Tipu Sultan & the intolerant BJP!

48 hours after BJPs massive defeat in Bihar, violence erupts in Karnataka over the birth centenary of Tipu Sultan as BJP, RSS & VHP opposed the celebrations by Congress led government in the state. It is shocking and there are questions that must be answered by the party leading the country right now.

1. Was this violent opposition really needed?

2. Is this opposition not ironical when the Prime Minister has just reiterated 'Sabka Sath Sabka Vikas aur Sabka Nyay'?

3. Has this opposition not tarnished the image of our country in front of the world, which is already talking about intolerance in India?

4. Tipu Sultan died more than 200 years ago. Why to dig in the past now?

These questions are enough to indicate how BJP's chariot is moving towards chaos as its horses run in different directions.

Karnataka BJP state president Prahlad Joshi blatantly ignored Prime Minister Modi's call for 'Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas Aur Sabka Nyaay', as massive protests erupted against the birth centenary of Tipu Sultan, resulting in violence that killed few and injured many. It's not possible that BJP's state leadership can ignore or go against the command of its Prime Minister but in Karnataka they did. They were strongly backed by RSS, VHP and Bajrang Dal. So should we conclude that even Prime Minister's word can be ignored if some ideology is backed by RSS, VHP & Bajarang Dal.

Our country is already defamed with allegations of intolerance and such protests are adding more to this fire. BJP has already burnt its hands in the same fire in Bihar. As party's senior leader and finance minister Arun Jaitley recently admitted that "irresponsible statements made during elections changed the narrative" in Bihar elections. Yet BJP's Karnataka unit is irresponsibly intolerant for someone who died more than 200 years ago.

Can anyone change the history? Tipu Sultan is just one of the characters in India's long history but how relevant is he for the present India that such a violence is needed to protest his birth centenary. Ironically this protest has rather popularised him and now the youth will surely look into his history. We can not change history and if someone wants to ignore it, then its better not to dig into it. Digging into the history will only add to its recall value and take your focus away from future.

To move into the future BJP must not live in the history, as everyone's history has some dark shades which are better left as they are.

Bihar Elections Verdict & Astrology Show's Popularity are Connected!

As we try to comprehend the verdict of Bihar Elections 2015, an interesting report on TRPs or Television Rating Points is out. As per this report Astrology shows are once again performing well on news channels and some of the leading news channels have started giving importance to astro shows.

It may appear weird but this TRP report and the verdict of Bihar elections have a connection!

During the campaigning for the Lok Sabha elections 2014 and then 4-5 months after the formation of the Modi Government, viewers were glued to news channels keeping track of every statement by the Prime Minister. Every policy decision and every reaction of the leading political party was regularly reported & eagerly watched by the people who voted for the change and wanted to see the change they were promised. Editors were thumping their chest with a placard reading “News is back”. Astro shows almost disappeared from the programming list of leading news channels and the future of entertainment shows on news channels also looked bleak. Viewers voted for the change and on news channels they wanted to know every bit of change the Centre Government was planning to bring in their lives.

Gradually the honeymoon period of the new government got over. Prime Minister's screen presence became more entertaining than informing, his ‘mann ki baat’ appealed more to his own ‘mann’, his trips abroad outnumbered his trips to the needy in India, policy statements of the government turned into rhetorics. Suddenly viewers started showing their back to news on news channels. Thus came in the change from “News is Back” to News being shown the back of the viewers. Faith of the viewer started shifting from the Institution of Government to the Constellation of Stars(Astrology), resulting in the rise of TRPs of astro shows on news channels.

So here is the connect between the verdict of Bihar elections and the rising TRPs of Astro shows.

In 2014 Lok Sabha elections people of Bihar voted with high hopes for a change but in one and a half year, policies of Centre Government failed to win their ‘mann’, and their faith shifted to what affected their Stars in the past. They have entrusted their Constellation of Stars on the Combination of Cast & Religion. Thus giving a mandate in favour of Mahagathbandhan.

Alliance with a Difference or Differences?

Sudheendra Kulkarni & Khursheed Kasuri

Shiv Sena activists smear black ink on Sudheendra Kulkarni's  face as a protest, for he was to host the function of book launch of Pakistan's former foreign minister Khursheed Mahmud Kasuri. This was after they threatened and forced the organisers to cancel Gulam Ali's concert in Mumbai.

J&K Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed instigated the Prime Minister to break his silence on Beef Controversy. This was approximately two months after Mufti ordered the release of Hurriyat leaders from house arrest against the wishes of the Centre Government.

These are just the few instances to show how partners of BJP in different states are going against the Coalition Dharma. Do note the word 'Dharma' because in politics, power is the only  Dharma and everything revolves around it. The way these partners of BJP are behaving, it is clear that they are not happy with the alliance but they are happy being in Power hence the adjustment/compromise. Compromises are acceptable to remain in Power but they unacceptable to bring in the revolutionary reform and the change for which people give vote to a political party. Ultimately the bickering partners ignore the needs of the people as the priorities shift from People to Power.

Leaders are of only two kinds !

 

LEADERS are of two kinds

1. One who Serves like Mahatma Gandhi &

2. One who just Survives like Bashar al-Assad

& when there is a mix of both the kinds then one becomes a Politician 

 

 

Pictures from the Lecture on Leadership in Shri Ram College of Commerce & Kirori Mal College in Delhi University..