There can be hardly any doubt that the blame for bringing the BJP to power both at the Centre and in the States, including Goa, lies entirely with the Congress, because of the blunders and scams it committed alongwith some of its allies. It is not that the BJP cannot usher better development than the Congress and cannot show better performance. It surely can. It has in its cadres some of the best brains and eminently capable people. But the BJP is a slave of the RSS, the VHP and other communal outfits which are following a very dangerous path, which may lead to a civil strife that this country can ill afford. Judging from various events and incidents subsequent to the elections, the BJP is seen as subscribing to an agenda of hate and polarization of religious communities. The BJP’s silence on many occasions, when it ought to have spoken out, has only confirmed suspicions that the happenings have the tacit support of the ruling party.
Both in Goa and at the Centre, people seem to have opted more for personalities than for the parties they led. Manohar Parrikar managed to put up pretence of being repentant about his communal, vindictive and authoritarian past and people foolishly believed him. However, to be fair to him, one must say that his communal outlook appeared to have undergone some change, Despite Modi’s past, if not as accomplice, at least as a passive spectator to the massacre in Gujarat, people voted for him as he was considered a doer and a very efficient administrator. We are yet to see that side of his, as prime minister. If BJP’s performance in Goa has been as bad or perhaps worse than that of the Congress, it was further aggravated by the U-turns, false promises and increase in various types of fees, charges, taxes, stamp paper, etc, — a cunning and surreptitious decision of former CM affecting the common man, — Modi’s has been no better. His promise of getting black money stashed in banks abroad within 100 days failed to materialize and surely will not happen even in 1000 days. People were left in hope of unprecedented development with this huge treasure which could possibly fetch 15 lakhs to each Indian. We all know the reasons for this failure, which incidentally are the same why amendments to the Land Acquisition Act 2013 are being pressed by the Government, which had wholeheartedly supported the Bill earlier. BJP cannot argue that the amendments have been necessitated due to its adverse effects. The Act has not yet come into force and has not been notified by most States. The consent clause is being withdrawn not only for Government projects but even for PPP ones. This is an abject surrender to the industrialists and corporates, who are out to further oppress the farmers with active support of the government. Surely this cannot be called a government for the poor, for, as it happened in case of land compensation in Mopa, it is determined to deprive them of their legitimate dues.
The BJP, like any other party, has realized that funds are the main ingredient to win elections and hence it is far more important to favour the wealthy than the poor, as these can be easily swayed at election time with a pittance from the booty. Avid for power, the BJP got into an unholy alliance with PDP in J&K, to get a foothold in that State as also to wipe partly its communal face. The marriage of convenience went sour the very first day and divorce proceedings may soon start. It is now clear that the BJP has also a hand in the release of separatist Masarat Alam, as it failed to extend his detention order, while the State was under President’s Rule. This facilitated his release. The greatest consolation is that most of these issues have united the Opposition thus helping it to push the BJP to the wall. But if the BJP has already started implementing its agenda with the absolute majority it enjoys in the Lok Sabha, it is only a question of time when they will go ahead with full steam once it has the numbers in the RS.
However, the greatest worry of all is the Government’s communal agenda which is being vigorously pursued by the RSS and VHP. While the PM, only after his party’s humiliating defeat in Delhi elections, chose to assuage the feelings of Christians over Church attacks, much is awaited to be seen on the ground. The VHP have announced plans for ghar wapsi among Christians in Goa. Besides many highly hateful speeches which have gone and still go unpunished, because of the silent support of the ruling party, a BJP MP went to the extent of calling upon Hindus to exhume bodies of Muslim women and defile them. Ban on cow slaughter is one of the priorities in the agenda and efforts in this direction have already started, notwithstanding the fact it is detrimental to tourism and creating further unemployment. But since it is meant to strengthen the Sangh Parivar’s aim of targeting the Muslims and Christians, it is bound to happen very soon. In Maharashtra one could face imprisonment for five years even if found in possession of beef. This will take us back by another half century, if not more. The recent spat between Alina Saldanha and the all powerful Satish Dhond should be an eye opener to all the altar boys and the lone girl. Since this heavyweight of the BJP asserted that the Party spent several crores in getting Alina elected as legislator, it would be interesting to know where the money was spent, since there was no election. Perhaps it is a good way of making money without fighting an election. Apparently, it is not Alina alone who was betrayed. There are others too, either because their candidates could or were not fielded or because of delimitation, which was done solely with an eye on elections. These disgruntled legislators must understand what is in store for them and that the exercise has already started. They cannot expect an encore and will be dropped like hot cakes at the Assembly elections. The time to lick the boots is over, and the time to stand up and be counted, has come. The fascist tendencies of BJP in enforcing party based ZP elections, despite strong opposition by the people, must also be defeated by rejecting outright the party candidates and voting for independents with a clean record and interested in serving the people.
(The author is a retired banker)
