Bring on The Empty Horses

``....Its more a `lets give Congress a chance- Naidu has been ruling for long enough`, kind of atitude. The fact that Congress made promises such as `free power for rural areas` ` several new irrigation projects`, `employment schemes`, givt employee benefits etc. helped to firm up the decision. ...``


I agree to this part of the observation- the election results do not appear to be a complete rejection of NDA but it is more of an acceptance of Sonia`s claim to deliver the goods in a more equitable and effective manner than the pro-North BJP which was insensitive to the needs of the rural india as well as its neglected communities.
So we can see the Advanis and Joshis hiding their faces in the opposition benches for quite some time to come- till the Congress blunders in fulfilling the promises they have made in their manifesto.
I am also sure that in case Sonia falters this time- BJP would return with an overwhelming majority.

Ref plats8 #52

Actually, till about 3 years ago, I had no clue what Karva Chauth was. I found out because a niece married a very nice guy from Lucknow, and when I was visiting her, she was observing fast for Karva Chauth.

So one can be a Hindu and not know what Karva Chauth is. According to you, I would fail Sushma Swaraj`s test. But I don`t think that Syshma would hold it against me.

One could continue to view any of BJP`s pronouncements in a nationalistic light or in a communal light. It is all a question of how you skin the cat.

Question for the new Congress government: will they bring in a Common Civil Code or will Muslims be the only Indians allowed polygamy? Are we going to be secular in that all religions are treated alike or are we going to be secular in that only religions claiming minority status will have special status?

Ref FarzanaVersey #23

{#3 by harimau:

[During the elections, it is precisely the masses who count. How big is the middle class and how much bigger are the poor? And exactly how small are the rich and the super-rich? In terms of sheer numbers, it is the poor who determine the elections in India. If your thesis is true, we will not be holding elections in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand or Orissa.]

And you think the masses have a choice? I wasn`t talking about numbers, but about the new face of Indian politics, where a few matter...they always did, but now they are the sole determinants.}

Do the masses have a choice with the Congress? Was there a clamor from anybody except Congress netas that Rahul Gandhi should run for election? Come on, here is a guy, practically a retard, who couldn`t capitalize on his wealth and connections to make something of himself in any area and has now wrapped himself in his great-grandfather`s mantle to get elected.

It is not just film stars who use their fame to run for office. It is also the political dynasties.

PS. Have you wondered how come the wealth generated by Motilal Nehru has lasted so long? We were even told how the Nehru family has sacrificed everything for the country and how this sacrifice included donating ``Anand Bhavan``, the family residence in Allahabad, to the nation. Four generations later, there is still money from Motilal Nehru`s earnings supporting Rahul Gandhi`s lavish lifestyle. Or do you think that is from Rajiv Gandhi`s pension from Indian Airlines?

Bongdongs,

With your facility in Bengali, could you write us a new National Anthem?

I like ``Sonar Bangla`` of Bangladesh.

I think you should call the new anthem ``Soniar Bharat``!

Ha, ha, ha!

This is quite amazing. BJP seems to have lost.

I thought BJP was supposed to win big. How does a party, which itself calls an election early, lose in that same election? This must be considered a large political blunder. Not that I am a BJP fan. I have never liked them, other than Vajpayee`s peace offerings to Pakistan.

What does this mean for India? Apparently social cohesion has been given more importance than economic growth rates. If Congress is able to maintain the growth rates, then one would assume India has found the correct combination. Will it be able to do so, if its voters have kicked out the BJP specifically because they felt it was looking after the rich too much? Is that why they have been kicked out?

And what about Chandrabubu Naidu? How the hell did he get swept away? I thought he was India`s Bill Gates. Everyone from Ayaz Amir to Bill Gates, himself, were full of praise for him.

And what does this do to the peace process with Pakistan? Vajpayee was quite popular in Pakistan, since Pakistanis thought that he was going to change some Indian policies. Will Sonia Gandhi continue that?

And what about Vajapayee as a leader of the BJP, itself? Is he out the door now? There were some suggestions in Indian newspapers, that BJP followers considered him too moderate. Will he be replaced by Advani? What will that do to the BJP. Did the BJP lose, because it was not moderate enough. Or did it lose, because it was too moderate, and lost its core base.

If Sonia Gandhi becomes the PM of India, then one would have to say that Congress is a true secular party (even if it has gone down the line of communalism, somewhat). Any party that can take a religious minority (who happens to be an immigrant, also) and make her its head, and then get her elected PM is quite secular.........I cannot see that ever happening in Pakistan.......Not that I am pro or anti-secular.....just making a point.......

#48 by sri on May 12, 2004 3:15pm PT

``I beg to differ. I think she was asking if Sonia gandhi is really one of us... does she have anything common with us ? how much does she know about us ? The questions have a much deeper philosophical meaning than some ``arbitrary tests``. I don`t understand why anybody should get so riled up with such valid questions.``


I agree with you. It is not just religion. It is a matter of beign `one of us`. George Fernandes is one of us. Our resepcted President is one of us. Who cares for the religion....

We don`t dislike Sonia but deep in our hearts we know she is just a `bahu` of India and not the `beti` not our own blood. She has to be really admired for adapting so well into Indian culture, and in many of her ways she is more Indian than the actual/native Indian women (of all religions).
Sonia would be accepted as a Minister, a Governer or a CM or something. peopel like her. But PM???? Well.....

Also...... Indians have already been ruled for such a long time by English rulers...now they just hesitate and are wary of anyone who is remotely foreigner, white, reminder of English rule. If they let Sonia take over, it will hurt their egos too (and the insecurities that maybe the rest of the world will think that we can`t rule ourselves...like the angrez log said too)

Bobby Jindal lost in USA and he could not even be a Governer. No Indian can even dream of being the Prime Minister of UK or be a President of USA, not even those who are born and brought up there, not even those who have lived there for decades and decades

Indians have by far been the most lenient ones....by letting all invaders foreigners and conquereres rule us, enslave us.
Once burnt twice shy...we have now become too wary and cautious.....


And BTW..imagine Jamima Khan as the PM of Pakistan

Ref plats8 #46

[You miss the point. Sushma Swaraj has the gall to imply that an Indian from
a non-Hindu persuasion is less suited to become a head of state, just because
she ``fails`` some arbitrary tests which Ms. Swaraj have decided upon. I`d like to
see what her election speech sounds like in the Northeastern states - exactly
which version of Karva Chauth she`d like to peddle there.]

I think you are the one missing the point here. If Congress had projected AK Anthony of Kerala or some Gonsalves from Goa as its prime ministerial candidate, Sushma Swaraj would not be raising the questions she raised. After all, how many hasya kavi sammelans did PV Narasimha Rao attend?

The objection is not based on the fact that Sonia is Roman Catholic -- just Roman.

Sri #48/Ankit #47,

As I alluded to in my previous post, let us put Sushma`s questions to someone
from Nagaland. Because his/her cultural milieu (primarily Christian) is vastly
different than someone from UP, would it make that person less capable in any
way ?

``We will never accept someone who calls tulsi basil, Ganga Ganges and gobar
cowdung`` - and you don`t see any religion here ? Would it be okay if I quizzed
Sushma about Islamic/Catholic rituals and value systems ? Her comment on
the ``gaon/garibi`` bit is fine.

About Sushma`s questions being philosophically loaded, exactly what`s the
philosophy behind it ? She`s defining an Indianness purely on the basis of one`s
familiarity with essentially Hindu rituals, and I resent that. Sonia Gandhi may very
well be totally incompetent, but that`s not where the BJP fights the battle. Whenever
in the slightest doubt, they go back to crass identity politics.

#46 by plats8 on May 12, 2004 1:57pm PT

`` You miss the point. Sushma Swaraj has the gall to imply that an Indian from
a non-Hindu persuasion is less suited to become a head of state, just because
she ``fails`` some arbitrary tests which Ms. Swaraj have decided upon. I`d like to
see what her election speech sounds like in the Northeastern states - exactly
which version of Karva Chauth she`d like to peddle there. ``


I beg to differ. I think she was asking if Sonia gandhi is really one of us... does she have anything common with us ? how much does she know about us ? The questions have a much deeper philosophical meaning than some ``arbitrary tests``. I don`t understand why anybody should get so riled up with such valid questions.

Sri #45,

Going back to Sadna`a point - which party does S.M.Krishna belong to ? And what
sort of a time-warp is Karnataka in ?

While we`re vaguely on the subject of IT, this link might be interesting.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/668333.cms?headline=Kolkata~

plats

we dont know what she was `implying`. as far as i know, it is BJP`s official position that people of foreign origin should not become PM. so i have no reason to believe that the attack was based on religion as such.

secondly, in all probability this speech was made somewhere in UP. why? because the current issue of India Today carries an article about campaigning of Sushma Swaraj. the excerpt of speech that is outlined there goes on similar lines. This is what is from India Today article:

````We will never accept someone who calls tulsi basil, Ganga Ganges and gobar cowdung,`` she says. The men applaud. ``Gaon aur garib ka dard kehne ke liye gaon ki kacchi galiyon mein chalna padta hai. Kya Sonia Gandhi ne kabhi panghat pe paniharan dekhi hai? Kya phool bechti maliharan dekhi hai? Kya ghas katti ghasiyaran dekhi hai? Kya kapde dhoti dhoban dekhi hai? (Does Sonia Gandhi know anything about India`s villages? Anything at all)?``

i dont see anything about religion here.

#41 by gujjubania

`` Reasons for TDP`s massive loss: ``

Oh stop the PC bullcr@p of people being intelligent..... TDP lost because people are idiots. Plain and simple. Now they have elected the same evil socialist, borderline commie party THAT GAVE NOTHING OF ANY VALUE TO INDIA in the first 50 years of it`s rule ( Oops.. sorry... i meant mis-rule ). 50 years of sheer waste. That`s the legacy of congress party. What a total loss of time. One would think the awful party might have changed for better... but no. You hear the same stupid policies of free power, free subsidies, socialist policies cr@p from the awful congress party. How about establishing a sound infrastructure ( electric power, roads, efficient distribution, eliminating the middle man, efficient determination of prices based on supply/demand ) that would give an excellent price for goods produced by farmers. Hell no.... the same stupid socialist policies that reward laziness and did not produce any results in the last 50 years. What a mess.

Also expect Communal clashes to start occuring again in Hyderabad ( the ritual during congress rule in the state ).

Ankit #36,

You miss the point. Sushma Swaraj has the gall to imply that an Indian from
a non-Hindu persuasion is less suited to become a head of state, just because
she ``fails`` some arbitrary tests which Ms. Swaraj have decided upon. I`d like to
see what her election speech sounds like in the Northeastern states - exactly
which version of Karva Chauth she`d like to peddle there.

Farzana - I put up a question for you and others on Off the Wall, and would love it if you`d take it up. This seems not to be the appropriate place for it.

In other news, kudos on the article. I don`t follow Indian politics too keenly, but I`ve been an closet admirer of Govinda a long time.

gujjubania#41
I think that it is naive to think that the IT sector in AP will not be affected by Naidu`s defeat. Unlike in other states, IT development in AP was closely linked to his personality and is bound to be affected by the loss of the incrdible personal energy he put into it.

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