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The current central govt has brought the much needed attitudinal shift and social parity among us

vinaypujari
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The current central govt has brought the much needed attitudinal shift and social parity among us

I saw someone looking at the garbage pile collected in his neighbourhood and then throwing his garbage in it, with some murmur for the local corporation worker and cursing our PM. It would have appeared as a normal behaviour from that person, considering cleanliness was not considered as resident’s responsibility some years back.

Imagine if all the residents behave alike to that gentleman, the pile will only aggravate. But this didn’t happen for long as some responsible residents started cleaning the garbage pile themselves with the help of corporation workers and our gentleman who was murmuring and cursing our PM that day, also joined the noble cause.

So what brought the much needed behavioural change among the residents? The answer is very simple, holding a broom and cleaning the streets was considered as a shoddy job and there was a social stigma which was also associated. But when PM of our nation started the cleanliness campaign by holding the broom in his hands, all the social taboo associated with it got vanished and people started maintaining their surroundings clean.

Some of us may not like the current working style of the PM, as we have been so used to our status quo. We don’t admire someone asking us to create jobs through start-ups, pay more taxes so that money can be distributed among people in need, asking us to improve the cleanliness of our surroundings and our own hygiene levels and start using the digital modes of payment for better transparency of money flow.

Even Newton agreed and proved with his first law, called a law of inertia, that objects maintain its status quo unless acted upon by an external force. Same applies to us, as we love maintaining our status quo.

Our status quo has been challenged by attitudinal shift, and the things which were supposed to be social taboo are now being considered as hygiene issues.

Another classic example of attitudinal shift can be seen in the villages where constructing a toilet inside a house was considered unhealthy and people preferred going out for nature’s call. Only a few houses which belonged to economically well-off and socially upward classes had built the toilets outside their houses, within their house compounds.

This made people with economically low status and economically backward classes left with no choice, as they didn’t have much space to construct a toilet within their house compound. As a result, toilets were also considered as a social status and created more divide.

But with the present govt.’s approach to educating people and providing space, construction of toilet in every household has been a great success. People in rural areas have uplifted their personal hygiene levels due to this altitudinal shift by constructing the toilets within their houses.

Below map showcases the success of the present govt. in uplifting the hygiene level in each household.

Other initiative like Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana has also helped in bringing about the social parity. Bank accounts which were maintained by privileged few in the rural areas are not considered as a privilege anymore. Bank accounts have been opened by the economically & socially backward classes in millions number, which has created a channel for the state/central govt.  to transfer the subsidies transparently.

As per www.mudra.org.in,  since April 2015 Rs. 4.6 lakh crore loan was sanctioned under Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY) to around 10.38 crore individuals. The important thing to notice is that out of the sanctioned loan, 76% were women borrowers. While more than 56% are individuals, who availed loan, belong to the SC, ST, or OBC category.

Some of us may argue that average loan amount which was availed comes to around Rs. 40,000 per individual, but any amount is good for an aspiring individual who couldn’t secure anything earlier.

Some may also argue that with Rs. 40,000 as an average loan availed, one can only set up a tea stall. My answer to them is that any start is a good start and we shouldn’t demean any profession, as it empowers people to work harder and earn their own living.

To conclude my article, I will like to highlight that one of the successful tea retail chain founders studied at Harvard University. He saw an opportunity in this market and has successfully created a business model. He could convince a lot of investors to invest in his business model.

But our opposition still thinks that tea selling is an ordinary job!

Modi Attends Commonwealth Meet In London

Naagesh Padmanaban
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Modi Attends Commonwealth Meet In London

The recently concluded 25th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) summit in London saw the participation of fifty-three countries. Of these, only two countries (Rwanda and Mozambique) do not have a colonial past or a constitutional link to Britain. All Commonwealth members avow the leadership of the British royals. This biennial gathering of leaders from around the world is indeed a grand show of pomp and splendor.

This year’s Commonwealth Summit has been billed as a grand opportunity for India not only to showcase its growing economy but also project its leadership in an emerging new world order. It has been further argued that it provides a unique platform of influence for India where China is conspicuously absent. No wonder, Prince Charles air dashed to New Delhi on a charm offensive to invite Prime Minister Modi in person to attend the Summit.

But there is more than meets the eye. Many see the Commonwealth as a vestige of the past, conceived by Britain to arrest its declining influence in the world. Despite its large membership, it continues to be high on optics and low on influence as it struggles to find relevance in an ever-changing world order.

India’s relationship with this body can best be described as lukewarm. From India’s perspective, despite being home to over 50% of the population of the Commonwealth and with the second largest economy, next only to the UK, it has never enjoyed pride of place. That Prime Minister Modi decided to even attend the CHOGM 2018 Summit came as a surprise to many, given that he had declined to attend the previous Summit.

Large sections of Indians, given its track record, are not exactly enamored by the Commonwealth and even view it as suspicious. For instance, the Commonwealth provides that no bilateral or internal issues should be raised by members in its meetings. Despite this, Pakistan has been allowed to raise the Kashmir issue on multiple occasions, angering the Indian establishment.

Secondly, the UK’s anti-India stance as seen from its support of Pakistan in its wars against India has not endeared itself to Indians. Its support of Pakistan during the 1965 and 1971 conflicts are well documented. In peacetime too, for example during the cold war era, it worked against India’s interest. In the eighties, it had actively supported Kashmiri separatists and refused to crackdown and deport them despite official requests from India.

So the average Indian cannot be faulted for a lack of interest in the Commonwealth or its affairs. Despite the slick campaign to project the CHOGM 2018 Summit as an economic and leadership opportunity for India, the disinterest is obvious.

The Commonwealth’s claim of providing economic opportunity for India is doubtful. This is because it is difficult to ascertain how much of India’s trade with fellow members came from bilateral dealings or directly as a result of the membership. Also, there is no exclusivity clause that binds members to trade with fellow members. India’s policymakers are acutely aware that with or without the Commonwealth, its growth trajectory will stay its course for many years to come.

But what could be the reason for this desperation in rejuvenating a moribund organization? The truth probably lies in the sinking economic fortunes of Britain itself. That the UK economy is in the pits is by no means a secret.

Firstly, Britain is having major economic upheavals on the domestic front amidst an unfriendly European Union following Brexit. According to UK’s Office for National Statistics (ONS), its economy grew slower than expected. Its annual GDP growth for 2017 was put at 1.7%.  Secondly, UK’s Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) forecasts that its economy is expected to see an average growth of 1.4% over the next five years. This is indeed bad news for the Brits.

According to an analysis (The Guardian, Feb 22nd, 2018), the British economy continues to show fresh signs of deterioration. It has been pointed out that economic activity in multiple sectors has lost “momentum”. The alarming rise in unemployment, low wage growth, and weak consumer spending are now part of Britain’s new normal.

The only saving grace, according to the UK’s National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR), was a robust global economy which helped its exports, thanks to a weaker Pound. Post BREXIT, Britain is seeking new economic pastures to revive its economy. It is common knowledge that many developed countries are courting India to kick-start their own economies. Thus it is no surprise that the Brits went all out to woo India.

As far as Modi’s trip to London was concerned, the CHOGM 2018 Summit itself did not make much of an impact or news in India. The strong anti-British sentiments in India, largely due to the colonial rule as well as UK’s long anti-India stance after 1947, provides a powerful overhang that will not be easy to dissipate.

What really captured the minds of Indians was Modi’s meeting with the diaspora at an event of invited guests at the Central Hall, Westminster. Although attended by a smaller audience, the event was telecast live around the world and as expected had a huge viewership. Modi smartly used the opportunity to convey what many believe is the clarion call for the 2019 general elections in India. This dominated his London trip, rather than the meetings with heads of fifty-three governments from around the world.

The Commonwealth’s impact in providing tangible benefits to the member nations is debatable. The benefits, if any, are skewed unduly in favor of the UK. This is an unsustainable model in today’s world where China and India are fast emerging as economic powerhouses. Britain has pumped tons of good money in keeping alive an organization that is long past its shelf life. With a failing economy, Britain too may quietly bid goodbye to an institution that stood as a grand testimony to a bygone era. That being said, the Commonwealth, despite bold statements to the contrary, is probably in its last innings.

What Hindus are missing in fight vs. Lutyens Media

Ashish Shukla
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What Hindus are missing in fight vs. Lutyens Media

Hindus need to look at how they address the forces against them in India.

It’s alright to be outraged that a Kathua has politicians, actors and presstitutes creating a sustained surround sound while reducing a similar rape in a madarsa akin to a weather bulletin.

You see a Shekhar Gupta plaster his twitter’s wall page with the image of Kathua lawyer; Bollywood bimbos hold placards in protest; Rajdeep Sardesai and Sagarika Ghose convulse through dozens of tweets on Kathua but the Madarsa rape doesn’t interest these clergies of morality.

The same on Biplab Das. The cabal has woken up to Tripura and are hounding a young politician who was central to a tectonic shift in North East in a truly historic election of independent India. Das is used as an excuse to parody the Hindu gods; there is a silent acquiescing to a profane Western historian calling Rama a “pig”.  Neither “Janeudhari” Rahul Gandhi nor “Why-I-Am-A-Hindu” Shashi Tharoor are offended.

This cabal would hammer away at a Biplab Das but the constant blabbering and lies of a Rahul Gandhi is met with “his-speech-is-improving” innuendo.

There is a forceful counterpoint—I would term them as “Lone Rangers” henceforth–from OpIndia and SwarajyaMag; Postcard News and PGurus; a few TV news networks stand up to the shameless; erudite voices such as David Frawley, Rakesh Sinha and firebrand Shefali Vaidya rip open this Zanus-faced cabal. Yet it all appears a mine-blast compared to the guided munitions which rain from the sky.

What’s the trick outraged Hindus are missing?

Social Media: The Left-Liberal cabal has only 8-10 voices which it has created and promoted into brands (It has to be a “creation” for they never ever take a critical look as Christo-Islamic forces). The “nexus” works with everyone promoting and shielding each other. Those voices are picked by a similar network abroad. Stray voices, similar theme and a lie is easily brushed into a truth.

Our “Lone Rangers” on the other hand rarely form a formation. At the most a retweet and a shelf-life of a few hours. Mostly, each to his own. There is no method. There is no understanding that a sum is bigger than the parts.

Television: Most of us remember a harebrained Saba Naqvi; a mangy John Dayal or a scruffy Kumar Ketkar from TV debates on Prime Time. Could you name any independent neutral voice you remember? There are dime-a-dozen forceful presences on twitter (What the heck, let me bite my own bullet and name my favourite Dirty Dozen: @mediacrooks, @nesenag, @shefvaidya @unsubtledesi @rahulroushan, @rajivmessage, @davidfrawleyved, @madhukishwar, @mvmeet, @SreeIyer1 @thejaggi and @ARanganathan72). Not all are right-wing voices; some could be overtly critical too of NDA government (@mediacrooks, @ARanganathan and @thejaggi). Yet, either they shy away or TV networks keep them out. This must change. TV news are very stale and badly needs fresh voices. Social Media must bring out a sustained pressure on them to “open up” TV studios.

Print media: This is the difficult part. Mainstream media, especially English, is already controlled by Left-Liberal cabal. Regional media have a huge role as a counteracting force. They must seek out above/similar independent voices and give them space.

A tactics which we could learn from Lutyens Media is how they create a narrative and then sustain it. They pick up a matter, sustain it with old and new information, new angles, helpful interviews, columns in edits and even anniversaries! And what “Lone Rangers” have done with Madarsa Rape? A customary objection and little else. Haven’t we shifted our focus away from Audrey Truschke too soon? (And don’t give me the BS that it would only make her a star).

It’s all about rallying to a cause. It alone sustains passion and reverses the narrative.

Bollywood: It has long been controlled by dubious funds and Muslim-centric ethos. A “pujari” is always shown lecherous (e.g Kanhaiya Lal or a Shakti Kapoor) while a “Muslim” character is invariably depicted as paanch-time namazi (viz a A.K. Hangal). All the right-minded Indians could do is to expose their duplicity–regularly.

The above four forces–to go with the fifth of school texts and academia–control the narrative. “Lone Rangers” need to grow muscles to counter it. Own ivory towers won’t help. As long as heart is in the right place, differences in IQs, fan-following, language quality, status must not matter. IT MUST NOT MATTER.

“Lone Rangers” clearly suffer from resources. But for their toil and time, sweat and passion, there is little in support. Most of them sacrifice their working hours or leisure time with family to do what they feel is necessary for India’s future. They need be supported, not judged through prejudicial, hierarchical lenses.

These voices need be sustained; be called over to seminars and panel discussions; be invited to educational institutions for lectures; be part of alternative litfests. I have been a journalist all my life and trust me, voices mentioned about talk more sense than my own discredited professional community. Support them. Fund them.

Lack of time ought not to be any excuse. Hit the road in protests on your temples, education and religion. Don’t back off. Only those who assert their identity, retain their identity.

A call must go out to corporate houses. Look at how The Wire gets its funds. They are given funds by a foundation which has trustees such as Aamir Khan, Azim Premji, Ms Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, TN Ninan. If you can’t spare time to write or debate, at least spare change from your pockets, big or small, and make a difference. Or remain deluded with the story that a hard-working tortoise wins race in the end.

Dear AMU, Your love for Jinnah is irrational

Alok Choudhary
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Dear AMU, Your love for Jinnah is irrational

The recent matter of Jinnah’s portrait at Aligarh Muslim University is making headlines across the nation. In between the entire occurrence, what sounds more surprising is the fact that in India which is the land of great leaders like Gandhi preaching non-violence, we have a fan base of Jinnah.

Undoubtedly, Jinnah can be seen as a great leader but not in India, instead of in Pakistan, the country which is formed by drawing religious lines decades back. The way AMU administration and students are protesting against the removal of the portrait of Jinnah from AMU is sending a wrong message across the nation. It is difficult to point out that which vested interests are making few AMU students protest against it.

Admiring Jinnah in AMU is not only surprising but also reflects the thought of Jinnah which seems still alive in our nation. Conceivably, calling him secular by few elites is also deeply flawed because documented factual history tells a different story. In pursuance of his demand to Pakistan, he attacked the integrity of our nation by dividing the “Akhand-Bharat” into “Khand-Bharat”. The elite section from AMU who are opposing the withdrawal of Jinnah portrait from AMU must not forget his genocidal actions. He was the same person who ordered a “Direct Action Day” on 16th August 1946 and killed thousands of innocents in the streets of Kolkata in a single day only just because of his belief that Hindus and Muslims can’t stay together.

AMU also need to understand Jinnah’s actions can’t be seen as patriotic because a patriotic person will never even think of dividing his nation into pieces. While watching few students from AMU on news, I heard few saying ” Jinnah contribution is similar like that of Gandhi and Nehru” but it is quite absurd to argue or equate Jinnah to Gandhi and Nehru because his actions contradict this fact.

When you try to achieve freedom after killing your own people and with a vested political interest, then you are nowhere patriotic and Jinnah perfectly fits under this section. What Jinnah did, can be related to a modern time terrorism because of the fact which gives him the tag of a “mass murderer”.

Though it is indisputable fact that Aligarh Muslim University during 1939 supported all India nationalist movement but later they shifted their support towards separate Pakistan movement and backed Jinnah. AMU love for Jinnah is not new, because AMU once was a prominent hub of separate Pakistan movement. Even, the great educator and founder of AMU, Sir Syed Khan also supported the two-nation theory and surprisingly much before Jinnah.

Various historical book support this fact and a book called “Khilafat Andolan” also tells something similar. In the page no. 26 of the same book, its written “If the country will become independence from Britishers then 3/4th Hindu population will discriminate 1/4th Muslim of the nation and hence it is important to gain the trust of Britishers by showing them our loyalty”. All these instances are enough to show the swing of AMU towards a two nation theory.

Though that was a history it is an opportunity for AMU to rectify that past mistake. It is indeed a great concern that there is a debate over whether his portrait should be removed from the prominent institute like AMU or not but what is needed is he must be scrapped down from our memories which only reflects bloodshed.

There should not be any space for Jinnah in our society which is Gandhian by nature. Without any second opinion, he will be there in history and we can’t change that but at least we can remove his dangerous idea from our society and AMU can set an example by initiating this.

May Day in the ‘city of joy’, Kolkata

Major Akhill Pratap
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May Day in the ‘city of joy’, Kolkata

The city of joy welcomes me as I step out of the Howrah railway station on the first day of the scorching month of May. 

The early morning light bathes the river Hooghly softly. Pigeons feast on seeds and take a flight when disturbed. An extended family gorge themselves to a breakfast on the eco-friendly leaf plates. The newspaper board is thronged by the commuters. A flock of sheep walks quietly towards the majestic Howrah Bridge. Life is good.

Yes! Life is a holiday, here. Its May Day and its a public holiday. Where Gujarat and Maharashtra commemorate this day as its formation day, Bengal declared it as a holiday, much ahead of both these states, to honour labours on the International Workers Day. Today Gujarat and Maharashtra both lead the country in the list of the most industrialised states and Bengal celebrates May Day with only festivities, perhaps. Its fruits of labour can be heard only in the paeans of the Labour Day celebrations, unfortunately. Life is a May Day, here.

I was in good old Kolkata en route to a little hamlet in rural Bengal. I was invited to play the best man to my bum-chum on his wedding, followed by a Bou Bhaat (bride feast) at their century old ancestral home. His name is Tanmay Dey. You are free to read his first name in pieces, Tan and May and also between the lines on how must we have maltreated him with a whole lot of permutation and combinations of his full name. I am usually averse to vulgarity till it boils down to this name. Tanmay (pronounced Tonmoy), by the way, is a Boston based consultant in an IT major. I was about to ring Ton when I received his call to welcome, update and apologise to me, all at the same time, that my pick-up automobile may be delayed. It was May Dey, today. Pun intended.

I retrospected Calcutta while awaiting my car. It was Calcutta then, when I posted here during my soldiering days. Bengal boasts of the many firsts in India. Howrah was once called the Manchester of India for its industrial revolution. Kolkata was the first capital of British India, the city with the first underground mass rapid transit system, the oldest operating sole riverine port, the largest and oldest museum, the largest library, the highest number of mode of transportation available, the cheapest megacity, the leader in social reforms, the most well read city and the education hub, the first Nobel laureate – the one who gave us our national anthem also – and of course, my first ever girlfriend. You say it – it has it. The list goes on and on. The contribution of Bengal in the making of India is unparalleled. I was curious to know how much has the cultural capital of India evolved over the years.

Call it telepathy or whatever, the first clarity came from the chauffeur who was almost an hour late to pick up his honourable guest for a wedding. With all due regards, he apprised me that he was held back from executing his duties by local cab union leaders since it was a public holiday. He had to negotiate and eventually bribe them, in the name of donation for the party, to get through. I failed to appreciate why should a personal staff be prevented from doing his personal job on a personal wedding. Well, I shouldn’t have actually. Trade union. Trade. Union. Workers`. Labour. Labour Day. May Day. Holiday. Bengal. It was déjà vu. 

I embarked to find myself with quite an educated driver, who was good at both the official languages of the Union Of India and the second largest spoken language in India, too. English, Hindi and Bangla, respectively. Kolkata has always been a cosmopolitan city in the truest sense. No, not because of my driver only. Try it to get it. 

As we passed through the villages, during the course from Kolkata to Howrah and further, we came across a bunch of workers playing cards on one of the gates of a cable factory. At another jute factory gate, a few miles away, a few good men were chatting away as there was no tomorrow. A few were fishing in the neighbouring pond of a cotton mill nearby. It was a nice feeling to see these labourers enjoying their labour of love. I discovered myself labouring under a misapprehension again when I was illuminated by the driver that most of these factories have been locked out or shut down. Lots of his own relatives comprised of that work force. Why the heck were these labourers then celebrating the workers’ day? Shouldn’t they be out hunting for a job than a fish? They form the workforce of one of the greatest and most industrialised state of India. I have witnessed their efficacy in every field. Is it limited to the air of the state, per se? Though I laboured the point with a man from a similar background, the driver, I was almost convinced that being content is the most important thing in life. Buddha told that, I was told. I will probably never be able to argue with morons of this order that there`s a very thin red line between being content and being a sloth. But then, don’t we all have our share of the seven sins? Mr Tata had let go – I did too.

The car halted at the porch. I was overwhelmed to observe that the density of population, at my friend’s grand wedding destination, was almost equal to Bengal’s density ratio. May Dey was relishing it with all his ton (body) and mon (soul). It was such a heart-warming feeling to see someone settled in US being so culturally rooted. The revelry was full on. I could only hear of Gurudeb, Bose, Felu Da, Byomkesh, Bibekanondo, Bibhutibhushon Bondopadhyay, Communists, Marxists, lefts, rights, fights for rights, Iilish Maach, Mishti & more – nothing about the future. Can you live in the past glory and expect a different result? Can you be happy being a talker – not a doer, despite the intelligentsia? 

Inspite of the cacophony, everything seemed delayed there, the next morning. The priests, the florists, the cooks. I was told that it was due to a bandh called by the district dada of the opposition political party. District dada? The reason sounded worse than the name. It was to register their protest on the public holiday declared on May Day despite the fact that most factories in the state have shut shop. Aah! Work culture at its best on Workers’ Day. I just hoped the bride didn’t get late, too. She has a new labour and labour pain to manage. No puns intended.

Did I tell you that I missed my train that evening, courtesy the prevalent socio-political environment there and spent the night with Mr May Dey, when Mrs May Dey was supposed to do him the honours? Reminds me that the word ‘girl’ is pronounced as May in Bengal. Mrs Tanmay Dey was indeed May Dey, for now. 

Meanwhile, to my dismay, Mr May Dey tried justifying the Bandh to me. I was made to understand that what Bengal thinks today – India thinks tomorrow. His rhetoric was that one should protest if one feels that he/she has been wronged. A ‘No culture’ is useful in protecting democracy and it was worth debating why 50% of the factories closed down during the tenure of the ruling party. They have wasted West Bengal. Why a public holiday on such pathetic state of affairs? I ruminated if he meant that a holiday is justified to protest another holiday? I wondered, if this was a good enough logic, it won’t be too long before Bengal signals – Mayday, Mayday, Mayday!

Rural Electrification: Modi delivered, in time

pushpak
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Rural Electrification: Modi delivered, in time
As the GoI has achieved their target of electrifying all villages (18,374 un-electrified villages as of April’15) in India, 12 days before schedule, the Modi-hating brigade in the media and in our civil society have started undermining this humongous achievement. Quite naturally.
 The question: If all villages have been electrified, why thousands of households in India still don’t have electricity?
 Answer: This question comes from the ignorance of not knowing the difference between village electrification & household electrification. On August 15th, 2015, Narendra Modi promised to electrify all the 18,374 un-electrified villages within 1000 days. He clearly promises in his speech that within 1000 days, all villages will receive the basic infrastructure for transmission of electricity. He promised village electrification and not household electrification.

According to the definition set by previous Governments, a village is considered electrified if 10% of the households in a village have electricity connection. And by that definition, Modi delivered what he promised, and in time.

However, the concern that this question raises is very valid, although their intention may be different. What is the use of village electrification if households don’t have electricity! They fail to understand that village electrification, i.e, setting up of the basic infrastructure, is the first step. The government too realises that household electrification is more important and in rural villages, not all houses would be ready to afford a new connection. Hence, they slowly shifted their focus from village electrification to household electrification and launched Saubhagya Scheme, under which GoI, in partnership with State Governments, is providing free electricity connection to rural households.
Since the scheme was launched in Oct’17, within just a little over 6 months, 5 million+ households have received electricity connection for free.

Source: http://saubhagya.gov.in/
The Government has an ambitious target of connecting the remaining 31 million+ households by March 2019. If 5 million households could be connected within 6 months, 31 million is not a dream very far away.
But, but, do you think the Modi-hating brigade would stop cribbing if all the households are connected within the scheduled time? Obviously not.
They will question: if all the households in India have received an electricity connection, why don’t they have power at home?
Answer: Well, that’s the last step and the GoI has it covered too. They have promised that by 2022 all households in India will have 24 hours power supply.

Where are Achchhe Din my friends?

seafarer
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Where are Achchhe Din my friends?

Where are Ache Din my friends?

As 2019 elections approaching us, an anxiety awaits this great nation. There is a sense of urgency in air, millions conspiracies in pipe lines, all institutions being defamed and “no holds barred” fight is ON. All resources at opponent’s disposal- media, newspapers, and lobbyists are firing on full cylinders to ensure that Modi loses the election in 2019. Just 5 years and opponents have realized that Outsider chaiwallah proved to be more harmful to their well-crafted lutyens organic atmosphere than they had cared to anticipate. He singlehandedly demolished their empires and brought them to the edges of existential crisis. But now, Opponents have fully realized the danger and planning is in full swing to take him out of the equation by any means.

2019 election will be a bigger game changer for India than 2014. Yes, I said that with all sincerity and I believe it to be true. I have always maintained that 2014 was more of UPA’s loss than Modi’s win. Modi just had to kick the garbage and PM’s post was easy plucking going by the atmosphere in 2014. Also, Opponents were lazy, dumb and too complacent or too ignorant or both to see the wind blowing against them (it could be in any one favor but was definitely against UPA)

Mr Modi joined office in 2014 and nation rejoiced with his elevation. True to his character, he enthused the nation with positivity and ambition. Ache din were coming and “people” could not be happier. I do not count the corrupt officials, politicians and media persons as “people” so they remain excluded from any general remarks of people related expression.

Mr Modi brought the freshness and made sweeping policy changes and wheel was set in motion. One success led to another and here we are- in the foremost line in the world leading on almost all parameters in economy, science, defense, agriculture and people life styles up gradation. However one must not fail to realize that more needs to be done with regards to caste discrimination, terrorism, farmer’s issues, unemployment, road safety, drought, floods, street crime, rapes and religious bigotry.

Having said that, now is the time to stand in JAN BHAGIDARI movement and share our responsibility rather than criticize the government for any and everything. We are lucky to have someone in office who wants the job to be done and will ensure ideas are set in motion and results achieved.

Thus, it is time to make sure that Modi is elected again with more seats than 2014 to show him our support, our appreciation, our thankfulness for someone who has worked hard for all of us for the past 4 years. This is what makes 2019 more important than 2014. If we are able to retain our No 1 option as PM, we shall be all set to reap the rewards set within, if Modi loses and we have Shri Rahul Gandhi or Kumari Mayawati as our next PM, well, nothing needs to be added to that nightmare to present any scary picture than it already is.

There are illogical morons around to ask dumb questions and rhetorical statements are made without any basis against Mr Modi achievements. In my opinion, these jokers should be left in their echo chambers forever. However some of the criticism is justified and should be taken into account for prompt handling in the next 5 years. Some of the logical critics have asked what happened to “Ache Din”. Here is my answer for signs of “Ache Din” arrival-

• Tax collection is all time high
• People paying direct taxes are all time high
• Road constructions/day are all time high
• All villages have electricity after 75 years
• Toilet access is all time high
• India is clean now and expected to get cleaner day by day
• Access to LPG is all time high
• Corruption in high places/Govt is NIL- No major scam reported despite of Media smelling every nook and corner for the same
• Nationalistic feelings are all time high
• India’s position in the world is in Best domains in all respect
• India defense forces satisfaction level is all time high with OROP/Defense equipment procurement policy remain in satisfactory region.
• Railway expansion/project update is arguably the best
• Projects delivery on time is in best performance zone
• Response of authority to people demand is in best domain
• All biased media persons are badly exposed
• All corrupt politicians are fighting for survival making unnatural alliances
• There is wave of logical social media user to counter the false propaganda by MSM
• There are good news all around
• Pessimistic international agendas are getting exposed by the minute
• Happy feelings among the masses for the direction the country has taken
• Hostile nations are getting jittery with India performance
• Black money stashed abroad is reducing
• Financial fraudsters are running for their life
• I could go on and on but guess you get the drift

Ladies and Gentlemen- YES, Ache din are here and it is up to us to ensure such days remain here as permanent fixture.

Is the Hindu Right Wing celebrating defeat as if it’s a triumph?

anonBrook
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Is the Hindu Right Wing celebrating defeat as if it’s a triumph?

Recently I read a joyous article on this very site which made me happy and then filled me with sadness. I felt a bit dejected. “The Left has won”, I thought, “And we don’t even realize it. In fact we are celebrating it as if it’s a triumph!”

The news I am talking about is this one: Juna Akhara designates a Dalit sanyasi as Mahamandaleshwar in the 2019 Kumbh

Why is this a loss?

The word “dalit” literally means poor, but in modern context it has come to mean a person from so-called “lower caste”. “So called” because it is misnomer and a colonial construct.

As per Hindu traditions all “castes” i.e. Varnas (which is the correct term) are equal. In pre-colonial era, historical records show that these “castes” were quite fluid and people moved from one to the other fairly regularly. But colonial reading of two different things as one – Varna system & Jaati system – and then implementing and reinforcing it is what has led to this modern day caste system.

However, that is not to say that Hindus were not responsible at all. Discrimination and atrocities on caste lines were very much a thing even before colonization, and still are today. To overcome this, is exactly what our fight and today we have lost. Because apparently Sanyasis are also “dalits” and “non-dalits” now.

If we take the literal meaning, Sanyasis have nothing to do with material wealth. So the question of “dalit” or “non-dalit” Sanyasi does not arise. If we look into the modern meaning and the one which was meant in the article, even then how can Shivanand Giri ji be seen as anything other than a Brahmin? We are all born as Shudra and what we study and what profession we take up decides our Varna. And Shivanand ji is, therefore, a Brahman.

But that is theoretical, readers might be tempted to say, and doesn’t hold true in modern day Indian Hindu society. I will concede that but there is another reason. And that is, Shivanand ji belongs to Juna Akhada. A sect that does not believe in Varna/Caste system, much like the Nath Sampradaya to which Yogi Adityanath belongs. And to still bring up Shivanand ji’s caste background, even as he has given up his previous name and life, is an insult not only to the Juna Akhada and its traditions but also to the tyag and tapasya of Shivanand ji himself. In a way, it is no different from when political opponents refer to Yogi Adityanath as Ajay Singh Bhisht in order to insult him and undermine his years of difficult tapasya.

And when we started celebrating this news, as not Shivanand ji becoming Mahamandaleshwar, but as a “dalit Sanyasi” becoming Mahamandaleshwar we not just lost, but we did exactly what our cultural and political opponents on the Left do and proceeded to pat ourselves on the back for it. It would not have been much different if we had spit at ourselves and thought that we have bathed in panchaamrit!

Many readers might be tempted to say, but this is important for achieving social justice. To them I would like to say that Social Justice is a great EVIL masquerading as a virtue, as something desirable and to aspire for. But in truth Social Justice is just Communism, re-branded, and it aims at equality of outcome rather than equality of opportunity.

It is an absolutely despicable principle that puts justice to a group above justice to an individual. Just as you would not expect a whole family to be punished for the crime of one member, you should not want a social group to pay for acts of their ancestors. Social Justice reduces a person’s unique individual identity to his group identity. It is absolutely disgusting and inhumane.

So, my appeal to the readers and the editors of this platform and other Hindu Right Wing platforms is that we erred this time, but we should not repeat this again. It is important that we realize our mistake and try not to repeat it. We should be striving towards individual justice, and working to get equal opportunity to everyone rather than group justice and equal outcome.

Congress 2.0 – as dangerous for the nation as it can get

Vikas Puttur
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Congress 2.0 – as dangerous for the nation as it can get

Independent India has noticed a conscripted transformation of Indian National Congress into a forefront political party from a confederation of freedom seekers.

It was once more of a luminary nucleus of the freedom movement built against the British Raj. Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Lala Lajpat Rai, Bipin Chandra Pal, Sri Aurobindo, Subhash Chandra Bose, Sardar Patel, Rabindranath Tagore and many more staunch nationalists along with Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru were all affiliated to Congress. Though there were multiple other freedom fighting factions and leaders opposed to its views, Congress was unanimously considered as an apex freedom movement platform.

Gandhi’s disagreement on Congress’s post-independence existence was very much evident in his note “Though split into two, India having attained political independence through means devised by the Indian National Congress, the Congress in its present shape and form, i.e., as a propaganda vehicle and parliamentary machine had outlived its use”, which was written three days prior to his assassination and later published in Harijan, Yet the Congress continued its existence.

It is an open secret that the Post-Independence Congress, until Rahul Gandhi’s portrayal as the prime ministerial candidate in 2014, had managed to politically survive by adopting conciliatory ideologies. Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime minister of Independent India, was also simultaneously assigned the role of the Congress president from 1951, since then the Congress fell under the direct control of the dynasty.

Nehru, his daughter Indira Gandhi and his grandson Rajiv Gandhi, have together ruled India for almost thirty-eight years out of the total fifty-five years Congress regime. The dynastic dominance in the party’s organizational structure is also consistently evident, the immediate past president of the party, Sonia Gandhi, was consecutively holding the position uninterrupted since 1998, she only stepped down a few months ago to pave way for her son to preside over. Indira Gandhi had assumed the very same office in 1978 and was in chair until her assassination in 1984 who was eventually succeeded over by her son Rajiv Gandhi until his killing in 1991.

The family has always reserved the final say throughout the Independent India’s Congress’s seven-decade history. As the succession of Indira Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi consumed a recovering time, it was only between 1964–66 and 1992–98 respectively that the family lineage was simultaneously out of representation from both the prime minister’s and the party president’s office.

Despite power which has always revolved around the Gandhi residence, the efforts of untainted leaders such as Lal Bahadur Shastri, V P Singh, P V Narasimha Rao, Pranab Mukherjee and few others with utmost national interest cannot be either discounted, it was only due to their perusal that the congress on certain occasions has worked in the interest of the nation. It must also be noted that the dynasty had no political representation immediately after Rajiv’s untimely death in 1991, due to which the then Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao succeeded in rescuing the citizens from the clutches Nehruvian Socialist policies by liberalizing the Indian Economy.

Occasional instances could also be traced where few leaders have dissented all-out when the dynasty was too intransigent, VP Singh who was the Finance and Defense minister in Rajiv Gandhi’s cabinet had openly accused him by stating him of being a Prime Minister with neither a sense of direction nor dedication to the country, however after his expulsion from the party, Singh overthrew him by getting elected as the prime minister in the following elections.

Sharad Pawar, who has mastered the politics of opportunism had also discorded the Congress for electing Sonia Gandhi as its chief. The reminiscence of the party validates that for the sake of power retainment, the dynasty led Congress functioned as an ideal proxy Anarchy with a blend of Corruption, intense minority appeasement, disrespect to the Constitution and conspicuously lacking basic qualities of political Integrity.

However, the then party framework though diminutive, comprised nationalist thoughts unlike the present-day Congress-2.0 which is not only perplexed but badly stung by deceiving and destructive ideologies.

It all started after Narendra Modi assuming the Prime Minister’s chair by defeating his Congress counterpart. Ever since, the so-called gen-next organizational structure of the Congress, now led by Rahul Gandhi himself has shifted its prime focus from being a responsible aspiring opposition into an intolerant disruptive assortment, the theory of Anti-Modism has not only blindfolded them but have also turned them into impulsive and belligerent politicians.

The Congress-2.0 under Rahul Gandhi is confronting a major battle of inferiority complex, it subsequently lacks a robust political vision, it has consistently failed in fact-fully countering the Modi government, it has fizzled in churning the second line leadership, the coterie is unwilling to up bring the non-dynastic talents into the forefront due to the fear of perception setbacks, the handpicked crux leadership of the party unitedly silences every voice raised against the dynastic scion.

These facts have not only convinced the Congress about the reality of their incapability to legitimately fight the Modi model of governance but has also made them choose an erroneous path to quench their power thirst at the cost of national interest. The very same Congress which had harassed Dr B.R Ambedkar all his life, in the last four years, has left no stone unturned in politicizing any popped up Dalit issue; be it Rohit Vemula’s Suicide, the koregaon agitations of Maharashtra, the Una protests of Gujarat or the novel Bharat Bandh which killed nine innocent people. Indian politics has stooped to such a low where the innocent Dalits are repeatedly being made the scapegoat, instigating violence in the name of Dalit agitations as to divide the society for a political advantage is a citation of zealot mindset and at most of the instances Rahul Gandhi has tried to score political points by spewing venom and terming the respective incidents as the ‘so-called’ upper class oppression upon Dalits.

A series of neo-left inspired campaigns are initiated and Ironically Congress which had publicly developed an antithesis earlier are now shamelessly found in-sync with them, plotting against the integrity of the nation. Kanhaiya Kumar- the poster boy of the neo-left posse, who has steered multiple events by hailing terrorists, shouting anti-army slogans and desiring for India’s further disintegration has been defending the Congress on multiple occasions, this proves that his repeated meetings with the Congress president are not casual or coincidental but intentional.

A bunch of ‘intolerant’ intellects had attempted to brand India intolerant at international level by initiating an Award Wapsi campaign, however their screech was diminished after the Congress sponsorship was exposed. Most Islamic organizations have now developed a strange bonding with the Congress and that lenience has made it easy for them to accelerate their agenda in such states where Congress is in power. Congress government in Karnataka has very openly supported the Fundamentalist organizations such as the PFI which has killed more than two dozen nationalists in the last four years, it has also withdrawn more than 250 criminal cases against the jihadis allowing them to roam freely.

Congress is also consistently attempting to destabilize the Hindu society by fomenting Caste-reservation agitations, instigating inter-caste Conflicts and provoking aboriginal Hindu sects to abstract itself from the concurrence. The Patidar agitations in Gujarat, The Jaat upheaval in Haryana, The Lingayat-Veerashaiva demand for an independent religion in Karnataka are all the part and parcel of Congress propaganda.

Congress intends the Dalit community to invariably be on a regressive mode so as their united-anger is retained and their rebellion against the Constitutionary Provisions is active, It wants the Hindu Society to stay divided on the basis of Caste, Sub-Caste and Minority reservation issues, It abets the Islamists to accelerate their fundamentalists activities so as to keep the nation disturbed, It backs the neo-left driven “Bharath-ki-Barbadi” forces so as to provoke the nationalists and keep the nation befuddled.

Despite political rivalry and democratic warfare, Congress 1.0 had strategically managed to distance itself from the practice of anathema politics, unlike the Congress 2.0. The present-day congress is desperate and frustrated, it lacks gallant leaders to question the directionless spree of the party and if anyone shows up their spine, they will be dumped like Shahzad Poonawalla. However, it is evidently and efficiently leading a communion of Hate India – Break India forces and is evolving to become a national peril each day.

The modern traditionalist vs The traditional rationalist

nirmoh
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Casteism is bad. Sati is bad. So many Gods is bad. So much wastage on rituals is bad. So many blind beliefs are bad.

And most people through generations watched silently as a dominant part of their mental makeup was ridiculed. Most realized the fallacy of Caste and Sati. They tried to reconcile with the castigators or ended up in changed paths. The descendants of such people who have changed paths, out of guilt or fear, have now taken up the mantle to ridicule the faith of their ancestors.

But now things have changed. The information revolution made people more aware and confident. Thanks mostly to the tireless internet warriors who bring out local narratives, alternative historical views and, at times, scientific evidence to counter the biased and crooked mainstream propaganda.

The “rational” in us accepts the fact that simple and logical traditions designed to address specific problems of a specific time in history have been twisted and used by crooked minds even after they have gone past their expiry date. The same kind of mindset possessed by the intelligent crooks of our times that ridicules a simple and inclusive custom as ‘pagan’ and ‘without scientific basis’, has been at work then too. Then it was the personal agenda and greed driven by a cunning mind twisting facts about traditions and now too, it is the same kind of people driving agendas on a larger scale.

The common people though have gone beyond these crooked narratives. They have more information to validate the twisted narratives and more confidence, therefore, to take up a debate. Yes, there are bad things that got absorbed over centuries. The same is identified and will be cleaned albeit over time. But what of the tremendous good in this culture? Who would forsake an entire garden because of few rotten fruits?

And who are these modernists and rationalists whose contempt for all that is not understood in their culture is only because of its familiarity? Why do they readily accept or ignore more outlandish claims of other cultures? If what was truth hundred years ago is proven to be a falsehood now, why is it not possible that what is believed to be falsehood now would be proven true hundred years hence? If science stands for all things that could be explored in the external, why it’s counterpart cannot be a culture that encourages you to explore the internal? The common people of our civilization are just waking up to this realization of the tremendous good and great alternative human journey our culture offers.

The crooked rationalist is now scared at the prospect of being challenged. Their predecessors never had to face this challenge of the common people armed with common sense and information vociferously countering their mal-agenda. This is a hitherto unknown scenario for them. So they digress, deviate and obfuscate the entire argument.

Many such reasons are at the root of the current environment of perceived polarization. It is not Hindu vs the rest, it is not science vs religion, it is not left vs right. No. It is a battle for identities. The common peoples rise of self-consciousness, of the alternatives views of history, confidence arising out of a sense of camaraderie with millions of others who seem to be just like them is driving this demand for a debate. All thanks to the internet and social media. The now vocal Indians are not willing to forego much in the name of modernization/rationalization. That is the crux and that is a fantastic new development.

They demand that the misguided rationalists use more than just a lack of empirical data to disprove long-held beliefs that seem to deliver results but not follow a cause-effect model. Lack of understanding seems to be the weakness that a liberal rationalist has cleverly converted into a weapon of defence. Where is the data, they keep asking? Unlike in the past, the modern Indian is not depressed in his inability to answer this demand for data. Instead, the counter question now is, “where is your data”. At the same time, while the newly risen Indian is happy to present the “evidence” that things seem to have worked (and continue to work) in mysterious ways – be it the renewed emphasis on Yoga, Meditation or Mantra – to deliver a better body and mind.

There also seems to be ample support from the scientific community on the rigour and depth of the ancient learnings. So now the counter-challenge is to let the rationalists disprove the possibility of an inner journey towards an ultimate truth. The rationalist is not used to being challenged and has no understanding or appreciation of the finer aspects of human existence. So the badmouthing and ridiculing escalates, armed with an ecosystem of those incompetent at the core yet successful at the fringe.

That is the new scenario we have thanks to this redefined identity of the modern traditionalist. There is no need for the rationalist to run away from this scenario if only he/she could realize the tremendous transformational benefits this Sanatana Dharma can bestow upon on their own existence.

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