Mulayam ji, please shake off your caste baggage

One day the father gives lessons to the son about good governance after getting 'enlightenment' from veteran L.K. Advani about the bad state of affairs in UP, as if he doesn't himself know how governments function in UP. The next day, the son says "We have our political blueprint ready after the pullout (from UPA). We are ready for elections anytime." After pulling up by father Mulayam, it would have been better had son Akhilesh come up with a blueprint to fight corruption, not a "political blueprint ready after the pullout". People have seen enough pro- and anti-UPA posturing by Mulayam. There is nothing wrong in Mulayam's aspiring to be PM, and he can present himself as a deserving aspirant if the SP government is able to fight corruption in UP. The SP has the requisite numbers in UP to frame and implement good governance policies and transform UP into a model state if the party is ready to shake off its caste baggage.

INDIA FIRST is good but...

The following are my views expressed in an online debate on a news item of the Hindustan Times, on the HT website:

Agreed that appeasement of any community, whether minority or majority, is neither good governance nor democratic. But, dear friend, what was and is the Ram mandir movement all about? Isn't it majority appeasement? In fact, Mumbai blasts (1993) and Godhara train burning and subsequent minority massacre were all bitter fruits of majority appeasement indulged in by the Saffron parivar through the Ram mandir movement. If Gujarat riots can be termed as a justified revenge for the Godhara train burning then the 1984 anti-Sikh riots too have numerous justifications, like killing of innocent people in Punjab during the period 1981-84 by Sikh terrorists and the assassination of Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards. If Modi and the Saffron parivar truly believe in the dictum "India First" then first of all they should take initiative for dismantling all temples (all over the country) which have been constructed on unauthorized public places and cause traffic jams and other problems. On many roads which carry heavy traffic, these temples are left untouched while widening roads so as not to give the Saffron parivar an issue to draw political mileage. The Supreme Court long ago had asked for removal of these places. Long ago, Marx had termed religion as the opium of the masses. I feel misuse of religion and petty/selfish politics are equally responsible for ruining the country. The way pilgrims are fleeced at famous religious places makes one think whether religion has any real value for us Indians. When the kanwar yatra blocks the Haridwar-Delhi highway for a fortnight, preventing normal trade and depriving people of emergency medical care and making it difficult for lots of people to earn their daily bread, it can't be termed as an India First act. But no one wants to bell the cat lest the Saffron parivar draws political mileage. Shouldn't saving people from the dhong (mockery) of religion also come under India First?

How Can it be FAMILY FIRST sans you and me

There is a lot of rhetoric on Family First. India of 2014 is not the one-party (read Congress) Indian political system, which more or less ended with Pt Nehru. If you analyze the politics of over the last two decades, then you would understand that today it's near to impossible for a Gandhi scion to become PM unless people want him/her to be, no matter how hellbent are the Congressmen to see him/her as PM. In fact, in the past also, it were you and me who handed defeats and victories to Indira and Rajiv Gandhi. And, today the voter is highly awakened. Moreover, no matter how good is the past performance or family background of a film star, a politician or a sportsman, he/she will stop to be in the good books of the masses, if he fails to deliver. Raj Kapoor could not make all his sons good heroes (remember Rajiv and Randhir?). Viru is no more in the Test squad? Why? If Sachin fails in 2-3 innings, people and even experts want him out of the India XI. Why?