Undemocratic India!

Discrimination by the law is unjust, on that account both Article 370 and 35A, did not have a place in present-day India. Special status by definition is discriminatory and particularly hated by the Indians who live outside J&K and did not benefit from its provisions.  The gripe, however, has been getting relentless support from the view that anti-India sentiments were breeding freely in a land that enjoyed at the cost of the rest of us (Indian). The idea of ‘one nation- one flag- one constitution’ is a legitimate one, the fact that it is being received so well by Indians is a satisfactory proof, for most. I’m not going to challenge the constitutionality of the move which is being seen as not only bold and decisive but also nationalistic by the supporters of the government; because I still hope that, nothing that is unlawful beyond a reasonable doubt is going to stand the legal scrutiny by the Apex court. So if it is indeed wrong, the supreme court with right it by a verdict. What I’m hugely concerned about is democratic decency or should I say morality in governance, though. Hyperactive Indian media most of which is appreciative of everything that Mr Modi does, according to them, even the way the man breathes is the real Indian way to inhale and exhale, has already told, retold and in some cases even misread the history of Kashmir coming together with other 540+ princely states to form the union of India as it exists today, doesn’t require my endorsement. Everything that gets done, unknowingly but definitively, forms the basis of what will be done in the future and that aspect of it alone, should encourage the whole of the democratic world and not just India to ponder over this historic decision. 

Does the end justify the means in your world? 

Well, if it does, then there is no space for a conversation, you can leave this page right here and move to other titillating arguments that are being screeched from the rooftop to further the agenda of those who are strong enough to shape the narrative of the nation. But then if you are part of the minuscule minority that does value method just as much as the result, then you and I should spend some more time on this together. We know how the BJP cleverly, formed the government with Mehbooba Mufti’s PDP and then pulled back support midterm to push Governer’s rule. We are fully aware of the arguments that were given to support delaying of fresh elections in the valley for as long as 13 months. Truth is that if it had happened, not only Omar would have seated the CM’s chair one more time but made it practically impossible for BJP led NDA to abrogate 370 and annul 35A. So the masterminds, amended article 367 to elevate the legislative assembly to the stature of constituent assembly, in this case, and then letting Indian parliament surrogate for state assembly of J&K, then it took consent from the representative that it had appointed to the state itself and then superimposed president’s notice to make what we know has happened. Does it smell of a coup? A constitutional coup, yes, of course, it does!

The monument that made Kashmiris hide their inhibition on their way to what we (citizens from the rest of the country) call the ‘mainstream’ has been obliterated, to be never erected back again. An attempt will have to be made to remove the debris of the destruction, as step one, of infusing clarity into what is perhaps the most chaotic intricacy of independent India. Here are a few things that will be found in my view. 

Shattered Pakistani Dream: This is a delightful thing to find, not because, as Indians, we must eschew everything from across the border but because their claim on Kashmir has been illegal, immoral, and evil to say the least. Pakistan sponsored terror has claimed more than a hundred thousand lives and uncountable souls disturbed with their untimely and tragic demise. Two complete generations have been burning in the unholy fire. With this move, Mr Modi has comprehensively briefed the world that he is determined to take back whatever is rightfully ours. Fatuous offer from President Trump for mediation has also been answered in a BOLD and CAPITAL NO! Pakistan which is begging for 6 billion dollars and is willing to surrender its economic sovereignty for such a petty sum is in no position to deal with it. Even if PM Imran tries, he will wipe himself off the face of Pakistan for real and for good. But I suspect he would, anyway.

The Kashmiri groups: Mainstream leaders, the Abdullah clan, Mufti mandal, and new breeds of politicians that mushroomed months before the general election of 2019, now have before them the rare opportunity of finding a fresh account to shine their politics on but because it will essentially require shaping people’s perception towards accepting what has been done, it will be twice as difficult for those guys because for long they have survived by passively supporting the idea of either freedom from both India and Pak or Freedom from just India. PDP has been most notorious. The separatist will use this development to their advantage, for them this decision must be equivalent to striking a pot of gold. They will use it to inflame anti-India sentiments. Deflecting ordinary citizens may appear an easy task in their wicked lab, they will go for no just regular citizens but also those who have been for a long time pro India. The third category is the poor people of Kashmir; they will find themselves in a split again. They will need to make choices yet again; we hope and pray that they choose the republic of India over everything else.

The corpse of democracy: Let me in most certain and unequivocal terms say that the manner in which this ‘operation’ was carried out is by no means one of the finest display of democratic spirit. It has not only been undemocratic, rash, ill-thought of but also against the federal structure and soul of our parliamentary democracy. A few years ago, I would have never imagined something like this but then realities of today are different in which anything is possible. Democracy is a government of the people, for the people and by the people. And where were the people in this decision? They were locked in their own homes, their street was combed by the unprovoked imposition of sec 144, they were completely cut off from information and all modes of communication. Phones were dead, the internet was not yielding anything, even the democratically elected representatives of the people were confined in unexplained home arrest. The entire world watched Indian parliament steamroll abrogation with the force of brute majority in both houses of the parliament, barring the very people it impacted. Already guarded streets of Kashmir was supplied with more troops. Rest of India celebrated and congratulated PM Modi and his friend Shah. Integration of Kashmir with rest of India is being sighted as the prime objective of this move by the government, then we can safely say that this marriage does not have the consent of the people of Kashmir; rest of India seems happy without it, which is worrisome. 

I’m not even wanting to comment on the irony which surrounds supreme leaders address to the nation, in which he spoke about Kashmir for 40 minutes, all of us heard him but the affected people of Kashmir did not have access to the television broadcast.

I would have also applauded this decision if the government displayed the will to listen to the people of Kashmir. If it called for consultation, allowed mainstream politicians to freely voice their opinion both for and against the move if it did not lock people and communication down; I would have supported Mr Modi. Remember, numbers are on the side of the BJP, allowing democratic ways, would not have made it difficult for them to win it in the voting in both houses of the parliament, yet he made the deliberate choice to move unilaterally, disregarding rich democratic traditions of the largest democratic country on the face of planet earth.

Abrogation of Sec 370A and annulment of 35A would have then become a good example; currently, it is not! Article 3 of the constitution was also not spared from the legal trickery, a full-blown state tore down into two union territories. HM Amit did announce from the floor of the parliament that statehood would be restored as normalcy returns. It is anybody's guess that in 70 years with 370 on the situations did not get normal, would it ever become so after it getting revoked? For all practical purposes, this is what is going to be the design of the northernmost part of our country.

What this regime needs to know is that while Kashmir can momentarily deflect attention from the failing economy and mounting unemployment, it will never make people forget the questions around falling rupees and rising debt, permanently. It would have been awesome to hear from Mr PM on that as well, in the address that he submitted to the nation!

Goodbye!

Raw Wisdom

I admire, Narendra Modi, the politician, a lot more than Modi the PM or Modi the wannabe statesman. You can like him for who he is, the ideas he represents or hate him for the very reasons but you certainly can’t ignore his strong presence. With his bag of good, bad & ugly messages he has dominated the Indian mindset, discussion rooms and aspirations in ways which are not easy to achieve for any politician. Both his admirers and adversaries draw his parallels with the Iron lady, Ms Indira Gandhi, but I will go on to say that his clutches over what can be seen, read and heard is a tad bit stronger than that of the lady, who on her own, decided to break Pakistan into two. People who are elder to me and have active memories of her days may disagree with me and I’d happily concede to them as I was only born the year she was assassinated. I was nearly 4 months old on the day of her killing. So my reading of her is from books, news articles and a few youtube videos that exist today. Indira Gandhi has attracted a disproportionate amount of literature given her audacious and most brazen emergency decision. People who like reading and knowing the political history of India will have to read about her extensively and so I had to without much choice. If you happen to be a Modi supporter, do not judge me for I learned more about Congress than I did about BJP/RSS, do bear with me and note that there is actually more to read about them than your party. But do not be disappointed you have a man now who would in very many ways leave her behind when it comes to being studied, heard and talked about. That is our very own Modi!


The fate of India has already been sealed, given the fact that we’ve come close to the end of the polling, as I type this article people are making their voices heard in the 6th phase of a long election season. On the 23rd the counting will reveal, people’s desire. Who will be sworn in may require additional juggling, though, should no party win a clear majority on its own, which is very likely. At this point, we do not know, at least, I do not. In a democratic setup, politics becomes essential, everything that gets done, happens within the policy framework. Therefore it is greatly necessary for people to participate, the mood of the nation, gets built by these deliberations. India is a complex country to govern, from its maddening geographical extent to mind-boggling cultural and ethnic diversity, everything about us is unparalleled. And therefore, whether we like it or not, no one Idea can appeal to all Indians equally. We’re the fastest growing economy for over 8 years now, the top tier in the developing world. At the same time, we’re also a country that hasn’t effectively cracked bread and butter, health and sanitation, education and employment, code, at a policy framework level. A vast majority of our country does not have access to clean drinking water, a roof over their heads or unpolluted air to breathe. We’re still breeding at a dull-witted rate, 1.3 bn. already and counting. The caste system is still prevalent, the girl child is discriminated against, untouchability is still a consistent Idea in many parts of the country. The story for gender diversity is not a happy one either, women empowerment is still a fancy urban design. Male dominance and majoritarianism have costed us in purely economic terms about 38% of our net worth as a country (estimation is from an economist article); if we had succeeded in creating a society that values both the genders equally, we would have been 38% stronger and more prosperous: perhaps a developed nation too.

Are these issues getting discussed in the political addresses? The clear and honest answer is a no! Yes, there have been sporadic talks and half-hearted efforts have also been made to address some of the issues that I have listed above, but every well-intentioned man/women, when faced with the challenge of the election, forgets, everything and starts playing to the gallery. And then idealism and reforms take a back seat. Elected sitting PM of world's largest democracy says “ Main ati pichri jati ka hu”, “main pathan hu, etc : What does it say about the prime minister and more than him what does it say about we the people? If we did not care about caste would he flaunt it? That is the question that Indian people should ask themselves. In most elections, the agenda gets set by the shortcomings of the incumbent, mainly; economic failures and other social events that can drag those in office in poor light, more or less. This election has been different though, the agenda was not set by the opposition, they did try but couldn’t simply match the surround sound that Modi & Shah led BJP built around things that do not matter in our everyday life. The election campaign of 2019 is not so much about the content or the character but reach and proliferation. On the one side, you have the mighty Modi who seems to have the wealth of the world to spray on every medium of communication available, from Radio to 24*7 television, to internet powered content on social media, mobile apps, the print publication and even movies. In fact for the first time, we saw, how movies of a certain popular Canadian actor with a famous Hindi name in the last five years delivered several beautiful Bollywood hits to further the communication objective of the ruling party. It did not stop there, the same prince of the Tinseltown also interviewed the PM in an apolitical exchange, which soon was trending on youtube. Video ads and television commercials existed for a long time and they continued in this election as well. It is anyone’s guess that the money spent on publicity crossed the permissible limit within minutes of the campaign.

What has therefore been the theme of the campaign of  2019 elections? Opposition lingered in setting the narrative, they too have tried, but nothing even close to the spectacle that Narendra managed. Opposition leaders were also airborne for a lot of their election travel, gave interviews and had articles written on their areas of interest but they simply did not get the airtime that they should have in the mainstream media. I can’t with certainty say that they would still manage to create a decent electoral fortune for themselves or will they suffer, even more! Realities of this election do match with a few things that have been tried in the past with a varying degree of success, let’s look at some the key items to understand how political event management has been done in this election.

Election Theme setting: India shinning from the past made its grand entry in the form of “Main Bhi Chowkidar”: Quite an event, very well managed, people flocked in high numbers to express their solidarity with the idea. Social Media name edits, numerous quotes, +ve memes and what not. The event did cross the line, in some sense, because it had a little portion towards the end trying to emulate a war scene to underscore the surgical strike bravado. Nevertheless, for the supporters, it deserved Oscars. Adversaries of BJP and Modi did use it to base, ‘Chowkidar chor hain’ slogan, that too seems to resonate with people. It upset the Apex court though.

Untruth the new mainstream: Not too long ago, when Indian prime minister spoke, people apprehended with respect, sincerity and attention. There has not been a history of incidents in the past, in which the PM in his official capacity has said things which were found incorrect. This rule, however, had started growing weak and brittle with UPA2’s excessive strains, there is no way it could have lifted the heavy weight of the strong man Modi, it shattered after 2014. As a result of which all kinds of bizarre politically motivated lies were spoken with incredible confidence and poise. Here a few:

#1  At a campaign rally in Bangalore on April 13, 2019, Modi deployed his favourite oratorical tool, the rhetorical question. “Was there even a single terrorist attack on the country when your chowkidar was on duty?” ( The wire)

& Then he talks about Pulwama and asks for votes, the contradiction wasn’t spaced even a few lines apart.

#2

These are just a few samples you can look up this website https://www.modilies.in/ it does an excellent job of fact-checking the PM.

Fact-checking the PM wasn't an idea that existed before Modi in the prominence that it does now. With his kind of resources, if he is making such blunders one can only imagine how hollow must be the academic grasp of the PM. There is another theory that suggests that these willful slip-ups were engaged in to mislead generally uninformed crowd. Modi made the lack of education among ordinary Indian a tool to swing emotions.

Discrediting dissent and bunking questions: The PM did not take one question from the press in a free unscripted conference, in fact, in his entire tenure, there was no press conference, none at all. This in itself is proof of the fact that in his world he doesn’t see himself accountable to anyone. He is his own man. He has however managed to effectively tame a vast majority of Indian media, who blush and blossom when they ask him questions like the below.


App thakte khyun nahiApke paas batua hain kyaKon sa tonic lete hainEk fakiri hain app me60 mahine me itna kuch kiya hain, itna hua hain
He agrees to answer if questions have the potential of adding to his propaganda of establishing himself as larger than life, the perfect man to lead image. His party workers and ministers have for long been suggesting those who have committed the sin of being critical of the PM to leave for Pakistan. Disagreeing with his idea is being anti-national. In the minds of his supporters, Modi is the nation, much like Indira use to be to her patrons. Urban Naxal, Lutyen, Tukre Tukre Gang, Award Wapsi gang: are the phrases that PM and his close confidants use for those who have expressed serious concern over the macho, majoritarian, divided and polarised India that he wants to create to keep his electability intact. Rejecting dissent and rebuking questions have now graduated to discrediting institution :about 4 yrs ago when Time Magazine published Modi’s interview lauding his plans; BJP supporters jumped in excitement, for them it was a national pride, today when the same prestigious publication is calling Modi’s bluff out in the open, they find the magazine frivolous! There is an army defending his unscientific and even plain stupid comments; like the one that he has made on how he thought clouds would help the air strike move undetected from the radars etc. People latch on and give all kinds of arguments to save the face of the supreme leader.

The great Indian political circus will end on the 23rd hopefully with a mandate that gives Mr Modi some solitary time and much-needed rest but I’m afraid the trend that he has set in will continue and get worse in days to come. The country that has been terribly polarised will have to make a lot of effort, burn a lot of steam, to come together again. Healing is going to be effort-intensive. In times like these, I miss the sanity that Bapu has professed in his writings.

Argumentative and enthusiastic Indians will move from elections to cricket, patiently and in hope, reel under the adventure of whichever side that wins 2019 because they know that they will get to choose again in another 5 yrs.

With that let me end this, if you haven’t voted still, do so!

 

Modi Times!

Allow me to take you back to that press conference that late Atal ji had called in 2002 when he cancelled all his schedules to travel to an Indian state that was burning in communal violence, mindless killings tainted newspapers and television sets got a coat of deep red. In the court of the people, the state administration had demonstrably done lesser than they could, the apex court, however, I must mention, absolved all from the administration from all charges. You might wonder a PM in a press conference answering questions, was it ever done? Yes, all PMs before Mr Modi used to hold frequent and well-timed press engagements; all of them with the only condemnable exception of Mrs Indira Gandhi who shared particular hate for critical media, with our current head of state. Atal ji, advised Mr Modi, the then CM of Gujrat that he should, follow RajDharma, he went to explain that “ Raja ke liye praja praja me bhed nahi hota! Has Mr. Modi learnt the lesson? If 2019 election speeches are any indication, he has not quite as well as a head of state should have. Political science has been a subject of my interest, I like to read about it and learn about contemporary politics by following prominent politicians. Anna movement, was one such high voltage event, that I could not have missed. I was among many who travelled to Jantar Mantar to express their solidarity with the cause. Thanks to my friends in the media, I also got the opportunity to briefly meet Anna, I paid my respect to the man and said that we were with him, in the few minutes that my friend could squeeze in for me. I was infuriated by the mindless loot and the immoral plunder that Dr Singh led UPA2 had dispassionately unleashed on our beloved country, it felt as though, my own home was being robbed. Filled with rage, I wrote about it and with my feeble & unimportant voice joined the chorus that was gaining momentum by every passing day, the solution looked simple and in sight : Throw congress as far away as possible from the corridor of power. Facts as it stands today, the same court that found Mr Modi and his aids innocent of 2002 killing of innocent Indians, also pronounced some of the scam unfounded. CAG’s adventurism caused nationwide outrage, the gentleman who headed the respected institution then, is now retired and perhaps living a great life, I wish him well.

India, unfortunately, only has 2 parties with a real national presence, naturally, an alternative to Congress-led government was searched in BJP & there the stars were aligned just right for Mr Modi, he got anointed as BJP’s candidate for the top job. Much like how the character of Mr Bachchan emerged as an antiestablishment protagonist in the most successful years of his career, Mr Modi appeared taller and much more formidable than he eventually is being seen today. Indian looked at him with hope, a country that was already frustrated with UPAs misgovernance, did not ask him to work hard to connect with the Indian people. Media lapped him as the ultimate choice and Indian household accepted him as the sole saviour, the true beneficiary of the Anna movement had emerged and captured the imagination of a billion Indian.

The groundswell of support for the unprecedented anti-corruption movement seemed natural, the citizens were out saving India from the clutches of a corrupt coalition government which had acquired the form of a hydra-headed Frankenstein monster which was determined to steal and fleece our democracy. Media played its part too, dedicated headlines to the crusaders, nothing less than most severe punishment seemed fair and India was in no mood to wait for the law to take its own course. CWG blossomed and started throwing into the public domain details which directly implicated high profile ministers of gross misdoings, every other day, scams would get unearthed, every progressive catch was bigger and bolder than the previous one. It all looked unbearable & suffocating. In all this Dr Singh was deliberately and dangerously quite, moving from one patchy story to another without saying anything that could console the mourning nation. In the hearts and the minds of Indian people Manhoman Singh had lost, all credibility. People forgot liberalisations, his efforts that gave Indian economy a chance to compete in the modern world. He became a joke and we unabashedly hated him. We were falling in love with another politician, who seemed pure, clean and impeccable, new beloved of India looked dapper & enthralled people when he spoke, he alone made sense, everyone else was just ‘chor’.  The entire country was salivating for Gujrat and its model of growth: All of this made Modi into an overnight hero, it seems as though he had won even before the election had formally gotten over. The election seemed like a mere formality. Mr Modi, worked really hard, he travelled across the length and breadth of the country, addressed mega rallies, people frustrated with unclean UPA flocked in great number, heard every word Narender uttered with hope and adulation. “Abki baar Modi Sarkar’, “Har har modi .. ghar ghar Modi” .. “NAMO NAMO” echoed in Indian homes, streets, newspaper and even in news studios. Rahul Gandhi’s visible disinterest in politics and laughable utterances, Dr Singh’s deafening silence and Sonia’s Italian origin were all criminal offences, in the minds of an average Indian voter. People turned out in record numbers. Some right meaning journalists like Rajdeep did try waking the Ghost of 2002 but they were shut down, mocked, and even attacked, people (us) deliberately looked the other way. Supreme Court has absolved Mr Modi of all charges for lack of evidence, the courts with whatever was presented to them couldn’t without reasonable doubt establish that Modi administration in Gujrat allowed the riots to spring out of control. The allegation that they willfully slaughter Muslim families were all forgotten. Indian saw Mr Modi as the man who could deliver progress. ‘Vikaspurush’, carefully crafted speeches delivered artfully played on to the public sentiments, Indian voters and Modi became one, in a rare political black swan moment, in which on 60% of the seats BJP got 90% of the votes.  First time in the history of Independent India, we had a non-congress government sworn-in with a clear and unmistakable majority in the lower house. Constitutional formalities were undertaken and Modi became India’s 14^th PM. In the minds of Indians, Indian was well on its way of becoming the golden bird one more time.

That night India slept as relieved as Nehru would have after delivering the iconic ‘Tyrst with destiny’ speech.

Before we could make peace the new occupants of the New Delhi; things began to change really quickly and with it what was once a wave became a whisper of disappointment. Indian discourse changed into some of the below.

Nationalism: The ruling party re-wrote the definitions of nationalism, by adding, machoism, bigotry, jingoism, and majoritarianism and artfully removing secular principles, at least in the narrative that it worked hard to build. People were forced to prove their nationalism, by saying Bharat Maa ki Jai, out loud for no reason, become the barometer for a few and for others it was agreeing to the demand of Hindu nation. Liberal voices, the intellectual questioning and critical proportion of the population were being sent to Pakistan.

Communalisation & Hatred - An incident thereafter, was never an incident alone, it was either a Hindu or a Muslim’s issue and almost always Hindu Vs Muslim. Back in the day being communal was considered bad, the secular viewpoint was the respectable stand. In these 5 years, before any one of us could realise, masses were galvanised, Ghar waspsi was organised, name changing, from ‘an Islamic name to a Hindu name’ became the new normal and before we knew India started aspiring to become a pro-Hindu Nation. People who tried, separating religion from the issues, were considered terrorists, apologists of bad Muslims and even worse, anti-national. Mob lynching and killing on suspicion of beef were no longer rare incidents. All Muslims were terrorists to the supporter of the ruling party and even those Hindu Dalits who for centuries have been deskinning dead cattle were not spared.  

Institutionalisation of Misinformation - Narender questioned 70 years of Congress rule to suggest that they had not contributed to making India. Dead Nehru was dragged back to public discussions, everything that was not right was made to appear as his fault. Whatsapp became a powerful communication platform and the mighty IT cell of the ruling party uses it to its fullest to spread all kinds of bizarre lies, demonising Nehru and efforts were made to erase him from the memories of modern India. Reading and researching have since long been dying in the modern world, superficial hearsay information makes people knowledgable, now. Most industrious are those who type and search on Google if Google throws garbage in the first 10 search results it becomes the gospel of truth for this brigade. Pictures were morphed and lies were spread like nobodies business. Concerted efforts were made to decimate opposition, not just a party, but then the whole concept of active opposition was being attacked.  Online trolls were legitimised by the ruling party which needed not just ground support but also an army on social media.

Media got broken up in two blocks.

1) Modi’s cheerleaders

2) Anti-national, presstitute, swine and what not

Anti questions & subversion of institution: Prime Minister Modi broke away from the tradition of holding press conferences and answering to the Indian people through these media events. It is not that PM was as quiet as the the previous one, in fact, he spoke, more than any other PM in the history of this country but all of it was either a Monologue or a staged programme where people who he would face, would ask questions celebrating his grand personality and greatness of his hard work. Media houses, barring a handful, just stopped being journalists and resumed the role of ruling parties spokespersons. From Prime Time to headlines, every space was dedicated to celebrating the larger than life personality of the PM. Hero worship was in. People who wrote against him were silenced, cornered, driven out of jobs and in rare cases even killed, like the journalist Gauri Lankesh. The economy started to rumble, following the disastrous currency ban but and botched up implementation of GST, with unemployment at a 45 years high, Indian saw 26 lacs open positions and government gagged NSSO data, which led to the resignation of eminent statisticians, two RBI governors walking out, supreme court judges holding press conferences and what not. On one side, the ruling party muted every information that showed its poor performance and on the other side within their party, they shunted all veterans; thus came into existence the Margdarshak Mandal.

Real issues were masked: Poll promises of 2014 were forgotten and Pakistan made entry into the political debate. To the point where PM in his election speeches dedicates 80% of his time to terrorism and even stoops to the level of asking votes in the name of the dead soldiers. Those who raise questions on his all-around unflattering performance are called “DeshDrohis” by his supporters. Farmer Suicides, trade deficits, questionable handling of the Rafale deal, cultivation of hate, mishandling of the Kashmir issue are all unimportant and must be subdued by the chorus that BJP, one of the wealthiest political parties of the world builds. Mr Modi, in this 2014 election speeches, spoke about fighting 2019 election on the report card, he has forgotten it completely instead he now holds a large card with “Hate Pakistan and Muslims” written on it. He had taken an oath that he would set up a special court to fast track the cases pending on MPs, the reality is that in 2019, his party has the maximum % of tainted MPs. He has been in the harshest tone possible condemned dynastic politics but truth is that his party is not different from any other political party in the country, he has gracefully given tickets to 25+ such entitled naamdars. The below tweets summarises the change in Mr Modi’s politics  

BJP : We will ensure implementation of NRC in the entire country. We will remove every single infiltrator from the country, except Buddha, Hindus and Sikhs: Shri @AmitShah #NaMoForNewIndia

My Tweet (@LKstates): Insurgent #Modi #2014 : Sabka Sath Sabka Vikas, Black Money, Jobs, Sec370, Uniform civil code, development, Price rise on fuel!

Incumbent Modi #2019: India Pakistan .. Hindu Mussalman.. Anti National .. Surgical strike.. Nehru .. Congress..

Voters : Achha theek hain, #Vote !

In such a political climate, it is incumbent on we the people of India to decide by voting which story appeals more to us. Do we wish to preserve and protect our democratic right of holding the Government accountable by asking tough and critical questions or should we surrender like most of the Indian media before the almighty political force and let the change of 2014, forever change the construct of our society? This election is when we need to assert our will of keeping India a plural sovereign, of valuing peace and beating the surround sound of rhetoric. You own your vote, spend it wisely!

I continue to reserve my right to ask questions and I shall continue to do so; should you wish to know those questions too, look me up on twitter @LKstates.

 

Pulwama, Modi and 2019!

In the video that was uploaded minutes before the ghastly, horrendous, inhuman, & despicable act of targeting the convoy, the illiterate sinister idiot is found calling out to those who he thinks see faith and God like he does to unite in a war to put India in chains to punish and to kill those who worship in ways different from his own. He calls out to his God, at least 8 times asserts that his God wants him and his men to succeed in this religious war. All the Gods that I know from my own religion and various others that I’ve observed thriving peacefully in the countries that I have had the good fortune of being in have, love, compassion, respect, and coexistence at the very core of its philosophies. I do not know of one religion that believes in killing innocents, in being on constant war to free the world of the other kinds of humans. So, I have no hesitation in concluding that whoever that son of *****  is hallucinating to be his God is perhaps just as big a shit head, a total loser, a stinking blot on the entire history of faith.

Strangely, most unfoundedly and momentarily they seem to be winning and that is perhaps the biggest tragedies of our times. No one knows what their exact number is, what do they look like, where do they hide, what do they do when they are not killing people. But if we were to imagine that they are only a minuscule part of the humankind alive at the moment, about half a percent of all living beings, they are not only evil but also a big enough force to cause the rest of us regrettable huge harms. These people are well funded, trained and motivated by their religion to kill, they do not seem to know any other way. They see killing others as a spontaneous act, an act as natural let say as thanking someone who hands us a bottle of water when we are thirsty.  These religious fanatics are being used as tools of destruction by their political masters to whatever the hell that they wish to achieve; so far it remains largely unknown and unclear.

If we were to put all major terrorists’ attacks that have happened in last half a century together; we would find one common thread, that is; perpetrators wish to kill everyone who doesn’t worship their GOD. So, we can’t help but acknowledge the role that religion plays in all of this. To that immoral and inhuman form of religion, we must all give it all that we have to fight, reject and finish, totally and completely.

2019 general election is just around the corner, stakes are understandably high. Not sure if it suffices to say that I was among those who celebrated BJPs victory in 2014, Mr. Modi’s anointment as the prime ministerial candidate by the challengers in 2014 election said a lot about, what they wanted to bring to the equation. Many firsts were created in the last general election, with nearly 32% of the overall ballots, Amit Shah and Modi together created a historic majority government. From the announcement of victory to a few months later, when India got to smell the coffee, everything looked rain washed green and pleasant, from Modi kissing the steps of the parliament to his moving speech in which he unveiled the noble clean India project, it all looked ethereal. Perfect to the point of appearing unreal but with every passing month and with every progressive parliamentary session truth and inexperience of Modi’s administration started gaining weight and size, every decision that he took disillusioned the country. Series of misadventures marred India’s prospect one after the other, the very common man that celebrated untimely Diwali on his swearing-in ceremony died in ATM queues trying to withdraw their own money. Demonetisation was not only ill-advised, poorly executed but as we learn now completely ineffective too. The move cost India Rs 3 lakh crore in GDP growth and wiped out over 25 lakh jobs almost magically. Those affected sadly were the weak and marginalised. I wrote an article then on it, will link it down below for you to read, should it interest you.

Mont Blanc pen carrying, ever traveling, well-groomed and swell spoken son of poor India, seemed trying hard towards imprinting his policies irreversibly on the social fabric by generously giving away cooking gas, but India soon paid through it nose by fulling their tanks with costliest vehicular fuel ever bought in this country. Commendable abolishment of triple talaq soon lost its music in the growing clamor of social injustice and pervasive moral policing by the strong man from RSS and other equally ill-conceived and poisonous associations that had enough reasons to believe that they have the PM’s blessing. They went on a witch hunt of beef, cows got the center stage. Vigilantes wreaked havoc on again those who were not particularly wealthy or known. Poor people were targeted and beaten to death for de-skinning dead cattle from the whole nonsense was born the infamous Patel movement. Modi erected the highest statue of all times in India in respect of the man who we all love and admire but with it also climbed joblessness to a record high number in last 15 year or wait there is no official figure because the real report was taken back as it did not bear the color to the taste of the current rulers.

The re-introduction of unpopular and unhealthy long terms capital gains tax coupled with sloppy implementation of GST has left the business class wondering in wild and mounting insecurities. Current regime has been a failure in controlling terrorism but has quite successfully launched its own tax terror using its majority, the surreptitious levy of Swachh Bharat, education and Krishi Kalyan cess along with the reduction of interest rates on savings to a low of 3.5% is clear enough proof of the fact that: Modi doesn’t have the middle class in mind.

Let me not even bring to light, India’s performance on the hunger index and how severely have we suffered as a nation on education, % of college dropouts are also on a rise. When you look at the number of teachers and doctors that this country needs and what it has it will give you no solace either, but his government expects people to sell pakoras and smile, every time he flies on our money to forcefully hug other world leaders. The brand Modi, even if it was shining on the diplomatic scene wouldn’t have mattered much to everyday India like me, the reality is that no indicator says that even on that we have scored much. If Modi’s 56-inch chest persuaded China to withdraw its veto from notorious Masood Azhar letting him labeled a global terrorist, we would have thought endless and mindless foreign trips have resulted in something valuable and perhaps Pulwama would have got avoided too.

India had its issues before Modi, and it continues to have them after his near completion of the 1st term in office too. If performance is any measure Modi is not the answer that we should seek in 2019. At least I would not. What is then the alternative? Well, not having Modi at the helm doesn’t necessarily mean clown led Congress in the lower house. Papu is old and boring and therefore clown, the prowess of his sister is also equally questionable, so that is not an alternative for sure. India needs a stable government for steady growth. It surely does but considering the scenarios where BJP despite its shortcomings is likely to emerge as the largest single party in 2019, I pray that they fall short of majority by a decent margin so that their arrogance and misgovernance is kept in balance by the other party or parties that will side with them to rule India into another term. Then BJP or if it is, unfortunately, Modi again, they will be dithered from creating situations that leave the supreme court judges to come out in the press asking for justice. It will at least make sure that unsuitable people are not rewarded with positions, someone like Rahul Mahajan doesn’t get to lead Prasar Bharti. It should keep a tight watch on making sure that someone with doubtable academic history doesn’t get to become the HRD minister only to be removed quickly to set the public narrative right.

Like in 2011 little did India know that a third term CM will become the PM. Let’s hope that someone waiting in the wings emerges to become an ordinary PM who makes a serious attempt to solve the problems of the ordinary people without grandstanding. India needs a PM who doesn’t carry out a surgical strike to televise the move, swing sentiments and win UP but one that systematically addresses the core issues and ends this massacre once and for all. If stats are to be believed, all the deaths caused by Kashmir aggregated will total up to a number bigger than the population of many European cities. Kashmir is a chronic issue and now seems to have turned terminal, I in my limited wisdom can’t suggest a solution but I do find a lot of value in what poet and professor Dr. Hariom Pawar has to say, listen in his poem.

Poem : कश्मीर को दान करो या गद्दारों से युद्ध करो।।

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMkoK-2VBbw

We helplessly mourn Pulwama today, just as badly as we did for Uri, Baramulla, Handwara attack at Rashtriya riffles camp, Nagrota Attack, Sukma attack, Bhopal–Ujjain Passenger train bombing, Amarnath Yatra attack,  Sunjuwan attack and all other 100+ such incidents that have happened since June 1980. Political theatric plays out loud and the cries of every death get subdued in the noise of daily everyday life, we move on and wake up again when some more die .. pause for a few days, cry, get angry abuse and then move on.

This must change!!

Study this link to see how horrible has the history of attacks has been :

Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_terrorist_incidents_in_India

Please do contribute as much as you can towards the funds established by various organisations to help the sad bereaved families of brave soldiers.

May peace prevail.

Article as promised 

Title: Demonetisation, It's not only about economics!

Link: https://lkstates.blogspot.com/2016/12/demonetisation-it-not-only-about.html