The last 4 years haven’t covered the UPA with glory. While they might not have really messed anything up, the government has performed poorly on issues that matter to me like civil rights. Section 66A of the IT Act is still in place causing havoc, the laws on sedition haven’t been changed, and the government is still fighting with the Supreme Court about decriminalizing homosexuality. And now of course it is opposing marital rape laws and it hasn’t implemented police reforms. Though that last one depends on the states, but the center can push for it much harder than it’s doing so now. Police reforms are absolutely crucial to make the force independent of the political class.
For all this I want to punish the UPA and Congress. I want it to realize that there’s competition out there and that if it wants my vote it has to aim to do better. The problem is that the BJP is the only other party with a chance of beating it…and based on what I’ve seen I can’t give my vote to it. I wish I could – I’m not a Congress fan. But from what I’ve seen, no matter how bad the Congress is, the BJP is worse. Here are a few reasons.
BJP’s Ideology
Unlike the Congress, many elements within the BJP along with organizations linked to it like the RSS and the VHP have an agenda. They have this whole “Hindu” thing going on. This leads all kinds of lunatics to gain a platform. The chief of the RSS Bhagwat said that marriage is a contract where the wife has to do the household chores.
And this is just one example. There are utterances from these elements saying that they want “Hindu raj” and they go prattling about how India had a great past and they want to restore it and all that bullshit. Instead of focusing on the future. The RSS is now opposing the lowering of the age of consent from 18 to 16 on the ground that it’s “against society“. These things worry me. The BJP’s fundamental ideology is backward and disturbs me.
I can attribute the screw ups of the Congress to:
- Incompetence
- Corruption / Greed
- Vote bank politics
- Not understanding what our Constitution is about
These are bad things but they’re motivations of rational people – they’re not insane. The BJP on the other hand is all of the above plus it has a very powerful ideology in addition to them. I don’t trust people with crazy ideologies. They can’t be reasoned with. Rational and sane people respond to incentives. People with ideologies like the RSS cannot be trusted.
Bottom line: I prefer incompetence to insanity.
Modi Repulses Me
I’m not willing to vote for Modi as a PM. Regarding the whole Godhra incident, he hasn’t even apologized for letting the situation get out of hand or expressed regret that it occurred in the first place. I’ll bow to the court’s wisdom and concede that he didn’t deliberately set the whole thing up. But it’s abundantly clear that it was allowed to get out of hand as several commissions and reports have shown. I’d like him to at least say he’s sorry for the fact that it happened.
Secondly I don’t like Modi’s attitude, and the way he speaks. Too full of abuses, and personal attacks. There’s no graciousness in him. I don’t want a person like that to represent me and my country. I’ve heard him speak and the way he panders to the worst in people, setting communities against each other makes me sick.
Continually Obstructing Parliament
I think all parties do this. Over the past 8 years or so, the BJP has consistently opposed the government on every single measure. Not once have they said “Awesome – we really need this”. Whether it’s the nuclear bill, FDI or petrol prices, the BJP has stalled parliament and created a nuisance. As it is so many of our lawmakers don’t attend parliament. These shenanigans make the situation even worse.
To vote for the BJP, here’s what I want it to do:
- Forswear Hindutva, the RSS and every single Hindu organization. Become a non-religious party.
- Choose someone other than Modi as the Prime Ministerial candidate. There are actually quite a few reasonable sounding people in there (comparatively)
- Promise to repeal section 66A of the IT Act, and show us that you affirm full Freedom of Expression for Indians
Only then will I see it as a reasonable alternative to the Congress.
Well done! I agree, especially with the premise that you can’t trust people with crazy ideologies. Of course, you know you’re going to have all the Modi-fans spamming your blog!
Let me pre-empt their point about Congress and its hand in the 1984 riots, and others. The Congress is not blameless but at-least they do not make communal hatred and paranoia of another religion their platform. The riots are not part of their ideology! The BJP, on the other hand, has an ideology that effectively guarantees the occurence of more riots.
In reply to Sk
True. The paranoia is more integral to the BJP. But the Congress is so incompetent that I just can’t vote them in for a second term. What to do…
Completely agree with your post, the Modi groups are so crazy that it is scary !
These are my thoughts too. Thanks for articulating them so well.
A few years back, I got an opportunity to ask a Delhi based senior journalist whether a centrist party could emerge as an alternative to the “wooly mammoth” that the Congress has become. The answer was ‘not likely in the next 2 decades’.
In reply to Swati
If true, that would be really sad. We’re crying out for an alternative to the Congress/UPA and not finding one. I might even be willing to give Modi a chance, but again I’m afraid.
if authors feels so then he should better write personal diaries not blogs. and then what is the point to publish it on net and adding feature to comment on it and when people do so try to scuttle or debilitate their opinion. more then that it has become a fashion or a trend these days to write against BJP or Mr Modi as it will definitely gets some attention even the points would be baseless. when BJP was in power (1999-2004) it is mentioned in many reports that the financial condition of India / Indians were much better, high purchasing parity and lower inflation with out any policy paralysis. most of the projects like PM village infrastructure schemes, DMRC and strong ties with potential allies like USA and Israel were done at that time. it was the time when actually dollar came to record low of 43 and most of the IT sector flourished in india and provided jobs to many and current account was in 5 % surplus with highest export ever and this fact is recently admitted by FM P chidambaram. there is so much good to write about but i do not understand why people scrutinize negativity. why do not you write about the scams congress has done, the shame it brought at he time of CWG that on an international platform, even the PM is so shameless that he accepted in parliament that some of the files are missing in coal gate scam with out any hesitation. Indian economy is sinking and they passed food security just before 2014. and still people do not speak or write about their intentions. it is unfortunate that BJP & modi have been branded as non secular party and using this over exaggerated argument they always try to belittle their achievements. if reports by world banks & unesco to be believed the condition of india was much better in BJP governance with least scam and corruption. more than that i do not understand what people see in congress as they always say congress is secular. thats all india wants, to be ruled by a secular party? what about progress, development, employment, investments, economy, basic infra structure needs, purchasing parity, high exports, investor friendly, new projects , anti corruption all those parameters in which in last 3-4 years congress has completely failed. so where was their vision. current government is full of so called eminents from harvard to oxford, so where there vision went in last 3-4 years or they were waiting for economy to sink and next government will revive it again. today basic things like onion and sugar have gone to skyhigh prices agriculture minister is completely mute on it. because they are so busy in themselves doing scams that they overlooked these things. i ask a simple question why indian politics has become like that . at the time of election give free food or increase reservations or draw more lines between poor and rich. why people overlook that this congress has always divided india in many ways, first in the name of religion in 1947, then in the name of reservations, then giving loans waivers and privileges to minorities for the sake of vote people and come in power and that why they are able to rule. why people do not see the repercussions. even in 67 years poverty is so high, economy is poor, india which land of agriculture has lost its ground and we have to import basic food for us which we used to export at time of Independence. india has become the country of servie class and this congress ahs not done any thing to develop our manufacturing and agriculture sector . they give loan waivers to farmers but di it help. no there is record suicides by farmers in its own ruled vidarbha region. poverty is all time high and they are so shameless that they declared in delhi that if you earn 35 rs in a day you are not poor. show how insensitive they regarding a common man’s feeling . here if you see the highest GDP growth govern sate among top 5 , 4 are ruled by BJP / NDA inclused punjab, gujarat, MP, bihar (although coalition broke but figures are from the time it was existing ). now i ask one question what brutality has BJP / Modi has shown in india that you project that people shall again vote for congress. i admit there were ram mandir and 2002 godhara, but were these the only riots that india had faced. in gujarat hindu – muslim riots had happen many times mostly int he governance of gujarat in 70s but no body talks about it. what about riots in delhi in 1984 when sikhs were burnt alive and cae is pending in court against congress ex-ministers, if it it so then how come delhi people have given 3 chances to sheila dixit and still no body is objecting. and repercussion of this was that whole punjab was burnt in the ire of terrorism for a whole decade and their were severe brutalities against sikhs there. what about kashmiris pandits. they were forced to exile from there own homes what congress ruling government was doing at that time. they left valley and became refugee and today there existence is like nothing even they were not declared as minorities by congress government or any scheme for their reestablishment. now people say congress not BJP why because they are secular but why you overlook the fact that in 60 years of their rules they have not done any thing for india or indian and almost all nehru – gandhis have been involved in some scams . they gave bharat ratna to rajiv gandhi, on what basis tell. that guy was so foolished that he did not even know that green chilies turns into red one and asked farmers to saw red chilies directly. people who are totally away from a common man’s life, who do not know how many states are there india, how many regions are there, in short nothing about india , you expect them to rule india how come on papers writing reports, showing fake graphs, missing important file and wasting tax payer money. all economist are warning these government but are they listening, all industrialist are showing their worries , are they reacting, unemployment is all time high, no social security , no safety, dollar all time high , inflation is not curbed at all , every day new scam, planning to sell gold reserves . this what is a good for you as you want a secular government and do not want to vote for BJP ! lets make development an issue this time then BJP ruled states will outshine congress ruled states in every ways!
this author is so sham in his thinking and acceptance of the facts against his post that he deleted my comment in which i presented the correct facts on Indian politics, congress and BJP. you better turn off the comment feature as i guess you are not ready to accept the actual facts which are completely ignored to you. congress boot lickers will never change as they know where do they stand hence believing in suppressing other people’s opinion and freedom of speech and forcing their biased and fake opinions on simple common man
In reply to kunal sharma
Your comment was never deleted. You’re just paranoid.
In reply to bhagwad
there were 2 comments i do not see the other one!
In reply to kunal sharma
Then no idea. I never got it. Maybe you posted the same content twice, or forgot to click the “submit” button, or some other kind of glitch…
In reply to bhagwad
then you can delete this comment i thought u took it too personally and deleted my other comment as it was a long post. sorry i should have not reacted like this . but i found you not very open regarding criticism and discussion
In reply to kunal sharma
No issues :) . Take care.
In reply to bhagwad
i wrote whole comment again, u also tc nothing personal i wanted you to delete it coz i think its not good for healthy discussions which we need very much ! and my language was quite harsh i do not want your readers to be prejudiced or biased about you . rest is your choice
some facts that you know about modi and gujarat
grass root leader , knows exactly what india and indians all about not like rahul gandhi who says rani ki jhansi openly and that from a scripted speech. under modi’s leadership gujarat has entered in new era of progress and development, 24 hours supply of electricity, gujarat discom only profitable electricity sate board in india, high GDP growth rate, every leading industrialist wants modi to be next PM and said many times including in vibrant guajrat summit. all companies are moving to gujarat examples maruti and tata leaving their traditional camps there must be some reason behind that. becasue of MR modis enterprising policies gujarat is the most investor friendly state where they get all basic facility with out red-tapism. when farmers in other states are committing suicide even after 60000 crore loan waiver, farmers in guajrat selling there cotton and groundnuts in international markets , world bank compared gujarat roads upto almost like international standards, you discuss so much about gujarat and politics standing at a remote place from gujarat, but gujaratis have shown tremendous faith in BJP and Mr modi by giving overwhelming majority 3rd time in a row, he was the one who went to supreme court for raising height of sardar sarvor dam move that solved water crisis in gujarat and providing uninterrupted supply of water to farmers and made agriculture growth 9 % where in blessed Ganges delta area agriculture is sinking like any thing and sooner will be depleted. very recently UNESCO has praised gujarat government for its ” save ground water program” under mr modi guidance the project which made level of ground water in Gujarat rising while in other parts of india it is actually depleted like any thing and for that he approached International Water Management Institute, tell me which CM in india’s history has taken this much pain for its people and state. he si the one given free braod bands to villages with 98& of rural electrification and started satellite education for remote and undeveloped areas of gujarat. he is the one who brought mr bachhan as brand Ambassador of gujarat and tourism has grown so high that GTDC is in profit now unlike other traditional state like rajasthan and UP who have lost the ground and tourism in these states is sinking. i am tired of writing about the achievements as list is very long. you talk about 2002 riots, now supreme court has even given him clean chit , so did the SIT made by congress government. more than that there have been riots in almost all part of india delhi, bhagalpur, mumbai why nobody talks about it. today gujarat is the safest state to leave with least crimes and lowest crime growth rates. perhaps would be the only state of india where women come home alone from railway station even at 2 am. what more you want from him and not remind he is the only CM of india who is ruling a state from last 10 years with out a single stain of scam or corruption on his collar. still you say non secular and 2002 secular. but tell me after 2002 did any godhara happen again in gujarat. if gujaratis only voted for him because of 2002 communal riots then how come he got 2nd and now 3rd term, because agenda is devlopment, progress and safety which we gujaratis see with him and along him, he is getting appreciation by representatives of countries like UK and Australia, who want modi to come and address events there . Does it count any thing to you or you will still say communal riots and non secular? facts are facts and your ego does not get shorten by accepting them. i guess today even lord krishna himself will appear and say Mr modi is his choice then you people will start to argue with him as well.
more than anything , people criticize him so much for 2002 riots in which we gujaratis were the worst and actual sufferers. since, we have given him 3rd chance in a row, shows that we do not remember anything like that , then who gives right to these people from other states to judge Mr Modi. north Indians better save their states with high corruption, highest unemployment and extremely high crime rates particularly against women, where women do not feel safe in day times or even in home then ask Mr modi question about being secular or communal
In reply to kunal sharma
Mr. Kunal, yes there are some great things about Mr. Modi and the BJP, no one doubts that but the very fact that the core of the party is non-secular in a secular state puts me off. The entire totalitarian mindset makes me wonder if history would repeat itself and we would have a dictatorship like the Germans. And mind you, the Nazis promised a lot to their land too. I do not want to vote for the Congress either but a known devil is better than an unknown and like Mr. Bhagwad said I prefer incompetence over insanity.
In reply to Sara
its 2013 so comparing modi with hitler is sense less its actually over exaggeration of facts. as far congress is concerned it is not clean either infact congress even has no take on anything at all and this shows how shallow they are in their thinking. we choose government to represent us or our ideologies but when a government does not take any action on any thing and let the things be as they are and the shape they will take by themselves raises are a very strong question ” do we actually need any governance? ” and honestly things like this actually influence people to not to vote at all. nazis promised alot yes then check list of what congress promised to india in last 66 years and things which actually happened so your delusion will be over i guess. as many times i have said after 1984 people gace chance to congress and as not repeated by congress so how can you say if we will give chance to modi he will surely repeat 2002. why people are so insecure that yes it will be repeated and in that thought process you always ignore the pain he has taken for development of his state and people then how can you say that he will not do the same for india. more than anything after 2002 what kind of discrimination muslims are facing in gujarat right now. can you report me any official incidence. is there any thing. you talk about RSS and VHP they were associated with BJP in 1999 to 2004 as well, but we had a good time there aint we? what i feel can be my personal view but india need a social up liftment first and that can be done mostly by financial elevation of all classes particularly poor class, for that you need growth which congress can never provide and for that you can always refer history on india
For me BJP is the worst form of congress. So really no choice. I will go and vote for left parties if there is a candidate where I am voting.
Also as someone who had worked in relief camps with affected children in Ahmedabad in 2002 after Government engineered riots I can never think of voting for BJP.
Anyone who was in Ahmedabad and saw the nature of rioting and how household were picked and targeted is convinced that it was done under administrative supervision. Knowing how Modi is a control freak, it is a valid assumption that he was steering the whole thing. Religious structures were bulldozed overnight.
we must understand though Modi is not the problem he is a victim of RSS indoctrination which is based on hate mongering if you have seen how they operate. I have seen it.
It is the ideology we must stand against. It did not stop in Gujarat, PLEASE REMEMBER IT. When I worked in Kandhamal, Orrisa in 2009 I heard same stories from victims of communal violence then.
Also please go and ask Christian lead Institution in Karnataka and and Madhya Pradesh how they have experienced BJp in power and you will hear stories of intimidation, harassment, abuse and rape.
So lets wish for Positive forces to become stronger, find individuals in your constitutenies that may be better options. They may not win today, but it will send a warning signal….it will help shifting Congress to the center if not left. It is a long term mission for a India where all citizens are treated with respect. In Peace
In reply to Agyatmitra
what you are saying with that i may agree but see your thoughts are based on personal experiences so can be mine as well as my parents and grand parents faced the same trauma in delhi 1984 when sikhs and punjabis were butchered and their relatives lived horrific days in punjab in light of terrorism and what about kashmiri pandits who have become a lost clan in india and their reestablishment is just on papers it never happened actually all thx to congress which was in power in both india and respective states when these incidents happened. these arguments and accusations are endless because both sides have their own stories. congress is not clean either so does the BJP or may be any other party because these political parties have always divided us in name of religion, community, language, regions, separate states even nation see whole telangana chapter, when student burnt themselves to create separate states what kind of politics is that or when DMK burnt national flag to come in power in tamilnadu or mamta banerjee jolted industrial projects in west bengal which the state needs the most as its industrialization and jobs scenario are all time low , tell me name of one single national or regional party which has not done this in aspiration to come in power. as far communalism is concerned its not about discriminating one community over other but it is also appeasing one community over another for political gains which every party does congress the most. in short who is actually secular in india tell me . for modi i do not support him coz i am a gujarati or hindu or i support RSS / VHP etc in fact since i have got awareness i have criticized them and any activity that does polarization of religion for gains. but question is is BJP or modi are the only one that doing it, i guess no. more than that why people do not talk about primary issues like food, shelter, clothing and security. i can afford to have a secular government ok even if it congress but how can i afford my empty pocket, hungry family and no shelter at all with all time low internal and external security. as far modi is concerned his all time critics are impressed with the development he has done in gujarat some of them are their in congress itself . i can criticize modi for sure even more than any of you but condition is if congress actually does the social upliftment of poor and needy, it was actually able to reduce poverty, there was a good amount of social security and safety and when people do not have to move to other states particularly to gujarat for their livelihood , when congress will do that i promise i will condemn BJP / Modi the most more than any body else, but will congress actually do that !
Dear Kunal, can you compare riot with a pogrom?? No, Problem with Modi is in the legacy he wants to take forward that’s of herd of hate mongers aka lovers of liars…and lie and hate spreaders. You might say I am just saying to malign your beloved Modi without any concrete or official proof against him. Lemme start giving you some proofs. Tell me who allowed marching of victims of Godhra in Ahmedbad?? Can it happens without the government consent?? And everybody knows that marching was the fuel in fire. That was insanity and incompetences at its height. Another example of his lies… He tweeted on the night of his elevation as a Chief of BJP election commission that he met former BJP chief Mr Advani and his blessing are with him?? We all know what happened next day , don’t you?? Third example of his lie… Aftermath of calamity struck in Uthrakhand, he reached there to put chilies on the wounds, he claimed to have been able rescuing 15000 Gujratis using 15 Innovas… Media tear him apart as that was not possible even with helicopters, you might say that he never says so but media attributed this to him, counter point is does this man who has disease of talking couldn’t find 5minutes to clarify the re facts??? He wants to take forwrd the same legacy of lie which his party BJP aka RSS shows us in 2004, in the name of India Shining.., india as a whole rejected that in. 2004 and will reject as a whole in. 2013. A party who is merely representing people’s in 3 northern states will taste the reality of other 26 states in 2014…
i ask you did india reject congress after 1984 riots as whole when the condition of delhi and punjab went worse , go read about it particularly punjab gone for a debacle for next 10 years. every one gives talls who does not . you can give chance to congress after 1984 then why not BJP after 2002 as i have said many times even in comparison or criticism you have to be fair. 1992 to 1993 mumbai riots were worst form of riots that india had ever seen and congress was completely failed to curb it . lesser or more how is that different tell me