Page 27 - Tehelka Issue 15 August 2018

Issues like politics
unemployment,
inequality,
farmers’ plight
and poor quality
brated as black day on a huge scale and of life of millions alleging discrimination on the part
Prime Minister Modi used it to attack of the Central government. The TDP
the family. in the cities and deserted the union cabinet on the issue
“The greed of staying in power was of Special Status to the state only after
such that democracy was sacrificed. Po- villages need to being part of it for around three and
litical leaders who were widely respect- be discussed half years. The BJD of Navin Patnaik has
ed were put behind bars. It was all done a curious mix of opposition and col-
so that one family, the Gandhi family , laboration. He is running the most cor-
could benefit,” said the Prime Minister. trying to shed off. Here too, the inability porate friendly government in a state
Acceleration in pursuing cases of the party is obvious that it could not which is by far the poorest in terms of
against Chidambaram and his fam- come out with a sound secular narra- human development. The most radi-
ily members or Shashi Tharror also tive which should be able to counter cal of opposition space is occupied by
substantiate the allegation that the Hindutva without taking resort to gim- ultra-Left or pro-people socialists or
government is misusing the agency mickries of visiting temples. democrats. The BJD does not have any
for political purposes. The acceler- The Congress has intelligent lead- ideological problem with the BJP but it
ated efforts in cases related to political ers like Mallikarjun Kharge, Ghulam has to oppose because it has to survive.
opponents and dismal performance in Nabi Azad and Kapil Sibal who have The CPM, the CPI and other Left par-
punishing likes of Nirav Modi and Vijay the required articulation to build up a ties are facing the worst phase in their
Mallya only points to the intention of sound political narrative to counter the history. Despite their clear opposition
the government. BJP, but the party is unable to use them to communalism and the corporate-
All these things show that the narra- properly. friendly economic policies, they are
tive of development has lost its charm “Prime Minister Narendra Modi has on the margins of political discourse.
for the government. Prime Minister been asking, at every function, about Student leaders like Kanahiya Kumar
Modi and BJP president Amit Shah what the Congress has done for the had come out with some refreshing
seems to be working on parallel strat- country in the past 70 years. A chaiwala ideas of mass mobilisation, but the Left
egy. This involves polarisation of the like him could become Prime Minis- leadership failed to promote the popu-
society and denigrating the opponent. ter because we preserved democracy,” lar Left narrative. The same is true for
The opposition is also faced with Kharge told presspersons in Mumbai. senior socialist leader Sharad Yadav.
the same problem of failing in knitting “Modi talks about the Emergency that He has come out with a clear stand on
a sound political narrative. Congress happened 43 years back, there has economic and social issues, but his
president Rahul Gandhi has been try- been an undeclared Emergency in the party Loktantrik Janata Dal has to
ing his hard to shape a convincing nar- country since the BJP-led NDA came to strengthen its organisation in a very
rative, but others in his party either power in 2014,” Kharge added. short period to make impact on the poll
does not subscribe to it or they are Keeping in view the repeated attacks equation in Bihar. Lalu’s son Tejaswi has
unable to carry forward it with the on democratic institutions, a narra- effectively taken control of RJD and his
same zeal. His attack on friendliness tive around “undeclared emergency” social base also seems to be intact. How-
of the government towards corporate is of utmost importance for the coming ever, he will have to build up a strong
(suit-boot ki sarkar), the corruption in polls. ideological stance to counter JDU lead-
Rafael Deal, the apathy towards farm- Other players including the Left er Nitish Kumar who is simultaneously
ers and inaction in fighting unem- and the regional parties have failed in opposing communalism and sharing
ployment has the potential of creat- articulating people’s grievances and power with the BJP.
ing a strong narrative which could be their opposition is only opportunistic. It seems that people have to wait at
effective during Lok Sabha and the state Parties like TDP and the TRS never went least for few days more to see political
polls coming before that. against the BJP in any strong way in last parties coming out with sound poll nar-
His attack gets punctured by his dis- three and half years, but they are now rative or it may not come even before
gruntled leaders like Digvijay Singh and attacking it keeping in view the coming polls. But, ultimately, it is the people
Mani Shankar Aiyar. Rahul has side- polls. The TDP and the BJP are hands in who would be the sufferer if a strong
lined these leaders is a known fact and glove can be seen in the disruptions in poll narrative does not emerge. Issues
Aiyar has even been punished for his Parliament. It helps BJP to attack and like unemployment, inequality, farm-
utterances. However, they are known discredit Congress led Opposition that ers’ plight and poor quality of life of
Congressmen and know the meth- it is not allowing Parliament to run. The millions in the cities and villages needs
ods of creating troubles. Their ‘secular TDP and the TRS are in fact eyeing for a strong narrative which should be dis-
prologues’ come handy for the BJP and Muslim votes and their opposition to cussed in the polls across the country.
RSS to brand Congress as a pro-Muslim BJP will help in it. They are also trying
party, the image the party has long been to stimulate regional sentiments by letters@tehelka.com

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