Shiban Khaibri
“Politicians often are the same all over.
They promise to build a bridge even where there is no river.”
Nikita Khrushchev
Really most of our political leaders are toiling , exerting and moiling for ”protecting” democracy and if at all, they are in politics, their aims are only two , one – to do Jan Sewa or public service and two- to protect democracy . However, the ‘threat and the danger’ to our democracy has been there since 2014 , not before , not even when emergency was imposed and thousands put behind bars , press gagged and liberties snatched but only from the year 2014 which continues even now and is expected , at least to remain there till May 2024 and with the same levels of threat to it may perhaps sustain it further to continue even beyond 2024 . Previously , very intermittently , it used to be threat to so called over bugged and over strained secularism and then followed by threat to tolerance but of late , threat perception to democracy is looming large. We should ”appreciate” the concerns of Randeep Surjewala, the official spokesman of Congress party , for working overtime to protect this ‘endangered’ democracy in the country but immediately starting from Rajasthan.
Why not , after Madhya Pradesh, if Rajasthan too goes that way, democracy was really in more danger . That is why , he has now exhorted the common man on the streets to protect it as Kalraj Mishra, the Governor of Rajasthan has done nothing as per wishes of the Congress party and Surjewala Ji to resolve what he called political turmoil. He lamented that “if the Governor does not protect the constitution, if the judiciary does not serve the justice, and if there is ”greed” to be in power, then democracy needs to be protected”. Just mark the words “if there is greed to be in power” spoken by the official spokesman of Congress . Seeing the characteristics of a lotus flower , it does not take a drop of water and is detached from water whilst being deep in water , just like a fruit laden tree does not ever taste itself a bit of it or the river never ever drinks a drop , in the same way , Congress has no greed for the power as per Surjewala Ji. It is in active politics only and only for public service strictly as per Gandhi Ji had advised it after we gained independence . It is another thing that his advice was acted upon only half way , as the Congress was not disbanded . Congress sermonising against greed of power looks weird and uncanny. However, Surjewala Ji has been entrusted with the job of regularly speaking to the press, tweeting , and issuing statements one after the other till Rajasthan crisis is settled as per his and his party’s wishes – only and only for protecting democracy and nothing else.
Says Surjewala Ji that Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot wants to prove majority and ”serve and protect ” democracy but the Governor does not allow him to do so as ”there is ”Cheer Haran” or stripping of clothes of democracy by the BJP and the entire country is witness to that” is really mind blowing . A nice piece , a topic, a theme, a plot etc for literature lovers in that in whose presence was ‘cheer harran ‘ done and in case it was done , who invoked Almighty’s help as was sought in the context of which Surjewala used the extreme term, again only for protecting democracy. Who played that notorious , ill famed and scandalous gamble and lost and who was put at stakes, is not elucidated by the Congress spokesman except personifying Congress in Rajasthan as a feeble but lost in stakes victim whose ”cheer haran” was done . That looks quite bizarre as to park the ’causes’ of the crisis at someone else’s doors is really astonishing. The revolt took place in your own house and some members parted company , how come the disrobing or stripping the clothes of democracy took place. The word ‘harran’ in Hindi otherwise literally means kidnapping . Who kidnapped whom , at least why to use analogies out of context which smack of ridicule, derision and sneers.
Frustration is alright under the circumstances but even under such conditions , keeping cool and composed is the only wise alternative . By the way , who is asking or pressing CM Gehlot for proving majority and why so much of fuss all about it , is baffling. Again on July 28, Surjewala in an incompatible analogical manner termed the Rajasthan crisis as an “epic battle” saying that “an epic battle was on to determine who wins between trust and fraud , people and traitors, and democracy and contractors of truth…, the Congress would fight this war in the interests of truth , constitution and democracy and emerge victorious.” You cannot petition the Governor about the nuances of the purpose of convening the Assembly session as CM Gehlot repeatedly keeps on saying in the public that he would take a test of strength in the House in the wake of rebellion by 19 Congress MLAs including the sacked Deputy Chief Minister . It is only the former Union Minister P. Chidambaram who advised Gehlot that the cabinet did not need to specify the floor test issue in its letter to the Governor for convening the assembly session . Only advising the Governor about calling the session was needed for which constitutionally the Governor could agree. And the same was done as a result of which a session is going to be called from August 14, the Governor giving his approval to it.
Keeping the MLAs confined to, if not captive in luxury hotel rooms at exorbitant tariffs is all service to democracy and no demonstration of the fear of losing them or switching sides or to put it in Surjewala’s words, BJP was conspiring to topple the government in Rajasthan. Rajasthan High Court’s order to maintain the status quo on the disqualification notice issued by the speaker to Sachin Pilot and 19 dissident MLAs of Congress has not been taken graciously by the Congress . Instead , it has questioned the said order and taken the matter to the Supreme Court. Anyway, almost every political matter of such nature where Congress feels that country’s democracy was ”threatened” (read the position of Congress was felt threatened) , it took the matter immediately to courts. Parading Honb’le MLAs for counting heads and arranging demonstration against the Governor outside Raj Bhawans like it happened in Rajasthan were steps taken ”democratically ” only to ”protect democracy”. When “Tukday Tukday Gang” raised seditious slogans inside the JNU campus in New Delhi , immediately after the hard core event , some Congress leaders along with other their branded secularism including Red(ed) sickle and hammer bearers joined them physically in ”letter , spirit and character” to lend formal and material support to those Tukday Gang instead of pressing the government to identify, expose, expel and jail them . That all was done only to ‘protect’ democracy.
”Cshapak” movie promoter known cine artist joins sloganeering elements in JNU who without suffering from any personal or collective trouble on account of the CAA were up in arms against the government despite the said amendment to Citizenship Act carried out by the Parliament constitutionally and democratically , receive overt and covert support from ”Democracy Protecting Club” is all done to ‘protect’ the democracy. This all is despite, of late, certain charges of involvement of elements active against India like Pakistani Mussarat , a close friend of Imran Khan as revealed by former RAW officer in such ”support ” extended to the agitating elements and money having allegedly been used — is all done only to ‘protect’ democracy. Live telecast of Shree Ram Mandir Shilyanyas is opposed by these bearers of democracy and even tried to arrange a court intervention only to protect democracy . All other series of religious telecast is aimed at strengthening the secularism , Gang-Jammuni tehzeeb and upholding of plurality and diversity and whatever but not Ram poojan. By the way, who has divided Ganga and Jammna to connect some particular ”tehzeeb” to it , the secular and democratic lobby may clarify. In 2002 Haj bulletins telecast and regular Iftar parties telecast, in 2016 canonization of Mother Teresa telecast, visit of Pope John Paul II in 1999 and its live telecast, live telecast of historic Sri Kartarpur corridor in 2019 , Bodhisattva festival Delhi telecast in 2014 have been there and celebrated but Shree Ram Janam Bhoomi pujan telecast is threatening democracy and secularism as per the self styled liberal , democrat , secular opportunist lobby . This country should be secular for all including Hindus and Hindus need not and should not be made to compensate for being Hindus. Enough is enough , no fuss please and to quote Alamma Iqbal;-
“Mashhoor jin kay dum say hai , duniya main naam-e- Hind,
Hai Ram kay vajood pa Hindustaan ko naaz,
Ahel-e- nazar samajtey hain unko Imam-e- Hind ;
Talwar ka dhanni tha , shujahat main fardd tha ,
Pakeezagee main, josh-e- mohabbat main fardd tha ………….”
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