Dining with the enemy

Am avoiding the usage of much used phrase 'Sleeping with the Enemy' since I am talking about a lady. This is about the worst kind of political oppotunism.

Remember who and why was I K Gujral's government brought down in 97-98? Well, by Madam Sonia and Congress on issue of relationship between DMK and LTTE and their indicment in Rajiv Gandhi murder. Nearly a decade later now, Sonia finds it okay to digest Karunanidhi's statement heralding LTTE and Prabhakaran as a hero. But no words from Sonia, just because she needs his support to remain in power.

This is the opportunism of the worst kinds. Parties and politicians might have shown political or even social lack of ethics. But this is just a case of personal ethics and the Gandhi family is found seriously lacking those ethics. I wonder how a family which can't stand upto their own kin's 'murderers and their supporters', can stand up for the safety, security and self respect of the Indians.

PM and democratic values or lack of it

I won't allow Advani to be the PM candidate
Shun the independents because they trouble Congress
Mayawati should not think of becoming the PM

The above words which were used to show the PM's bravdo actually do nothing but show his background. He was a bureaucrat to start with and at heart still remains one.
The statements made above plus his reluctance to contest elections prove that Dr. Manmohan Singh might have become the PM of the 2nd largest democracy by luck but his core values are still not accustomed to democracy.

His bureacratic background ensures blind loyalty to his bosses (read Gandhis) and a desperation to cling on to the chair at any cost and avoid opposition by hook or crook. That also possibly explains the lack of acocuntablity that one has seen in the state of affairs. No one is allowed to question him and his govenment on terror attacks, recession, price rise, unemployment, lack of progress in infrastructure development etc.

Brave words, Mr. PM?

After a period of nearly 2 years, the PM spoke tough. Last time the PM spoke tough, he had to eat his own words. Remember the exchange about Left's bark and bite and how the PM had to retreat. And this time against L K Advani. But what the Manmohan Singh forgot was that brave words which are not backed with facts are seen as acts of desperation. Let's take a look at lack of facts in his swipe against Advani.

If Manmohan Singh as so pained by Babri demolition, why did he cling on as Finance Minister for 4 years after that incident? He was the number 2 in Narsimha Rao govt but he did not do anything during the demolition or riots after that. Maybe being a habitual helpless one, he was helpless then too.
Congress rakes up Kandahar every time the word terror is mentioned. What they forget is that the policy of bowing down to terrorists was started by their friend Mufti Mohd Sayyed who released terrorists in exchange of his daughters. And later Narsimha Rao continued the tradition by giving safe passage and packed biryanis to Mast Gul, the dreaded terrorist. And if the PM forgot, he was the key member of the cabinet then too. The Kandahar incident was a sad one and for an avid supporter llike me, a wrong decision. But does one wrong decision justify the terror attacks for last 5 years and Congress' and their allies refusal to stop playing minority appeasement politics.
PM says he is not a man of words but of action. Then please ask him, where are the reforms he promised? Where are the roads NDA started? How is it that inspite of having a 'dream financial team' and an eminient economist as PM, India is in terrible reccession, unemployment and price rise? What action did PM take against tainted ministers? What about action against Afzal Guru? The only time a minister was kicked for non performance was when Madam demanded after 4 yrs of inaction in case of Shivraj Patil. And PM says he is a man of action.
Finally, his statement that he would have resigned had Nuke deal not gone through. It is sad that our PM does not think suicide of thousands of farmers, 27 bomb blasts and a terror attack leaving more than a thousand dead or growing number of unemployed youth was a blot on his reputation. The promise to George Bush is more important to him than a promise to this country. Loyalty to 10 Janpath seems more important to him than loyalty to the nation.

Shame on you, Mr. PM

Youth Leadership

He is 38 yrs young. Has been oe of the youngest MPs chosen for the best MP award by fellow MPs. His constituency is the 4th largest in India. He has been fore-front in talking about Chinese agressive designs on AP. He has been one of the stellar performers in the current Lok Sabha. A lecturer in Botany, does he look like someone who can lay claim to being a youth leader and a barometer of youth's aspirations in India? Can you predict who can it be?

Tough, isn't it? No, it's not one of those handpicked from a dynasty and now hailed as our saviour and media has never or at the best hardly spoken about him.

The name is Kiren Rijiju. Never heard of him, right?Stumped, aren't you? But yeah, this person is Kiren Rijiju, MP from Arunachal Pradesh. A father of 3, he is also the National Secy of BJP. To compare his performance with the crowned prince of Indian politics, have a look:
Special Mentions in current session - Rijiji 9 and Rahul 1
Questions - Rijiju 184 and Rahul 3
Private Member’s Bills - Rijiju 6 and Rahul none
Participation in debates - Rijiju 72 debates and Rahul 2

And the similarity between Kiren Rijiju, Shah Nawaz Hussain, Dr. Sudha Yadav, Dharmendra Pradhan etc is that they are all young and all come from an ordinary family. None of these people had a dynasty to back them. So next time before you think that only the dynastic Babalog brigade can bring a change, think hard and twice. And do spare a thought for these young leaders who have not got their slice of fame.

And they claim to be secular

Congress last week welcome Tauqeer Khan to their fold. Welcoming him was none other than Digvijay Singh who does not tire of showing off his secular credentials. Maybe what he forgot or did not know or did not care was that Tauqeer Khan was the cleric who offered a reward to the person who beheads the cartoonist behind the Danish cartoons. And Congress his entry into Congress strengthens secularism.
Left in Kerala is fighting it's own CM. The reason is Madani, someone who is called the face of terror in South India. He has spent years in jail and has been involved in Coimbatore blasts and now is under scanner for Keralaite youth found fighting in Kashmir and Bangalore blasts. He is courted by both, Congress and the Left because they need his votes and for that they can forgive and forget his actions and speech.
Sharad Pawar yesterday in Mumbai made a speech again to the effect that Hindu terrorism s responsible for most of the blasts in the country. And in same speech, he was teaching secularism to Varun.
What's surprising is that media which lynches anyone talking about Hindu pride is silent on all these points. And it is this attitude of media and politicians which will generate if not a Hindutva wave but surely a Hindutva undercurrent.