By Amulya Ganguli, IANS,
The Congress' victory in successive elections, and that too with more seats and higher voting percentage on the second occasion, means that the country has returned to the safe and sound middle path.
Both the earlier lurch to the right and the recent dogmatism of the Left have been negated. Instead, the familiar moderation of the Congress with its emphasis on secularism and modernity has received a vote of confidence from a discerning electorate.
This is not the first time that voters have acted wisely. As their rejection of Indira Gandhi in 1977 for her oppressive Emergency, and their disillusionment with the Congress in the mid-nineties showed, they have always been shrewd judges of politicians and parties.
The Congress lost favour in those periods for two reasons - the taints of authoritarianism and corruption and the inept attempts, first, to please Islamic fundamentalists by overturning the Supreme Court's Shah Bano verdict on alimony for Muslim women and then cozying up to Hindu militants by unlocking the Babri Masjid gates.
These blunders helped in the rise of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) with its combative pro-Hindu agenda.
But, as the latest electoral outcome shows, it didn't take long for the fascination with xenophobic politics to wear thin. The ordinary people evidently have no time for the demonisation of the minorities, which is the cornerstone of the BJP's policies.
Similarly, the Left has suffered a precipitous fall from its 60-odd Lok Sabha seats in 2004 to 24 now. What is more, its strongholds in both Kerala and West Bengal have crumbled. The setback in West Bengal is all the more devastating for the comrades because of their 30 years of dominance in the state. Now, there is a distinct possibility of the communists losing the assembly elections as well.
The reason why both the Left and the Right have been rejected so comprehensively is the common man's abhorrence of extremism. As a result, neither the BJP's cynical exploitation of Hindu religious sentiments nor the Left's blind anti-Americanism, as was evident in its opposition to the nuclear deal, secured the voters' approval.
On the question of the nuclear deal, the BJP may have shot itself in the foot by perversely opposing it even while clarifying that it was not anti-American. Evidently, the party was against it only because the Congress was for the measure, thereby demonstrating that national interest had little meaning for the BJP despite all its chest-thumping patriotic rhetoric.
The Left's opposition to the economic reforms showed that its faith in the tax-and-spend, public sector-dominated socialism remains undiminished although the wooing of the private sector by West Bengal's Marxist Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee was a sign that at least some of the comrades had woken up to the values of the market forces.
In contrast to these ideologically-driven parties - one hoping to provoke and use Hindu animus against the minorities for its success and the other banking on a dead doctrine - the Congress presented a picture of reasonableness.
Its follies may relate to the misuse of the governor's office and of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for partisan purposes, but these were minor foibles compared to the officially-patronised anti-Muslim pogrom in Gujarat in 2002, for which BJP Chief Minister Narendra Modi and several of his ministers are facing an inquiry conducted under the Supreme Court's supervision.
The Left's persistent obstructionism on the economic front, which could not but hamper the growth rate, was also apparently a more substantial offence in the eyes of the electorate along with its attempts to scuttle the nuclear deal, which would have pleased India's two inveterate enemies, Pakistan and China, if the comrades had succeeded.
It is worth noting that the latest rejection of the BJP has come after the voters gave the party a chance to rule at the centre for six years from 1998. But the party failed to make any permanent gains because it had no one other than Atal Bihari Vajpayee to pursue a line of moderation, which included his attempts as prime minister to initiate a peace process with Pakistan by undertaking a bus journey to Lahore.
However, as Vajpayee later ruefully pointed out, it was the Gujarat riots which led to the BJP's defeat in 2004. Five years later, and after another more substantive defeat, Yashwant Sinha, who was a minister in Vajpayee's cabinet, regretted that it was the absence of the former prime minister during the BJP's campaign which was responsible for its setback.
Even if this comment was a dig at the BJP's prime ministerial candidate, L.K. Advani's inadequacies as a propagandist, Sinha's point is valid - that only a moderate line can succeed in multicultural, multi-religious, multilingual India.
Since the Congress, as a big tent party, favours neither the domination of one community or the pursuit of a doctrinnaire economic line, it has always been the natural party of governance while the Left and the Right belong to the periphery.
The Congress had lost its way in the nineties because of corruption and the absence of an inspirational leader after Rajiv Gandhi's death. But, now, the leadership vacuum has been filled by the troika of Sonia Gandhi, Manmohan Singh and Rahul Gandhi. They also have a fairly competent team comprising, among others, Pranab Mukherjee and P. Chidambaram.
The Congress, therefore, is back in business while its opponents are licking their wounds.
(23.05.2009-Amulya Ganguli is a political analyst. He can be reached at aganguli@mail.com)
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Elections 2009: Advani defeated Advani
By Naved Hamid
Now as the dust over the euphoria of the outcome of the General elections of 2009 in India has nearly settled down and the UPA government led by the oldest political party of India under the leadership of Dr. Manmohan Singh, who undoubtedly demonstrated his visionary strength, has created history by not only ensuring to get the confidence of the Indian electorates for the second term as PM only after Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru in the history of the democratic India but also by putting cold water on the aspirations of Mr. Lal Krishna Advani, political yatri since last sixty years and the leader of Bharatiya Janata Party.
The day of 16 May 2009 was the day of anti-climax for Mr. Lal Krishna Advani in his political life. It is but natural to aspire for the highest post in the political struggle for a person of Mr. L.K. Advani’s stature but what Mr. Advani has ignored in his political journey is the existence of the pluralistic character of the Indian nation. He became the ‘lauh prush’ or the ‘iron man’ of his political ideology but could not become the pillar of strength for the vast majority of Indians who thoroughly believes in pluralistic character of the nation.
Practically he had ensured the locking of the doors of the PM’s office nearly 18 years back when he started his aggressive anti-Muslim rath yatra to correct the history as per his understanding and vision, which culminated with the demolition of the Babri Mosque of Ayodhya in 1992. Mr. Advani even failed to understand the mindset of the Indian electorates when they rejected his brand of aggressive Hindutva ideology by ensuring the defeat of his party’s candidates in the elections for five state assemblies just after the demolition of one of the oldest mosque of India.
Mr. Advani, along with his colleagues in the Sangh Parivar, had tried to convince Indian masses that the Muslims are of the pampered community in the country. Since mid-nineties, the Muslims of the country were campaigning for the white paper on the socio-economic-educational condition of the community as they had felt the heat of the Sangh’s propaganda of pampering.
Bharatiya Janata Party under the leadership of Mr. L.K. Advani had opposed the announcement of the constitution of Justice Sachar Committee by the UPA government to study the conditions of the Muslim community in India, and the only fear in their mind might be the exposure of the truth. When the study was out, the nation was stunned as Sachar Committee Report placed the factual backwardness of the Muslim community in every field of life before the nation.
For more than three decades, Advani’s brand of politics has made innocent countrymen to ‘believe’ the Sangh’s Goebel propaganda and had created unnecessary hatred, hostility and enmity against the Muslims and confusion in the country. In one stroke the Sachar Committee Report exposed the truth of the pampering propaganda. Enlightened with the factual position, the countrymen took notice of the false propaganda seriously.
After the Sachar Report, when the establishment of the day under the leadership of Dr. Manmohan Singh decided to correct the injustices and announced the launching of the inclusive policies for the empowerment of the backward Muslim community, it was again BJP under Mr. Advani’s leadership that created a ruckus inside and outside the Parliament and strongly opposed the measures without understanding the basic mantra of development for all. Mr. Advani’s colleagues left no stone unturned to convince the innocent countrymen that the launching of the inclusive policies for minorities is nothing but communal budgets and communal awards for the Muslims in the country. The countrymen responded with maturity and ignored the aggressive exclusive agenda of Mr. Advani’s BJP.
Mr. Advani’s another favorite Muslim bashing issue was that of the breeding of Islamic terrorists in the campuses of Islamic Madrasas located along the vulnerable western and northern borders of the country. For more than six years Mr. Lal Krishna Advani was the Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister in Mr. A. B. Vajpayee regime. Even as Deputy Prime Minister, Mr. Advani had given public statements about the dangers of cultivations of Jihadis in Islamic Madrasas but failed to put on record any factual position about their anti national activities on the table of the Parliament. Mr. Advani had loudly and rightly promised that NDA government would bring a white paper on the ‘anti-national’ activities of madrasas before the nation but for three years country waited for that until the NDA regime became a part of the Indian history. After losing power in 2004, breeding of Islamic Jihadism in madrasas became, ironically once again, a favorite topic of Mr. Advani’s political sermons and the countrymen were aghast to hear that again.
For more than six years, Mr. Lal Krishna Advani not only had maintained criminal silence on the role of his party leaders in the massacre of the innocent Muslims in the worst ever communal genocide of Muslims in the recent history of South Asia but also supported the continuation of Narendra Modi as the Chief Minister of Gujarat. Who can deny that it was Mr. Lal Krishna Advani’s protégé (a sindhi too) Maya Kodnani who was Social Welfare and Higher Education Minister in the Gujarat Government till she was arrested by the Special Investigation Team after the intervention of the honorable Supreme Court of India, for her role in abetting and instigating mobs against the residents of Naroda Gam and Naroda Patiya in Ahmedabad and massacre of hapless Muslims in Gujarat disturbances of 2002.
Was Maya Kodnani in the State Cabinet because of the patronage of any other leader other than Mr. Advani? The victims of Naroda Gam and Naroda Patiya have boldly and loudly named Maya Kodnani for her notorious role in the violence against them but because of his brand of politics, Mr. Advani had always ignored the crimes of her protégé. How a civilized society can ignore former PM in waiting, Mr. Advani’s silence on the crimes against humanity of his colleagues?
Who can deny that the country has suffered a lot and hundreds of innocents have lost their lives and property because of the foreign abetted terrorism in India? In recent past, the denial of justice to Gujarat victims may also have nurtured a tendency of violence and terrorism amongst the Muslim victims of the state, which cannot be justified in any manner.
The nation, however, was horrified not only with the arrest of Sadhvi Pragyasingh and her colleagues – Major (Retd.) Ramesh Upadhayaya, Col. Srikant Prasad Purohit, Abhinav Bharat Secretary Ajay Rahirkar, Mahant Dayanand Pandey and others – for their role in the bomb blasts in several cities of Muslim concentration including that of Ajmer, Hyderabad and Malegaon to name a few but also with the communalization and politicization of these arrests by Mr. Lal Krishna Advani. He not only raised serious doubts on the integrity against the ATS but also demanded judicial probe into the allegation made by Sadhvi Pragyasingh Thakur against the officials of Maharashtra ATS. The day Mr. Hemant Karkare of Maharashtra ATS died fighting LeT terrorists in Mumbai, Samna, the mouthpiece of BJP’s alliance partner in state of Maharashtra, wrote editorial against Mr. Hemant Karkare and his colleagues. Mr. Advani had not even once criticized and discouraged those who were attacking the officers of Maharashtra ATS for unearthing the terror network of Sadhvi Pragyasingh Thakur and her colleagues. The nation had witnessed with horror Mr. Lal Krishna Advani’s double talks on terror. The brave Mumbaikars rejected the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance when they got a chance in the Parliamentary election thus erecting one more barrier to block Mr. Advani’s march to the office of the Prime Minister.
The only purpose to sensationalise Afzal Guru’s issue in elections was nothing but to communalise the general voters against the Muslim community. Mr. Advani forgets that in the assembly elections of 2008, his attempts had not borne any fruits for his party. The voters had once again taken strong exceptions to his approach towards whole issue and decided to use their vote against his faulty approach.
Varun Gandhi’s much-talked about hate speech in Pilibhit in UP further dimmed Advani’s chances to move closer to the office of the Prime Minister. Mr. Advani deliberately defended Varun for nothing but to garner the Hindutva votes, with the argument that the culprit is denying the contents of his speech. What Mr. Advani forgot was the lame excuse of Mr. Varun Gandhi during his clarification before the electronic and print media that he had visited the place because a number of Hindu women had been sexually molested by Muslims and he had tried to restore the confidence amongst the Hindu population of the area. The clarification of Varun was nothing but a canard as in next two days the Indian Express published an investigating story puncturing the whole argument of Varun Gandhi. The women in Pilibhit were molested not by any Muslim youth but by their own community’s lecherous characters. The youths of the nation not only dismissed Varun’s hate speech against Muslims and the Sikhs but also decided to express their displeasure against Mr. Advani’s approach while deciding for the next Government.
For more than six months the goons of Sangh Parivar were active in Kandhamal in Orissa against the hapless Christian tribals, thousands were forced to take refuge in relief camps in their own country, more than 60 innocent children, women and men were brutally killed and homes of around 5000 families were set afire by them allegedly under the patronage of state ministers who were part of the state government. The nation was horrified when BJP under Mr. Advani’s patronage gave tickets to the culprits for the state Assembly and for the Lok Sabha. The voters of Orissa displayed their wisdom by rejecting most of the BJP’s nominees and his party’s share of votes and strength in State Assembly and in Parliament came down subsequently.
One of the major crisis and communal strife the nation had witnessed was that of Amarnath Yatra row in the state of Jammu & Kashmir. The nomination of Mr. Leela Karan Sharma, the known face who was leading the agitation, as the BJP’s candidate for Jammu Parliamentary constituency undoubtedly exposed the forces behind the strife in the State. Mr. Advani’s gamble of nominating Mr. Sharma did not work and the Jammu voters of the state rejected his party’s choice.
During his entire election campaign, Mr Advani was romancing with non-issues and inventing new theories. What Mr. Advani forgot was that a Sikh can never be a weak when he taunted Dr. Manmohan Singh as the weak Prime Minister of India. With his attack on Dr. Manmohan Singh, the country’s modest voters made up their mind to respond firmly against Mr. Advani’s diatribe by pushing the button against his party.
Thus hardliner Hindutva mascot Advani defeated the political yatri of last sixty years.
Now as the dust over the euphoria of the outcome of the General elections of 2009 in India has nearly settled down and the UPA government led by the oldest political party of India under the leadership of Dr. Manmohan Singh, who undoubtedly demonstrated his visionary strength, has created history by not only ensuring to get the confidence of the Indian electorates for the second term as PM only after Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru in the history of the democratic India but also by putting cold water on the aspirations of Mr. Lal Krishna Advani, political yatri since last sixty years and the leader of Bharatiya Janata Party.
The day of 16 May 2009 was the day of anti-climax for Mr. Lal Krishna Advani in his political life. It is but natural to aspire for the highest post in the political struggle for a person of Mr. L.K. Advani’s stature but what Mr. Advani has ignored in his political journey is the existence of the pluralistic character of the Indian nation. He became the ‘lauh prush’ or the ‘iron man’ of his political ideology but could not become the pillar of strength for the vast majority of Indians who thoroughly believes in pluralistic character of the nation.
Practically he had ensured the locking of the doors of the PM’s office nearly 18 years back when he started his aggressive anti-Muslim rath yatra to correct the history as per his understanding and vision, which culminated with the demolition of the Babri Mosque of Ayodhya in 1992. Mr. Advani even failed to understand the mindset of the Indian electorates when they rejected his brand of aggressive Hindutva ideology by ensuring the defeat of his party’s candidates in the elections for five state assemblies just after the demolition of one of the oldest mosque of India.
Mr. Advani, along with his colleagues in the Sangh Parivar, had tried to convince Indian masses that the Muslims are of the pampered community in the country. Since mid-nineties, the Muslims of the country were campaigning for the white paper on the socio-economic-educational condition of the community as they had felt the heat of the Sangh’s propaganda of pampering.
Bharatiya Janata Party under the leadership of Mr. L.K. Advani had opposed the announcement of the constitution of Justice Sachar Committee by the UPA government to study the conditions of the Muslim community in India, and the only fear in their mind might be the exposure of the truth. When the study was out, the nation was stunned as Sachar Committee Report placed the factual backwardness of the Muslim community in every field of life before the nation.
For more than three decades, Advani’s brand of politics has made innocent countrymen to ‘believe’ the Sangh’s Goebel propaganda and had created unnecessary hatred, hostility and enmity against the Muslims and confusion in the country. In one stroke the Sachar Committee Report exposed the truth of the pampering propaganda. Enlightened with the factual position, the countrymen took notice of the false propaganda seriously.
After the Sachar Report, when the establishment of the day under the leadership of Dr. Manmohan Singh decided to correct the injustices and announced the launching of the inclusive policies for the empowerment of the backward Muslim community, it was again BJP under Mr. Advani’s leadership that created a ruckus inside and outside the Parliament and strongly opposed the measures without understanding the basic mantra of development for all. Mr. Advani’s colleagues left no stone unturned to convince the innocent countrymen that the launching of the inclusive policies for minorities is nothing but communal budgets and communal awards for the Muslims in the country. The countrymen responded with maturity and ignored the aggressive exclusive agenda of Mr. Advani’s BJP.
Mr. Advani’s another favorite Muslim bashing issue was that of the breeding of Islamic terrorists in the campuses of Islamic Madrasas located along the vulnerable western and northern borders of the country. For more than six years Mr. Lal Krishna Advani was the Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister in Mr. A. B. Vajpayee regime. Even as Deputy Prime Minister, Mr. Advani had given public statements about the dangers of cultivations of Jihadis in Islamic Madrasas but failed to put on record any factual position about their anti national activities on the table of the Parliament. Mr. Advani had loudly and rightly promised that NDA government would bring a white paper on the ‘anti-national’ activities of madrasas before the nation but for three years country waited for that until the NDA regime became a part of the Indian history. After losing power in 2004, breeding of Islamic Jihadism in madrasas became, ironically once again, a favorite topic of Mr. Advani’s political sermons and the countrymen were aghast to hear that again.
For more than six years, Mr. Lal Krishna Advani not only had maintained criminal silence on the role of his party leaders in the massacre of the innocent Muslims in the worst ever communal genocide of Muslims in the recent history of South Asia but also supported the continuation of Narendra Modi as the Chief Minister of Gujarat. Who can deny that it was Mr. Lal Krishna Advani’s protégé (a sindhi too) Maya Kodnani who was Social Welfare and Higher Education Minister in the Gujarat Government till she was arrested by the Special Investigation Team after the intervention of the honorable Supreme Court of India, for her role in abetting and instigating mobs against the residents of Naroda Gam and Naroda Patiya in Ahmedabad and massacre of hapless Muslims in Gujarat disturbances of 2002.
Was Maya Kodnani in the State Cabinet because of the patronage of any other leader other than Mr. Advani? The victims of Naroda Gam and Naroda Patiya have boldly and loudly named Maya Kodnani for her notorious role in the violence against them but because of his brand of politics, Mr. Advani had always ignored the crimes of her protégé. How a civilized society can ignore former PM in waiting, Mr. Advani’s silence on the crimes against humanity of his colleagues?
Who can deny that the country has suffered a lot and hundreds of innocents have lost their lives and property because of the foreign abetted terrorism in India? In recent past, the denial of justice to Gujarat victims may also have nurtured a tendency of violence and terrorism amongst the Muslim victims of the state, which cannot be justified in any manner.
The nation, however, was horrified not only with the arrest of Sadhvi Pragyasingh and her colleagues – Major (Retd.) Ramesh Upadhayaya, Col. Srikant Prasad Purohit, Abhinav Bharat Secretary Ajay Rahirkar, Mahant Dayanand Pandey and others – for their role in the bomb blasts in several cities of Muslim concentration including that of Ajmer, Hyderabad and Malegaon to name a few but also with the communalization and politicization of these arrests by Mr. Lal Krishna Advani. He not only raised serious doubts on the integrity against the ATS but also demanded judicial probe into the allegation made by Sadhvi Pragyasingh Thakur against the officials of Maharashtra ATS. The day Mr. Hemant Karkare of Maharashtra ATS died fighting LeT terrorists in Mumbai, Samna, the mouthpiece of BJP’s alliance partner in state of Maharashtra, wrote editorial against Mr. Hemant Karkare and his colleagues. Mr. Advani had not even once criticized and discouraged those who were attacking the officers of Maharashtra ATS for unearthing the terror network of Sadhvi Pragyasingh Thakur and her colleagues. The nation had witnessed with horror Mr. Lal Krishna Advani’s double talks on terror. The brave Mumbaikars rejected the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance when they got a chance in the Parliamentary election thus erecting one more barrier to block Mr. Advani’s march to the office of the Prime Minister.
The only purpose to sensationalise Afzal Guru’s issue in elections was nothing but to communalise the general voters against the Muslim community. Mr. Advani forgets that in the assembly elections of 2008, his attempts had not borne any fruits for his party. The voters had once again taken strong exceptions to his approach towards whole issue and decided to use their vote against his faulty approach.
Varun Gandhi’s much-talked about hate speech in Pilibhit in UP further dimmed Advani’s chances to move closer to the office of the Prime Minister. Mr. Advani deliberately defended Varun for nothing but to garner the Hindutva votes, with the argument that the culprit is denying the contents of his speech. What Mr. Advani forgot was the lame excuse of Mr. Varun Gandhi during his clarification before the electronic and print media that he had visited the place because a number of Hindu women had been sexually molested by Muslims and he had tried to restore the confidence amongst the Hindu population of the area. The clarification of Varun was nothing but a canard as in next two days the Indian Express published an investigating story puncturing the whole argument of Varun Gandhi. The women in Pilibhit were molested not by any Muslim youth but by their own community’s lecherous characters. The youths of the nation not only dismissed Varun’s hate speech against Muslims and the Sikhs but also decided to express their displeasure against Mr. Advani’s approach while deciding for the next Government.
For more than six months the goons of Sangh Parivar were active in Kandhamal in Orissa against the hapless Christian tribals, thousands were forced to take refuge in relief camps in their own country, more than 60 innocent children, women and men were brutally killed and homes of around 5000 families were set afire by them allegedly under the patronage of state ministers who were part of the state government. The nation was horrified when BJP under Mr. Advani’s patronage gave tickets to the culprits for the state Assembly and for the Lok Sabha. The voters of Orissa displayed their wisdom by rejecting most of the BJP’s nominees and his party’s share of votes and strength in State Assembly and in Parliament came down subsequently.
One of the major crisis and communal strife the nation had witnessed was that of Amarnath Yatra row in the state of Jammu & Kashmir. The nomination of Mr. Leela Karan Sharma, the known face who was leading the agitation, as the BJP’s candidate for Jammu Parliamentary constituency undoubtedly exposed the forces behind the strife in the State. Mr. Advani’s gamble of nominating Mr. Sharma did not work and the Jammu voters of the state rejected his party’s choice.
During his entire election campaign, Mr Advani was romancing with non-issues and inventing new theories. What Mr. Advani forgot was that a Sikh can never be a weak when he taunted Dr. Manmohan Singh as the weak Prime Minister of India. With his attack on Dr. Manmohan Singh, the country’s modest voters made up their mind to respond firmly against Mr. Advani’s diatribe by pushing the button against his party.
Thus hardliner Hindutva mascot Advani defeated the political yatri of last sixty years.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
British Indian Muslims celebrate the defeat of Hindutva fascism
By TwoCircles.net News Desk,
New Delhi: British Indian Muslims have welcomed the defeat of BJP led fascism in India and have saluted the wisdom and political maturity of Indian voters for doing so.
“We salute the wisdom and political maturity of Indian voters who, we hope and pray, have said goodbye forever to the philosophy of supremacy, hatred and sectarianism of the BJP.” Chairman of Council of Indian Muslims—UK (CIM) has said in a statement issued today.
“Despite facing the ongoing harassment and detentions of Muslim youths, especially in Uttar Pradesh, Muslims have played a major role in bringing Congress back to power. They have shown confidence in Dr Manmohan Singh’s honesty and have believed his assurance that being a Sikh he understood how Muslims were harassed in the name of prevention of terrorism.” Mr Zeena said.
“Although Muslim community is facing a number of injustices, Dr Singh’s first priority should be to rein the police and stop the ongoing marginalisation of Muslims in general and harassment of Muslim youths in particular and bring under control the freehand of the police in doing so.”
New Delhi: British Indian Muslims have welcomed the defeat of BJP led fascism in India and have saluted the wisdom and political maturity of Indian voters for doing so.
“We salute the wisdom and political maturity of Indian voters who, we hope and pray, have said goodbye forever to the philosophy of supremacy, hatred and sectarianism of the BJP.” Chairman of Council of Indian Muslims—UK (CIM) has said in a statement issued today.
“Despite facing the ongoing harassment and detentions of Muslim youths, especially in Uttar Pradesh, Muslims have played a major role in bringing Congress back to power. They have shown confidence in Dr Manmohan Singh’s honesty and have believed his assurance that being a Sikh he understood how Muslims were harassed in the name of prevention of terrorism.” Mr Zeena said.
“Although Muslim community is facing a number of injustices, Dr Singh’s first priority should be to rein the police and stop the ongoing marginalisation of Muslims in general and harassment of Muslim youths in particular and bring under control the freehand of the police in doing so.”
Muslim-peasant factor, alliance arithmetic sink Left in Bengal
By Sirshendu Panth, IANS,
Kolkata : Singed by Muslim anger and mauled by peasants' rage, the Left citadel in West Bengal gave way in these Lok Sabha elections, unable to withstand the determined onslaught of an opposition alliance stitched by Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee.
The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M)-led Left Front (LF), which has been at the state's helm for 32 uninterrupted years, seems to have fallen casualty to the anti-incumbency factor, with people developing a strong distaste for the ruling combine's poor show in areas like health, and also due to the arrogance and changed lifestyle of the lower level party functionaries.
But more than anything, it was the Mamata Banerjee factor.
Berated in the past for her immature and whimsical ways, the Trinamool chief displayed cool calculation as she broke ranks with the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to join forces with the Congress with an eye on the sizeable Muslim votes.
The Muslims, comprising around 23 percent of the state's population, were cut up with their one-time favourite LF after the Rajinder Sachar Committee report brought to the fore their gross under-representation in state government jobs and the general backwardness of the community.
In addition, the violence in East Midnapore's Nandigram - where Muslims are in a majority - and Trinamool's sustained campaign that the government was planning to acquire large tracts of agricultural land across the state, also swayed the community. The Muslims in the state mostly draw their daily sustenance from small landholdings.
The mystery behind the Rizwanur Rahman death, where the Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee government dilly-dallied in taking action against police officials accused of forcing the Muslim computer graphics teacher to separate from his Hindu wife, only increased the anger in the community.
Trinamool's tie-up with the Congress helped in consolidating the Muslim vote in favour of the combine.
The surprising poll debacle at the Marxist stronghold of Uluberia in the neighbouring Howrah district is a case in point. The constituency with a 40 percent Muslim population had always been with the CPI-M since 1977. But with the votes of the Congress as well as the Trinamool supporters, Sultan Ahmed of the Trinamool Congress beat eight-time MP Hannan Mollah.
The defeat of the CPI-M's minority face, Mohammed Salim, from Kolkata North with a 16-20 percent Muslim population and the opposition's sweep in the Muslim-dominated belt of Murshidabad are other indicators. In Malda district, the influence of the Congress leader, the late A.B.A. Ghani Khan Choudhury, continued.
Singur and Nandigram, which have now almost become symbols of peasant movements against land acquisition for industries, were also contributory factors in galvanising the rural peasantry to ditch the LF, thereby affecting its rural vote bank in large parts of the state.
That the CPI-M's campaign blaming Banerjee for Tata Motors' Nano plant moving out of the state did not cut much ice with the electorate is evident from the 22,000-plus lead taken by the Trinamool candidate from the Singur assembly segment, which falls under Hooghly parliamentary constituency.
In the five districts - Kolkata and its adjoining South 24 Parganas, North 24 Parganas, Hooghly and Howrah - the LF was annihilated in 16 seats due to the coupling of the Muslim-peasant factors.
The consolidation of the Congress-Trinamool votes also gave the arithmetical advantage to the opposition and helped it pick up seats in several constituencies, particularly in Nadia and Birbhum districts, and even in South 24 Parganas and Kolkata.
The alliance also got the votes of the middle classes, especially in Kolkata, who wanted a stable government at the centre.
But for its impressive showing in the western belt of Birbhum, West Midnapore and Bankura as also in Burdwan, the LF would have been virtually wiped out from the state.
The BJP, which won the Darjeeling seat, torpedoed the Trinamool's chances in two constituencies, Alipurduar and Burdwan (East).
The Trinamool-Congress alliance got 26 seats of the state's 42 seats, while the Left got 15, its lowest since 1977.
Kolkata : Singed by Muslim anger and mauled by peasants' rage, the Left citadel in West Bengal gave way in these Lok Sabha elections, unable to withstand the determined onslaught of an opposition alliance stitched by Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee.
The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M)-led Left Front (LF), which has been at the state's helm for 32 uninterrupted years, seems to have fallen casualty to the anti-incumbency factor, with people developing a strong distaste for the ruling combine's poor show in areas like health, and also due to the arrogance and changed lifestyle of the lower level party functionaries.
But more than anything, it was the Mamata Banerjee factor.
Berated in the past for her immature and whimsical ways, the Trinamool chief displayed cool calculation as she broke ranks with the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to join forces with the Congress with an eye on the sizeable Muslim votes.
The Muslims, comprising around 23 percent of the state's population, were cut up with their one-time favourite LF after the Rajinder Sachar Committee report brought to the fore their gross under-representation in state government jobs and the general backwardness of the community.
In addition, the violence in East Midnapore's Nandigram - where Muslims are in a majority - and Trinamool's sustained campaign that the government was planning to acquire large tracts of agricultural land across the state, also swayed the community. The Muslims in the state mostly draw their daily sustenance from small landholdings.
The mystery behind the Rizwanur Rahman death, where the Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee government dilly-dallied in taking action against police officials accused of forcing the Muslim computer graphics teacher to separate from his Hindu wife, only increased the anger in the community.
Trinamool's tie-up with the Congress helped in consolidating the Muslim vote in favour of the combine.
The surprising poll debacle at the Marxist stronghold of Uluberia in the neighbouring Howrah district is a case in point. The constituency with a 40 percent Muslim population had always been with the CPI-M since 1977. But with the votes of the Congress as well as the Trinamool supporters, Sultan Ahmed of the Trinamool Congress beat eight-time MP Hannan Mollah.
The defeat of the CPI-M's minority face, Mohammed Salim, from Kolkata North with a 16-20 percent Muslim population and the opposition's sweep in the Muslim-dominated belt of Murshidabad are other indicators. In Malda district, the influence of the Congress leader, the late A.B.A. Ghani Khan Choudhury, continued.
Singur and Nandigram, which have now almost become symbols of peasant movements against land acquisition for industries, were also contributory factors in galvanising the rural peasantry to ditch the LF, thereby affecting its rural vote bank in large parts of the state.
That the CPI-M's campaign blaming Banerjee for Tata Motors' Nano plant moving out of the state did not cut much ice with the electorate is evident from the 22,000-plus lead taken by the Trinamool candidate from the Singur assembly segment, which falls under Hooghly parliamentary constituency.
In the five districts - Kolkata and its adjoining South 24 Parganas, North 24 Parganas, Hooghly and Howrah - the LF was annihilated in 16 seats due to the coupling of the Muslim-peasant factors.
The consolidation of the Congress-Trinamool votes also gave the arithmetical advantage to the opposition and helped it pick up seats in several constituencies, particularly in Nadia and Birbhum districts, and even in South 24 Parganas and Kolkata.
The alliance also got the votes of the middle classes, especially in Kolkata, who wanted a stable government at the centre.
But for its impressive showing in the western belt of Birbhum, West Midnapore and Bankura as also in Burdwan, the LF would have been virtually wiped out from the state.
The BJP, which won the Darjeeling seat, torpedoed the Trinamool's chances in two constituencies, Alipurduar and Burdwan (East).
The Trinamool-Congress alliance got 26 seats of the state's 42 seats, while the Left got 15, its lowest since 1977.
Congress victory due to lack of alternative: Popular Front
By Pervez Bari, Twocircles.net,
Bhopal: The Popular Front of India chairman E. M. Abdul Rahiman stated that the Lok Sabha election results are the reflection of the hope that people have vested on Congress in the absence of a political alternative. The failure of other national and regional parties in gaining the confidence of the people paved the way for the Congress victory.
Abdul Rahiman in a statement said the election results are also a heavy blow to the communal fascist politics of Bharatiya Janata Party, (BJP). The fall of BJP in its bastions of power is an indication that people are returning to anti-communal stand all over the country. The marginal gain of the BJP in some parts of the country is due to the infightings among the so called secular parties.
A Press release issued by O M A Salam, Secretary Popular Front of India, from Calicut said the Left parties that are often and again vocal against imperialism and capitalism are in fact serving the interests of global capitalist forces. They also try to prevent the empowerment of minority communities. It is the response of the marginalized and exploited minorities, especially Muslims, which is responsible for the debacle of CPM in its traditional strong holds like Kerala and West Bengal.
The parties like Bahujan Samaj Party, (BSP), Samajwadi Party, (SP), and Rashtriya Janata Dal, (RJD), which were formed in the interests of Dalits, Backwards and Minorities, have not attended to the developmental needs of these exploited classes. Instead, they served the personal interests of a few leaders elites. Muslims and other backward classes have taught a lesson to the treacherous power games being played by these parties, the release said.
The election verdict conveys the message that an alternative which is capable of ensuring empowerment and development of exploited classes, castes and communities must emerge at the national level. A positive change to the current political scenario is possible only by building a new national political movement which is determined to fight imperialism and capitalism and to establish equal representation and justice to all citizens and classes without discriminating among them, the release pointed out.
Abdul Rahiman also pointed out that Popular Front has already sown the seeds of such positive political movement, the release added. (pervezbari@eth.net))
Bhopal: The Popular Front of India chairman E. M. Abdul Rahiman stated that the Lok Sabha election results are the reflection of the hope that people have vested on Congress in the absence of a political alternative. The failure of other national and regional parties in gaining the confidence of the people paved the way for the Congress victory.
Abdul Rahiman in a statement said the election results are also a heavy blow to the communal fascist politics of Bharatiya Janata Party, (BJP). The fall of BJP in its bastions of power is an indication that people are returning to anti-communal stand all over the country. The marginal gain of the BJP in some parts of the country is due to the infightings among the so called secular parties.
A Press release issued by O M A Salam, Secretary Popular Front of India, from Calicut said the Left parties that are often and again vocal against imperialism and capitalism are in fact serving the interests of global capitalist forces. They also try to prevent the empowerment of minority communities. It is the response of the marginalized and exploited minorities, especially Muslims, which is responsible for the debacle of CPM in its traditional strong holds like Kerala and West Bengal.
The parties like Bahujan Samaj Party, (BSP), Samajwadi Party, (SP), and Rashtriya Janata Dal, (RJD), which were formed in the interests of Dalits, Backwards and Minorities, have not attended to the developmental needs of these exploited classes. Instead, they served the personal interests of a few leaders elites. Muslims and other backward classes have taught a lesson to the treacherous power games being played by these parties, the release said.
The election verdict conveys the message that an alternative which is capable of ensuring empowerment and development of exploited classes, castes and communities must emerge at the national level. A positive change to the current political scenario is possible only by building a new national political movement which is determined to fight imperialism and capitalism and to establish equal representation and justice to all citizens and classes without discriminating among them, the release pointed out.
Abdul Rahiman also pointed out that Popular Front has already sown the seeds of such positive political movement, the release added. (pervezbari@eth.net))
AUDF workers were shocked by final result of Karimganj LS seat in Assam
By TwoCircles.net News Desk,
New Delhi: The Maulana Badruddin Ajmal led Assam United Democratic Front candidate in Karimganj Lok Sabha seat in Assam was leading since the first round of the counting to the end, they say. But the final result was announced in favor of Congress candidate from the seat.
AUDF candidate Rajesh Malla was leading Congress candidate Lalit Mohan Suklabaidya since the beginning.
Maulana Burhanuddin Qasmi, a close aide to AUDF chief says: “It is shocking to know that AUDF candidate from Karimganj Mr. Rajesh Malla, who was leading from the beginning of the first round of counting, was declared loser. “Till the last round his lead was 48 thousand votes. But the final result came favouring Congress candidate Lalit Mohan.”
This election has seen some other surprising results also. Home Minister P Chidambaram was declared loser in Shivaganga LS seat in Tamil Nadu but after recounting he was declared winner.
New Delhi: The Maulana Badruddin Ajmal led Assam United Democratic Front candidate in Karimganj Lok Sabha seat in Assam was leading since the first round of the counting to the end, they say. But the final result was announced in favor of Congress candidate from the seat.
AUDF candidate Rajesh Malla was leading Congress candidate Lalit Mohan Suklabaidya since the beginning.
Maulana Burhanuddin Qasmi, a close aide to AUDF chief says: “It is shocking to know that AUDF candidate from Karimganj Mr. Rajesh Malla, who was leading from the beginning of the first round of counting, was declared loser. “Till the last round his lead was 48 thousand votes. But the final result came favouring Congress candidate Lalit Mohan.”
This election has seen some other surprising results also. Home Minister P Chidambaram was declared loser in Shivaganga LS seat in Tamil Nadu but after recounting he was declared winner.
AGP the biggest loser in Assam polls
By Syed Zarir Hussain, IANS,
Guwahati : The regional Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) has emerged as the biggest loser, while the minority-based Asom United Democratic Front (AUDF) has turned out to be a major spoiler for the ruling Congress party in the 2009 general elections in Assam.
"The biggest casualty is undoubtedly the AGP as the party fared miserably in the polls having won just one seat compared to two seats it won in the 2004 elections," Akhil Ranjan Dutta, a political science teacher at Gauhati University, told IANS.
The AGP this time had a seat sharing agreement with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Of the 14 parliamentary seats, the Congress won seven seats, while its alliance partner the Bodoland People's Front (BPF) bagged one. The BJP won four seats - an increase in two seats compared to 2004 - while both the AGP and the AUDF got one each.
"The AGP's gamble failed on two counts - the way they thought the transfer of votes from the BJP to their candidates would take place did not work out and secondly the regional party lost their minority Muslim support base this time by aligning with the saffron party," said Wasbir Hussain, a political analyst.
"The AGP's regional character has gone for a big toss now and there is bound to be questions raised over their decision from within the party," he added.
The AGP leadership is trying to put up a brave front.
"We accept the verdict of the people of Assam and things did not go according to expectations," said AGP president Chandra Mohan Patowary.
There were questions now asked if the AGP-BJP tie up would continue till the 2011 assembly elections - an announcement the two parties made earlier.
"We would discuss all issues within the party," Patowary added.
The Congress that won nine seats in 2004 had to be content with seven seats this time, although the party leadership is not too disappointed with the results.
"We are generally happy at the results, although we expected at least one or two more seats. But one must appreciate the fact that it was a united opposition this time with the AGP-BJP and even the AUDF targeting Congress only in the electioneering," Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi told IANS.
What came as a surprise is the emergence of the AUDF, a party formed by perfume baron Badruddin Ajmal.
The AUDF may have won just one seat - Ajmal won the Dhubri parliamentary seat - but the party managed to split the Muslim votes and really spoiled the winning chances of the Congress party candidates on four seats - Silchar, Mangaldoi, Tezpur, and Nagaon.
"It is true the AUDF was a factor, but I am still sticking to my stand of not aligning with the AUDF," Gogoi said.
"It is true the BJP gained at the expense of the AGP, while the AGP was left high and dry and in fact lost its credibility. Even in 2001, the AGP tied up with the BJP during the assembly elections and that time as well they were humiliated in the elections," said Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
Guwahati : The regional Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) has emerged as the biggest loser, while the minority-based Asom United Democratic Front (AUDF) has turned out to be a major spoiler for the ruling Congress party in the 2009 general elections in Assam.
"The biggest casualty is undoubtedly the AGP as the party fared miserably in the polls having won just one seat compared to two seats it won in the 2004 elections," Akhil Ranjan Dutta, a political science teacher at Gauhati University, told IANS.
The AGP this time had a seat sharing agreement with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Of the 14 parliamentary seats, the Congress won seven seats, while its alliance partner the Bodoland People's Front (BPF) bagged one. The BJP won four seats - an increase in two seats compared to 2004 - while both the AGP and the AUDF got one each.
"The AGP's gamble failed on two counts - the way they thought the transfer of votes from the BJP to their candidates would take place did not work out and secondly the regional party lost their minority Muslim support base this time by aligning with the saffron party," said Wasbir Hussain, a political analyst.
"The AGP's regional character has gone for a big toss now and there is bound to be questions raised over their decision from within the party," he added.
The AGP leadership is trying to put up a brave front.
"We accept the verdict of the people of Assam and things did not go according to expectations," said AGP president Chandra Mohan Patowary.
There were questions now asked if the AGP-BJP tie up would continue till the 2011 assembly elections - an announcement the two parties made earlier.
"We would discuss all issues within the party," Patowary added.
The Congress that won nine seats in 2004 had to be content with seven seats this time, although the party leadership is not too disappointed with the results.
"We are generally happy at the results, although we expected at least one or two more seats. But one must appreciate the fact that it was a united opposition this time with the AGP-BJP and even the AUDF targeting Congress only in the electioneering," Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi told IANS.
What came as a surprise is the emergence of the AUDF, a party formed by perfume baron Badruddin Ajmal.
The AUDF may have won just one seat - Ajmal won the Dhubri parliamentary seat - but the party managed to split the Muslim votes and really spoiled the winning chances of the Congress party candidates on four seats - Silchar, Mangaldoi, Tezpur, and Nagaon.
"It is true the AUDF was a factor, but I am still sticking to my stand of not aligning with the AUDF," Gogoi said.
"It is true the BJP gained at the expense of the AGP, while the AGP was left high and dry and in fact lost its credibility. Even in 2001, the AGP tied up with the BJP during the assembly elections and that time as well they were humiliated in the elections," said Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
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