to be sealed to prevent infiltration of any kind.

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The Hindu Reforms Movement -II

On February 16, 2009, In Politics, By

The recent Ram Sena – Loose women debate raised an important question – who are the guardians of our moral culture?

We are living in a deeply divided society with multiple religions, cultures & people belonging to different socio – economic status. The local version of the Crusades (Christian’s vs Muslims) is being fought in India. It is one religion against the local culture or even both religions jointly against the local culture.

In an increasingly intolerant society the fissure are being exploited by politicians & mass media. The divide & rule practise is already being implemented by the politicians in the name of minority benefits to target vote banks. And by mass media, which is quite evident by watching hysterical anti Hindu news in almost all news channels.

Every religion has its separate personal laws, official hierarchy, exclusive headquarters and absolute spheres of influence in a country. It is time to organize the Hindu religion as a single entity on the basis of a progressive religion with a democratic setup.

The first step must be to remove state control over temples & Hindu trusts. An organization can be formed on the basis of Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee to look after the fund collection and its disbursal. Similarly a network of schools can be setup to impart Hindu values & beliefs. Subsequently a reforms committee can be setup to look into the various problems affecting the Hindu society such as dowry, caste, illetracy & women emancipation etc.

Hindus have to organize themselves or else the current twisted version of secularism will make Hindus a second rate citizens in India.

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Is the media partial against the BJP?

On February 1, 2009, In Politics, By

It is very easy to observe, even for a layman that the media in general and news channels in particular are becoming more and more pro government. In each and every media report, analysis, story, debate or interview it is found the media is adopting a very partial response against the BJP.

For e.g. if we take up two issues that affected the nation last week:

1. Chief Election Commisioner, N Gopalaswami, recommended the removal of his colleague, Navin Chawla. He has thoroughly documented the “partisan” functioning of Chawla.

But the news channels have started a criticism of Gopalaswami without taking into account the merit of the document. There was no mention of the charges – What are the contents of the letter submitted to the President of India? Did the CEC’s NGO did actually take money from the Congress party MP’s?

2. Recently a group of activists barged into a pub, assaulted women. On the same day Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers went on the rampage disrupting Republic Day celebrations at a school in Nashik. The workers assaulted parents and beat up participants. They didn’t even spare posters of the martyrs of 26/11.

The media completely ignored the later issue .Whereas the former was sensationalized as an assault on women’s independence. They even said it was an attempt to Talibanize India.

For the incident it directly involved the BJP government in Karnatka. But in a similar issue coincidentally happening the same day involving the attack on North Indians by MNS, it did not criticize the Congress government in Maharashtara.

There are numerous instances where the Indian media has taken a partial stance.

What is the agenda?

Why are there double standards?

Why are all news channels behaving the same way?

Is it because of the contract for pro government advertisements like “Bharat Nirman” or “Minority scholarship” that are likely to barge us before the general elections.

Maybe but the credibility of fair journalism in India has certainly taken a backseat.

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India – A country without a Prime Minister!

On January 26, 2009, In Politics, By

In 2008 we all suffered from poor governance in India by the UPA government. Now they have gone step further and removed “governance”. The prime minister will be out of action for a minimum of 4 weeks. How can a nation as complex as India be governed without a prime minister? But as Supreme Court said – even god cannot save India.

First there was no home minister, then they shifted finance minister and now there is no Prime Minister. Can’t we even select a prime minister from 1.2 billion people? As it is there are very few elected representatives occupying higher posts in cabinet.

Or does the decision making power lie else where and it doesn’t make a difference whether we have a prime minister or not.

As usual the mainstream media will not cover any lapse of UPA government and be a good prompter for the ruling congress government. Elections are approaching fast and the media will try its best to embarrass the BJP. Instead of focussing on this issue of national importance they are busy covering frivolous stories of some boys beating girls in a bar.

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