Page 33 - English Tehelka Issue 6 - March 31, 2018

uttar pradesh

After one year of Yogi sarkar, other states too. after hailstorm more than a dozen debt provoked by workers of ruling party

Yogi also heads the 15-year-old
ridden farmers committed suicide be-
and careless attitude of the govern-
cause their crop was totally ruined,”
Hindu Yuva Vahini (HYV), an villain-
ment machinery in controlling it. This
masses await development ous moral policing group popular for president of Bhartiya Kisan Union of led to continuance of the environment
opposing Valentine Day celebrations
Bundelkhand region S.N.S. Parihar told of communal polarisation aimed at
and western clothes. His Hindu outfit
Forty-five year-old Adityanath has
BJP promised better law and order
is particularly active in carrying out Tehelka. strengthening forces of Hindutva.
offensives in the eastern belt of the during their election campaign with been elected five times as MP from
The performance of the BJP government led by chief minister Holi will he celebrate Eid, his reaction state including Maharajganj, Basti, the slogan <‘Na goondaraj, Na Bhrash- Gorakhpur constituency where his rep-
tachar’> (no rule of goon, no corruption) utation was at stake in the by-election
Deoria, Kushinagar, Sant Kabir Nagar
was furious. “Why should I celebrate
Yogi Adityanath is far from satisfactory in Uttar Pradesh, a Eid, I am a devout Hindu,” he had said. and Siddharthnagar. but the situation is no better. Fed up for the parliamentary seat vacated by
politically significant and volatile state. It’s time for him to give His comment attracted criticisms as it BJP stormed to power in 2017 on with the deteriorating crime graph, the him. He was representing this constitu-
up communal rhetoric and focus on meeting his poll promises came from a chief minister who took the strength of a series of pledges for chief minister gave brazen powers to ency in the Lok Sabha since 1998 when
people’s welfare specially targeting
oath to uphold the Constitution and is
police as a tool to check rising crimes. It he was just 26-years-old. His style of
pertaining to people’s well-being, mudit mathur writes expected to be a religion-neutral per- farmers and youths. The government led to misuse as National Human rights politics is popular in the eastern belt
son. Later, he altered his comment by has completed one year in office and Commission issued notice to UP chief of UP form where he hogged nation-
saying that everybody is free to prac- presented second budget of its five- secretary Rajiv Kumar over alleged fake wide limelight for his campaigns like
lmost a year ago the fire- ment will do development of all but tice their rituals. year term. In the last budget, crop encounters questioning the CM’s re- “Ghar Wapsi” and “Love Jihad” designed
brand and provocative appeasement of none”. However, later During campaigning for the UP loan waiver of Rs. 36,000 crore and marks favouring police encounters to to provoke and consolidate Hindu
BJP leader Yogi Adityanath on such softness vanished and he went elections, he claimed that the saffron burden to implement seventh pay eliminate criminals. sentiments.
had assumed the top job of back to the old inherent rhetoric. party will pave the way for the con- commission for state employees Yogi opposed slaughtering of cows
A chief minister of the most Adityanath, who is a strong votary struction of the Ram temple in the virtually took toll of most of their and its progenies which was banned
populous and politically crucial state in of construction of a Ram temple at state. He has been a talisman of the welfare schemes. But even in the cur- A communally in UP after enacting of law on the sub-
the country, Uttar Pradesh. Since then the the disputed Babri masjid site in party’s Hindutva-wrapped agenda rent budget most of its poll promises charged atmosphere ject. But unlawfully the trade of its meat
he has emerged as the most-favoured Ayodhya, spearheaded BJP’s Hindutva of development. Even after becom- have not seen light of the day as no and skin was flourishing in eastern UP.
choice of the Sangh Pariwar. campaign in eastern UP and contin- ing chief minister, Yogi continued to adequate budgetary support was allo- is detrimental That made him the leader of the cow
The RSS has projected the saffron- ued his ventures even after becoming hold the position of Mahant (chief cated to them. vigilantism movement; he stopped
clad Yogi as a brand ambassador of chief minister. He celebrated Diwali priest) of the famous Gorakhnath Mutt The most publicised scheme during to economic cow slaughter and closed illegal me-
Hindutva across the various states by lighting 1.71 lakh earthen lamps on temple of Gorakhpur, his constituency polls was to give computers to students. development. chanical butcher houses. The commu-
and extensively used his potential in the banks of river Saryu in Ayodhya. in the state. He is very particular to It could not get any monetary support. nal frenzy he generated led to the Dadri
Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Telanga- Later, he went to Barsana in Vrinda- be present there on every important Similarly, the promise to give free WiFi For instance, cow lynching case and communal violence
na, Tripura and now in the upcoming van to celebrate Holi and Varanasi to ceremony. The Mutt belongs to Nath to all colleges and universities, lap- vigilantism is causing in the name of cow vigilantism. There
Karnataka elections. It is strongly felt celebrate Dev Dipawali. When a jour- Sampraday (Nath Community) of tops without any bias with free one GB is heightened fear and in most villages
in BJP circles that extensive rallies nalist asked him if after Diwali and saints that has a strong presence in data per month, all students scor - losses to farmers as unproductive cows have become big
during the UP assembly elections have ing about 50 per cent would get free stray cattle are now menace as they destroy crops resulting
paved the way for Yogi to carry on the education till graduation, could not be in heavy monetary losses to farmers.
agenda of Hindutva for the upcoming formulated and financed due to lack ruining their crops Yogi Adityanath heads BJP govern-
assembly and parliamentary elections of resources. Besides, the promise to ment formed in UP in March 2017 but
in 2019. provide round-the-clock electricity his government failed to live up to its
Massive criticism of polarisation in all homes, villages to be connected “U.P. police under BJP rule had promises to farmers and on health-
and upsurge of Hinduism has poised with mini-bus services and many other conducted around 1309 crack down care and law and order, and his per-
multiple challenges before chief min- promises are gathering dust in the cor- operations wherein 42 alleged crimi- formance was more or less totally
ister Adityanath to soften his hardcore ridors of power. nals were shot dead in self defence committed to his agenda of Hindutva.
anti-Muslim image. In his first public The farmers are feeling frustrated and 3068 were nabbed. We have Real issues of unemployment and live-
rally after becoming chief minister at with the policies as their income could rewarded 1574 policemen for their good lihood have taken a back seat and most
Gorakhpur, such signs were initially not be raised to double and minimum work,” claimed new D.G. Police O.P. of the time its leaders remain engaged
evident as he said, “I am not against support price of their cane, potato, Singh while talking to Tehelka. Regard- in Hindu-Muslim conflicts. Though the
Muslims but against the policies of wheat, rice, pulses and oilseed crops ing the much-awaited police reforms in government organised investors’ sum-
previous governments who were bent were not fairly determined. “PM Modi compliance to Supreme Court’s direc- mit to boost job creation and intensify
upon to appease them. My govern - promised to double their income but tives, Singh said that, “I will reply after industrialisation in UP, despite MoU’s
due to debt they are committing sui- studying it.” amounting to more than 4.23 lacs
cides and after Yogi government was Despite claims of improvement in crores, actualization of such a big target
• Festive fervour Yogi had celebrated Diwali installed in the state, more than 100 law and order, the spurt in incidents seems to be a herculean task.
by lighting 1.71 lakh earthen lamps on the farmers have committed suicide. Bun- of communal violence were reported
banks of river Saryu in Ayodhya delkhand is still worst-hit area where from various parts of state allegedly letters@tehelka.com

Tehelka / 31 march 2018 33 www.Tehelka.com

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