VOX POPULI Issue N020

 

VOX POPULI  

by 

AAM ADMI 

Issue No. : N 020
Issue Date: 20th Feb 2023

Contents:

1. EAM Jaishankar should note that in thought, word and deed India under the BJP is aping the West

2. The BBC Raids Are An Exercise To Show How To Throw Mud On Your Own Face To Make The Lotus Bloom More Luxuriantly! 

3. BJP Needs Tipu To Be Woken Up For Karnataka Elections

EAM Jaishankar should note that in thought, word and deed India under the BJP is aping the West

EAM Jaishankar has said lately that Westernisation is not an index of modernisation and progress  any more in India. This is clearly a contradictory statement considering the ground situation across the country. We seem to be following the Western development model of building highways, expressways, launching Vande Bharat trains and getting ready to welcome Bullet trains which a High Court judge recently has said that it is a pride for the nation while dismissing a petition against the land acquisition for the project. These projects have disrupted the normal lives of common people creating nuisance by way of congestion and in some cases splitting villages. In urban and semi-urban areas it is difficult for pedestrians specially senior citizens to cross a road thus making them lead a truncated life or taking the choice of the longer way around spending more energy, time and money. Rarely are working pedestrian lights seen at our crossings in our towns and cities. We have these new Vande Bharat trains being launched with metronomic regularity across the length and breadth of India to catch one would assume the Assembly election schedules in some of the States. But these trains come with tickets that are higher priced which our common travellingpublic can ill afford. Therefore in some sectors these trains are running almost empty. What would have been better is that the existing train network both for rolling stock and services should have been improved to be timely, more comfortable, clean and with proper hygienic food. This would have benefited the larger travelling population rather than cater to the aspirational segment which thinks it wants air travel comfort on trains. We also have Malls selling all kinds of things as in Western countries. These sell everything under one roof with most of these sales being on lowest price strategies for goods which are close to expiry dates or beyond. Such Malls have rung the death-knell for small neighbourhood grocery stores which have gone out of business or are fast going to shut shop. Thus the social fabric of the Indian way of life has been distorted beyond imagination by these projects that ape the West. We are told that this is progress and development. If that is so then it is best that we avoid it. We need to do things the Indian way and not blindly follow the West calling it modernisation and progress. EAM Jaishankar is either blind or saying things just for the sake of saying them to salve his nationalistic conscience that is very much in demand these days. We should not project the wrong thing which is becoming a habit with the BJP. They seem to be following the Goebbel's doctrine in most things ranging from history and other matters where he had postulated that a lie repeated a thousand times will become truth. The BJP in any case is increasing its emphasis on Hindu religion on the lines that fascist Germany did with the Nazi philosophy. Just like Nazi Germany tyrannised the Jews the BJP is laying the groundwork for its attacks on Muslims. Thus EAM Jaishankar should note that in thought, word and deed India under the BJP is aping the West.

The BBC Raids Are An Exercise To Show How To Throw Mud On Your Own Face To Make The Lotus Bloom More Luxuriantly! 

The BBC issue relating to the IT raids on its offices in India is a clear sign of retaliation by Modi's government for broadcasting the 2-part documentary covering the Gujarat riots in 2002. It was the culmination of bad handling of the matter. If the defence of Modi was that the courts including the Supreme Court has given him a clean chit on this matter then why succumb to the 'colonial mindset'? It was Modi who showed that he had the colonial mindset by trying to take protective action when the white man raises a finger at you. One must admit that the BBC raised more than a finger at Modi. If you had the armour that the Indian courts had given you then should you not have brushed off the allegations as a figment of the BBC's imagination and moved on? But this could not be done because everyone including Modi knew that there was more than a grain of truth in the documentary. Then true to a person with no formal education but with vast power that the elections had bestowed upon him the Modi machinery went into action. They banned the documentary resulting in a furore across the country ranging from Opposition parties, activists and even students. Some of these people got hold of the documentary and tried to show it but then the police got involved the clashes happened, Sec 144 was imposed near some Delhi college and a minority university. So many people got involved with inflamed passions which was a sheer waste of time for everybody on essentially a non-issue or a dead issue. Indirectly the extra importance given to the issue revived it. This should have been avoided. If the matter had been ignored calling it a 20 year old matter and we are past that then it would been a sign of sagacity and wisdom. But when the leader is insecure you have total mishandling of any matter. Coming back to the IT raids the department cannot give a clean chit to the BBC, they are compelled 'to find something or anything'. This is the dilemma that the IT department finds itself in. The interim press release from them on the raids does not go into any specifics of any offences that have been found. Obtusely one can think that possibly this was done to show the BJP muscle that we can take on even a world renowned broadcaster like BBC before the State Assembly election drums start rolling. But how stupid can you get! 

BJP Needs Tipu To Be Woken Up For Karnataka Elections

Amit Shah started the Tipu rant that those that follow him like the Congress and the JD(S) cannot do any good for the State. This is now echoed by the Karnataka BJP President Kateel at an election meeting saying that Tipu followers will be banished to the forests. In one sense you can say that the latter's statements are very contextual since Kateel was speaking at a place where Hanuman was believed to have been born and a monkey even he is revered as God belongs to the forest and that is all that he knows. It is also good that he welcomes people of other beliefs and faiths to his abode which none of the present brood of BJP leaders would dare do. In any case, coming back to Tipu, firstly one cannot understand why the poor fellow who has died almost two centuries ago in tragic circumstances while fighting the British, needs to be woken up in his grave just to give the pleasure to the BJP rabble now to make him an election issue. Secondly, why elections are to be made communal jousting grounds is incomprehensible but one guesses that with the BJP around, there is not much choice on that. Thirdly, Tipu Sultan and his father, Hyder Ali are integral parts of Indian history and no one can deny their position therein. They secured this place because of their exploits on the battlefield including against the British and their beneficial rule over their kingdoms. Tipu and Hyder Ali protected and nurtured the Mysore kingdom and its very existence would have been in danger but for them. This they did initially on behalf of the Hindu Wodeyar dynasty for whom they fought. Thus those who by speeches and words alone today want to get a place in history and with no substantive action or deeds to their credit have no right to speak against Tipu. The first resistance to British rule in the then India was by Tipu who was being seen as a threat to the expansion of the British into South India. After inflicting heavy defeats on the British, it was because of treachery from within his ranks that he lost and was captured by the British, valiantly fighting until his last breath. The British dreaded him which with the present BJP you cannot say since they were the opposite with their then leaders during the last stages of British rule whom the present lot revere, supplicating themselves and giving mercy petitions. In fact the BJP did nothing to get the British out of India which they will now claim that they were not in existence then. But even then they talk today with misplaced sentiments of national pride and invoke nationalism at every step which is completely hypocritical and false as also insult and slander people and organisations which fought for India's freedom. You will notice that all these communal agendas come out mostly at the time of elections while at other times these issues are not at the top of their agenda. Thus the people should discount the BJP rantings with a large pinch of salt and concentrate on issues that are local and/or critical to them while casting their vote. 

Postscript: See the malicious and self-seeking interest of the BJP in this issue. For whippping up communal frenzy and with the purpose of winning the elections they will use Tipu, a Muslim, but at other times they will look the other way as far as this community is concerned.

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