How PR can make a man look like a King: Rahul Gandhi's image in Gujarat

 It was not long ago when the Viacom 18 channel Colors aired a particular show named 24-styled after the popular US show. This show, starring Anil Kapoor as the lead was quite popular.  It was showing that a new generation young leader had a threat to his life. He was the popular figure of the nation and the would be Prime Minister.

But this show had an uncanny resemblance to one particular family namely the Gandhi family of India. It was just one of the few tricks up the sleeve of the Gandhi family to make an image makeover for the Gandhi scion. But the show didn't create much furor after people realised who it was framing. This was just the first try of the family. Also at the same time was another movie named Youngistaan which again portrays the life of a youth icon in Indian Politics. Again the same cheap subliminal suggestion at the hand of the media.

Now again the family strikes. Now it is in the Prime Minister's backyard in Gujarat. It wishes to make an image makeover of Rahul Gandhi with the help of some speeches, doctored by Mr. Sam Pitroda. Also included in the drama is mother Sonia Gandhi and some other people like Mr. Hardik Patel of the Patel Anamat, who are aiming to get a piece of the electoral pie in Gujarat elections.
The party is trying to spread the message that the Gandhi scion has changed and that people listen to him in the crowd. They say that he is holding discussions on topics and has decided to be in touch with CWC in a more deeper way. But it should have been the other way. The person who has been in touch with the CWC all these years without any possible incentive is the true candidate worthy of such an appointment. 

All the senior Congress leaders who made the party what it is today are ignored and their contribution forgotten. Himachal Pradesh young leader Anil Sharma joined BJP on similar lines. Bantu Ramu another youth wing leader from Telangana joined BJP also citing similar concerns about growing nepotism in Congress. The Congress must understand that this isn't any Godfather movie that they can decide on the selection of their scion and all the henchmen are going to rever him as Godfather.
The party is committing a political suicide just to project this man as the de facto candidate. Why cannot they appoint any senior candidate for this post of the CWC President. One of the candidates could have been Shankersinh Vaghela; another candidate that could have been considered is Oomen Chandy who has successfully ruled Kerala for past 2 terms. The only message this appointment is sending out to the world is that if you are joining Congress, be ready for facing nepotism and the Godfather approach of the Gandhi family. Maybe stitch a Nehru coat along with a kurta and pyjaama for good style like the long coats in Godfather.

Last nail in the Coffin for the Congress Family Rule: GST launch

The GST launch event saw all the major parties attending and supporting the new tax regime. The event is quite special because it is not just a launch event. The event was boycotted by the Congress Party and the picture of the Central Hall is more than a file picture. It is a view of a glorious India without the Congress Family. This event was also boycotted by them as was expected from them. They cannot support anything that places the people on an equal plane as them.

The event was flagged off on the stroke of midnight as a step towards a uni-tax policy in the nation. There were remarks from the Congress side that this is just a lesser evil than the former but an evil as such. And thus in years they accepted that the party has done nothing to lessen the evil in the government. Other than using erstwhile princes and kings to consolidate its rule in the states, this party has never thought about doing something beneficial for the citizens.

This boycott tells us the story of how insensitive this party can be. The only logic that they feel to oppose is that they are the opposition. The logic is something to do with only the manifesto of the opposition and it is clearly against Narendra Modi and his policies. This was the same government that was proposing the Food Security Bill before the 2014 elections. This was the worst thing that the nation was saved from and the NDA saved the nation from loot in the name of government.

The Congress Family and its idiotic rhetorics have always been supported by other members and though many times the Party has been criticized for siding with the whims of a particular family, they have not heeded to these. This is a lesson in political science that a party showing extreme rhetorics as these are not only a hindrance to the nation but also to young leaders rising in the same party.

But it is not late even now to change this policy of being the Jagir of a family. The Congress Party was the first party to receive the Independence of the country and had leaders like Lal Bahadur Shastri. These leaders pulled the country out of difficult times and made it self-reliant. They boosted the confidence of the nation. 

The Gandhi family has tried to gain attention of the nation and retain the power rather than making policies for the good of the people. It is time that other leaders take the Party in their own hands. Rather than living off the graces of a single family it should embrace the legacy that it has. It should boycott such nepotism and encourage new blood into leadership.

The main reason behind the failure of the Opposition is that there is no leader capable of honestly discussing with the ruling party. The main purpose behind having a Parliament is to discuss and not to be dramatic and create ruckus. These antics can only attract attention and do no good. Because once the play is over, the onlookers disperse and you will be alone on the road.

Extradition is as far-fetched for India as are the arrears of Mr. Mallya: Vijay Mallya Extradition case

 

The power of a particular government is not the only thing that is challenged in a justice system. The resolve of the government is also tested. And not only is this a case of the government’s prestige but is also a matter of prestige of one of the most important banks in India; State Bank. What is the basic problem behind the immediate extradition of Mr. Mallya? The only reason that fits is that he is a billionaire. The UK is quite notoriously known to harbor people of influence and power from being prosecuted. Even though the UK has signed an extradition clause with India in 1992, the only person who was extradited was a person who never even stood to fight the extradition in the 2002 Godhra Riots case. But the case here is not just about an individual but a brand.

Vijay Mallya was the business tycoon of India who defined in-flight luxury for its passengers. His Kingfisher Calender is famous world over and is known to have given some of the most beautiful models in the Indian Film Industry. The liquor baron- as he is known for United Breweries was quite in the news in the time for the purchase of Tipu Sultan’s sword. He is also credited with the possession of a very old vintage of Scotch Whiskey found on a sunken ship. But apart from these the baron is now known to be a squanderer and a cheat who took loans from many banks in India and defaulted on them repeatedly until he fled India in March of 2016.

But the primary culprit behind all this is the government who allowed a defaulter to flee India. Why did not the government put a ban on his movement and revoke his passports. Vijay Mallya is a known figure and he did not abscond, but he left India while everyone was watching and this makes it more difficult to believe whether the government would be able to bring him back or not. But this is not the first time when the UK has harbored people of questionable integrity. The ousted General Pervez Musharaf who fled Pakistan is also on the list of those people who are in the UK, who was responsible solely for the 1999 Kargil War and the stalling of peace talks between India and Pakistan.

It is safe to say that right or wrong is a matter of perspective. But the matter of righteousness surpasses all boundaries of nations and constitutions. What is more important is that the people you are harboring are leaving on a certain impression for the world to see. It is not necessary to be right all the time but to delay the delivery of justice is a denial of justice itself. And this is not just a matter of the UK government but also a matter of the government of India whose callous attitude and underestimation facilitated the fleeing of one of the biggest defaulters in India's banking history. But surely UK has a moral compass that points way to far from India’s and that can be countered only by India’s resolve to bring Mr. Mallya to justice.

The true inflation is the difference between Rs 20 and Rs 120: Farmers underpaid for produce in India

The country is now witness to some of the widespread strikes by farmers who have come to the government to get their loans waived. The MP farmers’ protest in Mandsaur is the latest. Farmers have joined all over the country to protest. But is it the same kind of protests that we see in this country that wane away with the passage of time. It is wise to read between the lines rather than the lines themselves. There is a strong reason why farmers have come out on the roads.

The investigation need not go too far and can condense to the local vegetable market. The small bundle of coriander or cilantro that is available in the market is sold at Rs 120. But the same thing is bought from the farmer who grew it, at Rs 20. Why does this huge gap occur?

The farmer sells it to the local aggregator, who gives him a meager amount for the entire produce. The farmer, who has no storage facility for his vegetables, in order to minimize the loss due to decay, sells it off. Now the aggregator does the same thing and sells it before decay to the next link in the supply chain. In the due course of time the customer at the end of the chain gets the price tag of Rs 120. And this has been the story throughout the 70 years of independence. The farmer has been considered as one of the primary pillars of democracy in India. It is evident from the ‘Jai Jawan Jai Kisan’ of the PM Lal Bahadur Shastri. But this slogan has lost its importance now that the government takes them for granted. Due to the difference in the rate the supply chain tries to squeeze the farmers' end of the chain and increase profits. The farmers are unable to pay back the loans and so either protest or commit suicide.

The main problem arises out of the red-tape bureaucracy that is still stalling people from progressing. The tendency to stick to old practices and not innovation is the main reason behind this farmers’ agitation. The government should have given a cost-effective solution to farmers for storing their produce after reaping to enable fair price deliverance. The government should take and area-wise census each year to determine the number of farmers in each area and allot a local storage system for the farmers for their produce temporarily for storage so that they get a fair price for their produce. Also a representative from the government should ensure that the rate of sale of the produce is not much different than the rate in the market. The number of middlemen must be decreased.

But this will only ensure a government structure. A true implementation is that where people join with the implementation of a reform.  People must realize that the farmers are an important part of the society. Enabling the system like a Panchayati Raj in the rural areas is good. It will enable participation on a greater platform. A national computer network should be enabled to compare prices with various places and enable discussion to make better practices of farming. Farming is not only a pillar of democracy but also a leg of the entire nation. Preventing it from breaking will prevent the nation from being handicapped.

The Opening of bars won’t solve the drug abuse problem Mr. Vijayan: Kerala opens bars again

Popularly Punjabis and Keralites or Malayalis have been proud of their ‘Capacity’. And here I don’t mean the capacity to eat but to drink alcohol. Vivid stories of Malayalis having large quantities of alcohol without becoming tipsy at all. But that was changed about a year ago when the UDF government banned alcohol in the state. Many challenged this idea but the government did not budge. The new government in the second year gave the people a huge present in the form of bar licenses. And the government justifies the move as a counter to the increase in drug abuse in the state.

But that doesn’t add up the earlier incidences of drug abuse in the state when alcohol was not banned. This government has put itself in a strange position with a portion of the society supporting the decision and another portion disliking the decision. But if we consider basic human psychology a lesser evil is not going to stop people from going to the next level. This trade-off by the Kerala government is faulty and will only increase the use of drugs in the state.

Addicts that are used to alcohol will obviously try to get a new high by trying drugs alongwith the alcohol. And people who were already using the two together will get a shot in the arm by this decision. Moreover people who didn’t knew about drugs are now enlightened about this addiction and if they had a try or two with alcohol once, they will do the same with the drugs and thus this vicious circle will continue.

The government of Kerala just gave a stronger thrust to this vicious wheel. This wheel will sure have social impacts as well. Alcohol is not introduced in a situation where people have a choice to stay aloof. It is like a whirlwind, which pulls you in whether you want it or not. And considering the move of the Kerala government which permits three star hotels and restaurants to sell alcohol, the youth of the state and the neighboring states are at risk.

It is clear from the government’s shady reasons that this move is just to introduce a new head of revenue for the state. And the sad part is that this is based on the health of number of youth of the country. Not to mention the relation between drinking and crime in general. And particularly in the case of Kerala, the crime against women, which has been a black mark on the state for so long. You cannot burn an entire forest to weed out one rat, and if you do so the rat will live to see you die soon. 

First a high court judge sentences a Supreme Court judge; now lower courts will dictate governments on policy making: Madras high court stay on Government order

It was not too long after a Kolkata high court judge C S Karnan sentenced the Supreme Court judge explicitly, that this news made it to the headlines. The Madras high court makes another landmark by putting a stay on the Center’s order on banning sale of cattle for slaughter. And this was on a PIL submitted in the court within just days from the release of the Center’s order.  This might be one of the fastest PIL trials the country has ever seen.

But why has the lower court decided to stay on the Center’s order even without consulting with the Center. No representative of the Center was asked an explanation on the case and the court gave the verdict in the litigants’ favor. Or maybe this was just a show by the State government to ease the tension owing to the ban inside their state. Clearly this case has showed that any order from the Center can be rolled back or made ineffective in a sense.

This is particularly important to note since any state that does not have a majority of the ruling Central party can easily create a problem. When we look at our history states that did not obey the orders of the ruling emperor were taken very seriously and in some cases it also led to military coups to dismantle the tension. Such a knee jerk reaction was to ensure that other states take example from them and obey the order. But here this incident is not only raising questions on the governments’ hold on the people but their capability to govern such situations. Firstly the incident of the public slaughter of an animal in Kannur was disturbing and now this stay order is staring the Center in the face.

The problem started from the Center as they did not consult the states before releasing the order. A sudden decision will always attract such a reaction from the people. Or else the Center should have done this in an indirect way using a different methodology. The Center could have demanded a particular tax on the purchase of cattle for slaughter. Another way is to reduce the prices of meat available from government abattoirs. Thereby the problem of illegal slaughter houses and the problem of scarcity of milch cows are also solved.

The farmers have a dual income by using livestock for milk as well as for meat. This has been the practice of farmers throughout history. The government could allow the easy sale of livestock that is healthy to government abattoirs at a higher rate and thereby solve the problem of farmers. But the stay order of the high court should be questioned by the Center to elicit an explanation regarding the abrupt and sudden decision. And also the PILs that come up should be monitored to ensure that they do not contempt the Central Government or condemn its approach. Such PILs can dilute the image of the government and thereby create a dangerous situation of anarchy. People will question every single move of the government and not obey the government. It is true that a tree that grows bigger than the house is dangerous to the house itself. Let’s not be that tree.

Ayodhya issue is the new TV serial of India, breaking all records and still pending in climax

The Ayodhya issue has stood the test of time and has defied all efforts of reconciliation. This issue has seen new roles coming up and adding to the plot aka a TV serial which is similar to this. The case against the senior most leaders of the BJP is the talk of the town now. Earlier it was the verdict of the Allahabad high court that was so trending. Now this has turned into somewhat like a Saas-Bahu melodrama where each is trying to prove who is more significant.

Both the sides are trying to prove who was first on the spot. What structure existed first on this land; a temple or a mosque? And this decision needs to have the consensus of all the three parties in the case. In any case this consensus is a dream that will never materialize and some or the other episode of this case is always going to hit the news hour across the country and make headlines in the papers.

But when the government can take a strong decision on the discontinuation of certain serials that are having less TRP why does the government permit a case like this to continue to spread discord in the country. The government just like any other is just playing safe in this case and not taking a iron hand in the case and this has let the situation to precipitate such a dangerous polarization of the general population.

It is not new for the rulers of this subcontinent to “Divide and Rule” the people, but in this age of media proliferation this is really shocking that the people are still ready to be divided. Also it is stupid on the part of the government to allow this issue to blow out of proportion. The government should give an ultimatum on the resolution of this issue and if the deadline is crossed, the governments should take-over the entire assets under dispute and nullify the case. This should be done not only to protect the sanctity of the country’s mentality but also to prevent the wastage of valuable court hours that are spent in resolving the case. The parties in this case should be made aware of the seriousness of the case.

People respond to power and clarity of thoughts and not to confusion and indecision. The failure of the earlier governments in the resolution of the case is a black mark on the history of this country’s democracy. Religion and faith are matters of personal choice and are sensitive in nature. But considering the time and effort that this case has consumed this case has been indulged a lot. When religion and faith come in the way of generic health of the nation, it is better to choose the nation first. The government must remember the iron man of the country and his resolve in uniting this country in such situations.