Why we are happy:
The verdict was in clear numbers. The nation has been spared
the trauma of horse-trading; it was agonizing to see constant
bickering and jostling for power during the last regime. Now
Governance however bad it could be is still possible. It must
be a relief to operate the government without the black mail
of the communist parties of India. It also reflects on the maturity
of the Indian voter that they have rejected regional parties
overwhelmingly. It was quite scary the way they were threatening
to tear the fabric apart. We are equally happy for AIIMS. They
must be expecting with happiness a new health minister. We are
happy for the minorities & “secularists” at the relief they
are experiencing that NDA hasn’t come to power. We are happy
that the temperate lady Ms.Jayalalitha hasn’t been given any
grip on power. The nation has been spared another Tea party.
With this clear majority Mr.Man Mohan Singh may wean himself
away from the title of weak prime minister. We are happy for
him and congratulations on his “style”. He has made the Sikh
community proud by negotiating himself to the position of the
prime minister of India again.
Reasons why we are not happy:
Our primary grouse against congress government & its friends
is that they have demonstrated on more then multiple occasion
that it has an Anti-Hindu agenda. Some examples: The free run
it has given to evangelical forces who operate with such scant
respect to Hindu religious sentiments, the persecution of people
who defend Hinduism, the act of embossing national currency
with a deceptive cross, the act of tampering with the “Ram Sethu”,
the act of inviting Mr. Benny Hinn to Bangalore, the act of
appointing Christian heads to Hindu institutions like the Kalashektra
dance school & The Venkateswara university in Tirupati,
the act of silently enabling the break down of Hindu rule in
Nepal, the act of replacing the census chief just because he
gave the right numbers on Muslim population explosion. Their
acts point to one direction, that the sentiments, aspirations
of the Majority Hindus can be brushed under the carpet while
at the same time excessive importance is given even to the mildest
whim of the minorities. That mindset gives us reason for apprehension.
The re-election of congress government would mean a renewal
of attacks on Hindu religious practices & institutions by
a combination of forces. This would also mean opening the doors
fully for evangelists to operate with government patron.
The Indian voter has seen the election purely from an Indian
stability point of view, which is quite mature. The Indian voter
either due to or in spite of his illiteracy and poverty has
done which no voter in any other part of the world would do.
The Indian voter has “voted” for an outsider to rule them. That
is a characteristic so peculiar to the Indian sub-continent.
They seem to have an affinity to things foreign. The Indian
cricket team has a foreign coach; the Indian congress has a
foreigner as its chief.
The congress chief is not a Hindu. Her daughter and son in
law is not a Hindu. Her son may not marry a Hindu. Will any
European or American nation ever vote a Non Christian and most
importantly a Hindu as their party chief? Mr. Bobby Jindal had
to convert to Christianity to be where he is now. It is a cause
of worry that power in India is now in the hands of a person
who professes a faith that is surely not Hindu friendly. We
now worry that our religious instititutions would be wearied
and torn down systematically. Any act of defending against such
government action would be dealt as a law and order issue.
Why are we pro BJP? Is it because they have great governance?
No because they fare equally good or bad as the congress in
governance and administration. (With the exception of Gujarat)
With BJP in power we are ensured that Hinduism is safe. If the
congress government can demonstrate that it can be a truly secular
party, then we would support it totally. But they have a strong
Christian agenda which is threatening to a Hindu. They would
do anti-Hindu things in India what right wing Christians can
only dream to do in the west. Because unlike India there is
a strong commitment to public civility in the west.
For centuries Hindus were ruled by sword and deceit. They had
a brief respite from foreign rule when the great Mahatma under
exceptional circumstances produced exceptional leadership qualities
and won freedom from the British. Now the same Hindus are giving
away their freedom by democratic means.
In spite of their rhetoric, and numbers the BJP isn’t yet a
party that has a passion and hunger for power the way the congress
does. Elections are not just about ideologies, but most importantly
the art of gaining and retaining power. BJP seems to be on a
learning curve in the art of holding and retaining power. That
was also the principal point of difference between Mr. Paul
Martin & Jean Chrétien of the Liberal party of Canada. We
hope that the BJP would come out with a good plan to open accounts
in states they haven’t so far. However BJP is a young party.
The majority of India are Hindus, and a young new Vajpayee is
waiting to emerge from the millions of Hindus to take the country
in the right direction.
With this verdict we don’t foresee any big changes in the day
to day life of the Indian voter. Corruption shall flourish,
infrastructure shall remain what it is, defense will languish,
the appeasement of minorities will continue, terrorism shall
be tolerated, and the poor man shall be kept in waiting…the
way things were for the past 50 years.
We congratulate the majority Hindu population of India who
were more open hearted then their western counterparts and welcomed
Ms.Sonia an Italian as their party chief. It now remains to
be seen how she reciprocates.
