Pictures Don't Always Tell 1000 Words
Mayawati is a bad leader and with all probability could be a bad human being too. As in seldom you will find corrupt people being good human beings. The mis-governance in every spear by the UP government is for all to see and realize how rotten our politics have gone into. Be it accomplishing political vendetta, exhibiting the naked display of power by putting on a 6 crore garland of currency, favoring few selected groups like Jaypee to carry out all government works for personal gain or simply the chaos that is going around Bhatta-Parsaul for some days; Ms.Mayawati is always at the wrong side of governance, ethics and morals. But the issue at Bhatta-Parsaul is far more serious than it looks at its face value and mere Mayawati bashing is not going to solve it. The incompetence of the authorities, nepotism, callousness towards public plight and some hypocrisy; it has got all with every possibility of becoming a game changer during 2012 UP elections.
Having said that; let’s not forget the real reason for chaos erupting from every corner of the country when it comes to land accusation. Be it Niyamgiri, Aligarh, Jaitapur or the latest Bhatta-Parasaul. The wretched and outdated 1894 land-accusation and land-reform British rule that we are still following is the main reason. Even though the rule could be the biggest culprit, the authorities who do the accusation are no saints either. A lot of Aapsi-Bhagidari with private players and corporates and self-satisfying goals more often than not hijack the already maligned rules and end up creating a hell lot of dissatisfied individuals. But along with the standard mismanagement the Bhatta-Parsaul case has a notorious instance of heavy hypocrisy and politicization involved in it. Call it the upcoming election or yet another example of pot calling the kettle black – the involvement of a lot of politicians and bucket full of Tu-Tu-Main-Main for no apparent reason doesn’t give me a good impression. If the belief that by just bashing Mayawati, the so called plight of the farmers be eradicated then that is a naïve idea to harness. At the end of the day none of the politicians do have any moral banked to accuse anyone else; Mayawati or all those who are now bashing her. It is just the matter of convenience and to which side of the fence one is, else all are same.
Take the curious case of Rahul-Baba. Wish the prince in realty is concerned about the poor to the extent he is pretending to be. On his quest to give justice to the poor farmers Rahul Gandhi even birched his Z+ security and preferred to pillion ride in a bike to meet the agitating farmers at the Delhi-Noida border (as there was some 144 around the area). The mavericks of Rahul-Baba before the dawn broke have given some sense of Déjà vu for many, including the omnipresent Digvijay Sing. Baba not only met the farmers but stayed with them as a show of solidarity and even got himself arrested by Mayawati’s forces (read police force). I won’t have questioned the intentions of Gandhi scion provided Rahul-Baba has maintained some consistency. I wouldn’t have any doubt on his efforts if Rahul Gandhi has judged every land accusation agitation on the same yard stick.
Let’s examine the Jaitapur agitation where government is dead serious in putting up a nuclear power plant, which many tout as THE pet project for the UPA-2 government. Honestly when Pakistan is running away with all the money you rarely get better chances to please Uncle Sam. Hence the prospective dangers were conveniently overlooked. Now the people of the region are furious with such act and no wonder are on the streets protesting against the idiotic idea. The agitation at Jaitapur has broadly two dimensions – I) Against the plant itself II) The way and manner in which the lands were acquired. While the first reason asks for a bigger debate the second is pretty much same for which the people of UP are up in arms against their own government. But there is a difference between Jaitapur and Bhatta-Parsaul or for that matter between Bhatta-Parsaul and any such other land agitation. The rather mysterious absence of Rahul-Baba everywhere else except Bhatta-Parsaul makes me run around the places for some credible reason. If Rahul Gandhi is a messiah of the poor then shouldn’t the people of Niyamgiri, Jaitapur be rolled into the Rahul-Baba-Would-Save bandwagon? When Rahul Gandhi can take the pain to leave his Mercedes Benz back home and pillion ride to UP why can’t he come to Jaitapur to meet yet another set of oppressed and exploited individuals? More so, when he has his own party ruling the state of Maharashtra. I am sure he won’t have to pillion ride as given the option the Maharashtra chapter of Congress would arrange a Limozin to ferry him from the airport to the agitation ground. May I ask this question to Rahul Gandhi then – having such opportunities why he is not seen anywhere close to Jaitapur?
Are the demands of the Jaitapur people illegitimate? Are the land acquired by the Maharashtra government are in all fairness? Is it the case that none is oppressed at Jaitapur and the agitation is entirely politically motivated? I (so do many) will give a NO for an answer to all three. If we mere mortals can recognize the nonsense why can’t Rahul-Baba realize this? I for once love to see Rahul Gandhi displaying the cordiality and togetherness beyond the virtues of political interest and party lines. When people of Jaitapur, Niyamgiri and many places in Chhattisgarh are aghast with the manner in which their lands were been snatched from them, Rahul-Baba’s UP centric love doesn’t give a credible relief. If Rahul-Baba feels people elsewhere are just doing the rounds around a drama house because the concerned states are being ruled by either his party or his allies then I am sorry to say he doesn’t know how a true leader should behave and act. In that case if the facts are taken in account then the only person who seems to be doing some high quality drama around Bhatta-Parsaul agitation is Rahul Gandhi himself. One can’t have selective concerns as it suits his and his party’s needs and go on chest beating being the biggest messiah for the poor and oppressed. Poor and oppressed doesn’t have a region, zone or party oriented identity. If Rahul-Baba only hand picks those poor who make some sense, as far as his party’s interest in future is concerned then let me say this without beating around the bush – it is sheer nonsense.
Keeping the politics out of it – May I ask, what is that fuss all about the pictures shared by him and his claim of mass graves or some nonsense to that effect? Pictures do tell a thousand words but Rahul-Baba seems to have taken it too seriously. When people of both villages doesn’t agree to an ounce on what Rahul had to say regarding the oppression, rape, molestation and mass grave then what the intention behind such tall claims is beyond my though process. Either he was trying to mislead the nation and the PM on the whole issue or is a plain idiot. Either of the reasons doesn’t seem like fitting into the congress scheme of things. As usual the big names of the party are defending this goof up by the Yuvraj in exchange of their lives. The excuses from Rahul himself are anything but bizarre. As per him; he only told what he heard from the villagers to the media and the PM and the pictures were shared with him as he himself haven’t taken a single of them. Come-on! Is this kind of a joke? A person who his party believes the next best thing that happened to India after independence and in all requisite the best man to rule the nation till eternity is so naïve and school boyish?
Being the general secretary of the ruling party and holding a responsible position, he should have known what he is doing or talking. Being such an astute (if Congress were to be believed) politician he must have known, pictures doesn’t hold any water in terms of forensic evidence. Even if it were been shared with him by someone, he should have made sure to check the validity and authenticity of them before making them public. Just because he has easy access to the Prime-Minister (or is it the other way?) he can’t accompany few villagers along with him and parrot them to talk his lines in front of the PM. At the fallout of his lies, more than anything he should be heavily reprimanded for wasting the valuable time of the PM without any reason. For once he should be told in harshest of words – state’s machinery is not there to be a party to some individual’s theatrics and certainly can’t waste it’s time in listening and corroborating his lies and nonsense vendettas.
Having said that – Mayawati is a big blot on our democracy and the sooner she is kicked out of power is better for the state. Lies or no lies; the wellbeing of the people of Bhatta-Parsaul has a big question mark. If there is some (even 1%) credibility on what Rahul said about the atrocities then it is a matter of grave concern. But to counter the tantrums of an insane woman, rhetoric and gimmicks are not certainly the answer. If at all the politicians who want to do something for the poor (if not pretending) must get out of this selective amnesia and refrain themselves from hypocrisies in a hurry. Rahul like selective concern is not what the nation needs at this time and the Baba-turn-Prince must get this at the earliest. And by the way – Rahul-Baba, you might be ashamed of being an Indian (Your love for your maternal home can justify this) just because you had to show your false concern, few morphed pictures and lot of lies; but for us your nonsensical utterances for few votes is an insult to our motherland and the rest of the populace. So you better keep our country out of your vote-bank politics and can very well use Italy if you feel like. And Yes – I am sure I can expect to see you during 2014 general and Maharashtra elections acting funny in-and-around Jaitapur and vomiting your standard lines of concerns for the poor.
totally agreed with you dear
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