Shiban Khaibri
Mirza Galib’s famous couplet is relevant to the topic as he aptly says ,” Ham bhi tasleem ki khoo dalen gay,; Bay – niyazi, teri aadat hi sahi” and an attempt to translate it would mean something like ,”I will also perpetuate this ceremony, even if cruelty and heaping injustice is your habit.” Democracy must win, it must prevail and we in our country, after centuries of oppressive, feudalistic and even foreign rule, have earned it after giving lot of sacrifices. We know its value. We also know the entire world watches 2014 elections taking place in the largest democracy but these elections look quite amazing, if not entirely prosaic. Amazing for the reason, that most of the people want a total change of guard in New Delhi, the youth in particular have high hopes pinned on the new promise, emerging in total challenge to those who perhaps think that it was their inalienable, if not birth right to be always in the power saddle and frustrate any other Party from coming to power. Prosaic because of insinuations, barbs, abuses etc traded and even threatening and counter threatening inter-se given by a few leaders. Appearing to be the target of so many, Modi , perhaps, in soliloquy reciting the couplet of Galib as in the opening lines of this column saying that “the more I am targeted, the more shall I participate in this event of Democracy, unmindful of your unjustified opposition and brazen unwarranted criticism”.
Democracy can even be in a form like an oligopoly not in absolute sense but never, not in the least, a monopolistic political enterprise. Having said so, a question must arise and it must be debated for norms of political parity and natural justice coupled with fair play, that as to why there should be so much of opposition, criticism, allegations, abuses and even hate campaign by so many so many times on so many occasions against one person? The impartial media has a special role to mull about the need to ponder over it and assert its fearless and considered view point in the interests of democracy, a healthy democracy. We have to stop this “tu tu main main” indulged in by most of the politicians especially those who feel threatened to either lose their political citadel or their chances of being brought to justice for their omissions and commissions during their long tenures in office. The question is ,therefore, that in the run up to the present elections, are contestants in the fray especially the UPA2 and its allies, present and the ones who deserted it, all innocent, impartial, God fearing, sinless , dipped in “janseva” and last but not the least, singularly and collectively too much secular excepting Modi? What is their definition of secularism? Narindra Modi, the Prime Ministerial candidate of the BJP is every day, every hour and every minute whipped with the stick of a unique type of secularism only because they want him to be whipped adequately. Can any one of these protagonists of this type of secularism point out even a word spoken by Modi in any of his numerous public meetings which could be said that he was “divisive, communal, spreading hatred between people” and what not ? If not, then how he is permanently branded as a criminally communal, breaker of this country, “Zehar, Kehar, Maut ka saudagar, khoon se range hath, khoon ka samandar, katal-e-aam, zehar ki kheti, anti Muslim” and what not? The words of “Zehar” and “Khoon” have been used and are very lavishly being used by his opponents to pin him down and to distance him from a large group of our society in whose minds, fear and suspicion about him and his prospective policies are systematically planted. In the long run, such a treatment to a person who has been elected by at least 4 to 5 crore people in his state as many as three times is tantamount to heaping disdain on their right to choose their own government as enshrined in our constitution.
A person who says and repeatedly so that if he is held responsible for what unfortunately and condemnably happened after Godra heart rending incident, he should be publicly hanged and requests that any court, any legal body, in any part of the country if holds him responsible in any way, nothing short of hanging in a chowk publicly should be decided “in my case so that no one dares to do any such thing in future” should put a total stop to rhetorical hallucinations of 2002 repeatedly and make him entitled for some reprieve till such action as openly demanded by him is contemplated by the competent authorities of the country. Why not proceed further as provided for under law even if he stands as on date, exonerated of such charges in the back drop of the assumption that so far never has any communal incident taken place any where in the country except what unfortunately happened in 2002 “post Godra” in Gujarat?
At the time of writing of these lines, one of the top Congress leaders and union cabinet minister Beni Prasad has called Modi a “janwar” and warned that “he shall be taught a lesson”, he needs to be treated with a hunter.” Not only that, Beni Prasad has discovered Modi as a liquor smuggler and even quoted exact amount of Rs.500 crore per month as “income from this smuggling”. This writer felt sort of a virtual mortification over such a falling standard in public discourse in our country and in a humble way has aired pent – up feelings in these lines with a wish that a better sense prevailed upon such delinquent politicians so that satire, healthy criticism, fun, light jibe, sarcastic puns etc may not cross the dignified limits. On the contrary, there appears setting no limits of bashing and humbling him. Even lies may be presented, if necessary for the elusive votes, in a manner that they do not appear clumsy, ridiculous and silly. This writer, however, does not hold any brief for Narindra Modi but for the sake of fair play and decency, it clearly appears that it is a one sided war by so many pitched against one individual, yes only one individual. It is absolutely not fair and even if he does not win, thanks to maneuvering by many “secularists” who are reported to be burning mid night oil to “support any front, any combination, any group which could prevent Modi from reaching 7 RCR in New Delhi, he shall still be deemed to have won the hearts of millions of the countrymen and even attaining the status of victim – hood.
Congress must account for Modi attaining such heights of popularity among masses, Congress and its so called secular allies are responsible for making Modi reach such peaks of acceptability and respect among millions across the country. Repeated rhetorical chanting of 2002 and “khoon” all these 14 years have boomeranged against Congress that now in the middle of elections when fate of 349 seats has been decided, it has come out with a supplementary manifesto of quotas and sub quotas for Muslims in the country to woo their votes in the remaining 194 seats. This act of secular Congress at this time is clearly out of despondency after roping in Muslim clerics to appeal their followers to vote for Congress, yet claim to be secular. Cult of Modi has rattled Congress and other allies of it to this extreme. Another all time ally of Congress the Samajwadi Party, (as reported by ToI on April 24) has come out with yet another way to woo Muslims by promising amendments in the constitution for their reservation since in the words of Mulayam Singh, “Musalmanoo ney es desh ko banaya hai…….” At the same time, the SP chief has reiterated firmly,” SP would prevent BJP leader Modi from becoming the PM.” But why and how is the big question related to our democracy and the supreme authority of the voters?
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