Shiban Khaibri
To “protect” Democracy and the Constitution, as also to fight the “divisive forces”, the “patriarch ” of the plurality “imbibed” in the structure of our country, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar has taken upon himself, the most onerous but “urgent” task of combining “all forces” and wherever from and whosoever there- from, in forming a “Grand National Alliance” (GNA) against what he calls “anti BJP -RSS forces”. Such a haste to pitch himself for 2019 general elections and most likely to position himself as the “most eligible” candidate for the post of the country’s Prime Minister , the chances of which even if remote, in 2014 were “snatched” by Shri Modi and which became the basis (read alibi) for snapping of nearly two decades’ ties of his JD(U) with the BJP , needs to be noted. He must have analyzed the Balance Sheet of 2014 elections and found out that it was he who lost at least the post of the prestigious Deputy Prime Minister of this country by deserting the alliance, yes, purely on personal factors, at a time when he and his Party would have benefited much more than later after one year standing at second pedestal, that also in the state Assembly elections. The “findings” from the Balance Sheet must have introduced him to the vagaries of Political arithmetic and noted that the gamble of bringing personal ambitions prior to national priorities many a time did not click.
A clean up drive was made by him slightly aping how basic and structural changes were brought in by Modi and Amit Shah in their Party in as much as Sharad Yadav was asked to take rest, if not bluntly asked to quit as he is suspected to still wear some small apparel with embroidery of a flower resembling the lotus. Again, by scripting this alliance, Nitish Ji has at once written off the stature of that “Grand Old Party” as a National alternative to the emerging stronger day by day, the BJP led NDA. How far can this political littleness awarded to the Congress Party by Nitish Ji be accepted by it followed by joining hands with him and becoming a part of this Alliance with conditions of accepting Nitish Ji as the Prime Ministerial candidate, is not very difficult to conjure . The Congress is eager to project the “young, able, pure secular and pro poor and very pro minorities” face into the fray of the candidature of the Prime Minister’s post which in the simplest parlance is the vice President of the Party, Rahul Ji. Should this equation conflict with the one propounded by Nitish Ji , then a third alliance of TMC, AIMIM, BSP, AAP, and some Regional Parties, could come together to stake some major claim in the grand coalition at the centre. Congress, CPI, TRS, CPM, DMK, INLD, NC, and many regional Parties could prove as a checkmate to the other anti “BJP _ RSS” forces. Can Nitish Ji be “allowed” by the “secular” Congress to take the lead against the BJP at the National level and claim to be “more secular” ? What is the response from the “larger” Janta Dal Parivar is to be seen which has not at the moment, shown any enthusiasm in the knitting of the National alliance by Nitish Ji. Had it been so, at least the Bihar experiment could have been put to test in the Assam Assembly elections where for the first time, BJP seems to feel and look strong and consequently expecting a comfortable position in votes polled.
A rat can be smelt in the degree of haste shown by Nitish in declaring the National Alliance without trying to “unite” or bring closer Parties like DMK and AIDMK, like TMC and the Left Parties, like the TDP and YSR, like the SP and the BSP . It is intriguing to see as to what plans Nitish has to come out of the clutches of the powerful Laloo Prasad , if not fight his RJD as he has shown no open disapproval of the increasing incidents of the crime involving many workers of that Party in addition to too much importance given to convict Shahabuddin who was included in the national committee of the RJD and “invoking” Dr. Manmohan Singh’s very oft plea of respecting “coalition Dharma”, Nitish cared more for this “Dharma” than the principles of political proprietorship, if not morality and did not openly criticize pampering of convicts by Laloo. That Nitish wanted to have the cake and eat it too was proven by manipulating heading the JD(U) himself while being simultaneously the CM also, amounted to axing the very roots of the rhetoric impliedly cast against Laloo on “somehow conditions created and norms changed to allow him to continue as Party President”. Functional schism inter-se JD(U) and RJD is apparent if not increasingly conspicuous and how prospective Parties could come under the “Secular, Democratic and Inclusive” umbrella of this National Alliance remains to be seen.
TMC and AAP both, with whom on the plank of anti BJP stance , Nitish has struck a chord are currently fighting the Congress in Assam and in the very near future in Punjab and therefore bringing in Congress along with these Parties seems unlikely . Besides, the current political trend seems in chasing out Congress from one after the other state in India and with the new twist in both Ishrat Jahan encounter case as also now Samjhota Express blast case whereby open brazen interference in the professional investigation allegedly indulged in by the then UPA Government, Congress has much to defend than any to justify its inventing the term of “Saffron Terror”. About Ishrat Jahan case, in these very lines some light has already been thrown a few days back as to how a terrorist, a suicide bomber was declared as an “innocent” girl and affidavits changed wherein the then Home Minister personally made changes in the findings and signed and put notes , therefore the obnoxious mission on which Ishrat along with her associates had set for, had been tried to be ignored, the Congress has to come out clean and submit a cogent reason for that. How could it justify therefore taking on the BJP etc when it is charged of having allegedly compromised with the security of the country.
As per the revelations on a leading TV Channel, the Samjhota Train blast case has taken an entirely different turn. Key witnesses like Sheetal Gehlot, Rohit Kumar, Jagdish Bhai, Ghansham Megharam, Neera, Bharat, Kanta , Shivam, Ram Patel, Vasudev etc; have been reported to have deposed giving jolts to the existence of any Saffron Terror and NIA DG Sharad Kumar has come out with a statement that there was no proof or any evidence against Col. Purohit in Malegaon and Samjotha Express blasts. The soldier has been languishing in a jail for over 7 years and 5 months even without a charge sheet. Revised witnesses debunked Saffron terror theory. A Government run by a coalition headed by Congress could take interest in playing to political gallery in such a way to give credence to non – existent Saffron or Hindu terror while nowhere in umpteen terror cases in the country, has the word Islamic terror been used in order not to malign an entire community but the theory of “saffron Terror “and “Hindu Terror” demeans and undermines the dignity of an entire community and that also for cheap political ends indulged in by the Congress Government makes it with a feeble ground to stand upon to seriously attack the current dispensation , singly or jointly with “grand” National alliance. At least NDA never, even in its earlier terms, has so far been involved in cooking up stories and even going to this extent, even remotely, as is alleged in both Ishrat Jahan and Samjotha Express blast cases. False and concocted charges and building stories contrary to 2009 UN SC note on these blasts with direct involvement of both LeT and Pakistan were conveniently set aside. To make the revelations short, the crux is as if to tell Pakistan,” Though you did it, but let us say that you did not do it, we did it.” Shri Sushil Kumar Shindey, the Home Minister in UPA 2 in 2013 “categorically asserted” that the RSS and the BJP were behind these blasts as these Parties were “promoting Hindu terror”.
Regarding upholding Democracy and constitutional supremacy, who claims to score more from the proposed National Alliance is a debatable issue and these lines are too limited to spell them out but the present dispensation with few shortcomings in its functioning at least has not jailed the likes of Prof. Mahapatra for emailing Mamta cartoons or has not ousted quite unceremoniously the likes of Yadav and Bhushan from the Party for raising constructive dissent or in the matter under reference, not ousted Sharad Yadav unceremoniously to manage both the Government and the Party. The proposed Alliance has inherent contradictions as appearing right from its embryo.
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