Recently, the BJP candidate for PM, L.K.Advani, challenged the current PM, Manmohan Singh, to a live debate before the elections for the general public to grasp exactly what each party's propaganda is (without the media misconstruing everything) and to effectively decide who to vote for. This was widely appreciated by most sane, normal people with a sense of respect for themselves and their nation, while the Congress was completely against it. One might say this was because they just wished to prevent social awakening. Or maybe since they don't wish to comply with foreign standards of fair election campaigning. Or maybe, and it's most probably this one, their candidate has always proven to be an inefficient orator and an even worse politician.
Which are considered bad traits in a man who wishes to occupy the top-most government position of power in the entire country.
So today, in retaliation, Singh gave the following quotes. From NDTV.com:
With just about a day left before campaigning ends, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday attacked leader of the Opposition LK Advani saying that his strength lies in speech and not action.
Speaking in Mumbai, the Prime Minister said, "I am not a sloganeer. Unlike the NDA's prime ministerial candidate I will not be found weeping in a corner while hoodlums teat down a centuries old mosque, nor would I be found wringing my hands in frustration when one of my chief ministers condones a pogrom targeted at minorities."
Manmohan also said that he will certainly not say things in Pakistan that will offend every Indian and then abandon his stand when it becomes politically inconvenient within his party.
"Mr Advani has the unique ability to combine strength in speech with weakness in action. This is not the strength we need," he said.
The Prime Minister also termed BJP chief Rajnath Singh's statement as total lie that he, as the then Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha, was consulted before release of Kandahar terrorists.
"Advani had agreed to release the terrorists and subjected Cabinet colleague Jaswant Singh to the humiliation of having personally escorted the terrorists during Kandahar episode to their safe haven," he said.
When asked about Rahul Gandhi becoming the Prime Minister, Singh said, "Someday power must be passed over to young people as it is happening all over the world and Rahul Gandhi has all the qualities to be a good Prime Minister."
Where to start?
1) Doesn't strong speech and the ability to sway crowds with just his striking personality make a true leader? Oratory skills are quite useful and damned necessary if you want to make an impression on your voters, so yes, if Advani thinks a debate must be held for both parties to get their points across, I fully support him.
2) The Congress really has no right to talk about communal riots or controversies since they have been embroiled in controversies worse, if not equivalent to, what occurred during the BJP's reign. The Bofors scandal worth Rs. 64 crores in the 1980s that led to the direct downfall of the Congress in the following elections? Or the 1984 Anti-Sikh riots which played an even more significant role in why the BJP came into power? Or the controversy over Sonia Gandhi's offices of profit when she was as MP, which was illegal?
3) The Kandahar incident. This will never cease as ammunition against the BJP. Remember the Mumbai hotel seize recently? How could you not? Imagine yourself as one of the members of the families with a loved one stuck inside the Taj around this time. It's damn hard, isn't it? You'd have probably sold your soul to request the government to negotiate and give in to any of the terrorist demands just so you could have your loved one out alive again. The Congress refused to do that. They sent in forces late, stalled break-ins in the name of investigations even as the time called for serious action by the military forces and, when the mission finally ended three days later, bragged about how they wouldn't give in to terrorism and its demands. It's a brilliant plan, really. Except when you let innocent citizens die in order to prove how tough your administration is.
When the Kandahar hijack occurred and the hijackers demanded the release of major names being some of the world's most horrifying terror plots in return for the passengers' safety, the BJP gave in. While many assume this as a fault of character by the Vajpayee government, I admire it. The BJP gave up its dignity and knew this would directly affect its future political ambitions and yet decided to go along with it. For the sake of hundreds of innocent civilians. If that doesn't show character, I really don't know what does. So when the Congress moonlights as an unmasked vigilante, the BJP does its work secretly, and a hundred times better.
I want a BJP vs. Congress debate LIVE on every news channel in the country, English and otherwise. I want Arnab Goswami and Rajdeep Sardesai to shut up and stop interrupting the people they are interviewing, under the name of time constraints on TV, so that people can, once and for all, form a solid opinion that won't falter even as they hold the ballots in their hand, the hand that casts the precious vote. I want order for once, and not a gimmick on national television where the media can jump to assumptions as they would in petty celebrity tabloids. Advani and Manmohan are not celebrities. They are men on a mission, and they are required to prove themselves to each citizen that is old enough to vote. Campaign rallies are rigged, with each party pulling in fanatical supporters to promote them. If they want to be in power, they need to showcase their competence, oratory and otherwise.
And I swear to all Gods, if this debate happens in the ways prescribed above, I will finally have witnessed a fair election in my time.
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8 comments:
As always, beautifully composed though that killer sense of humor was deeply missed. Just one point that leaves some scope for discussion – the Kandahar issue, and pretty much the Mumbai blasts as well. Both incidents shamefully bring to light the government’s inability to respond to emergencies.
In the former, when the flight first landed in Amritsar, the flight crew asked the officials to shoot the tyres of the plane so that they would be unable to take off but there was no such action taken. The government refused to refill the fuel even after the terrorists stabbed one guy (who later succumbed to his injuries). These surely do not look like the actions of a government who is consciously trying to save hostages. The Pakistani government was better off with its flat refusal to allow them to land (though later they had to give in since the plane was already in their air space and would have crashed in the city). The NSG never made it to the sight in Amritsar because guess what ?? They were stuck in traffic !!! And you thought it was only the metros, huh? Needless to point out that the terrorists released have been linked to the killing of Daniel Pearl, the September 11 bombings and the Parliament attacks as well.
The Mumbai attacks further reinforced this by the visible inaction of the government, and how barely ten people made the entire nation of over 1 billion dance to their tune for almost 5 days. We as a nation are still not ready to face terrorism at its ugliest, and the BJP’s aggressiveness, though much appreciated, may not be the best answer to our present troubles (refer to the recent BJP statement saying they will storm their troops into Pak if they come to power).
MMS sure as hell is a weakling but he’s done his job nicely and quietly, and spurred by the recent accusations, has started speaking out and I guess should be given another chance to prove his full potential. Your thoughts??
Yeah, I guess the entry didn't call for humour. But thank you for the compliments :)
I figured your points would have been brought up and I appreciate that. Nothing fuels a debate like a good argument.
During the Kandahar incident, a very small part of the hijack and demands actually occurred in India and Indian airspace. When the plane landed at Amritsar, local forces were incapable of handling a hostage situation and were obviously asked to wait for the armed forces, as was the case in Mumbai. At first, when they hijackers asked the airport to refuel the plane, the government refused as they were still unaware of how dangerous the situation was. Many a terrorists have poor agendas and give in quicker than you'd expect them. So upon the initial demand, in order to assess the situation more deeply, the govenment refused and proceeded to negotiate. This backfired when Rupin Katyal was stabbed. And the moment the Vajpayee administration found out that a passenger had been harmed, they agreed to refuel. There had been a stall in the refueling process, for which I honestly have no explanation. Neither do I have one for the NSG's late arrival.
Then again, the Kandahar incident occurred a decade ago, after which the BJP government introduced the Prevention of Terrorist Activities Act in 2002. In all fairness, it has been 7 years since then and the Mumbai seize, so security and military action during emergencies hasn't improved one bit.
To your thoughts about the BJP's aggressiveness: We live in a time that demands action over principle. Ghandi's voice would have worked in an era when the country was not privileged to have its own military forces. Well, now we do. And what the BJP is doing is addressing the continued invasion of our borders by refugees and militants. I doubt if the BJP is stupid enough to storm into Pakistan the moment it settles into the Parliament, if elected this year. These are the people who brought us nuclear power even as the entire world opposed it and want to introduce the Common Civil Code. So we can't just assume that they would take a rash decision.
MMS has proven that he cannot be trusted. And second chances are for friends who have screwed you over, not for people who run the country and will do so for another 5 years if we vote for them.
And now, your thoughts? :)
Your prompt, yet loaded reply is greatly appreciated. I guess, consciously or not, we did reach a consensus that India’s ability to handle terrorism is down with the dogs, despite the presence of examples like Israel and alliances with Russia and US, but then, we really can’t draw a comparison.
I am rather divided on who to support for the coming elections because I want neither of them to lead my nation. The next gen. is not ready yet, despite all the behind-the-transparent-curtain hints about Rahul Gandhi taking the chair. Varun Gandhi was such a disappointment, made my heart bleed.
Coming back to the party issue, I personally wish to see some energy and passion in the house as well, which only the BJP is promising at the moment. What I’m concerned about is the pungent religious flavour in their campaigning, and the effect it’s going to have on the nation. Half of the Hindus are voting just for that damned building to be constructed, not giving a wooden penny to where the country goes, and
I silently pray that BJP is just indulging in this propaganda to come to power, and has better things in mind if they do.
Coalition government is something that has, and will continue to plague the nation for the foreseeable future, nullifying any strong measures to be implemented. I sure hope the BJP can pull it off, and then leave all the Hindutva and associated crap out of mainstream politics. It’s high time religion retires from politics, if not from our lives, if India is to see a brighter side of live.
Thoughts ??? :-D
I can relate to that. I find Israel, regardless of how everyone considers her as a bloodthirsty nation, has very devoted countrymen, both in the government and amongst the common men. 'Munich' also happens to be a personal favourite movie :)
With the way the Samajwadi Party and the like are handling their own propagandas and how most of them aren't really keen on clubbing with the Congress at this point, we might as well be on our way to a singular majority. So keep your fingers crossed!
The BJP previously focussed on its Hindutva campaign, and yet proven that it is not the only thing on their agenda. They are a capable set of leaders. I mean, look at Gujarat. Even as it grows into the most richest nation in the country, people still try to bring down Narendra Modi by pushing the Riots in his face. Everyone has flaws, but at least the BJP owns up to it. The Congress would never, has never, affirmed its status as pro-minority, even as we've seen them appease minority groups everyday since they were elected.
Also, many Brahmins and upper classes of Hindus have denounced the voting system for they are currently being suppressed by the minorities. Even as the BJP talks about Hindutva, it promotes a common civil code, something that I feel makes democracy exactly what it is supposed to to about - equality. And just for that, I support them.
I agree with you on how the following generation is not ready for heavy politics. I can personally testify that they are moving into a superficial train of thought, and either way, the youth can never be officially involved in politics. It takes a certain level of emotional and physical maturity, some degree of education, and most importantly, a sense of respect and experience that only comes with age. Pushing our generation into politics against their general interest is a crime in its own way. But even if they aren't directly involved in the administration, I wish they would attempt to involve themselves more into understanding basics like fundamental rights and parliamentary procedures.
And now, back to you (This could go on forever)
:)
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Thank you,
The Future Mantra
It can, if you want it to! But I guess we’ll continue some other time in another post. I was hoping you’d pick up the line on religion, which could really heat up the discussion, but again, I guess we’ll leave that for another day.
However, I do wish to seek elaboration for the following statement, since I couldn’t fully grasp the logic in operation –
“…many Brahmins and upper classes of Hindus have denounced the voting system for they are currently being suppressed by the minorities.”
I have developed a keen interest in the Gujarat issue recently and, like everything else, it is pretty shady. With the arrest of Maya Kodnani on one hand and the report that a significant amount of evidence was fabricated by the activists in order to exaggerate the killings, on the other, there is no clear stand.
I hope you’ve seen this documentary – Final Solution. It’s not as classy as Munich, but it’s probably the closest I could get to a primary source about the whole Gujarat episode. I am fully aware that documentaries are always made with a motive, but the evidence scattered throughout the movie cannot be denied. It is incidents like these that make me lose sleep, what the illiterate dormant Hindu masses could do if given the freedom.
By the way, I’m not triggering another debate but how many out of the 3 of you are atheists ???
I'm not sure about the statistics around the country, but in Tamil Nadu, only 7% of the population makes for Brahmins, and stats show that only 40% of these people vote. This has been directly linked to the fact the the Karunanidhi government supports everyone except the upper classes of Hindus. This is not just inequality in its most unjust form, but also gives a sense of "why the hell do I even care anymore" to the upper classes and prevents them from voting.
I'll refrain from commenting anymore on the Gujarat issue, since it is still deeply seeded in controversy and I'd rather put off any further comments till there is more substantial news on this.
No, I haven't seen the documentary yet, though I think its lying somewhere in the house.
And no, none of us are atheists. We would be, but love our parents and their respect to our culture too much for that.
Thanks so much. It's truly been a pleasure. Looking for a fruitful friendship in the future !
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