Most people in the western countries go in for a cruise for recreation. It could be either in a river or sea. For, they like to travel in huge water bodies in which they get cool breeze and could gaze at natural surrounding-places with vegetation. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra took up her political campaign in a high- voltage election by the mode of motor-boat in water, addressing small, small gatherings of farmers and fishermen, as is told by the Congressmen, that it works well for party! For bigger things and bigger people her brother and the party president Rahul Gandhi is there for addressing! It’s the good fortune of the Congress party that both brother and sister are available in the country without disappearing in foreign lands as is their habit. The Congress needs to be grateful to them.
Whatever accusations Priyanka made in the so-called Ganga Yatra against the Government would bounce back against her party, the Congress. For, she is carrying the legacy and liability of the dynasty rule. Priyanka said institutions are subverted now. Going by history, it was Indira Gandhi who subverted all institutions during emergency. In this age and time of Modi-regime, the country is digitised and there is lot of transparency.
Whatever evils Priyanka said were all started and sustained in the Congress rule. When Indira Gandhi had been decreed guilty of corrupt electoral practices by Allahabad High court, she did not wait to hear the supreme court ruling and proclaimed emergency by saying “to save democracy”! She imposed rigid press censorship, suspended Constitutional rights. In her time there was colossal corruption. Illicit financial operations were done to collect black money for election campaigns. The condition of the poor worsened to poorer, hungry hungrier, the youth jobless, small farmers in untoward misery and big farmers flourished. ‘Priyanka looks like Indira Gandhi’, the Congress says!
Priyanka keeps talking about-‘ the idea of India’. Secularism? The distorted version of secularism practised by the Congress was rejected by people in 2014 lock, stock and barrel. Cronyism – capitalism, nepotism and favouritism were all the gifts of Congress to this nation. They were rampant during the Congress rule than in any other rule. The casteist-corpse left by the Congress in Uttar Pradesh is still being carved by the SP-BSP combine. About the corruption in all the Congress’s rulings, the less said the better. Priyanka has come with a heavy baggage. For the people to believe a leopard to have shed its spots, is too difficult. The poverty of the country perennially thrived during Nehru and Indira Gandhi’s time. Only Narasimha Rao-government (a non-dynast one) with its liberalisation policy brought some semblance. This country deserves much more capable leaders than the dynasty.
Coming to Priyanka Vadra’s recent Yatra- speech, she told those small gatherings that she had come outside her cosy confines for their sake. Alluding to prime minister, she said: ‘Chowkidar is only for rich, farmers and poor cannot afford one’. She should know that the prime minister meant that –‘he is the Chowkidar of the country’. That includes the rich and poor. The nation needs a Chowkidar kind leader for security. Main Bhi Chowkidar campaign got traction because of the foul ‘Chowkidar chor- kind campaign’. The rich people’s movements are known better to the Chowkidar than any of the inmates. He is privy to where the rich goes and what he does. That input he could share to nab wrong doing.
Priyanka appealed to those few who attended her meets that: they have to decide the fate of country as the idea of India is at stake, as the Constitution is at stake and as handful people are running the country democracy is stake etc. As matter of fact, these things she has to tell to herself. How many people have run UPA I & II ? Only one, her mother. At times she (Priyanka) from behind and her brother(Rahul-the Congress president now) from the front with occasional outbursts. Of course, the other maverick leaders used to shoot their mouth to show that there was still democracy in the country that works. Anyway, they were not tightly leashed to showcase democracy and freedom of speech in display! The ultimate boss saw to it that their rantings would help her.
By the way, what’s ‘the idea of India’ for Congress? They’re not able to specify. Are they lamenting that their goody-goody secularism which they masqueraded so long as some kind of wisdom to people, has gone? Why are they taking up these Ganga Yatras and temple going now, not earlier? Here, it’s not to question their right to do what they wish to. The pertinent point is, the Congress in earlier avatars never did. Jawaharlal Nehru was an agnostic and never minced words to say so. Similarly, Indira Gandhi never revealed which religion she belonged to and kept it under wraps. Occasional pictures shown by the Congress about their leaders (one or two vague pictures) near some holy spot would not suffice.
The Congress distorted secularism to suit their vote-bank, is a fact. Priyanka needs to explain what her idea of India meant? Whatever Priyanka said seemed to be a devil quoting scriptures.
“What do you want to become in your life?” Every Indian kid has answered this question several times while growing up. The answers could have been truly diverse; doctor, engineer, lawyer, cook, actor, musician, pilot, police, sportsperson etc and even politicians. But have you ever met a kid who would say he/she wants to be a murderer, or a rapist, or a serial killer, or a corrupt politician/officer-person, or a terrorist or a Jihadi? Okay, we will leave the last one out, when instead of teaching young kids in school, you teach them in religious schools teaching them how others are infidels and what should be done with them, it is hardly a kid’s mistake when he says he wants to be a Jihadi and does thing on those lines when he grows up.
But in all other cases, I am pretty sure that you would not have heard a kid wanting to be an evil person, I mentioned above. Have you? Especially corrupt politicians. What changed in the ambitiouschild while traversing from “want to become” to “have become”?
“System” is held accountable for this change. Whatever bad happens, a dysfunctional system is held responsible for that. “The system is like this“
Since very young age I have been hearing about how bad our system is. Whichever age group I was in, whichever place I was in, I would always find someone unhappy with the system and complaining about it. I hardly remember anybody using positivity or goodness and system in the same sentence. System reeked of all the negativity that could be imagined. Not only did I see it on television (in the form of daily news / in movies) or read it in newspapers but I also witnessed the maleficence of this system in reality. You yourself would have witnessed it at some point in your life; it could be watching a traffic cop escorting a bike rider to the corner or students getting admission by donation or people coming up with different kinds of fake certificates etc. etc. The evil practices that affect the society as a whole have also been a part of this carnal system. For instance- everyone knows discharging factory waste without processing will cause air/water pollution, but it still happens, why?
How did the system become like this? Was the system always like this?
A system by definition is “a set of things working together as parts of a mechanism or an interconnecting network; a complex whole” or “a set of principles or procedures according to which something is done; an organized scheme or method.” It might look complicate but it does not look ugly by definition. Yes, the system is not broken. My point being, if anything was broken in the system it would not work at all, it would come to a complete halt, a stand still. Ours is a functional system, it is working; although not as desired. How? How did we reach here? Can it ever be fixed?
In other words, we could ask if it were the people who framed this system in the first place, left loopholes to be exploited intentionally or it were the people who exploited or turned a blind eye towards the loopholes that had evolved after the system or say constitution was framed?
This presents a problem similar to the chicken and the egg. What comes first, the chicken or the egg; a dysfunctional system or corrupt politicians?
Although, human beings are called social animals but they are quite different from animals. Have you seen an ambitiousanimal? For an animal which ever it is he/she/it needs to eat, sleep and procreate and that to only to survive and not for fun; that’s pretty much it, nothing more and nothing less. But for humans they are the starting points. Once a person achieves these, he looks for more; a better house, a promotion, more wealth, name, fame, spirituality, intellectualism, art, ego and what not. An Identity! Isn’t true?
When in the 21st century India, everyone irrespective of caste, creed, gender, religion, age is filled with aspirations; aspirations to become something, achieve more, rise higher; What happens when their ambitions are crushed?
They react, they rebel, and they do it in different ways.
It does not matter if Mrs. Priyanka Gandhi is excellent or even the very best at whatever Congress “thinks” she is, or is exactly like her brother or worse than that if there exists any worse than that. What matters is that she got the position as a gift. Some body who had been burning midnight oil for years would have been disappointed. His/her ambitions were quashed in a single moment. His/her hard work was traded upon with no compunction what so ever. What does he do now?
And that’s not all. The thing is she is a mother, a mother like Indira Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi, a mother of Congress’ future general secretary and president.
Politicians are not any different from common people like us. They have the same needs like we have. Political ambition is not a myth. The most established thread in the political ambition literature concerns the concept of progressive ambition. Progressive political ambition focuses on current officeholders and assumes that once an individual has achieved an elected position, he or she will aspire to a higher office. There are papers talking about politicians responsiveness to the wishes of the party elite in developing strategies.
What do politicians in Congress aim for? They know they are never going to become the Prime Minister of the country or the President of the party. How are they satiating the very need to do/achieve more? They know they have to always be “Yes ma’am” and “yes sir”. What is their motivations to work? Work for whom and to what end?
“Intelligence without ambitions is like a bird without wings”
They are intelligent and ambitious, but unfortunately their ambitions are crushed. They are forced to behave like a lump of stale meat. They reek of filth. How do you think they would satiate their hunger to achieve more? How do they build their identity? They found out innovative ways to exploit the system to benefit their kith and kins. They felt liberated and satisfied, at least they could do something. They were able to assert their importance in this way. They try to look different by building heaps of wealth. They are not allowed to work in a constructive way. This did the best they could do.
What would you do if you are told that you would never get promoted? You will do the same work what you are doing today till you die?
This exactly is the reason why the political culture in India deteriorated greatly with Indira Gandhi coming into politics, followed by Rajiv Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.
Also read: The Magician becomes the Hat!!!: The Indian Politician doing tricks
Congress’ senior leaders thought that Rahul Gandhi would be the last dynast and after him the top positions would be open for all after him. The political culture would improve. But now with Priyanka Gandhi they don’t see this happening, which is why they have started jumping the ship. There is no hope left.
If Congress on May 23, 2019 manages even one seat more than their last tally of 45, it would be deemed as Priyanka Gandhi’s victory; they would say “may be if she would have come earlier the results would have been different and announce that next general election would be fought under her leadership”.
Also read : Congress should lose 2019 for its own good.
And the vicious circle would roll all over again, only her face won’t look like her “dadi’s” grandmother’s, India’s politics would also look like the one in the ’70s. We would go back by several decades and not to include the distance we would have covered if she had not come again. Then would come her son and so on and so on and so on, it would never end.
Can there be an Indian National Congress without a Gandhi? Is it too much to ask?
When it comes to Indian Politics, the answer to the chicken and egg question is very simple and easy. It is a Gandhi, who comes first; always, by default, without a question!
No, the congress cannot win the parliamentary elections of 2019. Going by majority of the predictions and trends the Congress is still a long way to go before any chance of winning the Parliamentary Elections in 2024 could be attributed to this party. About the 2019 elections it is already a lost game for the Congress and it is going to be the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) that is going to form the government again after the elections.
In 2004 the BJP decided to hold early elections to regain and retain power after favorable assembly election results in some states like Assam and the mood of the electorate of the country as perceived by the BJP and the NDA. At that stage BJP thought it to be indefatigable, and invincible. Majority of the experts and political analysts gave it clear edge over the rivals and it was generally thought that the BJP, and the NDA, would improve its tally in the Parliament.
Did that happen eventually, no, and what happened eventually surprised one and all. Particularly it sent the leadership of the NDA in shock for the results were diametrically opposite of what they had thought that the results would be. To gain something uncertain and doubtful they lost what was certain and already theirs; those few months of power. Had the party and coalition remained in power for that period, and had it not worked in haste and overconfidence, the results really might have been in favor of the BJP. It was that failed decision which made the coalition to wait for ten long years before they regained the power.
History is a great teacher and in every painful experience of history there are lessons which if used properly could turn out to be pleasant guides of the journey of life. In the electoral history of India the lessons learned in 2004 and at other times in the past could aid us to work wisely this time and this election year. Like 2004 the NDA seems in the driving seats despite some set back in the recently concluded assembly results in some states and the Congress is behind. But is that going to give victory to the BJP eventually?
Is the aforementioned prognosis, given at the outset, the sealed fate of the Parliamentary Election, 2019? Or is the prognosis merely a statement made in haste? Are surprises possible as they did in 2004? The direction of winds seems no doubt favoring the BJP and the NDA but mood of electorate is exactly like winds, you never know when they change the direction. And, when they change, they change in moments. It is never possible to say who exactly the victor and winner of the elections is going to be until the winner is declared and in the similar manner the election 2019 need to be treated.
The BJP and the NDA seem, to many analysts, as the clear winner of the election but they have not won yet, the Congress still is lagging behind in campaigning and strategy but this party has not lost yet. The Congress can still win the elections and form government, at least in coalition. We cannot outrightly declare a party as a winner and the other as the loser, even the scientifically conducted surveys, by using sophisticated tools, prove wrong many times so how can the predictions made without following those techniques and using those tools can be trusted?
The outcomes of elections are always decided by the silent majority, and silent majority remains silent till the end, they speak only by their votes. It is minority always that blows the bugle, keeps blowing it, makes noise and declares winner without having any idea about the mood and need of the majority. Silent majority has many times surprised in the Indian politics.
Of late Congress has shown some promise and the silent majority watches these things. In the post Pulwama attack and post air strikes period the Congress acted in better way than the BJP did. The BJP tried to gain from the strikes. Some of the seasoned leaders like Y. S Yeddyuruppa went to the extent of claiming that the air strikes in Pakistan would give the party 22 seats in Karnataka. At some places the BJP posters were seen carrying the photos of Wing Commander Abhinandan. This was again done to gain the votes. The silent majority remains aware about these developments and they are bound to express their approval or disapproval of the same.
The Congress instead tried to show it as a party which is primarily concerned with the country and people of the country. This party suspended many programs and rallies to show solidarity with the soldiers killed in the Pulwama attack. Though eventually they had to come to the election mood which they did but they tried to show the country that they are doing so because the BJP never stopped doing it. They have a moral edge on the BJP and which could be a big decider.
The strategy of the Congress is to make the campaigns and programs of the Prime Minister Modi as main target of their attacks. The continuous election mood and consistent political statements by the Prime Minister during the government functions, provided the Congress the opportunity to attack the PM and the party and the coalition he belongs to.
Mind you these things work in India, in fact they should work. The Prime Minister is the representative and head of the government and the party he belongs to. An aggressive Prime Minister is an indication of the strong political party and the one who is under attack, and is forced to be defensive, is indicative of weak ruling party. The Congress has succeeded to find cracks, present cracks to the people, in the sense of infallibility of the Prime Minister.
The same airstrikes which the BJP thought would give 22 seats in a single state are proving counterproductive by the counterattacks that the Congress and other political parties resorted to. Thereby it gives a hope to the Congress that it can win the 2019 elections if the party is able to act wisely, and if it is able to form good coalitions.
The Congress so far has not acted the way which an aggressive party is supposed to do to defeat a more aggressive coalition. But then the silent majority at times works irrespective of how the political parties work. They show door to the arrogant and show hope to the underdogs. As such, the Congress still has the chances to win the 2019 elections, if not by its own efforts, campaigning and strategy but may be by the behavior and unpredictable behavior of the electorate and the silent majority. At times arrogance becomes a game changer.
How can China be defeated by India? But before that we must ask can China be defeated? Still before that we must be conversant of the definition of this ‘defeat’. Does it mean the defeat by military means and war, should it be in the field of economy or it should mean the total submission of China to Indian wishes and dictates? If defeat means any of these it is nearly impossible to defeat China, at least at this stage of human history.
But international relations have different meaning of defeat alongwith the one that is used at the individual and other levels of human existence. Here the biggest defeat is if a nation fails to fulfill her national interests and the victorious is the one where the objectives of the national interests get accomplished. It is victory in the latter case even if the country concerned overtly surrenders before other power or powers of the world.
Same rules should apply to the relations between India and China but in practice that is not the case. Defeat by many Indians means the defeat of China by military means, or by boycotting the products of the Chinese manufacturing and industrial sector to hurt China economically and or by using international pressure and influence to win.
On paper if not all but some are possible but in practice, I think, none is feasible and workable. None of these if actually resorted to can work against China and in case they work the benefits to India might not be forthcoming. Therefore, a more viable and workable strategy is needed to defeat China, defeat means to defeat only those of her practices, polices and intentions which hurt the Indian interests. Can there be any such strategy, yes there can be and that is workable too.
So the first thing that India needs to do is to give up the idea of defeating China and start a comprehensive strategy where China will respect the Indian interests. Overtly and covertly China feels that India is a threat, some of the Indian policies and inclinations do give Chinese an impression that India is a challenge, or is going to be a big challenge. In a sense China keeps her ready to face whatever might be coming from India.
Chinese inclination, and love, towards Pakistan is part of that readiness. There may be economic considerations, global compulsions and domestic necessities behind the strong Pakistan-China relations but role of India in these relations cannot be overlooked. For China the continuous engagement and concern of India with Pakistan frees her from any worry or threat from the Indian side. If India is able to end that worry and threat from the minds of Chinese the Pakistan-China relations will start declining.
Sorting out the issues for India is the next big thing that could leave very less with China to play against India. The sorting of issues includes both the internal and the external ones, it includes resolving the Kashmir issue internally and externally to sort out the differences with Pakistan. Unfortunately many Indians are of the view that solving Kashmir issue means surrendering which is a misplaced notion. Solving Kashmir issue doesn’t mean ceding Kashmir to Pakistan; it rather means to find a workable formula which could be acceptable to all, and beneficial to all.
International relations work purely on self interest basis; there hardly are any other moral considerations or handicaps. India naturally should see how much it benefits irrespective of the benefits or losses that others may gain or suffer. I am sure like many others that resolution of Kashmir issue is in Indian interests. It could aid India to take a new and more important role on the world scale which China would have to respect. Resolution of Kashmir issues, it is reiterated, is not giving up the claims on Kashmir. It begins with putting the claims more vigorously before the others and then proceeding to make mutual concessions, wherever possible, before a common ground is reached.
India and Pakistan have a common history, common culture and shared geography, with animosity or love they have to live together. The other option for them is to suffer mutual destruction and losses, in fact, they are suffering dearly. They have to learn to live together; they should try to live with peace, if not benefiting the other but not hurting each other’s interests. With that attitude most of their problems and mutual distrust would evaporate and China will be one force less which could be used and is being used against India.
Coming to the specific issue of terror and terrorism, India has invested too must of resources and energy towards Pakistan. Pakistan no doubt considers India as enemy, Indian concern towards that end is genuine but a mature country like India is expected to be conversant with the moves and manipulations of other countries that may be using the mutual animosity of India and Pakistan to their advantage. India should know that China is not serving Pakistan by blocking the resolution in the UN; she is doing it for her own interests. It may seem the same thing but there is a lot of difference in it. If viewed this way we could say China is a beneficiary and a big beneficiary of the animosity of the current state of affairs in the subcontinent, without suffering any costs.
By taking action against Pakistan and leaving the Chinese side or any other side which might be benefiting, unattended is the work half done. India should look on all angles and sides. Here the Intentions is not to tell that India should go and attack China as it did with Pakistan, that is not advocated and that could be suicidal. Better here is to disrupt that benefit chain.
China should not be able to feel secure from Indian side because of India’s engagements with Pakistan. She should be demonstrated in no uncertain terms that India is not ready to compromise her integrity. She should find it futile to keep the tensions high between India and Pakistan. China should feel secured from the Indian side because India is a peace loving country and has no interests in attacking or interfering in Chinese affairs but not because India is engaged with Pakistan in hostile relations.
India has to reconsider her policies towards her neighbors; she has to begin dealing with the issues logically and holistically. Once that is done things will start falling in line. It will begin fulfilling Indian national interests. That really is a defeat for China and victory for India for the simple reason that China is robed of the leverage to play against India behind the scenes. Some degrees of wisdom, prudence, intelligence, grit and courage is expected from the New India, no?
The dates for Parliamentary Elections are approaching fast. With this the anxiousness, anxiety and excitement of the people and politicians are on rise. Predictions are being made about the party and candidates who will lose and those who are going to be the probable winners. Confusion is the simple word which can adequately describe the conflicting predictions and situation of the electoral turf of India.
There is no clarity in the predictions and there are no assurances that these could be relied upon. About the number of predictions there are as many as are there the number of people in the country discussing the elections. But, mainly the predictions having any scientific basis are made by some institutions and media houses in the country, and abroad.
For a large and diverse country as India is making exact predictions is next to impossible for the simple reason that the different people have different aspirations and same is true about their electoral and voting behavior. This precisely is the reason that even those predictions and conclusions which were made and conducted by using the ultramodern tools and sophisticated techniques were falsified when the result of the elections, held in the past, were declared.
In like manner the predictions that are being made, while using the same tools and techniques, seem heading towards the same outcome. The actual results are going to be different from majority of the predictions being made. Although we know this but still human curiosity makes us to listen and see what is being predicted, we know what is in these predictions and what behind them but still we watch them while being made. In them actually are the aspirations of the sample, which is only a fraction of voters, and behind them is the business and business model using human curiosity.
Additionally, the political parties sponsor some predictions so as to manipulate and modulate the voting behavior of the people in their favor. The political parties make use of another human trait where majority of the people want to go with the winners, so they vote for the party and candidates who are predicted to win the elections. Here predictions become propaganda to gain over the rivals and opponents, better you are able to convince the audience that your predictions are trustworthy, the higher are your chances of winning the election and this seems the rule.
Nevertheless, surprises remain there in a democracy and they are bound to be there in the elections of 2019. Many political analysts and experts are predicting the victory of the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) convincingly. They give their reasons in support of these predictions as for example Rajdeep Sardesai in his piece featured in DailyO on 11th of February, 2019 gives ten reasons about why PM Modi is in a better position to win 2019 elections.
He states, “Elections are both a marathon and a steeplechase with many crazy jumps and hurdles along the way, so making predictions at the start of the arduous race is hazardous. And yet, let me place 10 reasons why I believe Narendra Modi is the clear front runner as of now”. In these few introductory lines of his write up he says many things succinctly. He concedes that making prediction at this stage is hazardous yet he proceeds and gives his ten reasons, perhaps suggesting that these hazards are unavoidable but inevitable to face and that is why there will always be predictions.
There are other journalists, commentators, analysts and political scientists who claim that it will not be an easy sailing for the NDA. According to them the NDA may fall well short of majority mark in the 17th Lok Sabha. Some of these predict a Congress headed coalition in the country after the 2019 Parliamentary Elections. Again these predictions can be subjected to the similar kind of criticism; they are as convincing and as unconvincing as the prediction giving edge to the NDA.
In this unreliability of the predictions, their possible failures and surprises lay the beauty of democracy. If everything goes as per the predictions democracy is bound to lose its sheen, shine and appeal. The people who make these predictions know that theirs is not the final word, so they remain guessing till the end, the politicians know how they fabricated the figures and conclusions, so they remain always engaged and the people and actual voters are not moved only by the predictions, they are bothered more about the affairs of their life and problems of their life. Anything and any politician and party they see addressing those issues is favored in the end.
In the end it comes down to the voter who decides the fate of the elections and 2019 is going to be no exception. And, it is the voter, the ruled of the country, who should eventually be the real winner. That should be the consideration of every politician who acts in purely the national interests and for the people of the country. If towards that end all the predictions fall flat that is a healthy sign.
The voters in the main should not get carried away with the predictions and prediction business. They should analyze and weigh each party and candidate on the scale of real national interests and that of the people. They should cease to be tools in the hands of politicians who manipulate everything for their personal gains. If in the end they falsify each prediction and claim that is not a problem.
2019 is a critical year for the county for it will decide the continuance, or otherwise, of some policies and trends in the Indian politics. It will also decide about push forward or undo the changes that have been made in the governance of the country in the last five years of Modi rule. Plus, it is an opportunity for the voters of the country to weigh and vote considering the performance of the incumbent government and promises made by the political parties and coalitions alongwith their degree of sincerity.
In any case and above all it should be the voter and the country that need to be the victors. Prediction, it is reiterated, will always be there and all the predictions should lead the country to the authentication of the good of the country. Predictions should be made as tools for making changes and corrections where things seem to be falling apart from the intended national objectives. Once that is done Indian voter could be said to have attained great degree of maturity and wisdom. Time is to prove that.
As dates for 2019 general elections are announced to constitute the 17th Loksabha, India is preparing itself for the world’s largest democratic exercise. Indian electoral exercise is truly gigantic – with over 800 million voters including 15 million newly eligible voters. But one man’s contribution was instrumental in setting up this workable electoral system is lesser known today.
Early Life and appointment as CEC Sukumar Sen- Born in 1898 in a Bengali Brahmin family to a civil servant father. A brilliant student, Sen, studied at Presidency college Kolkata and later at University of London, where he bagged a gold medal in Mathematics. At the young age of 22, he cracked Indian Civil Service (Now IAS) examination. By 1947, he reached the top most rank any ICS officer can reach in a state – Chief Secretary of West Bengal.
After the adoption of the constitution in 26 November 1949, the Election Commission of India was established on 25th January 1950 with an objective of supervising all elections to the Parliament of India, state legislatures and to the office of the President of India and the Vice-President of India. Jawaharlal Nehru handpicked Sukumar Sen the then Chief Secretary of West Bengal to post of first Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of Independent India.
Challenges
Independent India’s first general elections were scheduled on Oct 1951 to Feb 1952. The task before Sen was herculean. In little less than 2 years he had to setup a electoral system to conduct free and fair elections for country’s first Loksabha and state legislatures. Let us look at the numbers to understand the magnitude of task that was before Sen. He was confronted with 176 million Indians aged 21 or above, of whom more than 85 percent could not read or write. The widespread illiteracy posed a challenge to commission in organizing the election.
The parties/candidates were fighting for 4500 seats in Loksabha and state assemblies. Due to the harsh climate and challenging logistics, the election was held in 68 phases. 2,24,000 polling stations were supervised by 56,000 presiding officers. 16500 clerks were appointed on a 6 months contract to collate and type electoral rolls. 3,89,816 phials of indelible ink was used to mark voters to prevent mulitiple voting. 3,80,000 reams of paper was used to print ballot paper. 8200 tonnes of steel was used to make ballot boxes. 2,80,000 volunteers and 2,28,000 security personnel were deployed. 3000 films were shown across country to educate people about election.
The challenges before Sen were not just administrative and logistical, but also social. For instance women those days were not used to giving their own name. They identified themselves with names of one of their family member in electoral registration. Like Ramu’s wife or Rahim’s mother. When Sen saw this in electoral list, he directed the officials to go back to the field again and convince the women to enroll with their own name. As a result 2.8 million women chose to struck off their names from the list. Though these women couldn’t vote, it was a good move towards giving women their own identity and a crucial step towards gender equality and women empowerment in India.
Since the large part of 360 million population was illiterate. The voters could not read the names of candidate or party or write it down on ballot paper. It is here the mathematician in Sen came up with a brilliant solution. The problem was overcome by allotting each candidate a differently coloured ballot box at the polling both, on which each candidate’s name and symbol were written. This system enabled even a illiterate voter to cast his vote.. An electoral participation of 44.87 per cent was reported from across India.
Later, Sukumar Sen’s services were sought by Government of Sudan to oversee it’s first general election, which gave him international recognition. The Sudanese Election Commission formed in 1950, drew heavily on Indian election norms and laws.
Govt. of India honoured him with Padma Bhushana for his extraordinary contribution to Indian democracy. He was one of the first recipient of the civilian honour. But the man who laid foundation for our present for our present day electoral system is hardly known to most of us voters. Author Ramachandra Guha aptly remembers Sen as the ‘the man who had to make the election possible, a man who is an unsung hero of Indian democracy. It is a pity we know so little about Sukumar Sen. He left no memoirs and, it appears, no papers either’.
Humankind subsists on self-organization as does most of nature, spurred on by processes that lead to the emergence of order out of apparent chaos. Society is a collective of minds, interests, emotions…realities. Governing these realities on the human realm is the task of politics. Even as the Indian General Elections 2019 come to the fore, with the election dates having been declared, I feel it is time to reflect on aspects of politics as they exist in contemporary times. And in the process of doing so, see if an Indian conception of politics, sans the crutches of western political philosophies can be synthesised.
Gerua: Rediscovering a tinge of renunciation
I feel the more earthy, rust-coloured ochre is the true colour of the Vedic idea of ‘renunciation’ rather than the almost-yellow saffron that has become representative of the way of life people regard as ‘Hinduism’. I will come to why I feel this is strangely important in contemporary times, but before doing so would like to briefly look at the historical moorings of ‘gerua’, the colour. In A Monograph on Dyes and Dyeing in the North western Provinces and Oudh [1], gerua is defined as jogia or the colour which mendicants, sages and fakirs used for dyeing their clothes. It refers to the colour as a dull orange. Understandably, this has been an austere colour for the Hindus and was in use for various ritual purposes.
For Gandhi, ochre was not merely a colour of renunciation, as is purported in most Hindu religious texts, it also meant ‘selfless service for the betterment of the world’. Robert Taylor was a British civil servant who put together banners of princely chiefs for the imperial assemblage of 1877, and he was vociferously quite dismissive about the colour saffron. For instance, when the ruler of Reewah wished that the ‘Basanti rang (spring colour) be part of his banner, Taylor found this to be the pale saffron worn by Rajputs at their weddings and in their display of fatal heroism. He further notes [2],
The full name is bhagwani i.e. the colour of bhagwan which Forbes translates cloth dyed with geru (red ochre), another common name is jogirang i.e. the colour worn by religious mendicants. I collected a few samples and am told that they are all shades of cinnamon brown; the popularity of the colour may be judged from the blazons, seeing that tenne is in every instance only a representative of the lighter shades, and murry (sanguine) in most instances a representative of the darker.
This heterogenity in the understanding of the colour was unfortunately subsumed by what seems to be a forced homogenisation of the differences. There seems to have been a selective and partial interpretation of the colour in a manner wherein regional and local usages got attention and the meanings of geru or kesar or kusumba, which defied historical homogenity (also due to the lack of homogenity in those who wore it, cutting across various sects and belief-systems), acquired a specific shade of ‘saffron’ and also this shade came to be equated with the nation’s past in the twentieth century [3].
Figure 1: ‘Tenne in all cases, Murrey in most, represent some shade of the variablebhagwa’, Robert Taylor, The Princely Armory, 1902(1877), p. 5
It was in the 1920s, around the time of the Khilafat movement that a certain shade of saffron came to be associated with the Hindus and also to India’s national history. Gandhi wanted to design a flag to represent his ideals, particularly that of Swaraj. On Gandhi’s suggestion, Pingali Venkayya of National College, Masulipatam designed a flag that contained a spinning wheel on a red (symbolising ‘Hindu colour’) and green (‘Muslim colour’) background in Bezwada. Later, white was added as the third colour. Gandhi writes [4],
Hindu–Muslim unity is not an exclusive term; it is an inclusive term, symbolic of the unity of all faiths domiciled in India. If Hindus and Muslims can tolerate each other, they are together bound to tolerate all other faiths. The unity is not a menace to the other faiths represented in India or to the world. So I suggest that the background should be white and green and red. The white portion is intended to represent all other faiths. The weakest numerically occupy the first place, the Islamic colour comes next, the Hindu colour red comes last, the idea being that the strongest should act as a shield to the weakest. The white colour moreover represents purity and peace. Our National Flag must mean that or nothing. And to represent the equality of the least of us with the best, an equal part is assigned to all the three colours in the design. I would advise all religious organizations, if they agree with my argument, to weave into their religious flags, as for instance the Khilafat, a miniature National Flag in the upper left hand corner. The regulation size of the Flag should contain the drawing of a full-sized spinning wheel.
The 1920s witnessed a long civil disobedience movement only on the issue of the flag, first in Jabalpur in July 1922 and later in Nagpur from March to August 1923. Sadan Jha, of the Centre for Social Studies, writes [3]
After the National Flag Satyagraha of 1922–23, this hoisting of the Flag became a dominant way of showing loyalty to the nation and it acquired the status of a political ritual with its own demands for sacrifices, sometimes non-violent, sometimes blood and lives. To die for the National Flag was to die for the nation—a way to martyrdom. The hoisting of the Flag symbolised an act of defiance as well as a kind of statement of freedom and liberation. References were made and inspirations were drawn from the Nagpur Satyagraha while discussing and deliberating the question of the flag in the country. In this sense, the Nagpur Satyagraha redefined the visual political environment for the future struggle, a detailed discussion of which is beyond the scope of this article.
The major objection against the Swaraj flag came from the Sikh community, which urged Gandhi in 1929 to include a colour representing their community (preferably, yellow) or
to adopt a completely non-communal flag [5]. A flag committee was appointed by a resolution of the Congress Working Committee at their meeting on 2 April 1931 at Karachi. The objective of this committee was to specifically investigate into the ‘objection to the three colours in the Flag on the ground that they are conceived on a communal basis’. The Congress Working Group perceived the Swaraj Flag as the national flag that gained ‘popularity by usage and convention’ and wanted to recommend a flag for acceptance. As its first act, this committee sent out a questionnaire to various provincial Congress committees by the end of May 1931. On the other hand, the general public was contacted and addressed through the press, while members of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) were individually contacted by the AICC office. A large number of responses suggested an approach that involved refraining from adopting a communal position in the flag.
In a letter to Pattabhi Sitaramayya, Jawaharlal Nehru wrote [6],
We should make it perfectly clear that our flag is not based on communal considerations. No colour represents or will represent a community…I should like to retain red and green as they are beautiful colours.
Suniti Kumar Chatterji from Calcutta was one of those who wrote at length, initially about how universalist ideas must be espoused, and then looking at specific nuances of the lives of Indians. In Chatterji’s words [7],
Saffron colour was also the colour of discipline in life, physically or morally and spiritually, for it is the colour enjoined upon the Brahmacharin. A modification of this Saffron colour is the Yellowish Brown the Kasava or Kashaya of Buddhism, where it is the great symbol of the Buddhist brotherhood with its insistence on Ahimsa. This colour is of the earth it is a kind of khaki, for the red ochre is a pigment which is a gift of Mother Earth. This red-brown tint of the earth has also been accepted by Islam in India, for Muhammadan fakirs with robes dyed in geru are as much the wanderers over the highways of India as are their brothers in the quest, the Hindu Sadhus. It does not require much imagination or sense of the fitness of things to feel that in India’s National Flag her great message of Brahmacharya, Ahimsa and Vairagya should be symbolised by a colour which has been associated by her people with these ideals from time immemorial.
In the substitution of red with saffron, Chatterji was one among many in 1931 and this plan eventually was officially approved by the Congress and was subsequently adopted by the Constituent Assembly.
Coming back to the politicisation of the saffron, particularly around strong Marathi links with the bhagwa or kesariya colour, the homogenization of the ochre has so many layers of clarification required. In the process of this homogenization, the dark ochre that symbolized sacrifice and spirituality was removed from the scene. Instead it came to be associated with communist and socialist movements and ideologies…which neatly brings me to the central focus of this article. A synthesis of seemingly disparate ideologies and traditions that have, by virtue of core ideas and principles, commonalities that can create a truly Indian political philosophy.
Ṛtaniti and Satyashrama: New Age Dharmic Politics
I see the meta-dynamics of the Universe quite clearly, particularly being a student of Physics myself. A set of laws here, a manner of movement and interaction between entities and forces there. The Universe could have been a vast number of possibilities (in the multiverse picture, they all exist independently) but it is what it is. There is a certain order in the Universe, seemingly self-organizing but yet directed. This is what ancient Indian philosophers and seers called Ṛta. That which maintained this order and respected the nuances of this reality was the Truth or Satya. You may start feeling that I will embark on a detour of philosophy and spirituality next. Not quite. After a lot of reflection and meditating on the nuances of these concepts, I feel there are two core ideas and nuances that matter when one speaks of that wisdom that maintains the universal order (Ṛtaniti).
The universe has a relational reality. Modern physics speaks of the Big Bang and the intrinsic unity of all things we see emerging from that one point in the distant past. Over time, these entities and forces and symmetries emerged, giving rise to greater diversity in the Universe. Since then it has been a matter of interactions and relations between entities, coupling and decoupling over time and interactions. Similarly, in society and politics, all that we express and understand is with respect to our perspectives and culturing. What may have seemed like acceptable societal norms in Plantagenet English courts are archaic today. Ideas evolve, concepts evolve. We grow together, we live together.
In Vedic philosophy, the unity in Brahman is expressed at each point in time and space, in the nature and activities of all there is in the Universe. As a result, nothing can survive without the safekeeping and nurturing of the unity itself, the oneness in humanity and the natural and honest compassion that comes from such a realization. Therefore the very first element in a philosophy that maintains Satya is that of compassionate politics. A politics that people speak of in terms of welfare states and benefit schemes. A politics of human oneness. That is what can truly mean a refuge in the Truth (Satyashrama). I espouse a society where basic amenities and tools for not only survival but dignified existence are provided to all. I feel that is crucial for the upholding of Dharma – that which maintains equilibrium in society and the universal order.
However, having said that, I also strongly believe in the idea of Swadharma: the tendencies and capacities of the individual, and a system that provides for opportunities and liberty to the same. Some are born with innate abilities to solve mathematical conundrums. Some are born athletes or singers or artists. Not only at the level of abilities but also comfort in undertaking certain pursuits, every person is distinct. Only when this idea and reality is respected can society remain harmonious and efficient. In today’s age, we have a rush to pursue certain kinds of activities. These are guided by aspects of remuneration and prestige many a times, over and above the comfort and interest of the individual in pursuing them. T
he ancient system of Varnashrama has been cited a number of times when it comes to problems with Hinduism, and the jati-based segregation is definitely not something I would stand for. It has imbibed a classist and hierarchical sense to it, whereas in certain texts like the Chandogya Upanishad, it talks of more fluidity in the manner in which individuals must take up professions as per their Swadharma. An academic’s son may become a farmer or blacksmith and a blacksmith’s son may become an academic if both have the respective tendencies, capacities and interest in those pursuits. An important point to note here is that Swadharmacan evolve. Someone who is good at singing but falls out of practice and does not maintain that talent may no longer be that suited for singing, while someone who may not a born singer may with practice and time and careful selection of a suitable area of music become known for singing.
It is this fluid system, which respects the abilities and interests of the individual, that I would like to stand for without borrowing any terms or references that bring with them a certain baggage (and a lot of debates). I seek to build a society where everyone, in essence, are equal, even though their human differences are evident and acknowledged actively. There is no hierarchy, no class. Just profession based on one’s Swadharma.
So the next question has to be: how do you bring the two strands together? One that respects our relational reality and one that respects our Swadharma. In modern parlance, and looking at contemporary political thought, the question is: how does one balance liberty and equality, the Left and the Right? It is by orienting Swadharma towards the relational reality. That is the true politics of Dharma that I have come upon after reflection. In practical terms, that entails having a basic welfare state that provides for facilities and amenities to all, which includes basic education and universal healthcare. This needs to be using a system of taxation. As Gandhi said, there is enough for everyone’s need but not anyone’s greed.
Therefore, the key aspect of allowing people to pursue that which respects their Swadharma is to: firstly, encourage people to feed back into the system, monetarily and otherwise, and secondly, to reduce the accumulation of excessive (and even obscene amounts) of wealth in some hands. Both of these can be done using a few ways, one of which would involve strict progressive taxation and the other could involve a novel way of incentivising the accumulation of social capital rather than financial capital. The near-perfect solution would probably have to be a combination of both.
An Economy of Social Capital, Personal Social Responsibility and e-Democracy
Since the industrial revolution, capital and resources feeding into and from the market have played a primary role in human existence and society. A role much more prominent than probably ever in the past. In fact, so much so that all aspects of society and politics revolves only around the generation, transfer and maintenance of capital and resources. I propose a slight variation, wherein the relation one has with society is made important too. Much like corporate bodies have the whole culture of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), wherein Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) makes corporates look good on paper to market forces and society at large, one needs to actively bring this down to the individual level, with what I would like to simply call as Personal Social Responsibility (PSR).
A system wherein social capital is the bedrock of society as much as financial capital is. This could be with a way in social capital, if there could be a formal and physical way of assessing that, is transferred between individuals and actively endorsed in the process. I know that people will speak of the subjectivity involved but here I am not highlighting the nitty-gritties as much as I am seeking a cultural change that makes it good, fashionable even, to be truly and honestly compassionate, caring and altruistic. If we can have social media and the use of technology for everything from taking ridiculous selfies on falling ocean waves to bitcoining away to glory, why can we not use technology to also facilitate this idea of an ‘economy of social capita’.
An economy where social capital fundamentally defines the way in which a person is perceived and engaged with, when it comes to interactions or transactions, much like corporates have in their CSR culture. Some may say that this may take away from the selflessness of altruism or care for society. I do not think so, till there are checks and balances to keep endorsements (on a certain charitable act or initiative) measured and anonymous, and that the largely picture and importance of the social capital is highlighted.
Figure 2: The symbol of this distinct conception of Dharmic politics has to be the eye with the inlay of the Dharmachakra on a blooming lotus, which symbolizes harmony, consciousness and balance. The colour itself is a more reddish-ochre kind of saffron due to the aforementioned reason, and a more direct correlation with the socialist red too, even though the conception of why one needs compassionate politics in society and politics at its roots are quite different.
I feel that this system will go quite well with what I see as the most Dharmic form of government: collaborative e-governance and democracy. A system that mixes elements of representative and direct democracy. That allows the common man to propose, formulate and stand by ideas for the welfare of society. A system that involves the common man in the decision making process, without compromising on the quality of the policies and decisions made. This is done through a tiered system that involves all the stakeholders: representatives, private sector, independent organizations and think-tanks, and the common man, coming together on a virtual platform. Under this system, proposals for policy or law can be put forth by individuals or groups, vetted by experts (who also inform the masses and the representatives of the nuances of a suggested policy), and then voted in. In a direct democracy, each citizen would be required to vote on each policy issue each time.
This could overburden most people and not allow for the pursuit of activities and interests as per their Swadharma, and therefore in a truly Dharmic system, the citizens should be able to delegate responsibility to trusted representatives to vote on their behalf on those issues where they lack time and/or interest and/or knowledge and understanding. Though these representatives vote on the individual’s behalf, the final voting power must remain with the voter at the ground level. In this system, if the economy of social capital may be integrated, then we move towards a system of governance and politics that is not only Dharmic but highly efficient and representative. In this section, I have looked at the practicalities and possibilities of such a system, while in the previous section I looked at the broader framework for such a political philosophy.
In Conclusion
In this essay, I have looked at some core ideas of ancient Indian philosophy and tried to synthesize by reasoning and reflection a truly Indian political philosophy – Satyashrama. Today people speak of Hindu nationalism and communal politicking in the same breath. Today people talk of fascism and a culture that has always believed in tolerance and dignity of the individual since times immemorial, again, in the same breath. It is shameful that this is the case, and this has happened due to a combination of lack of proper representation of fundamentally Indian values and ideals today, as well as convenient veiling of these values and ideals for political gain. It is time for change. For meaningful change. Change that respects the roots of Indian life, culture and society, and at the same time is at the very frontier of the modern age, in its conception and application. A politics that is not just saffron but also every tinge of ochre and human-realities.
Satyashrama is not capitalist in that it has a fundamental aspect in its compassion for all. It is not communist for liberty of the individual is maintained and respected. It is not even a social market economy, since the private sector need not be forced to pay the welfare state. It relies on the belief in the innate humanity of the individual, taken to a level where practically it becomes good and useful to feed back into the system. It relies on the belief that every person must have the dignity to life and opportunities to live a good life, a life based on their Swadharma. One key issue that may emerge is the accumulation of interest and talent in a generation on one profession, which has to be pre-empted by a slow cultural change where all livelihoods and professions are fundamentally respected and promoted.
All in all, the details and nuances may need more work over time, but with this essay and these words I present what has emerged from years of thought and reflection – a system of life, politics and society for a sustainable today and tomorrow, which respects universal and fundamental truths of society.
References:
[1] Anon., A Monograph on Dyes and Dyeing, pp. 12, 62, 84.
[2] Taylor, The Princely Armory, p. 5
[3] Jha, S. Challenges in the history of colours: The case of saffron. The Indian Economic and Social History Review, 51, 2 (2014): 199–229.
[4] Gandhi, ‘The National Flag’, Young India, 13 April 1921, CWMG, Vol. 19, p. 561
[5] Report of the Flag Committee. ‘Sikh Colour’, 4 August 1921, CWMG, Vol. 20, 1921, p. 462
[6] Nehru to Pattabhi Sitaramayya, 12 April 1931, AICC, file no. G-57/1931/53-55, NMML; also in Gopal, Nehru: Selected Works, Vol. 5, p. 242.
Daag Achche Hain (Stains are good). Rang Laaye Sang (Let colour bring us together).
Well, this is the note on which the latest commercial of Hindustan Unilever, on its brand Surf Excel, ends.
The end leads to a beginning. The beginning of it going viral and simultaneously controversial. The end also leads me back. Back by almost a quarter of a century.
In a minority convent school studied two friends. One a Muslim, from a Muslim inhabited area, the other a Hindu from a Hindu populated one. Calcutta, now Kolkata, was a cosmopolitan metropolitan city. It still is.
One bad day. It only takes one bad day to change lives forever. That’s the difference between a good life and a bad life – one bad day. It was not that one bad day for me but it definitely changed my life. That was post 1947, 67, 69, 80, 84 and pre 1993, 2002, ’05, ’06, ’07 blah, blah! How does it matter. Politics, religion, communities, riots, hatred have always been an integral part of India as Soldiers, diversity, bonhomie, festivals and love. You would invariably run into one or the other of these, as routine. So, let this tale be about sum of all these. Let this be about Salman Mohammad Khan and his ass. Not Salman Khan, the ass.
Ass? Yeah man, you read it right. I was his ass. That bugger was the catalyst in rechristening me ‘Ass’. Salman generously borrowed the first letters of my first name, surname and nickname and converted it into an acronym. I would have forgiven him for that tomfoolery, had it not been for a fact that my classmates and teachers related me to an ass, in toto, as well. Well, to confess, I was a certified donkey in my schooldays but does it mean you have to remind me that, every single time?
A lot of my schoolmates resided in Mominpur and Ekbalpore, so did the three musketeers – Salman, Sadiq and Saif. The three brothers. Saira auntie, their mother, called me the fourth. The fourth mosquito.
We ate together, every now and then, in the same kitchen – he, beef and me, fish. We slept together, at times, with our parents assured that there is only one place to look for if one of us went missing. We never prayed together, albeit, but we stayed together. Through thick and thin. Salman and I were thick as thieves.
Thieves remind me of friends. Friends frequented our place during Eid and we theirs during Holi. I do not remember any Holi when Salman was better identifiable than I and he does not remember any Eid when he received a larger share of Eidi than I. My friends’ list, in Ekbalpore, had multiplied during those formative years, courtesy Salman and my affable persona. If you feel I fancy myself, ask the prepossessing Seema who fancied me. Salman and I had, once, squabbled over her overnight till Ismail jumped in to prevent death doing us part. Ismail was Salman’s cousin from Lucknow and better known as Smile Bhai since that night.
And then Babri Masjid and Ram Mandirhappened.
I was too young to make sense of what happened to India and carried on with my pre-planned Holi celebrations at both Mominpur and Ekbalpore, a few months down the line. Smile Bhai was in town and the icing on the cake was the first ever Holi with Seema. What a holy thought!
I did find something amiss when I got in Ekbalpore but the feeling evaporated once we got down to business. Hafeez, Nair, Chintu, Arora and Salman were all braced up. Colours and crimson, balloons and boys, water and whites, sweets and sweethearts, music and mud.
The revelry was full on when Salman abruptly asked me to wrap up and leave. I dismissed him as I had spotted Seema taking a flight of stairs to her home. I made a dash for her. Salman followed. The door opened and holy cow! Before I could succeed in my ploy, she coloured me reds and blues and greens. Holi cow!
We were about to step out, drenched and down, when we heard a commotion outside. Salman asked me to stay put at Seema’s place till he returned. He probably knew something which I did not.
I peeped out to find that a decent crowd gathered at Salman’s door. Their demeanour was mean. I could see flushed faces. A fierce argument ensued. The miscreants had come for me, I gathered. It was payback time. I was Ram Mandir for Babri Masjid. The mob included Hafeez. I was incredulous. Hafeez, one of my old friends, was the bellwether. Uncle Shoyeb and Auntie Saira stood stupefied. Smile Bhai feigned ignorance of my presence and Salman resisted them stating I had left Ekbalpore. The crowd did not buy it and pushed him aside to scan their place. The balloon went up (pun intended). Salman, perhaps, feared the same as I, when they came out and looked up. What if they try upstairs where Seema lived and I was sheltered? Salman did not allow them time enough to guess. On the pretext of having proved his integrity, he pretended indignation and asked them to sod off. It flared the mob more. Was he nuts? You cannot reason with a tiger, when your head is in its mouth and by the way, it was my head, not his. Not sure how but surprisingly and luckily, Hafeez gave way. He gave Salman a dirty look, issued threats to him and his family and left uttering expletives.
I spent the rest of my holi-day or rather holy day in disbelief and in Salman’s company, hidden away. That fateful day, we realised for the first time ever that we were Hindus and Muslims, two people – not Indians. I was sad, worried, angry and hungry at the same time. What I was not was helpless. Salman was with me. Salman, who had played with fire after playing Holi with me. Salman, my white knight. Hafeez, as they say in Urdu – the protector. That dreadful day, we also realized that every Hafeez is not a protector.
Saif and Seema fed me in the evening as a lizard ran down the wall across the floor where colours resembled blood. The water from the rooftop continued dripping. A dog barked in distance. The situation was still dodgy when Salman Mohammad Khan decided to drop me home, in the dead of night.
Back home, my mother hugged me as her eyes welled up. Well, she had taught me the significance of Holi all those years but I learnt it that colourful day (pun intended). Holi signifies the victory of good over evil.
It was 1993.
It was March, the 8th.
Bombay was bombed on March, the 12th.
How many of us have taken a moment and stopped to think that you have lived your life up until now and completely missed the point? People are either good or bad. They are neither Hindu nor Muslim.
This is Hindustan.
United or Unilever, whichever.
The commercial of Surf excels here indeed.
Let us clean the stains. Let colour bring us together.
Now former speaker of Goa Legislative Assembly namely, ‘Pramod Sawant’ takes ‘oath’ as the new young Chief Minister (CM) of Goa, at the Raj Bhavan on march 19 (Late Night), 11 leaders, including Sudin Dhavalikar of Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party and Vijai Sardesai of Goa Forward Party, also take oath at the Raj Bhavan as cabinet ministers.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 19 gave his best wishes to Pramod Sawant, the newly appointed Chief Minister of Goa and expressed confidence that he will boost the state’s growth trajectory. “Best wishes to Pramod Sawant and his team as they begin their journey towards fulfilling the dreams of the people of Goa. I am sure they will build on the work done in the last few years and boost Goa’s growth trajectory,” Modi tweeted Former Speaker of Goa Legislative Assembly BJP MLA Sawant was sworn in as the 11th Chief Minister of Goa on Tuesday, following the death of Manohar Parrikar late on Sunday.
In a series of wishes by India’s ruling party leaders, BJP Chief Amit Shah gave his best wishes to Pramod Sawant. “Greetings to the newly sworn-in Chief Minister of Goa, Dr Pramod Sawant and his team. I am sure that this new leadership will continue to serve the people of Goa with the same dedication and commitment. My best wishes”, shah said in a statement.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, said in a statement, “Congratulations to Dr. Pramod Sawant on taking oath as the Chief Minister of Goa. My best wishes to him and his entire team. I am confident that this new team will continue working towards fulfilling the dreams and aspirations of the people of Goa”.
While Finance Minister, Arun Jaitley also gave his wishes to newly oppointed CM, “I convey my best wishes to Dr. Pramod Sawant on assuming as CM, Goa. I am sure his entire team would not leave any stone unturned in fulfilling the aspirations of the people of Goa & continue the developmental legacy”.
Piyush Goyal, Minister of Railways and Coal, “Congratulations and best wishes to Dr. Pramod Sawant ji on being sworn-in as the Chief Minister of Goa. I am sure you will take forward the exemplary work of Shri Manohar Parrikar ji to fulfil the aspirations of people of the state”.
Rajyavardhan Rathore, Minister of State (I/C) Youth Affairs & Sports, MoS (I/C) Information & Broadcasting, Best wishes to Dr. Pramod Sawant Ji on being sworn-in as the Chief Minister of Goa. I am confident that he will continue to lead Goa to prosperity and carry forward the proud legacy of Parrikar ji.
Suresh Prabhu, Minister of Civil Aviation, “My best wishes to Dr. Pramod Sawant ji for his new responsibility as the Chief Minister of Goa. May the footsteps of Late Shri Manohar Parrikar always guide his endeavors and his leadership fulfill the aspirations of people of Goa”.
Former Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Vasundhara Raje mentioned the following, “Warm wishes to newly sworn-in Chief Minister of Goa, Dr Pramod Sawant. May the State of Goa flourish and thrive with your team at the helm. Wishing you the best for your tenure”..
At a much-delayed swearing-in ceremony, held around 2 am Tuesday, 11 other MLAs, part of the Parrikar-led cabinet, were also sworn in as ministers.
Manohar Ajgaonkar, BJP’s Mauvin Godinho, Vishwajit Rane, Milind Naik and Nilesh Cabral, Goa Forward Party’s Vinod Palyekar and Jayesh Salgaonkar & Independent MLAs Rohan Khaunte and Govind Gawade also took oath at the Raj Bhavan as state cabinet ministers.
Importantly, Newly-appointed Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant stated that, “I have to provide a stability and move ahead together with all allies. It’ll be my responsibility to complete the incomplete works. I will not be able to work as much as Manohar Parrikar ji but I will definitely try to work as much as possible”.
Newly-appointed Goa CM, Pramod Sawant added that, I have taken charge as Chief Minister with utmost humility and sense of gratitude towards my idol and mentor Manoharbhai. However the state mourning continues and hence I appeal to all my friends, family and karyakartas to refrain from presenting me with bouquets and greetings. Rather I look forward to your blessings and support in carrying ahead the glorious legacy of commitment towards good governance!
Notably, The mortal remains of the 63-year-old senior BJP leader were kept in a flower-decked hearse which left for the Miramar beach, where the last rites were performed. The affection and popularity Parrikar enjoyed among ordinary Goans was on display as hundreds of common folks, and his party workers lined up to pay tributes to the chief minister, who died on March 17 after prolonged illness. Prime Minister Narendra Modi spent few minutes talking to Parrikar’s sons Utpal and Abhijat, two daughters in law, brother Avdhut and sisters.
“Governor is acting as an agent of BJP and this will be remembered as the darkest day in Indian democracy,” the Congress said in a press statement.
Meanwhile, Union Minister Smriti Irani gets emotional as she pays last respects to Goa CM. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said that he used to meet Manohar Parrikar occasionally when the Goa CM was a minister in the central government. He mentioned that Manohar Parrikar used to say that despite working in the government, he felt that his heart was in Goa, following the last rites of late Goa CM Manohar Parrikar.
Thus, Thousands of citizens and party workers of the BJP and others arrived at Kala Academy in Panjim to pay their final tributes to Parrikar. A six-time MLA representing the state capital, Parrikar never lost an election in his constituency. During his first term as chief minister in the early 2000s, Parrikar focused on developing infrastructure in the city keeping in mind international events that he later introduced to the state.
The final stalemate over the appointment of New CM issue
Union minister Nitin Gadkari had flown into the state early Monday to lead the discussions. BJP chief Amit Shah, who was also in Goa, is learnt to have supervised the party’s cobbling up the requisite numbers to stake claim to form government.
Emerging from a night-long meeting with Nitin Gadkari, Santosh other state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, Goa Forward MLA Vijai Sardesai said the discussions were inconclusive, even as party MLA Michael Lobo claimed that former PWD Minister and Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) leader Sudin Dhavalikar has laid claim to post of CM.
Moreover, “Dhavalikar wants to become Chief Minister. He has put his demand. That is being worked out. Dhavalikar argued that he had sacrificed many times by supporting the BJP. But the India’s ruling party (BJP) will not agree his demand.” Michael Lobo, the BJP has shortlisted Vishwajit Rane and Pramod Sawant for the post of Chief Minister.
Following the trend, Dhavalikar did not confirm about his pitch for Chief Ministership, but assumed that he would meet BJP leaders again soon following discussions with the state executive committee of his regional party. “Nothing has been decided yet… Whatever decision the MGP takes, we will have to take a resolution of the executive committee and give it to them,” he mentioned.
At the same time, BJP president Amit Shah has arrived in a Goa hotel to have a meeting with Goa legislators as ‘Pramod Sawant’s’ name is the frontrunner for the chief minister’s post. “And He will meet alliance partners – the GFP, MGP and independents – and try to convince them to arrive at a consensus on the candidate for the chief ministerial post,”.
The first Bharatiya Janata Party leader to be Goa Chief Minister, Parrikar headed the state from 2000-05 and 2012-14, before joining the Narendra Modi government as Defence Minister from 2014.
While GFP chief Vijai Sardesai said he, along with other coalition partners, had raised certain apprehensions with Nitin Gadkari but was yet to get answers on them from the BJP. The battle over who will be the next CM of the state continues even as Raj Bhawan gears up for a swearing in ceremony.
Both of them, the BJP allies – Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party and Goa Forward Party – are demanding the post of deputy chief minister. Indications are that the BJP may be forced to oblige both. The BJP has 12 seats and the allies have 3 each. The Congress has 14 seats etc..
The BJP along with its alliance partners stake claim to form a government in Goa, BJP President Amit Shah said on March 18. “(Union Minister) Nitin Gadkari after some time, after speaking to leaders of all coalition parties, will clear the path for formation of a new government. After that they will go together to meet the Governor to stake claim,” BJP President stated on March 18.
According to a Times Now report, during Parrikar’s illness, Pramod Sawant was tasked with attending various public functions on his behalf. BJP sources also claim that Speaker Pramod Sawant and BJP MLA Vishwajit Rane are front-runners for the CM’s post.
Earlier, BJP chief Amit Shah argued that his party is holding discussion with its allies in Goa to decide the new CM and will soon meet the governor to stake claim to form government. The BJP president also met local party leaders in a star hotel here along with Union minister Nitin Gadkari with the same light.
Finally, Ex-speaker ‘Pramod Sawant’ takes oath as the new CM of Goa, at the Raj Bhavan on march 19 (Late Night), aimed at beating Goa governor Mridula Sinha’s midnight deadline to have a CM with a government in place. Else she would have had to place the state assembly under suspended animation and recommend President’s rule.
Talking to journalists, Pramod Sawant said that, “Party has given me a huge responsibility, I will try my best to carry it out in the best possible manner. Whatever I am today is all due to Manohar Parrikar. It was he who brought me to politics, I became the Speaker and the CM today, due to him”.
Critically, Even as the BJP and allies are inside Darball Hall at Raj Bhawan, staking claim to form the government, expressing disappointment, Sunil Kawthankar, Goa Congress says the party ‘strongly condemns undemocratic action’ of Goa Governor Mridula Sinha for not allowing Congress to form the government.
“We’re strongly condemning undemocratic action of Goa Governor Mridula Sinha for not allowing our single largest party to form the govt and allowing BJP to carry on horse trading despite BJP not having sufficient numbers to form the govt,” he said as quoted by ANI news agency..
Consequently, On March 19, ‘Pramod Sawant’ take oath as the new and young Chief Minister of Goa, at the Raj Bhavan on march 19 (Late Night), 11 leaders, including ‘Sudin Dhavalikar’ of Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party and ‘Vijai Sardesai’ of Goa Forward Party, also take oath at the Raj Bhavan as cabinet ministers.
Newly-appointed CM of Goa, Pramod Sawant previously holds the Speaker of Goa Legislative Assembly. As per the power-sharing arrangement reached with allies, an MLA each from two small parties backing BJP in the coastal state made deputy chief ministers. A two-time MLA representing Sanquelim constituency, Pramod Sawant is among the few leaders in the BJP groomed by Parrikar himself.
We are going for the floor test tomorrow. There will 2 deputy CMs in this government- Vijay Sardesai and Sudin Dhavalikar. And I request all the people to not congratulate me or welcome me with flowers during the 7-day mourning period, Goa CM Pramod Sawant.
Pramod Sawant, 45, Bachelor’s degree in Ayurvedic Medicine from the Ganga Aruvedic Medical College in Maharashtra’s Kolhapur district and was practicing doctor of alternative medicine. He has also completed his Masters in Social Welfare from the Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapeeth, and is known for his associations in youth networks.
The 11 others who takes the oath as ministers are, Sudin Dhavlikar, Vijai Sardesai, Manohar Azgaonkar, Rohan Khaunte, Govind Gaude, Vinod Palienkar, Jayesh Salgaonkar, Mauvin Godinho, Vishwajit Rane, Milind Naik, Nilesh Cabral. This makes it a 12 member cabinet including New CM Pramod Sawant. Here, We hope for the best by the means of Newly-appointed Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant.
Congratulations to the New CM of Goa (Pramod Sawant): CEO, TRILOK SINGH.
Living in a foreign country, nostalgia has a way of creeping up on oneself at unexpected times, in unexpected ways, amidst unexpected people.
Christmas time in Germany can make one completely heartsick for family. Special Christmas Markets are buzzing with Christmas stuff. People are out with friends and families, drinking the special Gluehwein of the season; children are riding toy trains. Laxity and laughter, uncharacteristic to average German constitution, can be observed.
Somewhat depressed after a lonesome Christmas week, I decided, on an impulse, to attend a New Year party organised by an old club in Germany. The club was founded after the world war two by American soldiers servicing in Germany. It organised social activities for the Americans to enjoy the cold and closed Germany, as it must have been more so in the past years. In recent years, membership privileges were extended to anyone who was interested. Members mostly consisted of non-German nationals living in Germany. Quite a few German nationals were also affiliated to the club.
Traditionally the club organised the new year at a fixed location in Stuttgart. This was being done since the sixties. It was the tradition- same place, same time every year. This was the event I decided to go to- new start in the new year, welcoming the unknown by going out to meet the unknowns. Maybe the uncharacteristic feeling of rootlessness I was having these days would be stemmed by being a participant of this somewhat old tradition.
That is where I met a couple- an American gentlemean from Texas and an Indian lady from Lucknow in India.
The gentleman was wearing a half-sleeved sweater. It was handmade; exactly the kind my mother, aunts, neighbours and neighbours of neigbours made in the 80s every winter. It was almost a ritual. Every winter pure wool, preferably of brand “Lal Imli“, from a selection of a colours available would be bought and everyone would knit sweaters in similar patterns. Cable rib stitch, seed stitch, ribbing stitch, garter stitch were most common. At the end all men in the family would be wearing half sleeved sweaters in similar colors and patterns under their coats. The same pattern could be seen on children school uniforms and casual sweaters and women cardigans.
I pointed out to him that the sweater he was wearing was a very typical pattern in North of India. Everyone made that home. He very proudly informed me that his wife’s aunt made it for him in India.
“It was Manju Aunty ?“, he asked his lovely wife.
“No. It was Asha Aunty“, she corrected him. Looking at me, she said, “He loves it. He just loves it“.
“You don’t get it anywhere else in the world“, he confirmed proudly.
He went on to explain that he bought pure wool dress material for cheap in India and got stitched his trousers in India for cheap. He mentioned tailors here asking him where he bought such great stuff. The fact that some things do cost a lot less in India is no secret to the world, but it was refreshing to talk to someone with such earthy simplicity and candor.
They were an elderly couple; both had jet black hair. It reminded me of my parents. Everytime my mother dyes her hair, my father is prepared to get his hair dyed with the leftover dye. At the end of the day, both of them end up feeling chic with the same shade of jet black hair. I assumed this couple had both dyed their hair on the same day with the same shade, or rather she dyed her hair and her husband just used the leftover dye.
Regardless of whether my observations and deductions about their hair color was factually correct or not; my perception of it and its connection to my parents did take me back to some fun times at home in the past years. After a critical skull operation a few years back, my father does not dye his hair anymore.
As if I was not homesick enough already, he shared a train joke from India. “People do not get this joke, but you would get it“, he said.
He was in a train to Kanpur. As is common during train journeys in India, people got talking. There was one man who wanted to go to Madras. “Very simple man. Very simple man he was. He was amazed that the train would take me to Kanpur and him to Madras and still others to Patna“, he said.
On listening to the amazement of the simple village man, fellow passengers in the train explained to him that the train would go to Kanpur and Patna, but not to Madras. They helped him change the train and get into the right one for Madras at next station.
The gentleman found it incredulously funny, but not once did he make fun of the man. I was grateful for his empathy towards the simple, naive folk of my land. Myself having spent some time in my own paternal village in India, I could relate to the naivete of the man and was thankful that he was not being ridiculed about not understanding train directions.
Expat life does give a deeper meaning to all those innumerable mundane things. Who would have thought that a knitted pullover, someone‘s hair color and a simple train joke could trigger such emotion and bring such comfort?
“Home is not a place, it is a feeling“, so they say.
Approximately sixteen million Indian diaspora is spread around the world; more then one hundred thousand live in Germany; thousands live in the city of my residence. But an American in an unknown club amidst unknown people in an unrelated setting made me feel more at home in the foreign city, than I had felt for a long time in spite of all kinds of Indian diaspora get togethers.
Proabaly it was all merely a concoction of my perception- slanted, prejudiced and heavily drugged by homesickness and nostalgia. But like home did the Americans in Germany make me feel. Probably this is what they meant when our reverred ancients said “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam“.
