Tag: BJP

Barkha, Arnab just called a spade a spade!
Dear Barkha Dutt,

A compliment from Arnab Goswani is an insult to you. Fine! What about the compliment from Hafiz Saeed? I have seen you reacting to people’s (you’ve labeled them all #Trolls and #Bhakts) reaction on Hafiz Saeed’s appreciation but I don’t know what your first reaction was. You certainly didn’t write a blog entry calling him names the way you did for Arnab Goswani.

On one side you’re extremely vocal about certain things, people and institutions while you causally ignore to even acknowledge the very thing on the other hand. Is that fair? Nope, it’s not!

You see that’s the problem. That’s the area I want to take you to.

Before actually taking you down point by point, I’d want to bring a fact to your notice. Did you realize Arnab didn’t take any name whatsoever? On the contrary, Hafiz did. I guess that’s enough to raise eyebrows against the orientation of your allergies and allegiances.

Now let’s me take you through some parts of your own blog – point by point.

You said, “he (Arnab) lumped all of us who have reported the recent unrest in Kashmir (from the ground, not from behind the lazy comfort of a Mumbai studio table like him) as apologists for the recently killed militant Burhan Wani, without explaining the basis of his statement. The following 3 screenshots can explain it all.

What were you thinking while adding “THE SON OF A SCHOOLMASTER” to your tweet? What was your logic? I know he was the son of a schoolmaster – a father who didn’t even bother to reason with his son as he was moving on the path of Allah! Don’t tell me you didn’t know it? Rajdeep Sardesai took it to another level by comparing him to Bhagat Singh. What a shallow man this guy is!

Then you went on to say “telling the truth in all its textures – the duty of a journalist – includes reporting all sides of a story, not glossing over the bits that are too awkward and uncomfortable to confront. That would be cowardice, not reportage. he positioned us as being at some sort of war with the Army – both false and disingenuous”.

Well, tell me Barkha, did you cover all aspects of the Burhan Wani story?
- Did you know military tried to get him surrender? Do you know what did his father said on the question of surrendering? Well, here it is….
- Did you talk to Burhan’s father after his death? Or did you try to read what all he told Hindustan Times? Of course, you didn’t because his father talked about Burhan going to Allah and said “Our Isam says that God, Quran and the Prophet are bigger than anything, even bigger and more important than our sons”. But how could you show that? You just couldn’t!
- Why the Pakistani flag in which Burhan’s body was wrapped didn’t bother you? Why didn’t you talk about that?
- Why didn’t you question the separatist leaders who didn’t waste a single minute to declare Burhan a martyr?
- Did you highlight the fact that in the aftermaths of Burhan’s killing scores of Kashmiri Pandit government employees had to leave the valley? If I am not mistaken, it wasn’t a communal issue? Why didn’t you explore this story?
Multi-dimensional reportage – bulls**t!

I know you are among the journalists who have chronicled the new phase of militancy in the valley. Ideally your role should have been that of a mirror. You should be reflecting the status quo of the valley as it is. Unfortunately that has never been the case with you and the other elite journalists of your class. Can you talk about the average family size of the valley? I am asking because the size of the family can help you understand the quality of education, health services and overall life can be determined. Can you talk about the increasing number of Wahabi Islam influenced mosques in valley? Can you talk about the slogans these “misguided youth” yell while protesting? Can you justify the presence of ISIS flags during protests? Why?

Are these questions discomforting? Or are you afraid of the fatwas? Or will it impact the business of the channel you work for? After all, this too is a business, you have a boss sitting on your shoulder who tells you what limitations are! Right?

What is being gagged?

In the beef ban case stories were fabricated, scores of loathing was done in the name of freedom to eat whatever a person wants to. However, not a single media house bothered to tell that the term ‘beef’ is a generic term for both buffalo and cow’s meat and it’s the cow’s meat that has been banned (I am against the ban, FYI).

The entire journo brigade jumped in to take sides with Kanhaiya Kumar case. Did they even bother to check the authenticity of the tape? The tape which was initially called ‘doctored’ came out to be actual and authentic one. Needless to say, some media houses took the entire episode to a whole new level. Ravish Kumar did an entire episode on Arnab Goswami’s approach. Kanhaiya, on the other hand, rose to become the star of the dying sect of the left wingers.

Truth is being gagged! Facts are being gagged! And that is exactly what people like me, Arnab Goswami, Shiv Aroor and scores of people on social media are taking a stand against. Call it a rise in subversion of journalism or rise of Trolls! We are going to stay and we’re going to fight!

We have had enough of this bigotry. We don’t want it any further.

It’s just the beginning

Yes, madam! This is just the beginning of it. It’s the power of social media and the awareness of a common Indian combined together. We are wise and we don’t need your bigoted, one-sided crap you like to call news. It’s time to call spade a spade. I guess, Arnab just did that!
July 29, 2016
Kashmir and its “Manufactured Martyrs”
I am a chronic procrastinator and that’s probably one of the reasons that I am writing about Burhan Wani so late. The other reason could be the fact that I wanted the clutter to settle down. A lot has been said about him and I wanted to avoid the heated arguments. Both left-wingers and right-wingers have overworked their vocal cords and the political leeches have had a party of their lifetime. Now that things are calmer and cleaner, I am going to write about it. However, my perspective is a little different and broader.

Know the latest “Manufactured Martyr” – Burhan Wani.

Burhan Wani was born in September 1994 to Muzafar Ahmed Wani. His father is principal of a Higher Secondary School and his mother is a teacher. The family is well-off, by the local standard at least.

Burhan fled in October 2010 and joined separatist militant groups at the age of 15. Yes, he was just 15 years old. There are various reasons quoted for the step he took. Some say it was the constant frisking and manhandling of his brother by the Indian Army personals while others say that it was the Amarnath Land controversy of 2008 that forced him to take up the gun.

What made him popular?

His looks and flamboyancy! Here was a good-looking guy who didn’t bother to cover his face while showing off his gun. To add to it, he posted extensively on Facebook. He was an instant hit. He was flamboyant. He was made a member by Hizbul Mujahideen in 2011 due to his popularity on social media. Trust me; he was just another kid who thought he’d establish “Nizam-E-Mustafa” in Kashmir. Nothing more than that. Not a dime! Take a moment to digest that. Only then I’ll move forward.

Questions that will never be answered

I had so many questions in my mind when I started to learn about him. I so want to have answer of these questions
- Don’t you want to know how what was his parents reaction on learning that Burhan has turned militant?
- What did happen during 2010-2016?
- Didn’t his family try to bring him back?
- Were they in touch with Burhan all these years?
- Where did Burhan learned to hold a gun? Did he cross over to Pakistan?
Muzafar Ahmad Wani on Burhan Wani

You just can’t fathom the pain, the agony and the helplessness of a father whose teenage boy has eloped? Things get so difficult for the parents. But hey! We have a different father here. Check out the excerpts from his father’s interview published on youthkiawaaz(dot)com in the month of January, 2016.

Army did try to make him surrender. They contacted Burhan’s family many times. However, this is how Burhan Wani reacted. See how the only outcome for them is either “victory” or “martyrdom”.

And don’t miss a father justifying his son here. I am not making up anything here. I am not slicing statements to make them suit my PoV. Go read the entire interview here.

Now here’s what Senior Wani said after Burhan was “martyred”. Here is the complete interview.

If you are not feeling disgusted yet, let me tell you that Muzafar Ahmad Wani is principal of a Higher Secondary school. Can you imagine an educated person saying all this? You can’t even imagine the influence people like him can have on young men and women. Did you think of it? Well, a vast majority of the nation and our media didn’t even bother to think of it. Nobody cared and nobody bothered.

How Indian Media reported Burhan’s killing?

Every negative adjective in its superlative degree will fall short to describe our media. These crooked pimps did all they could to sanitize and normalize Burhan Wani.

See how Barkha Dutt inserted the piece about Burhan’s father in her tweet. Fine, the militant was a school headmaster’s son. So what? Does it make him any less evil?

It does take a special talent to be as shallow as Rajdeep Sardesai. This so-called-leading-anchor compared Burhan with Bhagat Singh! Can you beat that? Bhagat Singh who read Lenin and Marx, who talked about the society as a whole, who rose above religion was compared to this Islamic fundamentalist! Slow claps, Mr. Rajdeep, slow claps!

This fine lady, Kavita Krishnan went a step further and called Burhan’s execution an “extra judicial killing”. A phrase that was immediately picked by the Pakistani establishment and media houses.

Do I need to say more?

Other Manufactured Heroes of Kashmir

Google “Maqbool Butt”. Try what all did he achieve when he was alive and what all happened after his death. Ditto for “Afzal Guru”. Do it all over again for Burhan Wani. I am sure you’d find the common link.

None of these three were celebrated while they were alive. When Maqbool Butt crossed the LOC, he was arrested as the Pakistani authorities considered him an Indian spy. Afzal Guru met with a similar fate while he was alive. None of the separatist parties bothered to know about him, to consider his battle their own. Same was Burhan Wani’s fate. He was considered an Indian double agent for quite some time. For these 3 men, life changed only after they died. Go call them martyrs, if you want. Fact is they made it large only after their death. Rather they were MADE heroes.

Why are they made?

A fire needs fuel. There is no simpler explanation to it.

And the Kashmir conflict is way too complex. There are so many layers to this dispute. There is a Kashmir which acceded to India because that is what its Hindu king wanted. There is a Kashmir that Pakistan attacked to gain control of the Muslim majority valley. There is a Kashmir that people of Kashmir want to make an independent nation for all Kashmiris.

Then there is the rising Wahabi cult everywhere in the world that pumps in millions of petro-dollars wherever there are Muslims in a dispute. New mosques are mushrooming in the valley with brand new speakers that can make the cry for “Nizam-e-Mustafa” reach more and more number of ears. There has been a gradual shift in what “type-of-Muslim” the Kashmiris want to be.

What started as a cry for “Azadi” transformed into a demand for “NIzam-e-Mustafa” and in the past couple of years ground has been made for “Caliphate”. What else can explain the ISIS flags that have become an integral part of the protests? Why Burhan’s body was wrapped in a Pakistani flag? What else will explain the slogan “Hindu dogs go away”?

The character of the conflict has definitely changed. While the Kashmiris are far away from the goal, they need motivation. They need a face to identify with. They need a cause to stand for. And that is where these “Manufactured Martyrs” find their use. Remember, this guy didn’t belong to a poor and uneducated family. Yet he chose the bullet and nobody from family and society tried to reason with him. He was pushed into it. A martyr was MADE out of him. Period.
July 16, 2016
स्वच्छ भारत अभियान गया कचरे की पेटी में!
पिछले कुछ दिनों से मेरे मन में यह विचार था की मैं किसी ऐसी बात पर लिखूं जिस से हर एक इंसान जुड़ा हुआ हो! कोई ऐसी बात जो हम सभी के आस-पास है और जो हमारी रोज़मर्रा की जिंदगी का न सिर्फ एक हिस्सा हो बल्कि जिसके बड़े और दूरगामी परिणाम हों। आज हमारे प्रधानमंत्री, नरेन्द्र मोदी ने अपने #ManKiBaat में मुझे वो बात दे ही दी। दोस्तों, वो बात है – सफाई/स्वछता की!

“स्वच्छ भारत अभियान” मोदीजी की एक बहुत ही महत्वकांशी अभियान है जो कि पिछले साल गाँधी जयंती यानि 2 अक्टूबर को शुरू किया गया था। मोदीजी ने 1 तीर से कम से कम 3 शिकार तो किये ही थे। कांग्रेस से गाँधी छीन लिए, AAP से झाड़ू छीन ली और जनता का दिल जीत लिया। निकल पड़ा हर कोई झाड़ू हात में लेकर और बड़ी भूरी-भूरी प्रसंशा हुई इस अभियान और मोदीजी की। हजारों सेल्फीली गयीं, करोड़ों ट्वीट पेले गए, सड़कों की हुई सफाई और सोशल-मीडिया पर गंद फैलाई गयी!

खैर, कुछ दिन, हफ्ते और महीने बीत गए, जोश भी ठंडा पड गया और सफाई तो जैसी हमेशा से थी वैसी ही रही। आज मोदीजी ने फिर याद दिला दिया इसके बारे में और वैसे भी गाँधी जयंती आ रही है। मोदी-अनुयायी और सरकारी अमला फिर निकल पड़ेगा सफाई करने और अभियान को सफल सिद्ध करने में। उधर एंटी-मोदी लॉबी निकल पड़ेगी इसको fail साबित करने के लिए।

आपको क्या लगता है क्या रहेगा इसका परिणाम? सोचो! थोड़ा सर खुजाओ, थोड़ा नज़र दौड़ाओ अपने आस-पास, जवाब मिल जायेगा। FAIL है जी FAIL!!! बहुत बड़ा फ्लॉप-शो! पर ये याद रखना ये जितनी बड़ी विफलता #BJP और #NarendraModi की है, उससे कई गुना बड़ी यह हमारी विफलता है! जी हाँ हमारी – यानी मेरी और आपकी! आओ बताऊँ कैसे।

अब ये सफाई कोई नयी बात तो है नहीं। बचपन से ही हमको सिखाया और पढ़ाया जाता रहा है। हममे से जो स्कूल गए हनीं उनके तो पाठ्यक्रम का हिस्सा रही है स्वछता। नाखून समय से काटना, बाल ज्यादा न बढ़ाना, खाने से पहले हाथ धोना, कूड़ा dustbin में डालना इत्यादि तो हम 5 साल का होते-होते सीख ही लेते हैं। परिस्थिति, समय, समुदाय, जीवनशेली इत्यादि का भी प्रभाव रहता है हमारे “sense of cleanliness” पर। पर ऐसा लगता है कि हम भारतीय लोग कुछ ज्यादा ही गंदगी-प्रिय हैं! हमको फर्क नहीं पड़ता कि हम कहाँ से है, हमारी पारिवारिक, मानसिक, शेक्षिक प्रष्ठभूमि क्या है। हम तो जी सब के सब अपने-अपने हिसाब से गंदगी फ़ैलाने में लगे हुए हैं। हम इस कदर लिप्त हैं कि कोई PM, कोई सरकार, कोई न्यायालय और कोई इश्वर हमको नहीं बदल सकता। आप सोच रहे होगे कि ये क्या बकवास कर रहा है साला!? हैं ना? साला चू*या हो गया है। चलो आओ सिद्ध किए देता हूँ अपनी बकवास!
- चलो शुरुआत घर से ही करते हैं। आपने देखा होगा कि हमारे घर की स्त्रियाँ कितनी तन्मयता और तत्परता से हमारे घरों की सफाई करतीं हैं। कैसे कमरों और रसोई से निकले हुए कचरे को एक जगह रख देतीं हैं। बड़े शहरों में जहां लोग सोसाइटीज, फ्लैट्स वगहरा में रहते हैं वहाँ अमूमन सफाई वाले आते हैं और हमारे घरों से निकले हुए कचरे को ले जाते हैं। पर कुछ छोटे शहरों में (और बड़े शहरों में बसे छोटी सोच वाले लोग) कचरा उठाने वाले को 30-40-50-100 रूपये बचने के लिए कचरा नहीं देते। ये लेते हैं एक पॉलिथीन और भर कर उसमे कूड़ा, फेंक देते हैं सड़क पर या पड़ोस में पड़े खली प्लाट में या फिर नाले/नाली में। और गौर से सोचेंगे तो पाएंगे कि ये तो हम में से 70% लोगों की कहानी है! हम क्यूँ करते हैं ऐसा?
- घर में की सत्यनारायण की कथा और बाँट दिया प्रसाद प्लास्टिक के दोने में। रिश्तेदारों ने भी प्रसाद ग्रहण करके दोने सरका दिए अपनी-अपनी कुर्सी के नीचे और शाम को आपने इखट्टे करके बहा दिए नाली में। क्यूँ भाई? कर दिया न सत्यनारायण का सत्यानाश?
- सड़क घेर कर कर दिया माता का जगराता और हलवाई बिठा कर बनवा लिया हलवा-चने का प्रसाद। स्टाल सजते ही टूट पड़ते हैं हजारों प्रसाद लेने वाले भक्त। बड़े ही स्वाद के साथ खाते हैं प्रसाद को और दोने को उधर ही सड़क पर आवारागर्दी करने के लिए छोड़ देते हैं। क्यूँ भाई? उस दोने को उठाने के लिए क्या देवीमाँ खुद बोलें आप से?
- हवन की बची हुई राख, पूजा के सूखे हुए फूल और खंडित मूर्तियाँ हम लोग नदी में सिराते हैं। पर क्या आपने गौर किया है कि इनको हम एक बड़ी सी पॉलिथीन में 3-4 गाँठ लगा कर छोड़ देते हैं गंगा-यमुना में! डाल दिया अपने कर्मो का बवाल गंगाजी के गले! अरे क्यूँ करते हो ऐसा, भाई?
- भाभीजी weekend मानाने चली तो जाती हैं लाजपत और सरोजिनी मार्किट। और वहां जाकर म़ोमोस या गोलगप्पे या समोसे न खाए तो मज़ा नहीं आता। पर कभी ये सोचा है कि खाने के बाद पेपर-प्लेट कहाँ छोड़ी? दिल्ली (या कोई और शहर) आपके बाप का है?
- हम क्यूँ गुटका-खैनी खा कर पीक मारते फिरते हैं दुनिया भर में? अपने ड्राइंग-रूम का किनारा क्यूँ नहीं सजाते?
- पॉलिथीन से पट कर हमरे शहरों के नाले/नाली जाम हो जाते हैं। और फिर जब बारिश में सड़क पर पानी भरता है, सड़क टूटती है तो हम सरकार को गली बकते हैं। जैसे हम बहुत पाक-साफ़ हैं?
- सुसु लग रही है? अबे रोक ले बाइक कहीं भी, खींच दे चैन को नीचे और हो जा हल्का! ये हर लड़के की कहानी है जो बियर तो (बढ़िया वाली) मिलर पिएगा पर सुलभ शौचालय में मूतने के लिए 1 रुपया नहीं देगा। क्यूँ भाई, महंगी बियर से आये मूत को ऐसे ही बहा देगा?
- ट्रेन में सफ़र करते हुए, लीं 10 रूपये की मूंगफली और लगा दिया छिलकों का अम्बर। लिया चिप्स का पैकेट या ठन्डे की बोतल और सरका दिया खाली पैकेट ट्रेन की खिड़की से बाहर! क्यूँ भाई, तुमको सुरेश प्रभु की मेहनत चौपट करने का पैसा मिलता है?
- आप सिगरेट/बीड़ी पीते हो और जली हुई बीड़ी/सिगरेट के साथ-साथ उससे बनने वाले बलगम के सिक्के सड़क पर ही निकाल फेंकते हो? भूल गए आप सड़क पर चलने का टैक्स देते हो, उसको गन्दा करने का नहीं?
- हम में से कितने अपने ऑफिस (चाहे सरकारी को या प्राइवेट) की अपने घर के बराबर देखभाल करते हैं? क्या आप करते हो? नहीं, तो क्यूँ नहीं? दिन के 8-10 घंटे हमारे उधर ही निकलते हैं, हमारी पहचान उधर ही बनती है और फिर भी हम ऑफिस के झीनों में, बाथरूम में थूकने से पहले एक बार नहीं सोचते। क्यूँ? क्या हम भूल जाते हैं कि हमारी रोटी-बोटी वह ऑफिस ही देता है?
- हम पिकनिक मानाने जाते हैं तो क्यूँ पार्क में अपनी खुराक की निशानी छोड़ आते हैं? हम क्यूँ लाल-किले और ताजमहल पर अपना और कभी अपनी न हुई लड़की का नाम लिख देते हैं? वो हमारे बाप की जागीर है?
- कभी अपने आस-पास के मूत्रालय को जाकर देखें, आपको वहाँ पर मूत्र के साथ-साथ मल भी मिलेगा। वो कौन बेवक़ूफ़ होगा जो मूत्रालय में हग जायेगा? ज़रा देखो इधर-उधर और सोचो!
- क्यूँ हमारे बस-अड्डे, स्टेशन और सरकारी बिल्डिंग इतने गंदे रहते हैं? क्या मेरी और आपकी ज़िम्मेदारी कुछ भी नहीं? और अगर है तो क्या वो सिर्फ अपने घर तक सीमित है? अगर हम अपने घर के बहार की दुनिया साफ़ नहीं रख सकते तो हम उसको गन्दा किस हक से करते हैं?
अब जब 10 दिन बाद गाँधी जयंती को स्वच्छ भारत अभियान पर राजनेतिक उठा-पटक हो तो अपनी सरकार और मोदीजी को 4 गाली बकने से पहले ज़रा अपना मुँह देख लेना शीशे में। हो सकता है थोड़ी सी शर्म आ जाये। आप कचरा को कचरा-पेटी में पहुंचा नहीं पाए, हाँ सवच्छ भारत आप ज़रूर पहुंचा देंगे।

मैं चला बियर पीने। पर बोतल फैकुंगा नहीं! 😉

PS: I don’t own the image that has been used in the blog. I give the owner of the image due credit.
September 20, 2015
Biradari, Bahubali and Bihar: An Open Letter to Nitish Kumar
Hello CM Sahab!

Coming from advertising background I wanted to start the letter by addressing you with “Dear Nitish” as in our work culture everyone is equal. The designation, position, office held, muscle power and even the age doesn’t make any difference whatsoever. However I couldn’t do that. I couldn’t do that because here in India, we still have this habit of looking up to certain people. Politicians who’re the part of the government definitely top this chart. With the position comes the power and over time these people become habituated of it. They think that they are “Mai-Baap” of the common men. It was this reason that Lalu Prasad Yadav became larger-than-life figure in the state of Bihar. It belittled the common men so much in his eyes that he could barely see them. He could barely relate to them. He could barely empathize. And he barely thought about them. That’s where his downfall (and your peak) started.

I am afraid CM Sahab, you’ve embarked up on the same path. Bihar, politics, Chief Minister, Nitish Kumar don’t make sense to you as separate words. They have to be together to make sense to you. The position is now the only thing you want. That’s all what you want to be – Nitish Kumar, CM Bihar. That’s all that matters to you today. Beyond that, I believe, you don’t see anything. That’s bad and unfortunate.

What made you, you?

It wasn’t the assemble elections of 2005 that made you. It all started exactly 15 years before that. It started when the Lalu Prasad Yadav’s RJD got the reins of the state. It’s when the golden period of Lalu Prasad Yadav and the darkest possible period of Bihar started. Riding high on the “MY” vote-bank, Lalu got carried away. He thought that the Muslims and Yadavs of Bihar are his people. People, he thought were blind to see the reality. While the MY people gave him what Lalu wanted, the reciprocation didn’t happen. The “Pasmanda” (lower Muslims) people saw that everything done for the Muslims was limited to the Ashraf Muslims, who were already better off. Furthermore, under the Rabri Devi led government, the brothers-in-law of Lalu Prasad Yadav played havoc to the state and its subjects.

While Yadavs were too spellbound to see a Yadav in-charge of the state, the Pasmanda dreams were shattered. That’s where you came in. You tapped this opportunity beautifully. You wooed the Muslims, brought in the Dalits and Mahadalits. You partnered with the BJP but ensured that Bihar remains out of bounds for Modi. The alliance with the BJP ensured the votes of the upper castes and an easy access to media, bureaucracy and judiciary. It worked! You did it! It was a landslide victory and you became the new face of Bihar. The face of new hope. The face of new possibilities. The face of the new Bihar that, despite the difficulties and adversities, wanted to emerge for good.

But then, you screwed up!

It all started before the 2014 General Elections. Cutting the long story short – the BJP roped in Narendra Modi as their PM candidate and you panicked. You panicked because
1. You had started to dream by then. The dream of becoming the Prime Minister of the country. With Modi as the face of elections, you knew there was not even a minuscule chance for anyone else, if at all.
2. Becoming an ally of Modi led BJP would turn the Pasmandas off. No matter what you do, for Muslims Modi was synonymous to 2002 riots.
Calling the successful coalition of good 2 terms was your decision. It was a firm decision and you stood by it. Fine, you didn’t want to let a “Communal Modi” lead the nation and you did what you felt was right for you, your party, and the state of Bihar.

But then you didn’t stop there.
- 10 years back, Bihar was a cuss word. “Bihari ho kya?”, “Sala Bihari” were condescending remarks. All thanks to Lalu Prasad Yadav, “Bihari” became a very well accepted way of abusing a person. And you’re with him. You’re with your archrival. You’re with the man who ruined Bihar. Wow!
- What’s with this Maha-Gathbandhan? You really think this will work?
- This year only you didn’t share the stage with Lalu Prasad Yadav on 2 different occasions. Now you’re going to share the power with him. How can you even justify this? Isn’t this sheer greed?
- In last 2 assembly elections Congress won 4 and 10 seats respectively and you’re letting them waste 40 seats this time?
- RJD won 22 and 54 seats and this time they are going to contest on 100 seats. So in short, you have given away 140 seats just like that. Really?
- The Nitish Kumar supporters of these 140 constituencies will have to vote for Congress and RJD. In other words, SCs, OBCs, and Mahadalits will have to vote for a Yadav in some constituencies? Wow!
- You think the Yadavs will vote for you? As per the news, over 10,000 Yadavs have been killed in past 10 years. Are they still there in RJD’s reach?
- You think with All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslimeen or AIMIM of Asaduddin Owaisi planning to contest 24 seats in the Seemanchal region of Kishanganj, Purnia, Katihar and Araria wouldn’t spoil your game?
- Where are Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, Jagadanand Singh, Prabhunath Singh and Mohammad Taslimuddin? You think these RJD leaders will let you bring down their political career?
- Not to forget the Jeetan Ram Manjhi debacle. You sure you still have the Mahadalits with you under your fold?
A lot of readers would wonder that nowhere have I talked about the developmental works your coalition government has done. There is no doubt that a lot of groundwork happened. You rose above sectarian politics and worked for everyone there. A lot was done in Bihar and still a lot needs to be done. Unfortunately your entire focus has been on Narendra Modi and BJP.

Summing it up

The saying goes, “you shot yourself in the foot”. However in your case, you have shot yourself in the head. The game is going to get over. Soon.

Lalu’s misdeeds paved the way for your government. Your electoral misdeeds have already paved the way for Modi and the BJP.

Today, #ModiInBihar is just a trend on Twitter. Very soon, it can be the reality of Bihar.

However

C’mon, this is Bihar! One cannot be sure on what grounds the voters will vote. The wisdom of voters of Bihar (and my home state UP) is worth a research. When they can vote Rabri Devi to power, the ray of hope isn’t dead for you. Get your caste cards right. Go play politics, the Bihar way – after all it’s a game of “Biradari” and “Bahubali”.

Who am I to write you?

I am no one. Seriously, I am no one. I don’t reside in Bihar. I am neither a voter nor any influencer for Bihar elections (any election for that matter). I don’t have much understanding of the way things work in Bihar. However coming from the neighboring state of Uttar Pradesh, I can say with confidence that politics there in Bihar are pretty same. Caste and religion end up becoming the key factors while development takes a backseat.

So while you have an easy option of ignoring me and this letter casually, I’d suggest you to think about it.

Regards,

PS: Your new found love with Arvind Kejriwal and AAP wouldn’t work. That guy is a novice. Look beyond him.
August 19, 2015
Who are you, Mr.? An Open Letter to Rahul Gandhi
Really, who are you?

Member of Parliament. Vice President of INC. More importantly Rajeev Gandhi’s son and Indira Gandhi’s grandson ie A GANDHI! That’s you, Mr. Gandhi, no!? Unfortunately, that’s the most of you. To me, you start and end at this one thing – being a GANDHI!

To make myself clearer, let me re-phrase my thoughts – who’s Rahul? What has he done in his life? What have been his achievements? What has been his contribution to the Indian polity and society? How capable is he to lead the INC and, god forbid, the nation?

Before actually getting into the details of it, let me tell you why I am asking you all these questions. To be brutally true, for you I am nothing. I am no one. Or, I could be anyone. Well, when there are over one and a quarter billion people just like you, the truth is that you’re figuratively nobody. However, I am someone. I am a building block of this nation and that’s what my real identity is. I am an Indian and INDIA at an individual level. I guess, now you can understand the relationship I have with you. You represent me. You talk about me. You (should) care for me. You (should) work for me. You (definitely) affect me.

Come, let’s try to know you first.

How did the politician “Rahul Gandhi” come into being?

Born in the year 1970, Rahul, you completed your education by the year 1995. I tried searching a lot but I couldn’t find any details of what you did from 1995 to 2002-03. All what’s available on public domain says that your start-up “Backops Services Private Ltd.” was trying to get established.

~~Out of blue~~ it was announced in March 2004 that you’d be contesting in the General Election due in May 2004. At best, it was hurried move to bring back the Grand Old Indian Party – the Indian Nationa Congress back in the limelight. It was so hurried that when the announcement was done, there was no written piece of information available about you. No CV was created. May be they didn’t get the time in the excitement of getting the torch-bearer from the holy bloodline or may be there wasn’t much to tell about. You won, of course. That too with a margin of over 100,000 votes but did it change much for the INC? No and the world knows it! And despite you being the face of the INC’s campaign for the 2007 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, the party managed to grab ONLY 22 seats of the 403. TWENTY TWO with a total of only 8.53% of votes. Did you know it, the scion of INC? The General Elections of 2009 were slightly better with regards to your and INC’s performance. Not only UPA came back to power but you also won the constituency of Amethi by a margin of over 350,000 votes. In 2012, your 200 rallies strong campaign helped the INC get a total of 28 out of 403 seats and charting 4^th overall rank in UP. That’s like 7% of the assembly seats of UP.

I wish you were smart enough to take a clue from these elections.

How did you perform in the Lok Sabha and in your constituency?

There was an article in the Indian Express titled “In attendance, Rahul led party in Lok Sabha — from the bottom”. Do I need to say more? Can I elaborate it any further without making you clinch your fists and making your party members bless me with all sorts of cuss words? Well I don’t care. So, read on –
- Your attendance
  - As per data from PRS Legislative Research your attendance in 15^th Lok Sabha was just 42 per cent.
  - The national average percentage of attendance was 76
  - And the MPs from Uttar Pradesh had an attendance average of 80 per cent.
- Your involvement
  - You participated in just 2 debates. Just 2 debates during the entire term of 15^th Lok Sabha
  - You asked no questions
  - You brought in no private member Bills
  - The average number of questions asked by full-term MPs was 297
Oops! That’s too bad. Had I been there in your place, I would have hung my head shame. Rather, I would have dug a pit and buried myself there for a couple of years.

Your misquotes

How can a political figure stand complete without displaying his command over words? You have moved a lot of people with your words. Some in fact even fell on their faces hearing you. Yes sir, you said a lot of things which are plain stupid and should never ever had come out of mouth of a statesman. Please find below some of the pearls of your wisdom.

“People call us an elephant.. We are not an elephant.. we are a beehive.. it’s funny but think about it. Which is more powerful? an elephant or a beehive?”

I don’t understand anything here – neither the literal meaning of it nor the metaphorical. Blame my banality or my mediocrity for it. However, I am damn sure even Gulzar, the king of out-of-the-world metaphors won’t get it either.

“If India is a computer, Congress is its default programme.”

Of course it is. It’s the malware that has infected the computer. It’s the virus that doesn’t die.

“India is going to be the 21st century’s Saudi Arabia in terms of human resources”

God save India if such a thing has to happen to her.

“Politics is everywhere.. it is in your shirt.. in your pants.. everywhere.”

Well this one’s my favourite and it’s an excellent one. The politics is indeed everywhere and the one which is there in pants is my personal favourite. I savor it, I long for it and sometimes I think my political pants make me do some amazing stuff.

“It (Congress) is a funny party. It is the largest political organization in the world but perhaps does not have a single rule or regulation. We create new rules every two minutes and then dump them. Nobody knows the rules in the party”

Well, it’s not funny, actually. However, it reflects a lot about the work culture you have in your party and it also goes to show how much you think before opening your mouth.

I am sure, a lot of people reading it (assuming a lot of people do read it) will continue to daydream about you, your capabilities and your potential.

(Please open Google, go to Image Search and then type Rahul Gandhi Funny. You’ll see to see what India thinks of you)

How did you become so powerful? Who gave you my control?

Having found all this information about you on public domains and after absorbing a lot of it, I couldn’t help myself. I have these aforementioned questions banging my head like anything. Trust me it’s 2 AM but I am too curious to ask you these questions.

What made you rise and (try to) shine even after such fiascos? I mean even after knowing how much you contributed to the party’s success in General and State Assembly Elections, how could you rise to the post of “General Secretary” of the “All India Congress Committee” and the Vice President of the party later on? How? And why? What did you contribute? What was your value addition? How were you better than, let’s say, Sachin Pilot?

So, what do I want to say?

You’re not a part of the Government of India anymore. You, your party and the UPA are not in power. Worst, your party represents only 44 of the 543 parliamentary constituencies. That’s about 8% of the total seats in the Lok Sabha. However, you and the bunch of Congress MPs have grabbed the attention of entire nation. unfortunately, there is hardly any good thing to say about it.

Do you realize that you and your party members just wasted an entire session of the parliament? Do you even know how many man-hours have you wasted? And how much did it cost us? You don’t have the slightest idea of it.

During the entire monsoon session you asked very fervently the resignation of Sushma Swaraj, Vasundhara Raje and Shivraj Singh Chouhan. What for? For the involvement of the ladies with Lalit Modi and Chouhan’s in possibly one of the biggest and recent scam – the Vyapam scam. You had this single point agenda right from Day 1 of the session and the entire session got wasted for that.

How could you let that happen? Weren’t there other alternative action plans that you could have pursued? Did you think of dragging Sushma Swaraj and Vasundhara Raje to the court? Don’t you think a PIL kinda thing would have helped you out? INC has a pool of very learned and experienced advocates like Kapil Sibal. You could have used them?

No. You didn’t. The congress didn’t think either. You all put your shallowness on display every single day of the session. Placards were displayed, Sonia Gandhi went down to the well, Youth Congress members shaved their head. What the hell was all that? Theater? Or an over-zealous move to keep the nasty dynasty working?

It was probably the worst of INC so far. But I am not surprised. In fact I believe there are much more worsts lined up as the Grand Old Party of India gears up for its extinction. I would request you to spare me the horror. Spare the one and quarter billion dreams the horror of you and your party getting callous and getting out of the context.

Last but not the least

You are the precious one for your party not for me. Not for the rest of India. You get all the news space you get because you are the Rahul Gandi and not because of your oratory skills. You don’t know what real India is, what real Indians are. What you have seen all your life are the people who suck up to you. But remember Digvijays and Sanjays don’t are not equal to India and Indians.

I know you’re trying too hard to survive. You are trying to keep the party in centre-stage. In an ideal world we should have lauded and applauded you but the reality sucks. The reality is that you suck at politics. You don’t have knowledge to be the VP of India’s oldest party. You don’t have skill to lead a nation. You don’t have sincerity to represent people. You don’t have clarity of thoughts to give proper answers in interviews. You carry cheat sheets to parliament. You copy obituaries from your phone. You’re wasting nation’s time and money. You’re wasting my time. And I won’t allow you to do it.

We don’t want your hyperactivity. We don’t want any activity from you. Please take another holiday, get to know a local girl, fall in love with her and never come back. We can manage without you. We have had a lot of good Gandhis. We definitely can manage without you.

Thank you.

PS: This letter is about you. I intentionally didn’t bring up the scams done in UPA 1 and 2. I didn’t write to get into mudslinging. I didn’t want to accuse anyone because what’s done is done. It’s over. I just wanted you to give a perspective of how wasteful your existence is. For me. For India!
August 14, 2015