Shekhar Gupta writes in Indian Express (June 6) that the jolt Rajeev Gandhi got in 1989 elections is a worth learning lesson for present UPA government. His inference is that Rajeev's decline started when party's clergy and polity overpowered his fresh and ameture overtures after almost 2 years of his historic 3/4th victory. Mr. Gupta counts Shahbano case and subsequent unlocking of Ayodhya temple as the beginning of Rajeev's political blunders. I wrote a letter to Mr. Gupta in his personal official mail over his article, which I am publishing here on my blog for the Jury:
Dear Shekhar,
I am a journalist working with a Hindi business newspaper. Indian Express has been a newspaper closest to my heart for a long time now. I very often read your articles in the newspaper and so I did today also. I want to say something about the article and so am writing this letter.
Sir, you have done a great analysis of what went wrong with Rajeev Gandhi, even though he had led a historic electoral victory for Congress. But, what I doubt in the whole analysis, is the marks given to the general Indian voter's wit. With due respect to the public's maturity and wisdom, I have completely failed to analyse the recently concluded election outcome. You have rightly pointed out that Rajeev Gandhi's flip-flop over first, Shahbano case and then, unlocking the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple was the inception point of Rajeev's decline. But here lies my doubt. Was it really the issue alone that started the decline process or it was the powerful manifestation by the VHP and BJP of government's pro-Muslim and pseudo-secularism agenda, that worked really.
If one Shahbano can mitigate a party having 3/4th majority to such an extent that even after 25 years, it is rejoicing its 200 mark in Lok Sabha like a fantasy, how can one explain numerous Shahbano's in last 5 years having made no impact on Congress's electoral impact. Consider some events in last 5 years,
1. Prime Minister of more than a billion people resolving again and again that minorities (often synonymous with Muslims in our country) have the first right on nation's resources. Meaning 80% of the country are in second priority only because they follow a particular faith. (Is this the definition of a secular country?)
2. Government has been exerting pressure on publicly listed banks to reserve 15% of their loan fund for Muslims. Is it not ridiculous? How can a particular style of prayer or specific religion be the basis of economic decisions? I am a poor farmer but deserve secondary consideration on my loan application form vis-a-vis a Muslim trader only because I go to a temple or I recite Ram Charit Manas or my name doesn't contain Mohammad as prefix.
3. Supreme Court's stern comments on IMDT and Congress's subsequent stand on the issue. In fact, it no longer needs a RSS ideologue to prove that the provision of IMDT were framed only to provide Bangladeshi's an effective cover to settle down on Indian soil. Even Supreme Court has articulated the same in the most ardent voice.
4. We kept on losing numerous lives in one after one terrorist's attack for 5 years. For 80 per cent of the tenure we were compelled to endure the most feeble and weakest home minister at the helm. The person was same who had lost his personal constituency and elevated to the coveted post only due to his devotion towards Sonia Gandhi. Only before 6 months of the general elections, Mrs. Gandhi got the revelation of his inefficiency. Was not it a glazing proof of her apathy towards the plight of common people.
5. The Mumbai terrorist attack. Your ongoing series in itself is an eye opener and nothing left to say in that particular regard.
I can cite 10s of more incidents. Each incident is greater in both magnitude and impact than what Shahbano case was. But the only difference this time is that there is no VHP or BJP of the kind that we had in 90's. One Shahbano is echoing in our political system even after 25 years of its existence, but we are told that hanging of Afzal is a non-issue. Some 20 odd convicted persons, who have got capital punishment in some family feud or land related murders are being equated with a terrorist caught for attacking Parliament. Our Prime Minister and Home Minister are making this comparison and our intellectual class is pioneering the idea of being it a dead issue. So Shahbanos are there, Rajiv Gandhis are there, Mullas are there. The only missing link is the fierce opposition who can snatch the hijab from the faces.
If one Shahbano can change the course of Indian Politics, how can 100s of Shahbanos go unnoticed. The corrupt, beleaguered and bemused BJP have lost its way and so a vaccum has been created in political space. Otherwise, there is no explanation why none of the above issues could be heard all over the one and half months of electoral campaign. I have been always of the view that failure of BJP in Indian polity is no less than a catastrophe or our democratic process and I still stand by with my view. The reason is because, once the people lose the faith in any alternative on national level, they will finally fall in the lap of piffle regional and cast vested interests. And that would ultimately cost the integrity of our country.
