India Votes for Stability

Re: # 321

Riaz:

History of India also tells you that not all became Muslim. I had called it that Islam drowned here. All other places its success was 100%. This should tell you something too, as it tell me.

Riaz:

Without a Obama had the support of the machinery. Just look at the endorsements one after the another. He, Michelle and kids were picture perfect for democrats to project, than anyone in the oppostion inside and outside the democratic parties.

Re: # 313

Riaz:

"...several "enlightened middle class" California Hindu groups..."

I probably am more knowlegdeable on it than you. To be balanced, and not alarmist please write if they succeeded or not. Success is all that matters in democracy, rest noise, or opposition at its best.

Re: # 320

Do you think Obama won the primary because of the support of Democratic machine? Or did he win in spite of it?
Riaz Haq, PakAlumni Worldwide

Re: # 315

History is filled with examples of a narrow band of fanatics getting control of the government, and change the course of history for the worse. I suggest you listen to a lecture a few years ago by Salman Rushdie after the release of "Moore's Last Sigh". In the lecture, he eloquently described how a Catholic fanatics seized Spain from a very tolerant and diverse rulers (described by Aba Eban as a Golden Era for Jews) and turned it into a fanatical empire in 1492. What followed was widespread persecution of Muslims and Jews by Torquemada in the Spanish Inquisition, Columbus's voyage to America and the brutal enslavement and destruction of native Americans, Vasco da Gama's "discovery" of India in 1497, and later a wave of European colonization of Asia, Africa and America.
Riaz Haq, PakAlumni Worldwide

Re: # 314

Riaz:

Please study party organizations (for democrats it is called machinery for a reason), you would find these purveyors of power in demcracy are ver undemocratic internally. Internal power structure is true in the U.K. also.

It is so easy to come up with simple slogans.

Re: # 318

Another interesting thing to note is - 58% people in Delhi voted for Congress. Amazing...

Re: # 317

When selecting a State choose "ALL" on this page and then you see All India results:

http://www.eciresults.nic.in/frmPercentVotesPartyWiseChart.aspx

Re: # 316

Totally agree with you Anil. In fact not only democracy, secularism is also quite deeply entrenched. And these election results prove it once again.

Checkout the graphic on Electiion commission's website at:

http://www.eciresults.nic.in/frmPercentVotesPartyWiseChart.aspx

BJP's voting percentage is only 18%. Add Shiv Sena to the tally, that;s another 1-2%. Rest 80% of the population voted for secular parties.

Riaz:

I bewilder and admire your attempts to give simplistic reasons, "those who do not go to schools" vote Congress. Take it as reality that India is too deep and diverse. Shiv Sena still cannot influence outside Mumbai. BJP lost in Delhi (a stronghold for them), BJP and Congress lost to Mayawati (a coalition of caste, dalits, and Muslims).

Evolution of Indian democracy is well entrenched.

Riaz:

I am not trying to turn a blind eye toward right wing extremism in India. An alarmist approach only adds fuel to the fire. This fire cannot be sustained in any other way. India is too big and too deep for these trouble makers.

Re: # 303
Dost,
I realize that. The truth about Muslim vote in India is somewhat similar to the Black vote in US. In the US primaries (which do not matter within India's internally undemocratic parties), Black vote does matter. But in the general elections, neither have much choice. Both are taken for granted.
Riaz Haq, PakAlumni Worldwide

A few years ago, several "enlightened middle class" California Hindu groups made an unsuccessful effort to distort history books in California.

You can read about it at: http://www.friendsofsouthasia.org/textbook/TextbookEdits.html
Riaz Haq, PakAlumni Worldwide

Re: # 310
I think you are trying a blind eye to a fundamental rightward anti-Muslim shift in India's middle class that vote in large numbers for BJP and their allies. Those who do not attend school in India vote more often for Congress and are less bigoted against Muslims because they have not been indoctrinated by the Indian education system.

Riaz Haq, PakAlumni Worldwide

Here are some excerpts from Gujarat textbooks promoting an association in young minds between Islam and terrorism:

*Gujarat is a border state. Its land and sea boundaries touch the boundaries of Pakistan which is like a den of terrorism. Under such circumstances, it is absolutely necessary for us to understand the effects of terrorism and the role of citizens in the fight against it

*If every countryman becomes an ideal citizen and develops patriotism, the National Population Policy can definitely be achieved

*When people used to meet earlier, they wished each other saying Ram Ram and by shaking hands. Today, people enjoy their meeting by speaking Namaste. Is it not a change?

*Making full use of Muslim fanaticism, Osama Bin Laden organized die-hard Muslims and founded the International Jihad Organization in the name of the Jehedi movement*
[Excerpted from Social Science textbooks, standard nine (2005) and standard eight (2004)

Source: http://www.indiatogether.org/2007/feb/edu-gujtexts.htm
Riaz Haq, PakAlumni Worldwide

Riaz:

I am very aware of what BJP (Joshi) tried to do, and would try to do if gets in power again. The difference is such people, unlike your country do not stay in power too long to undo and make so huge a difference to convert over 1 billion people to their belief. Islam could not do it, with all its might, and inducement. These guys cannot do it either.