Why to target just Modi as anti muslim?
What about Bhagalpur riot?
Who was there at the helm?
What about the most shameful riot in Indian History: Mumbai riot of 1992?
Who was there at the helm ?
Well, I am not supporting Modi in any way. But just to target him because of Gujarat riot that happened 10 years back and forget a history of violence and riots under the Congress government is something I can’t buy. It doesn’t seem to be a reasonable and rational approach to me. Democracy is run by multiple parties. We should not expect Congress to be there at the helm always in spite of all its shortcomings and wrong doings.
Mass amnesia in general and Muslim community's amnesia in particular seems simply pathetic at times.
Just in case you have forgotten, the Justice Srikrishna Commission of Enquiry was appointed in 1993 to get to the bottom of the Mumbai riots. Even as the Commission was doing its controversial job, the Shiv Sena-BJP combine was voted to power in Maharashtra.
It promptly decided to disband the Commission. A huge outrage across the country forced the government to let Justice Srikrishna continue. But it rejected the Commission Report that was submitted in 1998 by terming it politically motivated. The Commission had severely indicted Shiv Sena leaders and workers and also recommended stringent action against 31 cops. Till date, virtually nothing has happened despite the Congress and the NCP together ruling Maharashtra continuously since 1999. Activist Ram Puniyani, who has been tracking the Mumbai riots cases, has this analysis to offer for the lack of concrete action, “The Congress while claiming to be secular has been very opportunist when the issue of communal violence has come. It has let things happen as in the case of Mumbai riots in 1992-93. The Congress chief minister had no interest in controlling the violence. The Congress is not very forthright in these cases so it either lets things happen or looks the other way”. Do remember, two of the most ‘active’ Shiv Sena leaders of that era, Chaggan Bhujbal and Narayan Rane are now NCP and Congress leaders and ministers in the government.
Of course, BJP is communal. But so is the congress when it comes to doing right things. We have to understand that Democracy gives us the choices. One party government for long creates a kind of complacency among ruling elites. It is like stagnant pool of water which gets muddy and muddy over time.
Modi is a Prime Ministerial candidate of BJP now. We should try to judge him differently on different criteria and not keep on harping about the riot that happened a decade ago.
He was a key strategist for the BJP in the successful 1995 and 1998 Gujarat state election campaigns, as well as a major campaign figure in the 2009 general elections won by the Indian National Congress . He first became chief minister of Gujarat in October 2001, being promoted to the office upon the resignation of his predecessor, Keshubhai Patel, following the defeat of BJP in by-elections. In July 2007, he became the longest-serving Chief Minister in Gujarat's history when he had been in power for 2,063 days continuously. He is currently into his fourth consecutive term as Chief Minister.
If the Gujarat riots of 2002 had not happened, Narendra Modi would have an easy- and almost pre-ordained path – to becoming the nominated Prime Minister of the Bharatiya Janata Party. With his record in Gujarat he ought to be the “natural” choice of his party. As the only other political party having a national presence, the BJP has a very good chance of replacing the Indian Congress Party as the largest party and the party of government at the next general elections in 2014. But the BJP lacks leaders of any stature – apart from Modi. The party President is himself badly tainted by corruption charges. The leaders of the past are approaching senility. Their Young Turks of 10 years ago come across as a whiny bunch who oppose for the sake of opposing and have no convictions of their own. Without a credible PM candidate having some national appeal the BJP may – at best – only just get to be the largest party but would have the most horrendous task of creating a majority in Parliament. But there are still strong factions within the party who do not much like him. Not because of the “anti-Muslim” taint which hangs over Modi as the legacy of the Gujarat riots; but because he is just a little bit too efficient, too decisive and most of all, too “incorruptible”.
The BJP have few other leaders who have Modi’s undoubted competence and his ability to assemble competence. They have no other leaders with his charisma. He has been one of the very few regional leaders who has had the nerve to be a leader – with some kind of vision of where he wants to go – rather than a populist follower (like Mamata Banerjee). In India, populist politicians – no matter how criminal or venal or incompetent – have usually been able to ride the wave of their vote-banks into power. But that is changing as the Indian electorate becomes more discerning and more sophisticated though still dominated by caste. So it seems likely that the BJP establishment will reluctantly – and with some fears for their own futures – unite behind Modi. They have little choice with his unprecedented success in Gujarat.
It is time for Muslim to re-evaluate their parameters and selection criteria.
What about Bhagalpur riot?
Who was there at the helm?
What about the most shameful riot in Indian History: Mumbai riot of 1992?
Who was there at the helm ?
Well, I am not supporting Modi in any way. But just to target him because of Gujarat riot that happened 10 years back and forget a history of violence and riots under the Congress government is something I can’t buy. It doesn’t seem to be a reasonable and rational approach to me. Democracy is run by multiple parties. We should not expect Congress to be there at the helm always in spite of all its shortcomings and wrong doings.
Mass amnesia in general and Muslim community's amnesia in particular seems simply pathetic at times.
Just in case you have forgotten, the Justice Srikrishna Commission of Enquiry was appointed in 1993 to get to the bottom of the Mumbai riots. Even as the Commission was doing its controversial job, the Shiv Sena-BJP combine was voted to power in Maharashtra.
It promptly decided to disband the Commission. A huge outrage across the country forced the government to let Justice Srikrishna continue. But it rejected the Commission Report that was submitted in 1998 by terming it politically motivated. The Commission had severely indicted Shiv Sena leaders and workers and also recommended stringent action against 31 cops. Till date, virtually nothing has happened despite the Congress and the NCP together ruling Maharashtra continuously since 1999. Activist Ram Puniyani, who has been tracking the Mumbai riots cases, has this analysis to offer for the lack of concrete action, “The Congress while claiming to be secular has been very opportunist when the issue of communal violence has come. It has let things happen as in the case of Mumbai riots in 1992-93. The Congress chief minister had no interest in controlling the violence. The Congress is not very forthright in these cases so it either lets things happen or looks the other way”. Do remember, two of the most ‘active’ Shiv Sena leaders of that era, Chaggan Bhujbal and Narayan Rane are now NCP and Congress leaders and ministers in the government.
Of course, BJP is communal. But so is the congress when it comes to doing right things. We have to understand that Democracy gives us the choices. One party government for long creates a kind of complacency among ruling elites. It is like stagnant pool of water which gets muddy and muddy over time.
Modi is a Prime Ministerial candidate of BJP now. We should try to judge him differently on different criteria and not keep on harping about the riot that happened a decade ago.
He was a key strategist for the BJP in the successful 1995 and 1998 Gujarat state election campaigns, as well as a major campaign figure in the 2009 general elections won by the Indian National Congress . He first became chief minister of Gujarat in October 2001, being promoted to the office upon the resignation of his predecessor, Keshubhai Patel, following the defeat of BJP in by-elections. In July 2007, he became the longest-serving Chief Minister in Gujarat's history when he had been in power for 2,063 days continuously. He is currently into his fourth consecutive term as Chief Minister.
If the Gujarat riots of 2002 had not happened, Narendra Modi would have an easy- and almost pre-ordained path – to becoming the nominated Prime Minister of the Bharatiya Janata Party. With his record in Gujarat he ought to be the “natural” choice of his party. As the only other political party having a national presence, the BJP has a very good chance of replacing the Indian Congress Party as the largest party and the party of government at the next general elections in 2014. But the BJP lacks leaders of any stature – apart from Modi. The party President is himself badly tainted by corruption charges. The leaders of the past are approaching senility. Their Young Turks of 10 years ago come across as a whiny bunch who oppose for the sake of opposing and have no convictions of their own. Without a credible PM candidate having some national appeal the BJP may – at best – only just get to be the largest party but would have the most horrendous task of creating a majority in Parliament. But there are still strong factions within the party who do not much like him. Not because of the “anti-Muslim” taint which hangs over Modi as the legacy of the Gujarat riots; but because he is just a little bit too efficient, too decisive and most of all, too “incorruptible”.
The BJP have few other leaders who have Modi’s undoubted competence and his ability to assemble competence. They have no other leaders with his charisma. He has been one of the very few regional leaders who has had the nerve to be a leader – with some kind of vision of where he wants to go – rather than a populist follower (like Mamata Banerjee). In India, populist politicians – no matter how criminal or venal or incompetent – have usually been able to ride the wave of their vote-banks into power. But that is changing as the Indian electorate becomes more discerning and more sophisticated though still dominated by caste. So it seems likely that the BJP establishment will reluctantly – and with some fears for their own futures – unite behind Modi. They have little choice with his unprecedented success in Gujarat.
It is time for Muslim to re-evaluate their parameters and selection criteria.
Well written Mr Haris must say its the right approach while we are evaluating NM as a contender of PM "Kudos"
ReplyDeletethnx a ton PRIYA.
ReplyDelete