Not an accidental PM: Dr Singh was actually part of the ruling political dispensation

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*
The propaganda machinery of the Sangh Parivar is on full swing. One is now being forced to consume loads of information about 'Accidental Prime Minister', and both the government and BJP's social media cell are on an overdrive to promote it. Let me clarify: This is not meant to defend Dr Manmohan Singh or Sonia Gandhi or Narendra Modi, but to point towards issues of accountability and responsibilities of elected representatives.
As a person Dr Singh definitely is and was far superior to Narendra Modi, both in terms of knowledge and dignity that he brought to the post. Someone's humbleness must not be considered as a weakness, and history will surely judge him in a much better way than his successor.
There are, of course, issues about an over-hyped actor. Yes, I am talking about Anupam Kher, who has taken it upon himself to be the 'champion' defender of this government, and is perhaps competing with his wife for a seat in Parliament. After all, BJP is looking for stars from cricket and cinema to rescue the party in the 2019 polls.
Indeed, many failed opportunists are looking for greener pastures to protect their business interests, and will be happy to contest the Lok Sabha polls. Anupam Kher and many like him nurture the hope of being 'elected' representatives. They could not do much on the silver screen, except defending the Brahminical disorder and rigid customs.
Kher may be hailed as a great actor, but his acting is much inferior to both Om Puri and Naseeruddin Shah, both as an actor as well as a person taking stand on important public issues. I think, except for his initial 'Saraansh', there are not many movies which are worth remembering.
As for the 'Accidental Prime Minister' and questions being raised about it, the main theme of the film is that Congress President Sonia Gandhi was 'advising' the Prime Minister on what to do and what not to do. But these are trivial issues, to say the least.

In democracies, the ruling party is bigger than the government; it guides the government. Because, ultimately, it is the party which has to go to the polls. Sonia Gandhi as UPA chairperson was definitely entitled to write or guide the government, and it was up to the government to agree or disagree with her viewpoint.
Can Prime Minister or BJP leaders ignore the advise of the RSS? What is the locus standi of Ram Madhav on Jammu & Kashmir (J&K)? Is he an 'expert' on J&K?

In democracies, one cannot hand over the council of ministers to a few selected bureaucrats. Indeed, those in the current dispensation hail from the Sangh Parivar. The system is called political, because it is politics which guides.
The council of ministers is actually accountable to Parliament, where questions are raised and responded. And it is the ruling party which defends the government and its actions, both in Parliament and on the street. The argument that Dr Singh should not have listened or should not have surrendered his position is, therefore, absurd.
The problem with bureaucracy, or the corporatised media, is that they wanted to control Dr Singh. Sanjaya Baru-type of persons could never have been appointed in the Prime Minister's office if Sonia Gandhi was calling the shots on everyday affair. Baru is a highly overrated journalist, and his book on Dr Singh is just a dishonest attempt to get favours from Modi.
When Anna Hazare launched his Lok Pal movement, some of us opposed the entire premise because we believe in the supremacy of Parliament and assemblies. You cannot make Lok Pal the boss of Parliament.
So the issue is not merely whether Sonia was dictating or not. The clever media is making it out that way because it never wants parties to dictate the agenda for governments. Governments can't be delinked from parties. Today, BJP is dictating the agenda to the government. Since the agenda is suiting the corporates, they are quiet, otherwise they would have made noises.
One cannot suggest that once a person becomes Prime Minister or minister, he or she should leave the party or forget about it. A political party is not there to make you CMs or PMs, and then allow you to do what you wish to do. If one were to allow the government and council of ministers to be just surrounded by the corporates and bureaucrats, then one would never think of any pro-people policies.
One must not forget that Dr Singh, P Chidambaram and Montek Singh Ahluwalia were the favourites of the media and the corporates, and Sonia Gandhi was being seen as too much of a 'socialist' who was guided by the 'jhollawallah' economists and social activists, and hence the obstacle.
These corporatised castes now enjoy immunity under the current dispensation, but they also realise that an administration that has nothing to show to the people will ultimately boomerang, hence attempts are being made to change the narrative.
The 2019 elections must, therefore, centre around achievements or failures of Narendra Modi and BJP, and not of what all Dr Singh and Sonia Gandhi did in 2009, as the latter were punished by the people in 2014. The government of the day cannot hide its failures by such diversionary tactics. After all, people know this well and will respond on time.
---
*Well known human rights defender. Source: Author's Facebook timeline

Comments

North Gujarat gram panchayat bars villagers from dealing with Muslim hawkers, traders

By Our Representative A gram panchayat in North Gujarat has barred its residents not to buy anything from Muslim traders and hawkers. An order of the Waghasan group gram panchayat of Tharad taluka of Banaskantha district dated June 30 states that the decision has been taken in the wake of beheading of a Hindu tailor after he posted a derogatory writeup on Prophet Mohammad in Udaipur. The gram panchayat resolution says, anyone seen buying or selling any commodity from a Muslim hawker or trader would be fined Rs 5,100. Bringing this to light, Mujahid Nafees, convener, Minority Coordination Committee, in a letter to Gujarat chief minister Bhupendra Patel, says, the state government should take legal action against the panchayat chief who has signed the “unjust” order. The letter says, the act of the sarpanch and other signatories is a violation of rule of law of the state and threat to peace, pointing out, the move is in violation of Article 15 of the Constitution, which says that none

Unlike Soviet Union, Russia is no friend to India: Ukrainian scholar tells 'Indian friends'

Counterview Desk In an open letter to "dear Indian friends", Anastasia Piliavsky, born in Odessa, Ukraine, studied at Boston and Oxford Universities (on a Rhodes Scholarship), and now teaches at King’s College, London, has said that she faces "deep moral dilemma", personally and professionally, over the "astonishingly unified Indian response to the war in Ukraine." Based on her interaction with a "number of thoughtful and caring Indian friends", in this letter, she says, she is "reeling at the ubiquitous silence at, justifications of or outright support for Putin’s terror, which now prevails in India, at the ubiquitous #IStandWithPutin and #istandwithrussia hashtags." She insists, India must understand, "Unlike the Soviet Union, Russia is no friend to India. Soviet leaders, beginning with (the Ukrainian) Nikita Khrushchev – who declared hindi rusi bhai bhai – built up deep political and cultural exchange with India." Text : I

Technocratic globalism, tyranny? Health Ministry warned: bill to 'enslave' Indians

Sandeep Pandey, Tushar Gandhi By Rosamma Thomas* Union of Concerned Citizens, a group comprising Magsaysay Award winner Prof Sandeep Pandey, human rights activist Tushar Gandhi, former judge of the Bombay High Court BG Kolse Patil, pediatrician Dr Jacob Puliyel and several renowned Indian citizens have written to the Union Health Minister cautioning him against tabling the draft Public Health Bill in the Monsoon Session of Parliament. “The Public Health (Prevention, Control And Management Of Epidemics, Bio-Terrorism And Disasters) Bill, 2017 and a Prospective Bill of 2022 as discussed in news articles, is straightforwardly violative of Fundamental Rights of the citizens of India and therefore, Ultra Vires of the Indian Constitution. It contravenes several International Treaties and Conventions including the Nuremberg Treaty of 1947 which was enacted to ensure that no country would repeat such inhuman medical atrocities on fellow human beings”, the 12-page letter reads. “Strangely, t

Protesters demand release of Teesta Setalvad, Sreekumar, seek review of SC order

By Our Representative Protests broke out across India on June 27 following Teesta Setalvad’s arrest demanding her immediate release. Sabrang India , a site run by Setalvad, claimed she was “arrested on trumped-up charges after the Supreme Court dismissed the petition moved by Zakia Jafri demanding an investigation into the larger conspiracy behind the 2002 Gujarat violence.” The protesters also demanded release of former DGP Gujarat police RB Sreekumar, also arrested simultaneously. The protests were preceded by over 2,200 people from across the globe signing a statement demanding their immediate release. Leading signatories such as People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) general secretary V Suresh, National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM) convenor Medha Patkar, former Naval chief Admiral Ramdas. “The state has used the observations made in the judgment to falsely and vindictively prosecute those who had struggled for justice even in the face of state callousness and complicit

Buddhist shrines were 'massively destroyed' by Brahmanical rulers: Historian DN Jha

Nalanda mahavihara By Our Representative Prominent historian DN Jha, an expert in India's ancient and medieval past, in his new book , "Against the Grain: Notes on Identity, Intolerance and History", in a sharp critique of "Hindutva ideologues", who look at the ancient period of Indian history as "a golden age marked by social harmony, devoid of any religious violence", has said, "Demolition and desecration of rival religious establishments, and the appropriation of their idols, was not uncommon in India before the advent of Islam".

Electoral bonds scheme 'compromises' voluntary nature PM relief fund donations

By Rosamma Thomas* The Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) is meant to collect voluntary donations from the general public, either individuals or organizations, to enable assistance to people in times of natural disaster, or for expensive medical treatment. That fundamental voluntary character of the fund, however, has changed in recent years. The gazette notification of January 2018 announcing the Electoral Bond scheme states, in Clause 12 (2): “The amount of bonds not encashed within the validity period of fifteen days shall be deposited by the authorized bank to the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund”. The Union government has, thus, through notification, directed funds to be deposited into what was meant to be purely voluntary. Commodore Lokesh Batra, who has been campaigning for transparency in government functioning, holds that once a gazette notification has been issued directing that funds be deposited into the PMNRF, the character of the whole fund has changed,

'Highly abnormal': AltNews journo's arrest suggests 'deterioration in media freedom'

By Bharat Dogra* Leading media organizations have come out in strong support of recently arrested journalist Mohammed Zubair. These organizations include, among others, the Editors Guild of India, the Press Club of India, the Delhi Union of Journalists and DIGIPUB, a platform for several important digital media organizations. All these organizations have condemned the recent arrest of the noted journalist and demanded his immediate release. While leading human rights organizations and political parties have also made somewhat similar statements, the strong support of media organizations is particularly important as the effort of the authorities has been to try to present the arrested journalist as someone who has been indulging in irresponsible journalism. In such a situation the support of those media organizations who are familiar with his work and who are most capable of judging the quality of his work is very important. In this context it is important that some media organization

Majoritarian silence helping Hindutva forces 'handover' national resources to corporates

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak* The majority of Indian citizens are witnessing the persecution and everyday violence against their fellow citizens who are Muslims and religious minorities. The growing assaults on reason, science, secularism, Indian democracy and constitution are going to be landmarks in Indian history of diminishing democracy and citizenship rights. It is clear that Hindutva ideology is directly promoting sectarian politics of hate which is dangerous for the unity and integrity of India, peace and prosperity of Indians. The majoritarian silence helps in empowering Hindutva and their electoral dividends. From witnessing the persecution in the sidelines to the active participation and cheering loud or silence accelerates violence against our neighbours and our fellow citizens. How and why do majority of Indians stay silent and contribute to the persecution of their fellow citizens who are Muslims and religious minorities? The question baffles me as an Indian because I have gr

Electricity Bill: Centre's reform measures contain 'carrot and stick package' for states

Counterview Desk The Peoples’ Commission on Public Sector and Public Services (PCPSPS), claiming to be a network of eminent academics, jurists, erstwhile administrators, trade unionists and social activists, seeking consultations with stakeholders with those who are against the government’s decision to monetise, disinvest and privatise public assets/enterprises, has said that the proposed Electricity (Amendment) Bill-2022 will have far-reaching impacts on the finances of states. Insisting that the proposed Bill would lead to “assault on India’s federal structure”, in a statement, it says, it would weaken the finances of states’ power distribution companies, have adverse impact on utility employees, cripple the states' finances, impose a heavy cost burden on the smaller subsidized consumers (especially farmers), and benefit only corporate business houses. “States cannot afford to ignore the far-reaching implications of the Bill on their economy, finances, agricultural and industria

Cops 'refuse to register' complaint after BSF shot landless worker off Bangla border

By Our Representative Kirity Roy, secretary, Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM), and national convener, Programme Against Custodial Torture & Impunity (PACTI), in a complaint to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), referring to the incident of “firing and execution” of a poor Muslim youth, has alleged that the 26 year old was was shot at “without giving any warning” one and half kilometers inside the Indian territory from Bangladesh border by an on- duty Border Security Force (BSF) personnel. Stating that the person, Ruhul Mondal, belonged to an Other Backward Class (OBC), and hailed from Ramnarayan Para village under Sagarpara police station in Murshidabad district, West Bengal, Roy in his representation said, the BSF person who shot at him is “attached with Singpara Border Outpost, 141 Battalion”, underlining, the BSF has now floated “self defense theory” to cover up its operation. According to the BSF officials, the incident took place in the jute fields in

Counterview

Search This Blog