Other side of the Coin - Games Politicians Play

The biggest sensation during the month of February was the drama played in Indian Parliament on the bifurcation bill of the state of Andhra Pradesh. After the episodes of pepper spray, stand-in by the central ministers from the state of Andhra Pradesh and whatever should not be done in a democracy this bill was passed by the Parliament. There was a blackout on TV coverage just minutes before the voting which was attributed to a so called technical failure which came to aid in many such undemocratic activities in the past as well.

Anyway, the deed (good or bad based on one's view point) has happened. Now on the one hand a game of claim for the so called good deed for Telangana is being going on by all the parties who have taken part in the voting. In Telangana, it is natural that the KCR led TRS party claims that they are the authors for the justice done to the aspirations of the Telangana and are also showing appreciation on the Congress Party and Madam Sonia for the split. At the same time the opposition party Bharatiya Janata Party is claiming that they are a party to the split and without their help this could not have happened. This is completely true as the UPA government which is in power does not have the requisite majority in Parliament to push this bill through in both the houses. As a matter of fact, the leader of opposition in the lower house mentioned after voting that the people Telangana should remember her as the Aunt who helped in bifurcation. The same party a day before the actual voting was not keen on voting in favour of the bill as per the news reports but made a U-turn next day and voted for the bill. When the bill came for voting in the upper house again the same drama of the Opposition asking for several amendments in the bill to favour the rump state (minus Telangana) as if they suddenly discovered that there are people on the other side also. Anyway the bill again went through without much ado in the upper house as well where the opposition has more members than the ruling alliance which clearly indicates the cooperation between the ruling and opposition.

On the other hand, the Prime Ministerial candidate Mr Narendra Modi, started showing pity on the people of the other part of the bifurcated state (Seemandhra or whatever it will be called) as if he only came to know their plight only after the passage of the bill or just before the passage as can be seen or heard from the utterings in various public meetings across the country in a run-up to the forthcoming general elections.Yesterday (28th February). the great leader of BJP has attended a public meeting in the State of Karnataka and was distributing his great wisdom on the bifurcation. He termed Congress Party as a Doctor who killed a mother at the time of childbirth and the mother and son duo of Gandhis (Sonia and Rahul) as Dusnumbari. He uses his selective amnesia and misses to say that his party was the nurse which helped the doctor in this deed.

He showered pity on the other part of Seemandhra as they were made orphans by the bifurcation and he will take care of them once in power. Unfortunately, he is conveniently missing to say that his party also helped in the bifurcation and in Telangana they are claiming credit to share the spoils in the general elections. One will be a fool to think that Modi is unaware of the party's decision to support the bill. As a prime ministerial candidate he was definitely part of the governing committee (or whatever name they call themselves) who decides the policies more particularly with elections in sight. He needs every Parliament seat in the lower house which can be converted in favour of BJP as he needs to come into power with a majority. A shortfall and coalitions may alter the political equations and his aspirations.

The great leader is showing this kind of selective amnesia on majority of the subjects on which his provides discourses in public meetings be it history, ground realities. As a national leader there is a requirement for him to behave in a more dignified and restrained way rather than talk like a leader of a street committee. Even the media also are not in a position to question the party or the man about these anomalies or contradictions due to the influence on the publishing houses and the so called unpublished ban by the owners (of the publishing houses) on negative coverage about the great man. It is not a 56 inch chest which is required to lead this country particularly with all those scams of the current government but a more pragmatic and realistic approach to the current issues is more an order of the day to lead the country into the future which is displayed in governance of the Gujarat state. Though it is wishful thinking, let us hope that better sense prevails and the PM aspirant starts talking in a more pragmatic way than indulging in theatrics.