Indian political scene is replete with many political players. Hence there are no dearth for political developments. They happen day by day - one fades into the background, another occupies its place and such happenings go on and on and on. Today it may be Mayawati-Rita Bahuguna Joshi spat or frisking of APJ Abdul Kalam or something international like Hillary visit or Dr.ManMohanSingh at Sharm-el-Sheikh and the End-Use Monitoring Arrangement related to the purchase of defence purchases and controversies following it. Only a few examples. There are umpteen of them. Our political commentators get a lot to write upon and also reach their conclusions following analyses which may vary from commentator to commentator, which is also natural. View-points differ from person to person.
Now come to some of the recent developments which caught the national attention. Sorry sir, some of them may interest us, some may force us to sit and ponder and some make us fume with rage.
For example, take UttarPradesh. The State considered as the stepping stone to its way for occupying the ‘gaddi’ at Indraprastha by a political party. Remember A.B.Vajpayee’s famous utterings here. Most often we get something to have a hearty laugh thanks to Mayawati, the UP Chief Minister for her Tuglaq model reforms and orders like installation of her own statues not one or two but innumerable, even she has lost count of them alongside those of her mentor Kanshi Ram and B.R.Ambedkar. But she didn’t stop there. To protect the statues from vandals and political adversaries like Mulayam Singh and Amar Singh, the Samajwadi Party leaders, police men are deployed day in and day out and also making it incumbent upon them and their immediate superiors to report latest state of the statues to DIG Neera Raut on a weekly basis. Befooling oneself may be a way of deriving satisfaction for a few. Otherwise the CM’s penchant for installing her own statues somewhat displays her narcissist bent of mind bordering megalomania.
Our political commentators as well as her political adversaries and also the ‘ever-vigilant’ media left the subject then and there after they got something new to harp on. Can we call this ‘the great Indian circus” or the “Theatre of the absurd”? Sorry sir, I do not know.
The latest one being Mayawati-Rita Bahuguna Joshi spat. Ms.Joshi, the Chairperson of Indian National Congress of UP unit and her incarceration by Mayawati for the former’s mouthing of “uncivilized gutter language” against Mayawati and the latter’s spur of the moment reaction, all shook the nation by storm and all eyes turned to the ugly drama unfolding in UP. With the grant of bail to Ms Joshi by Moradabad district Magistrate, the raging fury of Joshi’s supporters and the defence of Ms. Joshi by her party’s national leaders, the ugly drama has come to a close, at least for the time being, leaving the next step of analyses and conclusions to the political commentators.
The other news which shocked us all was the reported exposure of news about the frisking of our former President Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam by an American based Airlines- Continental Airlines- at Indira Gandhi International Airport at New Delhi . ( there are two schools of thought anyhow) The bizarre drama happened way back on April 24, even then the disclosure took place only two or three days before. Why the whole thing was kept under wraps is somewhat a mystery. It all points to USA’s nightmares after 9/11 disaster and they are still nursing the fears.
As per the latest reports the Airlines have tendered an apology to Dr.Kalam for the sordid happenings which caused immense pain to him. Whether a mere apology is all that necessary for the hurt and pain caused to the former President?
The other news which led to anger and disillusionment among certain quarters was one related to the agreement reached at Sharm-el-Sheikh between our Prime Minister ManMohanSingh and Pakistani Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani on the sidelines of 15th Non-Aligned meeting.
Political commentators differ in their perspectives. Those who differ term it as a ‘sell-out’. India’s consent to include Pakistan’s contention of the ‘former’s interference’ in Baluchistan and also the bracketing of composite dialogue process and terrorist attacks were not in the least expected by members of opposition leading to a flurry of protests against the government. In the days to come whether protests will gain momentum or fade into the oblivion- wait and see.
Similar is the case with the visit of Ms.Hillary Clinton, the American Sate Secretary and the defence pact signed between her and her Indian counterpart related with India’s assent paving the way for USA’s access to information relating to India’s defence purchases by signing “end-user monitoring arrangement”. The opposition’s vehement protest against the controversial pact and government’s defence in the Loksabha and Rajyasabha led to the stalling of two houses.
Now that the protests are gradually ebbing the political commentators will come up with different analyses and by this time new issues will come in handy for both political parties and commentators. Nice, no?
Who needs follow-up action? Leaders? Media? Commentators? As new issues crop-up on a daily basis, no one cares, actually.
No comments:
Post a Comment