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यही मोदी का “गुजरात मॉडल” है

RAJEEV GUPTA
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यही मोदी का “गुजरात मॉडल” है

२०१४ के पहले से ही नरेंद्र मोदी के गुजरात मॉडल की चर्चाएं काफी गर्म रहती थीं. जहां मोदी के समर्थक गुजरात मॉडल का हवाला देकर वहां भ्रष्टाचार रहित एवं विकास शील व्यवस्था का गुणगान करते थे, वहीं देश की विपक्षी पार्टियों के नेता मोदी के गुजरात मॉडल पर तंज़ करते नज़र आते थे. उत्तर प्रदेश के एक नेता ने तो यहां तक कह दिया था कि- “हम यू पी को गुजरात नहीं बनने देंगे”. कमोबेश यही बात हर विपक्षी नेता की जुबान पर भले ही न आयी हो, लेकिन सबके मन में यही डर कहीं न कहीं बैठा हुआ था कि अगर “गुजरात मॉडल” चल पड़ा तो मोदी और देश की जनता के अच्छे दिन आ जाएंगे और उनके लिए सत्ता का स्वाद चखना अगले कई दशकों तक एक दिवा स्वप्न बनकर रह जाएगा.

चर्चा को आगे बढ़ाने से पहले यह समझने का प्रयास करते हैं कि आखिर यह “गुजरात मॉडल” है किस चिड़िया का नाम:

[१] गुजरात में होने वाला विधान सभा का चुनाव स्वतंत्र भारत का पहला ऐसा चुनाव है जिसमे कोई भी नेता गोल जालीदार टोपी पहने दिखाई नहीं दे रहा है. यही गुजरात मॉडल है.

[२] भगवान् श्री राम को “काल्पनिक” बताने वाले राहुल गाँधी पिछले दो महीने में २२ बार मंदिरों में जाकर अपनी नाक रगड़ चुके हैं. निश्चित रूप से यही गुजरात मॉडल है.

[३] राहुल गाँधी, जिनका अभी तक यह मानना था कि मंदिरों में लोग लड़कियों को छेड़ने जाते हैं, वे खुद इतनी बार मंदिरों के चक्कर काट चुके हैं, जितने चक्कर किसी और कांग्रेसी नेता ने अपनी पूरी जिंदगी में नहीं लगाए होंगे. यह भी गुजरात मॉडल है.

[४] राहुल गाँधी मंदिर जा रहे हैं लेकिन किसी “सेक्युलर” नेता की इतनी हिम्मत नहीं पड़ रही कि पलटकर उनसे पूछे कि क्या अब मस्जिद भी जाओगे? यही गुजरात मॉडल है.

[५] नेहरू ने जिस सोमनाथ मंदिर का विरोध किया और उसके लिए धन देने से भी मना कर दिया, आज उसी मंदिर में जाकर उनके वंशज अपनी चुनावी जीत की भीख मांगने के लिए विवश हैं. यही गुजरात मॉडल है.

वैसे तो धीरे धीरे सभी नकली “सेक्युलर” नेताओं को पिछले तीन सालों में गुजरात मॉडल की पूरी खबर लग चुकी है. जिन्हे अभी तक गुजरात मॉडल की समझ नहीं हुयी है, उन्हें भी २०१९ के चुनावों से पहले यह गुजरात मॉडल पूरी तरह समझ में आ जाएगा. घोर जातिवाद और साम्प्रदायिकता की राजनीती करने वाली मायावती का उत्तर प्रदेश के हालिया निकाय चुनावों में इस्तेमाल किये गए एक चुनावी नारे की झलक मात्र से ही यह बात साफ़ हो जाएगी कि अब “गुजरात मॉडल” सभी को समझ आने लगा है. बहुजन समाज पार्टी का नारा था- “न ज़ात को न धर्म को- वोट मिलेगा कर्म को.” यानि जिनकी पार्टी की बुनियाद ही ज़ात-पात, तुष्टिकरण और साम्प्रदायिकता पर टिकी हो, अब उन्हें भी “कर्म” यानि गुजरात मॉडल का सहारा लेना पड़ रहा है.

Good governance, a matter of perception or something tangible?

Neeraj Ashok
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Good governance, a matter of perception or something tangible?

On the hot afternoon of 27th May 2014, the power inverter at my residence beeped five times denoting a power cut. A not so rare event in the Mumbai suburb I stay in, which is why almost 95% of the households in our city still have power inverters. As I got up to switch off the television, so as to prolong the power back up as I did not know how long the power cut would last, I blurted out “power cut in Modi’s tenure!”

Having voted for Narendra Modi and seen his eventful swearing in ceremony the previous evening, the power cut and my subsequent casual comment was a stark realization that it would take time and effort for the new government to address systemic issues like ensuring uninterrupted power supply to non metro cities like ours.

Now, three and a half years later, is it still the hope/perception that PM Modi is and would do better than the abject failures of the previous government, or is it the actual governance which still keeps the majority of us supporting him?

In an ideal world, this question should be raised and answered with the help of the fourth pillar – the media. Unfortunately in the modern days that is not possible, not just in our country but anywhere. While it is normal to expect personal opinions and political views of the journalists/reporters to sneak in to their work, what we are seeing in the last few years is outright political allegiance and quid pro quo arrangements. These behind the scenes activities and loyalties have severely hampered the credibility of all the news media outlets in our country.

Yes, social media has emerged as a decent alternative, which has also helped to expose many such deadly nexus between the political parties and the main stream media outlets, but even that medium is getting compromised. While it is no longer a cake walk for any government at the centre or in a state to cover up any of their major short comings, political parties have found a way to spin the narrative with regards to any or every major event.

All major political parties have a dedicated social media cell, which with the help of full time employees or part time consultants create memes, write articles on open forums or start a “#” on platforms like twitter to dictate the direction in which the “public” opinion goes in the aftermath of a major event. Some of them are even creating fake social media accounts with the help of bots to increase the number of mentions, shares, retweets and what not to give more credibility to the narrative they want to feed the masses and divide them further on lines of religion, right or left wing political ideologies, etc. More on this as we go along trying to answer the question – is good governance a matter of perception or something tangible and quantifiable?

I. Power sector

Cliché as it may sound, electricity is now a basic necessity for mankind. Yet, it was one of the most ignored and ill managed sectors for the last two decades. Ever since the Enron fiasco happened in Maharashtra, all governments dished out step motherly treatment to this sector for reasons best known to them. This obviously resulted in severe power shortages across the length and breadth of the country, wherein Maharashtra was one of the worst effected ones. Even though the suburb I stay in is barely 30kms from the Mumbai city limits, for years we had sticky notes on our refrigerator denoting the schedule of load shedding, which at its worst was in two slots a day of two and a half hours each. So, from the 16-17 hours one spent awake in a day, almost one third of it was without the access to electricity. This is when the business of power inverters and back up batteries mushroomed across the suburbs and the tiny lofts which we have in our apartments got even more cramped with our latest acquisitions which prevented us from melting down in the sweltering heat of Mumbai. If this was the situation in a semi urban area like ours, it was much worse in the rural areas and it not only impacted the households but also hampered their agricultural activities and other sources of earning their meager livelihood.

Despite such an alarming situation, it was resolved only after a decade and it’s only in the last few years that our refrigerators look much cleaner and we actually have to look at a clock for checking the time rather than the dreaded beeps of the power inverter informing us of the time of the day.

As the situation improved, it was only natural to see the newspapers and social media praising the former power minister Mr. Piyush Goyal and how the power sector was doing well under his leadership.

Narrative:

From the time the NDA came to power, the narrative around the power sector has been that it was largely ignored by the former government and it is the current government which has set it right. The jewel in the crown according to the government, has been the rural electrification as it has been a goal set out by the PM himself that all villages should be electrified by 2019. Another narrative has been that in 2017 we became a power surplus country, thus officially ending decades old basic problem of availability of uninterrupted power supply.

Facts:

As can be seen in the charts below, we are far from being a power surplus country if we see an average of 12 power cuts a month each lasting for an average of 50 minutes, translating to at least 10 hours spent without electricity across the country.

Unfortunately this data is not available prior to May 2016; hence a comparison with the performance of the earlier government is not possible. However, this does speak about the introduction of transparency in the reporting of power sector data which is a welcome move.

What makes the power cuts and their duration even more uncomfortable for people, is the chart here depicting the rise in cost of per unit of power for domestic usage. Compared to the tariffs prevalent from Aug’12 to May’15, power tariffs have been revised twice with the latest one being in Nov’16. While the tariffs have been increased across the board, the chart here only highlights the above poverty line tariffs for residential usage. For an average consumer using about 270 units of electricity a month, the total cost has gone up by a staggering 29% and this is despite suffering power cuts for 10 hours a month.

Moving on to the structural changes in this sector and talking about the jewel in the crown – rural electrification, here are the charts depicting the comparative progress.

As can be seen in the charts here, despite PM Modi making it a priority of his government, average number of villages electrified every month for the first two years of NDA is actually lesser than the monthly average achieved during the last two years of the UPA II.

Since as per definition, a village is deemed electrified even if only 10% of the households in it are using electricity, it is important to look at the number of households electrified to get a detailed understanding of real progress. The pie chart here is based on the limited statistics available around this.

Moving on, the chart here depicts the average power deficit our country has been facing. And we can see a huge decline in this from 7.10% (Apr11 to Mar14) to 2.08% (Apr14 to Mar17), clearly highlighting that while stastically we are yet to become a power surplus country, the efforts of the current government in clearing and initiating the stalled infrastructure projects are showing tangible results.

Conclusion:

While the pace of electrification of villages and households has picked up recently, it is not significantly different from the numbers scaled in UPA II. Coupled with the ongoing power cuts despite steep hike in domestic power tariffs, it would be only fair to say the ground reality is quite different from the impression being created on social media and even by some of the MSM channels.

The only silver lining during NDA’s term is the rapid decline in our power deficit during the first 60% of their scheduled tenure at the center.

II. Roads

Narrative:

From the first year itself, the NDA has been talking about the massive efforts it has put in to building the national highways. In addition to claiming the number of kilometers of the highway constructed every day has doubled or even trebled during its tenure, it has also publicized the value of road contracts awarded to private infrastructure companies. Let us look at some of the facts and figures for the former. As for the latter, it remains to be seen how long it takes for those projects to be completed and be ready for public usage.

Facts:

As can be seen in the chart above, there has been a major acceleration in the pace of the highway construction from the low point it had plundered to in the last year of UPA II. While the construction rate of 22.5 kms is roughly two thirds of what the government intended to achieve in FY2016-17, it is a little shy of twice the prevailing pace when NDA took over the reign in May 2014. This is a commendable shot in the arm this sector badly needed. And the fact it has been achieved while the Land Acquisition process is still in the doldrums makes this growth even more significant and gives the country a hope that once the process of land acquisition is sorted, we will see a further reduction in the gestation period of the major highway projects.

Having said all of the above, one factor which has been addressed partially in Maharashtra still remains a huge concern not just in the state but all over the country – the exorbitant and unfair toll charges being collected not just from transport vehicles but even the private car owners. After a huge agitation in various parts of Maharashtra, roughly 86 toll collection centers were de-notified by the alliance government led by the BJP after coming to power in the last assembly polls. However, on the whole this was a token relief as even now private car owners have to shell out roughly more than Rs. 1.5 per kilometer even decades after the toll collection was initiated and the project cost recovered.

And even when the infrastructure companies finish collecting these unrealistically high toll charges for the entire contracted period, such roads are intentionally not maintained up to the mark of a true national highway. NH3 which connects Mumbai to Nasik and other parts of central India is a classic case in point. Ever since the toll collection center near Mumbra completed its commissioned toll collection in April 2017, the road has developed craters and not just pot holes which often results in serpentine traffic snarls as vehicles carefully indulge in treasure hunting trying to find the smallest crater to negotiate. Who is responsible for this? Shouldn’t the NHAI and the central government look into this as the movement of transport vehicles directly impacts the country’s economy and safety of commuters, especially the riders from nearby rural areas?

Moving on to a factor equally or even more important – pace of construction of rural roads. And just like with the national highways, while neither of the governments might have achieved the targetted rate of construction, there has been a significant growth of 68% in the daily average of roads being constructed in the rural areas since FY 2013-14. The dual socio-economic importance of this feat in terms of connecting the hinterland with the rest of the country will surely reap benefits for the economy and politically for the government come next elections.

Conclusion:

While the significant improvement in the rate of construction of national highways and rural roads is a feather in the cap for the government’s efforts in improving the transport infrastructure of the country (including the recently announced Bharatmala project), there are outstanding issues with the quality of the roads which the government needs to work on either directly, or by directing the state governments and the local bodies. This can be started at least in the states and cities where their own party is in the government or in an alliance.

III. Terrorism

Narrative

The opposition parties and some of the MSM outlets have been claiming the unrest in sensitive areas like the J&K and the entire North East has gone up significantly since the time NDA came to power. They also claim that more security forces and civilians have lost their lives as a result.

Facts

Let’s start by looking at the overall numbers on terrorism related deaths of civilians, security forces and of course the terrorists themselves. Thereafter, we will look at the two major conflict theaters – J&K and the Left wing terrorism or Naxalites in the North East.

As can be seen the chart here, there has been a 10% reduction in the annual average number of fatalities between June 2014 to September 2017 compared to the period of January 2011 to May 2014. What makes this number even better is the fact that while the average fatalities of civilians and security forces have gone down by 31% and 2% respectively, the average number of terrorists neutralized during this tenure has gone up by 5%.This clearly highlights the accuracy of the intelligence inputs and the coordination with which the ground forces plan and execute the operations which minimizes the risk to the civilians.

Moving to the unrest in Jammu & Kashmir, which saw a significant up move in the aftermath of the killing of Hizbul commander Burhan Wani in July 2016, has seen our Army go on a rampage against the terrorists cells within the valley and those coming from across the border.

The statistics here suggest that while there has been an increase of 24% and 73% in the fatalities of civilians and security forces respectively, there has been a 48% increase in the number of terrorists being neutralized too. The unfortunate rise in the civil and security forces casualties seems unavoidable in some hostile pockets of the state where the locals usually provide a cover to the terrorists either by allowing them to take shelter in their homes or by attempting to block the operations of the security forces.

On the whole, the situation in Kashmir seems to be improving in the last few months and looks like the government will come through on its claims of stabilizing the region by the end of 2017.

Moving on to the left wing extremism or naxalite movement as it is more popularly known in the North Eastern corridor of the country, the statistics here are not entirely in favour of the government.

While there has been a commendable reduction of 20% in the overall fatalities, the rate of security forces being killed in line of action has gone up by 10%. This is even more disturbing given the fact the number of terrorists being killed has gone down by a staggering 25%. The only silver lining is a 17% reduction in the number of fatalities suffered by the civilians.

While the overall number of terrorists being neutralized might look grim, the 35% rise in the terrorist leaders being killed, arrested or surrendering themselves is surely welcome news from the infamous red corridor. Furthermore, the action taken on leaders shows a direct correlation in the form of 47% rise in the terrorists surrendering themselves.

Conclusion

Looking at all these facts, the NDA government should be given full credit on how they are not only handling the tense situations in these volatile regions but also on the surgical offensive they have unleashed and the results it is showing.

However, one factor which the government needs to look at more proactively is to launch more preemptive surgical strikes on terror outfits outside our borders rather than launching them only as a retaliation to cross border firing or a terrorist attack in our country.

Note: All the numbers reported in this section are annual averages. Numbers for 2014 have been interpolated in two parts – Jan to May and June to Dec.

IV. Taxes

By far the only thing which keeps running uninterrupted in our country.

Narrative

Since time immemorial we have been talking about rationalizing our taxes. And since at least 2009 we have been talking about implementing the Direct Tax code which would achieve the much needed objective of over hauling our taxation system. In the interim budget of 2008-09 before the country went to ballot, the government promised to introduce the direct tax code which would raise the tax exempted income to as high as Rs. 8 lakhs from the then prevailing exemption of Rs. 1.5 lakhs. Some sources even pegged this exemption at a million rupees. It was only after the government returned to power and put the implementation of the Direct Tax code on the back burner in the form of consultations, standing committees, etc. did the people realize that it was another hollow promise made to win over its vote.

Facts

Almost a decade later, the Direct Tax code still hasn’t seen the light of the day.

While our country might not be amongst the ones with the highest amount of taxes, it is also not in the list of the ones who provide health care and social security to the majority of its population. Taking that into account, we surely are taxed way too high with almost negligible ROI. While high taxation affects everyone, the worst affected ones are the direct tax payers. And amongst them the salaried middle class are even worse off. Not only is their tax deducted even before they get paid, they also have fairly limited avenues to invest in for bringing down the amount of taxes they pay.What breaks their back further, are all the indirect taxes which they have to pay from the post tax income.

Now the primary idea behind indirect taxes, especially in a country like ours where there is a huge parallel economy, was to tax the people who do not pay their true share of direct taxes. Hence, it makes sense to tax them indirectly when they buy any goods or avail of services. However, in this process the direct tax payers end up being penalized twice. An average middle class direct tax payer who dines out once a month, spends about Rs. 2,000 a month on phone and internet, catches up on a movie once in a while, ends up paying an additional one fourth of his total tax liability in the form of service and other indirect taxes.

Based on the above, we should not be surprised that despite the moves like amnesty schemes and demonetization, there are only 2.5 crore income tax payers. So, 1.92% of our population carries the burden of contributing 26% of our overall tax revenue (21% in the form of direct taxes and roughly 5% as indirect taxes).

All of the above is fairly well known to the entire country and all the governments till date, so the need for making the system fair is obviously not proving to be a good enough reason for providing some relief to the unfortunate class of direct tax payers. Hence, let us look at another aspect which might just have enough appeal.

Sources for all the tax related data:

1) www.mospi.gov.in
2) http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/direct-tax-collection-falls-short-by-14-in-201415/article7167232.ece
3) http://indianexpress.com/article/business/economy/fy16-indirect-tax-collection-govt-mops-up-rs-7-09-lakh-crore-beats-revised-estimates/
4) https://m.timesofindia.com/business/india-business/Tax-collection-in-2015-16-exceeds-target-by-Rs-5000-crore/articleshow/51718111.cms
5) www.incometaxindia.gov.in
6) https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/finance/direct-tax-collection-up-19-in-apr-july-at-rs-1-90-lakh-crore/articleshow/59989987.cms

Way Forward

Our economy is grappling with a slow-down, and as a result, the government is looking at RBI for reducing the interest rates, which they feel will be the shot in the arm the economy badly needs. The central bank on the other hand has its rightful share of reasons for not obliging. This leaves the government with no choice but to loosen their hold on fiscal deficit, which they have kept diligently under control ever since they took over. However, to ensure they don’t go down the same road as the former government in terms of doling out inflationary stimulus packages which not only fires up the inflation but also negatively impacts the fiscal position, the government has to look for increasing their share of tax revenues which they can then deploy in avenues that can bear the maximum result for them.

One such way to do this is to widen the tax base, something which the government has already acknowledged and taken steps to address, with the latest addition being the panel set up for overhauling the Income Tax Act. Thus, (at the risk of being prejudiced to expect and suggest this) I feel it does look more sensible at this stage to introduce a cut in the personal income tax rates. This move would not only leave more disposable income in the hands of the people, which would naturally benefit the economy for one, in the higher indirect tax revenues when this money is spent for satisfying leisurely requirements.

Not to mention the positive impact this could have on the investment from the industry, when they see increasing spending power and resultant demand in the economy, which would further lead to job creation and possibly to a reduction in the NPAs on the banks’ balance sheets as the struggling businesses are revived due to a buoyant growth phase in the demand cycle. Even if majority of people do not spend their windfall gains from the lowered tax rates, they would end up saving it. And majority of them would save it in the form of deposits with their banks, thus helping the ailing lenders to improve their balance sheets.

Furthermore, lowered tax rates would also positively impact the overall tax compliance in the country, thus resulting in the government achieving its objective of widening the tax base, providing relief to the over burdened existing tax payers (if ever that was a consideration), and stimulating the economy. All of this without a major disturbance to its rapidly improving fiscal numbers.

Budget after budget the tax payers have been left empty handed. If this continues even in the next budget (the last full one before the 2019 elections), the political implications of this should not be lost on the government. Because they need to realize, while the middle class largely feels there is no alternative to NDA at least in the 2019 elections, they would not mind abstaining from casting their vote if they feel even this government does not care about them. If that happens, it would leave the election to be largely decided by the economically affluent and lower income sections of the society. The former lacks numerical strength to swing any nationwide election (not to mention they are virtually non-existent as per the tax filings and collections at least). As for the latter, rightly so I might add, tend to get frustrated with the incumbent government and vote for a change quicker than their middle class counterparts (their struggle with demonetization was also more pronounced which could act as a stimulant to vote for a change).

Conclusion

If the above turns out to be true, the government would have only themselves to blame for messing up an otherwise guaranteed victory, by yet again ignoring the class of voters who are not only the most informed and least prejudiced, but also bear the responsibility of keeping this country running by paying their taxes diligently and playing an important part in the overall economic development of the country. And so far, irrespective of the narrative peddled, they have surely been ignored and burdened with the rising power costs (which is being used to dole out free electricity to certain sections) coupled with power cuts, expensive and yet inferior quality of roads and token respite in taxation.

The larger picture of the structural changes this government is willing to implement is not lost on the middle class voters. Especially the commendable work the government is doing in reducing corruption, regulatory changes to help the banks recover their NPAs, improving foreign relations, defending the nation against the erring neighbors on both the eastern and western frontiers is surely being noticed by everyone as a tangible result and not just as a perception change driven by narratives.

However, the middle class voters have spent a better part of the last two decades awaiting acknowledgement and rightful share of benefits for their unmatched efforts in nation building. It is high time this historic wrong is set right.

Hindu Swabhimaan Diwas

Madhavan
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Hindu Swabhimaan Diwas

December 06, 1992 to 2017. 25 long years and Ram Lalla is still resting under a polythene tent. Waiting. For his sons and daughters, of all colors, castes and regions, to unite and build him a respectable home.

A lot has happened in these 25 years. A Chief Minister who used the state might to murder karsevaks is decimated and is fighting his DNA for political relevance. A saffron clad Mahant is today the leader of that very state. A politician who complained to foreign governments about “Hindu” terrorism and labelled temple going Hindus as stalkers and sexual assaulters is today scrambling to convert himself to a “Janaeudhari” Hindu. A party which took pride that it’s workers publicly slaughtered a cow is bending over backwards to appease the Hindus in a state where it had once celebrated the brutal murder of karsevaks in a train compartment by Jihadi terrorists.

A lot has changed in India. But it all began on that day, December 06, 1992, when Hindus proudly proclaimed that they will no longer be silenced in the name of preserving the Nehruvian secularism and liberalism. That day was the beginning of a march to reclaim the self-respect of a 7000+ year old civilization that had repeatedly been humiliated by foreign barbarians and invaders. It is only appropriate that the day is celebrated as Hindu self-respect day, the Hindu Swabhimaan Diwas.

Vishwaroopam vs Padmavati – how courts ‘respected’ Muslim groups’ ability to riot

Krishna Baalu Iyer
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Vishwaroopam vs Padmavati – how courts ‘respected’ Muslim groups’ ability to riot

The Right-wing activists have on several occasions exposed the Left lenient media’s fake and fabricated news, which were mainly targeting Hindus, BJP, Modi and many other Hindu outfits. Their dubious agenda of discrediting the Hindus, BJP, Modi and other Hindu outfits were all well-known facts by now.

Such aversion, hate, slander are all a typical characteristic of the so-called liberal media. Learned Hindus have been fighting these wrongs constantly and exposing the dubious agenda of the anti-Hindu media, particularly on Social Media. So far so good. However, when we turn back to our Judiciary, we normally anticipate a fair and impartial justice, that is not influenced by media’s mind game and instigation.

The recent Supreme Court’s observations while disposing of, some petitions against the film Padmavati is causing serious concern for Hindus in particular. The observations made by the Supreme Court sounds like admonishing the Hindus with impunity. It also gives an impression that the Hindu community is a ‘contemptible’ lot when compared to the rest of non-Hindus in the country. This feeling is particularly arising in our minds at this juncture when we recollect the Kamal Haasan’s Vishwaroopam controversy.

Both the films Padmavati and Vishwaroopam ran into similar trouble due to protests by the respective affected groups. In Vishwaroopam, the Muslim community was hurt and in Padmavati, it’s Hindu community that was hurt. The grievance was too similar. In Vishwaroopam the complaint was that the Muslims were depicted in a bad light as it portrayed Muslims as Terrorists. In Padmavati, the most revered Queen Padmavati was revealed in a disgraceful manner. Both movies ran into trouble well before the release.

It is another issue that media then was cowardly silent, and left Kamal Haasan to fend himself but overtly reactive now on the movie Padmavati. Since the film Vishwaroopam had dragged the Muslim community into fore, the media chose not to cry foul from the rooftop. Now the film, Padmavati has fuelled unrest among Hindus particularly among the Rajput community, the media is now overactive and mean-spirited in its reaction.

A look at what the Madras High Court had observed on the movie Vishwaroopam and the Supreme Court’s view on Padmavati and the petitioners.

It all started on 23rd January 2013 when 20 Muslim organisations lead by M H Jawahirullah, MLA and president of Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam submitted a memorandum to Tamil Nadu Home Secretary seeking a ban on the movie Vishwaroopam on the ground that the movie had portrayed Muslims in a bad light. A day before, a  memo was also submitted by the same group to Chennai Police Commissioner, seeking a ban to be imposed on the movie. It is important to note here that, by this time the movie Vishwaroopam was cleared by CBFC and was about to be released in a couple of day’s in theatres across Tamil Nadu and rest of the country.

The striking aspect of Tamil Nadu Muslims protest against the movie was in support of global Muslims but not against TN Muslims or Indian Muslims, as the story in the movie revolve around Global Islamic Terrorism. The Muslim outfits continued protesting against the movie Vishwaroopam even after Kamal Haasan arranged a special screening for the members of the outfits.

Within hours after filing the petition, Tamil Nadu Government had issued the ban order and the Police chief cautioned all District Collectors for a possible explosion of law and order situation in Tamil Nadu. Pertinent to note here, that the ban order was issued under Sec 144 of the Indian Penal Code. All precautionary measures were taken to prevent any riots.

Predictably Kamal Haasan had approached the Madras High Court against this gag order of TN Government. A single Judge initially stayed the ban order of the Tamil Nadu Government. Later a two Judges bench had overturned the stay order.

Justice K. Venkataraman had on January 24 directed that the release be postponed till January 28. He saw a screening of the film on January 26. Following are some excerpt from media reports:

“Kamal Haasan’s Vishwaroopam suffers yet another setback as the Madras High Court stayed the release of the film in Tamil Nadu till February 6, and asked the actor to file a counter with the single judge bench”

“Justice Venkataraman orally observed that in the meantime, all possibilities to arrive at an amicable settlement could be explored. The nation’s unity was more important than individuals”

Now see how the Hon’ble Supreme Court reacted to the pleas of Hindu outfits when approached seeking a  ban on the movie Padmavati. Excerpt from media reports follow:

For the third time this month, the Supreme Court turned down a request to ban “Padmavati” and said, in a rebuke to Chief Ministers and others who have spoken out against the film, “those holding public offices should not comment on such issues.”

On Vishwaroopam, not a word was spoken by the Hon’ble Judges when Tamil Nadu Government had outright banned a censor cleared movie through an executive order citing Law and Order situation under section 144 of the IPC. Also, the judiciary itself upheld the state’s ban and kept postponing the release of the movie.

Also, to note the oral orders of the Justice Venkataraman hinting an amicable settlement to be reached in the meantime (stay period). Justice Venkataraman further expressed concern over ‘nation’s unity’. These expressions of the Judges came when a clear and present danger of a riot situation was foretold in Tamil Nadu, in the event of the movie hitting the screens across the state.

On Padmavati, the Supreme Court judges reiterated that it is the prerogative of the national censor board to review the film and make a decision on whether it is suitable for screening.

“When the matter is pending the consideration of the CBFC (Central Board of  Film Certification), how can persons holding public offices comment on whether CBFC should issue a certificate or not? That will prejudice the decision of the CBFC,” the judges said.

In the case of Vishwaroopam, it was a censor cleared movie that was banned by the state, that was upheld by the Courts and that was held for day’s and ordering Kamal Haasan to defer the release in clear terms.

The Congress MLA was directly involved in the protest against the movie Vishwaroopam, as it was all political and religious heads who denounced the movie heavily.

Conclusion 

Judiciary is in the process of setting a risky precedent. The Hon’ble Supreme Court’s observations on Padmavati movie almost came close to censuring the Chief Ministers who had banned the movie, but unfortunately the Madras HC, did not even examine the ethical grounds of the TN Government’s outright ban order on the movie Vishwaroopam but went on upholding the ban and directing the film’s release to be deferred time and again.

The Hon’ble Madras HC ought to have questioned the State Government to maintain law and order situation as it was the duty of any State Government to maintain law and order, and should have felt that a movie cannot be banned fearing riots. Otherwise, it would mean that a riot tendency of a particular community is legitimised and an accepted phenomenon under the Indian Constitution.

So, It is setting a dangerous precedent. The Indian Muslims who are equal citizens of India on par with Hindus cannot be treated uniquely and their intimidation with their ‘riot’ tendency cannot be tolerable.
Hence the present ‘Padmavati’ row, is right occasion for the legal fraternity to fight strongly against this unprecedented approach of the Judiciary. Any precedent set by any previous judgments on the ‘riot’ tendency of any particular community, needs to be quashed urgently.

Why protests in Islamabad could have large geopolitical ramifications

Shakti Avasthy
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Why protests in Islamabad could have large geopolitical ramifications

The years of democratic governments since fall of Musharraf regime in 2008 have remained an unfulfilled dream. The fragility of democracy in India’s neighbourhood has been exposed on numerous occasions like 2009 when Pakistan Taliban took control of Buner (177 km from Islamabad) with news spreading of march towards capturing Islamabad; 2012 protests in Lahore where Difa-i-Pakistan Council (DPC), a group of Pakistani hardliners opposed Islamabad’s decision to help USA’s anti-terror operations; 2014 Azadi March by Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), supporters of cleric Tahir-ul-Qadri against erstwhile PM Nawaz Sharif for winning 2013 elections illegitimately. The situation reached its worst stage till now when protests last week in Islamabad led to 6 dead, and over 200 injured after clashes between police and protesters belonging to hardline religious groups.

The controversy erupted when Pakistan amended declaration of faith (Khatm-i-Naboowat) in recently passed Election Act 2017. The amendment in Elections Act 2017 was that the words in Form-A “I solemnly swear” had been replaced with “I believe” which led to dilution of candidate’s belief in the finality of the prophethood of Prophet Muhammad and it had been made not applicable to non-Muslim candidates. Also Sections 7B and 7C of The Conduct of General Elections Order, 2002, which relate to the status of Ahmediyas were absent from Election Act 2017.

As reported in Dawn, Section 7B says that the status of Ahmedis remains as stated in the Constitution of Pakistan, while section 7C states that if an enrolled voter’s belief in the finality of Prophet Muhammad’s prophethood is contended, they shall have to sign a declaration stating so, failing which their “name shall be deleted from the joint electoral rolls and added to a supplementary list of voters in the same electoral area as non-Muslim.”

Hence, the omission of 7B and 7C empowered Ahmadiyas who have historically been persecuted by Pakistan, 1984 Anti-Ahmadiyya Amendment said that Ahmadis cannot call themselves Muslim or “pose as Muslims” which is punishable by three years in prison. This relaxation to Ahmadiyas was the bone of contention between Government & pre-dominant Barelvi led by 3 parties namely Tehreek-i-Khatm-i-Nabuwwat, Tehreek-i-Labaik Ya Rasool Allah and Sunni Tehreek Pakistan. Barelvi parties called liberal steps of Government as blasphemy which ultimately led to Government accepting demands of Barelvi hardliners and called Election Act 2017 changes as “clerical errors” and subsequent resignation of Law Minister.

These developments reflect a deeper point which needs to be analysed as how domestic politics of Pakistan is developing, influence on Indian subcontinent, and relations of Pakistan with other nations.

In the domestic politics of Pakistan, this movement was a significant step. It represented the growing disenchantment within Barelvi community which is feeling discontent due to large funds gathered by other communities like Deobandi, Salafis both internally (State, Army, ISI, private support) and externally (aided by Saudi Arabia, Qatar). For simplification, one can understand that Salafi/Wahabi, Deobandi, Barelvi represent descending order in magnitude of hardliner ideology respectively.

Also, Barelvi have been against salafi hardliners like Hafiz Saeed who is now entering political establishment of Pakistan through political party named Milli Muslim League. Since Army, ISI reportedly consider Hafiz Saeed as their “strategic asset”, Hafiz Saeed entry into mainstream politics will help him legitimize his position on world scale. Barelvi parties will hence be directly pitted against Saeed’s party and since latter is reportedly said to have backing of deep state, barelvi parties feel further embittered.

Moreover, this event has also deepened civil government- military distrust which was already widening after Nawaz Sharif’s ouster from post of Prime Minister. It is now reported that when civil government asked military to help in removing blockade, military is reported to have said no, and said that it could not risk the “love and trust” of the people for “small gains”. Later, Army acted as mediator and helped in resolving the crisis thereby delegitimizing the civil administration.

Further, since General Bajwa is said to have few family members of Ahmadiya community, army possibly believed that these protests were castigated by civilian administration to make religious parties go against army. This made the situation worsen & trust deficit widen.

Current condition in Pakistan is no less than anarchy, GHQ Rawalpindi (Army headquarters) remains at sweet spot with consolidation of power, power tussle within PML (Nawaz) is ongoing, PPP (Pakistan Peoples Party) is devoid of resurgence, and the infamous 10 year cycle of military rule-civilian rule is knocking the door of Islamabad. Though military coup is highly unlikely, but as it is said in Pakistani politics “never say never”

The impact of hardliners rising in Pakistan have a deeper message to Indian subcontinent. Since Jihadi elements have begun to rise in domestic politics, their ideas are expected to spread in neighbouring nations especially where democracy is still fragile namely Maldives, Bangladesh. Due to deep integration of India with both these nations, New Delhi must remain conscious of change. Also, Jihadi elements have anti-India propaganda which could spur violence, and militancy in Kashmir owing to rising tensions for India domestically. Further, Pakistan is a nuclear armed nation and irresponsible use of Nuclear weapons could ultimately lead to Nuclear terrorism if such hardline forces continue to gain ground.

Also, Pakistan’s relationship with other nations could be in jeopardy in future. Hafiz Saeed had slammed Pakistan’s all weather friend China for the violence done by Beijing against Xinjiang Muslims or Uyghurs. If radicalism continues to gain ground in Pakistan, China may begin to alienate Pakistan as Chinese need stability in the nations to conduct its operations in CPEC (China-Pakistan Economic Corridor) peacefully. CPEC is a crucial part of ambitious BRI (Belt & Road initiative) of Beijing, and any turbulence in domestic politics by Islamist hardliners could result in creation of cracks in China-Pakistan partnership.

Likewise, Iranian would be greatly concerned if hardliner Sunni parties gain prominence in Islamabad who are critical of Shia Iran. Similarly, Afghanistan could further alienate from Pakistan as the tendency of creating a “strategic edge” in Afghanistan will further resonate in minds of hardliners.

Hence, New Delhi must remain cautious and monitor the situation closely. The game between several actors within Pakistan has begun and its unfolding will gradually determine the trajectory of future stability in South Asia.

Political correctness can’t be allowed to dominate debate around women’s safety

Zori Ray Kash
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Political correctness can’t be allowed to dominate debate around women’s safety

“Women are more than what they wear”, “Women shouldn’t be judged by her clothes”… Yes, these phrases have been on for a while now and they come up whenever there is talk about sexual abuse/harassment against women. By now I hope most, if not all, of us have come to accept the largely debated fact that women’s clothing shouldn’t be blamed for any unwanted sexual advance towards them.

All that is very good. But shall we take another look at it, please? Should we only talk about how outrageous and heinous those acts are and how stupid the statements are? Those criminals are worse than animals. In fact, using the word ‘animals’ to describe them is an injustice to other animals. We just have no bad enough words for them. So, while we all agree on that, what about us?

What about the could-be victims, every vulnerable female beings? We, too, have our own responsibilities. Now, this isn’t blaming the victim in anyway, let’s be clear of that before we go further.

Everyone (man/woman) is free to wear what one wants or do whatever, go wherever for that matter. That’s right, let’s dress up, dress down, try this, experiment that, be fashionable/trendy/cool/sexy, whatever given we adhere to… lets’s not say society’s norm and rules because there are those of us who feel our society’s system isn’t really the best, so we will say CONSCIOUSNESS.

We are sane human beings, aren’t we? We know what’s right and what’s wrong, what’s appropriate where and when and what is not. Condemning and trying to correct the society’s wretched mindset is one thing. Another equally important thing is taking care of ourselves.

We already know what kind of place we are in, we know exactly what kind of people surrounds us. Why wear shorts in a place where people aren’t accustomed to short/revealing clothes? Then the whole “clothes shouldn’t be blamed” thing comes up. But we are just trying to be prudent here. Can’t we be smarter and put on the less revealing one for our own safety’s sake? Of course, there are places where we can freely walk around in whatever clothes we want; sadly its not the same everywhere.

Also, let’s not forget that we are so much easier to spot when we are the odd ones out. Why take the 25-minute walk to a friend’s/relative’s place alone after midnight in a place like Delhi for no important reason? Yup, things like that happen for real and that’s just one example. Bravery is great but then again, “Bravery doesn’t forgive  stupidity”. It’s better not to put ourselves into vulnerable situation(s).

While a better and safer world for women is still forming, we have no choice but to be wary of all the vile creatures out there. Ladies, we have to be wise in our lifestyle. It’s a scary place we are in.

The ‘right’ solution for decriminalizing Homosexuality

Varun Maturkar
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The ‘right’ solution for decriminalizing Homosexuality

After resolving the caste, religion and sex divide, one more taboo Indians need to remove is that of homosexuality. Not only in India but across the world it is a grave reality that a Heterosexual rapist is socially more acceptable than a homosexual lover. Every liberal in India mock government, political organisations and conservative mob in India and fuel their support for decriminalization of homosexuality, since it is a criminal offence according to article 377 of Indian constitution.I will like to discuss the political position of various political players in this very article.

The Indian National Congress call the themselves as most liberal party in India. The grand old party is known to field Dr. Sashi Tharoor who presented bills in the parliament to scrap article 377. But I don’t think it’s enough until Rahul Gandhi, the vice president of INC, speaks up on this issue categorically. Initially the Communists used to speak on LGBT issue, but nowadays they seem very busy to give a thought on it. The Aam Aadmi Party, which promised to change India, seems to have muted its voice on this subject. I wonder the parties like SP, JD(U), JD(S), AIADMK, DMK, TDP, SAD, TMC, TRS, RPI, BSP (hope no one calls me anti-Dalit) etc. whether they know at least the full form of LGBT.

Since I live in Maharashtra I deny to mention the views of Shiv Sena (readers can understand my situation). The political problem with these parties is that they heavily depend upon the Muslim vote bank and homosexuality is not only a taboo in the Muslims but also a crime. So I never expect these self proclaimed secular parties would ever maintain a stance on this issue. They won’t oppose it but they would never support it. Perhaps they forgot the words of Margaret Thatcher – IF YOU STAND IN BETWEEN THE ROAD TRAFFIC HITS YOU FROM BOTH SIDES.

The BJP the largest party of the world (as they say) is also dumb on LGBT issue and so is our Prime Minister Narendra Modi. BJP terms love jihad when a Hindu and a Muslim tie a knot so man with man is unacceptable to them. Baba Ramdev who is said to enjoy quite a bonhomie with BJP cracked a joke by terming homosexuality as a medical problem and claims to have found ayurvedic cure for it. But RSS the ideological mentor of the BJP confused me more. On March 18,2016 Dattatreya Hosbale, the joint secretary of RSS tweeted – ‘Homosexuality is not a crime, but socially immoral act in our society. No need to punish, but to be treated as a psychological case.’

Surprising isn’t it? The organization known as ultra conservative is literally saying that homosexuality is not a crime. But it isn’t urging the government to decriminalize it and neither asking BJP to support Dr. Tharoor when he comes up with bills in parliament.

The silver lining which I foresee is that RSS is at least keeping a stance unlike other parties. Dattatreya Hosbale calls homosexuality as socially immoral, he is not completely wrong but at same time he doesn’t need to dictate it. People know it is socially immoral in India to kiss publicly, to roam naked on roads, people know the limitations of society and RSS doesn’t need to remind it. But again they at least have a stance is worth appreciation.

My advice to gays is to knock the doors of RSS headquarters and ask them to harden their stance in accordance to their tweet. The gays should keep the reservations aside and with the help of RSS they should decriminalize their sexual activities.

I am warning the LGBT that so-called liberals won’t rescue them, but they can at least legalize themselves with conservatives. Remember, in Britain it were the conservatives who opposed voting rights to woman and they were the same ideologues who gave first woman Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. That’s the reason I think there is rightist solution for decriminalization of homosexuality.

(The name of writer is Varun Maturkar studying in Fergusson College and can be reached on twitter handle @MaturkarVarun. The writer took every precautions to avoid any insult on religion but apologies if anyone thinks the other way.)

Congress hypocrisy: Last updated by Kapil Sibal

Shivam
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Congress hypocrisy: Last updated by Kapil Sibal

2014. Elections for prime minister. This is the year the dynasty politics finally ended. PM Modi came as a saviour, the hope of millions of people to fix the mess Congress had done. It was also the beginning of hilarious events of attacks by the opposition, with one aim: not make Modi government successful. These sequences of attacks have been relentless, and with years passing by, it is showing more and more of the hypocrisy of the opposition. Accusations after accusations based on religion and capabilities of PM Modi have made the headlines by some so-called news channel, who forget that every time the PM has been questioned, he has silenced his hyper active “critics”, with a befitting answer. Be it demonetization, surgical strikes or recently GST.

Recently Rahul Gandhi the “prince” of Congress, had visited the spiritual Somnath temple, known for its breath-taking experiences. Due to rules, if you are non-Hindu, then you have to sign a form, which “surprisingly” was signed by Rahul. Now just before this Rahul had said he is a Shiv Bhakt. These events clearly show that years will pass by, but Rahul hypocrisy will never die. Subsequently, Rahul reaction speech regarding this incident, increases his and his party’s hypocrisy even more. He was quoted saying that “religion is a personal matter”. Mr Rahul Gandhi, when Yogi Adityanath became CM of Uttar Pradesh, why was he being a “Hindu Monk” questioned and attacked? Was this a use of the freedom of speech that so-called young “leaders” and film stars-cum-political analyst cry about these days?

Furthermore, Kapil Sibal, who is Congress’ spokesperson these days, with attacks on GDP growth, demonetisation, GST and more, put the final nail in the coffin with his comments on PM Modi. Mr. Kapil Sibal was quoted saying that the PM is not a Hindu. Well, if the “prince” has already declared that religion is a personal matter, then why did Kapil Sibal comment about the PM’s religion. Is this not hypocrisy? Also, since 2014, Congress party and opposition parties have attacked BJP and PM Modi on being communal. Well, now Mr Kapil, stating that the PM is not a Hindu, clearly shows abundance of hypocrisy within the Congress party.  This clearly shows that opposition parties are only busy in attacking the BJP and in the process exposing their own hypocrisy.

Finally, if Mr Rahul Gandhi does think that religion is a personal matter, why in the unfortunate UPA government rule in the past years, was there minority appeasement? Why was the blue-eyed boy of Congress party, Mr Jawaharlal Nehru, opposing the building of Somnath temple? These are small cases of Congress and opposition party’s hypocrisy on religion, there are even more, and while this article is being written, it won’t be surprising if another news of covering up of Rahul Gandhi’s religion comes from so called political analysts. If the cover up of Rahul Gandhi being a Janeu Dhari is an indicator, then audience be prepared for even more hypocrisy unfolding.

PS: My question to Congress, what have you done in the years you have ruled us?

Jai Hind!

Yo Rahul so Hindu

manasdoon
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Yo Rahul so Hindu

Lately there has been so much noise over Rahul being a Hindu. Let me do my bit to clear some air over it as any doubts over his Hindu credentials can  be rubbished by anyone who has got access to the inner circle of Lutyens Delhi.

Many sources swear on their life for Rahul’s credential of a devout Hindu. They confirm that he indeed was born with a Janeau as birthmark across his torso, which was a phenomenon only witnessed by the Namboodri Brahmans in the Satyuga. It was this which established his superiority over other ordinary Hindus. This has also given a ray of hope to many that maybe he is indeed the next incarnation of Shree Hari – Kalki. The acharya of Kalki Dham, would certainly vouch for him as he has indeed tried to contest election on INC ticket, only to prove his metal so he can be the Arjuna of this Kalki who would steer his chariot onto success.

Though all the members of INC agree on his divinity, there is a bit of confusion over his incarnation. Some tell stories of how he being a devout believer of Goddess Saraswati, feels a direct connect with her. Just like Goddess Kali is believed to have served food to Swami Ram Krishna Param-Hansa, goddess Saraswati personally gives Astro physics lessons to him. This is something which would even make students of  H.C Verma burn with jealousy. It is believed that it is only because of these personal lessons by the Goddess herself, Rahul was able to decipher the complex equation for escape velocity of Jupiter.

There are also rumours of him being an expert in Tantra and master of all directions just like Ravana, which enable him to teleport and travel seamlessly via many dimensions and portals of the realms of which we cannot even imagine. It is due to this super natural power, he would probably the only mortal who has shown the ability of ‘One morning, waking up at night’. People who do have zilch knowledge of how complex travelling between different Lokas be, mock him. But the divinity in him has to grace to forgive the ignorant, who are unknown to his supreme powers.

Some insiders also talk about his Sadhna towards Goddess Laxmi, who in return is believed to have givem him the responsibility of removing poverty from this Shristi. It is believed that the goddess has him the mighty Midas touch which can even turn a potato into gold.

But again, these are all stories one has heard. People who know him can tell you that he is such a staunch Hindu, that he wouldn’t even watch his favourite Chota Bheem unless he has done his evening payers which is mandatory for him as he is Janeu dhari Brahaman.

When asked about why is not marrying, the answer was nothing short of a surprise. They claim that Rahul has been heavily influenced by the life of Adi Shankara and would take on NaMo for a debate (Shastrath) before he establishes his writ, and when that debate finally happens he does not want to be Mandana Misra but Shankara.

Well I was convinced about his credential as Hindu. His faith is the worst kept secret in the inner corridors of Delhi, however they are very careful of exposing him to a wider audience as it will be like showing the bright sun to naked human eye. The words were – ‘Unka tej Surya ke saman prabal hai. Sadharan manav kee dhristi ke liye nahee hai’

Well the shroud of mystery certainly makes him nothing short of a mystic.

While every one is convinced of him being a Hindu and surrenders to his divinity, it is the mother who still says to his son “Behold, I am sending you as lambs among wolves; be therefore crafty as snakes and innocent as doves.”

Maa to akhir Maa hoti hai na!

गुजरात चुनावों में कांग्रेस का सूपड़ा साफ़ होना लगभग तय

RAJEEV GUPTA
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गुजरात चुनावों में कांग्रेस का सूपड़ा साफ़ होना लगभग तय

लोकतंत्र में हार और जीत तो लगी ही रहती है और जनता अपने विवेक और समझ का इस्तेमाल करते हुए किसी एक पार्टी को सत्ता के सिंहासन तक पहुँचाने का काम करती है. उस तरह से देखा जाए तो गुजरात चुनावों में कांग्रेस को मिलने वाली पराजय पर किसी को भी  हैरानी नहीं होनी चाहिए. कांग्रेस पार्टी के साथ सबसे बड़ी दिक्कत यह है कि यह पार्टी और इसके नेता अभी तक यह नहीं समझ सके हैं कि जनता ने जब इस पार्टी को २०१४ में सत्ता से बाहर किया था तो उसे पिछले ६० सालों के कुशासन, भ्रष्टाचार और देशद्रोह का दंड दिया था. २०१४ का सत्ता परिवर्तन कोई मामूली सत्ता परिवर्तन नहीं था. जो लोग पिछले कई दशकों से देशद्रोहियों के तलवे चाट चाट कर देश के बहुसंख्यकों का लगातार अपमान कर रहे थे और  जो लोग अपने कुशासन और भ्र्ष्टाचार से लगातार जनता और देश को लूटने का काम कर रहे थे, जनता ने २०१४ में उन्हें सत्ता से बाहर का रास्ता दिखाया था.

२०१४ में मिली हार के बाद कांग्रेस पार्टी को ज्यादातर राज्यों में भी उसी तरह की शर्मनाक हार का सामना करना पड़ा लेकिन इस पार्टी ने न तो अपनी हार से कोई सबक लेने की कोशिश की और न ही कभी अपनी भ्रष्टाचार, कुशासन और देशद्रोही मानसिकता के लिए देश की जनता से माफी माँगी. चोरी और सीनाजोरी की तर्ज़ पर इस पार्टी के नेता लगातार अपनी इन नीतियों का समर्थन करते रहे और मोदी, भाजपा और संघ की नीतियों का पुरजोर विरोध करते रहे. अपने नापाक मंसूबों को अंजाम देने के लिए यह पार्टी इस हद तक नीचे गिर गयी कि इसने मुस्लिम आतंकवादियों को खुश करने के लिए कुछ देशभक्त हिन्दुओं को फ़र्ज़ी मामलों में गिरफ्तार करके उन्हें “हिन्दू आतंकवादी” के नाम से पुकारना शुरू कर दिया. इन लोगों के खिलाफ दायर फ़र्ज़ी मामले अदालतों में नहीं टिक सके और उन्हें अदालतों को बाइज़्ज़त बरी करना पड़ा.

लेकिन इस पार्टी ने बहुसंख्यक समुदाय को जलील करने की अपनी नापाक कोशिश लगातार जारी रखी. जहां एक ओर कांग्रेसी पी एम मनमोहन सिंह ने देश के सभी संसाधनों पर अल्पसंख्यकों के पहला हक़ होने की बात कही, वहीं कांग्रेस पार्टी एक ऐसे कानून को लागू करना चाहती थी जिसके तहत सांप्रदायिक हिंसा होने पर दोष चाहे किसी भी समुदाय का हो, उसके लिए बहुसंख्यक समुदाय को ही दोषी माने जाने की व्यवस्था थी. कांग्रेस के दो वरिष्ठ नेता और पूर्व केंद्रीय मंत्री तो पाकिस्तान में जाकर यह भी गिड़गिड़ाए कि मोदी को हराने में हमारी पार्टी  की मदद करो. अगर यह देशद्रोह नहीं है तो फिर देशद्रोह किसे कहते हैं ?

पिछले ३ सालों में पी एम मोदी ने जिस तरह से देश के सर्वांगीण विकास के लिए ठोस कदम उठाये हैं और जिस तरह से नोटबंदी और जी एस टी के जरिये काले धन पर लगाम लगाई है, उससे इस पार्टी के नेता पूरी तरह बौखलाए हुए हैं और उस बौखलाहट में न सिर्फ इस पार्टी के अपने नेता बल्कि इसकी सहयोगी पार्टियों के नेता भी अनाप शनाप बयानबाज़ी में जुटे हुए है. पिछले ६० सालों में जिस बड़े पैमाने पर गोलमाल और भ्रष्टाचार हुआ था, उसके चलते सभी नेताओं ने मोटा माल बनाया था. नोटबंदी का असर यह हुआ कि पिछले ६० सालों में जोड़ा हुआ सारा “मोटा माल” या तो बेकार हो गया या फिर बैंकों में जमा करवाना पड गया. अब जब बैंकों में यह “मोटा माल” जमा हो गया तो उसका मतलब यह नहीं है कि उसका रंग “काले” से “सफ़ेद” हो गया. आयकर विभाग ने अब जब इस जमा किये गए “काले धन” का हिसाब माँगना शुरू किया तो इन सभी विपक्षी नेताओं की सिट्टी पिट्टी गुम हो गयी.

जब नोटबंदी के समय यह विपक्षी नेता अपना मूर्खतापूर्ण विरोध कर रहे थे, तभी मैंने यह लिखा था कि विपक्षी नेताओं का इस तरह से छाती पीट पीट कर विधवा विलाप करना ही इस बात का सुबूत है कि इन लोगों ने इस देश को पिछले ६० सालों में किस तरह से लूट लूट कर काला धन इकठ्ठा किया है. एक तरफ जहां नोटबंदी ने पिछले ६० सालों में कमाए गए काले धन का सफाया कर दिया, दूसरी तरफ जी एस टी ने यह भी सुनिश्चित कर दिया कि आज के बाद काले धन की उपज कम से कम हो या फिर न के बराबर हो. बेनामी संपत्ति के कानून को लागू करके मोदी जी ने इन लोगों के नीचे से रही सही जमीन भी खिसका दी है. नतीजा यह है कि न सिर्फ कांग्रेस पार्टी और उसके नेता बल्कि इसकी सभी सहयोगी पार्टियां और उसके नेता भी पी एम मोदी का इस तरह से विरोध कर रहे हैं मानों मोदी ने इन लोगों के काले कारनामों पर लगाम लगाकर कोई बहुत बड़ा अपराध कर दिया हो.

कांग्रेस और उसकी सहयोगी पार्टियों ने क्योंकि पिछले ६० सालों में सत्ता का सुख मिल बाँट कर भोगा है और अपने लिए चाटुकारों की एक बहुत बड़ी फौज भी तैयार की है जो समय समय पर इन तथाकथित विपक्षी राजनीतिक दलों और उनके तथाकथित नेताओं की हाँ में हाँ मिलाकर मोदी, भाजपा कर संघ को बदनाम करने का षड्यंत्र रचती रहती है. यह लोग कभी कलाकार और लेखक बनकर अपने अपने “अवार्ड” वापस करना शुरू कर देते हैं, कभी अर्थशास्त्री बनकर भारत की अर्थव्यवस्था पर गैर जरूरी टीका टिप्पणी करना शुरू कर देते हैं. उत्तर प्रदेश में एक “अख़लाक़” की मौत पर कई महीनों तक मातम मनाने वाले यह स्व-घोषित “सेक्युलर” नेता, केरल और पश्चिम बंगाल की हिंसा पर हमेशा ही चुप्पी साधे रहते हैं. इन लोगों को यह लगता है कि यह सारी बातें जो इस ब्लॉग में लिखी गयी हैं, वे इस देश की आम जनता तक नहीं पहुंचेगी और जनता को वही समाचार मालूम पड़ेंगे जो इनके नेता या इनके पाले हुए मीडिया के लोग जनता तक पहुंचाएंगे. लेकिन सोशल मीडिया ने इन लोगों के मंसूबों पर अब पानी फेर दिया है.

गुजरात की जनता हो या देश के किसी अन्य राज्य की जनता, कांग्रेस और इसकी सहयोगी पार्टियों के कारनामों से सभी पूरी तरह वाकिफ है और हर आने वाले चुनाव में जनता इस पार्टी को दण्डित करने के लिए पहले से भी  अधिक आतुर दिखाई देती है. गुजरात में हालांकि कांग्रेस पार्टी तरह तरह की “नौटंकियां” करके जनता को दिग्भ्रमित करने का प्रयास कर रही है लेकिन गुजरात जैसे राज्य की जनता “कांग्रेस की इस प्रायोजित नौटंकी” का शिकार होगी, इस पर कांग्रेस पार्टी को शायद खुद भी यकीन नहीं होगा.

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