Friday 1 March 2002

WHO CARES?

See the Statistics listed below:

1)       April 1999          - General Elections Declared in October
Ramification      - Definite defeat of BJP
Action               - Kargil War (May 1999)   

2)       March 2001       - Tehalka Scam
Ramification      - Fernandes Resigns
Action               - Government’s call to Musharraf for Agra Summit

3)       November 2001- Coffin Scam (Fernandes in a scoop!)
Ramification      - December 13 2001 Parliament Attack
Action                           - Movement of Troops to Western Border

4)       February 2002  - Gujarat Riots
Ramification      - RSS's Cleansing act
Action                           - Killings in Kaluchak, Army Build up strengthens on Border - BSF and Coastal Guards put under Army and Navy respectively

Do we see some trend here? These statistics are from last 3 years of our recent past. These are but a few instances of hypocrisy of our Government. And no one needs to tell - the government in power in these times was of NDA spearheaded by Nationalist BJP!

What is so striking about these statistics is the kind of tactics this government uses to ward off all troubles it faces from time to time! As you will find out - It never changes - Never!

Let me take you to the year 1996 - when BJP emerged as the single largest party in General elections. Vajpayee became the PM. How many of you know that the very second day, it is reported, the scientists and the Army were instructed to prepare for a Nuclear Test? Yes fellows its true. That the BJP govt. could not survive for more than 13 days to execute its plan is no secret to anyone.

Well - what do they do as soon as they come to power in 1997 - 98. Come month of March - they finally test the BOMB! What no one understood or realized at that time that it was not - just a test - for BJP. It was a clear signal of a Nationalist party trying to get their foot firmly in place - with only one mantra to boot - NATIONAL PRIDE! Forget Humanity, Forget Civic Sense - only one thing mattered to them - National Sense! Oh how proud we all Indians felt! Finally there is a party which gives more preference to National Pride than some pity POLITICS! How innocent were we. We were to get a more uglier picture of the intentions of this party in the times to come - and UGLIER they got!

Referring to the statistics above - In April 1999 General Elections were declared. It was to be held in October 1999 due to the withdrawal of support by our own AMMA (JJ Jayalalitha). What happens next was to become the trend of Politics and its games in this country. Kargil front was opened in May 1999! These people (BJP and Allies) knew that they would definitely loose in the elections if it had to happen on the existing scenario. Well all the Polls showed they would lose. That they won elections after the war - was not entirely a surprise. What we conveniently forget here is that Kargil area was occupied by the Pak army since November 1998! Subsequent reports very clearly show that the Indian Government knew of the occupation - but was sitting on the report. What we very conveniently forgot was that to take those hills back - we lost more than 5000 (unofficial figures) of our soldiers. What mattered to this Party was victory in elections - even if it cost them some lives - Huh - Lives - SO WHAT?!

Somehow in the euphoria that followed - the government dragged on for another year. Come January 2001 and Gujarat Earthquake hit with all its might. The Govt. in Gujarat was of BJP. Help and assistance flowed from all the sides. People donated and helped generously. We were again united in the feeling of National Sense. What does the BJP Government do? It messes everything up - with RSS reportedly only giving help and shelter to Hindus and neglecting all other communities! The work of rebuilding does not takeoff the way it should have been! The Central government is in a big fix. Gujarat government was becoming an embarrassment. Savior of the govt. came in the shape of Tarun Tejpal - the owner of Tehalka.com - March 2001! Central Government was all too happy to get the attention diverted. Opposition forgot Gujarat – they had a new cow to milk. What followed was not in Government's control. Defense Minister G. Fernandes had to resign. The whole country hanged their head in shame. So what does Vajpayee do – to get the nation’s attention off the scam where so many of their allies were implicated? He gives a call to Musharrah to come to Agra for a Summit in July 2001! That the people of Gujarat had not got back their homes lost in Earthquake - was completely forgotten. That the accused in Tehalka went unpunished was none of anybody's business! What became important was Musharaf's visit and the magnanimity that our PM had shown in calling an adversary. That the Summit was not supposed to yield anything was known - but the Govt had to do something to come out of the web it had fallen into!


The Summit bombed on Indian government’s face. It was a disaster for the Indian Government. The government needed something to take away the nation's attention from the Moral victory - Musharraf had in the Summit. September 2001 Fernandes was inducted back into the cabinet. They were not yet settled that Coffin Scam rocked the country. Coffins bought for more than they were worth for the Kargil Martyr - became one other nuisance for BJP govt. Savior came in form of December 13 attack on Indian Parliament! Though the circumstances of the terrorists attack does give everyone a feeling that the mission was more to attract attention than to actually get some MPs as hostages – as has been put up in media. Was it stage managed by someone who was worried about the public opinion going against the government on the Coffin Issue and a lot many scams? Well its dubious to say the least. But anyways, Govt got a chance once again to shift the attention. They immediately moved the Army to the border. The whole country got engaged in the debate of whether we should attack Pakistan or not?! The Pakistan Factor comes again into picture! Well - Who cares whether the Defense ministry had eaten money? Who cares that the martyrs of Kargil war were made the basis for corruption to prosper - Who cares?!

Not even a month had passed that Godhra happened in Feb 2002! That the parent organization of BJP and BJP itself led by Narendra Modi went on an ethnic cleansing drive is something we all know. Any True Indian would have hanged his head in shame so many times - but the death was and still is - elusive! The whole drama - the DEATH DRAMA if I may say so - continued for more than 2 months! Savior came again (by this time you must have guessed it!) in form of Kaluchak killings of children, women, along with Armymen! The Govt got the chance it was waiting for. They immediately ordered all the Coastal Guard, the Border Security Force to be put under Navy and Army respectively! That effectively meant they were fully prepared for a war! How many newspapers then printed the Gujarat news in the Front page? You know the answer. Who the hell cares if some 2000-3000 people were killed in Gujarat - Huh! Why should we bother about a certain state when the whole country is under threat from terrorists! As if - never have more people got killed in a terrorist attacks earlier! What about Chattisingpura - where all male Sikhs were killed? No one talked about attacking Pakistan then? Why? Then the question is - Why Now? Just because the Govt wanted to take away our mind from Gujarat massacres - where they have a BJP Govt at the helm?

Consider some other scenarios:

1) Why will Pakistan get some lot of Sikhs killed - especially when Clinton was visiting India?
2) Why would Pakistan get some people killed in Kaluchak when a high level Diplomat (Rocca) was in India?
3) Why would Pakistan send Militants in Parliament knowing fully well that would make India react strongly? That too when America is fighting a war on one of its borders!
4) Why of all things will Pakistan allow their so-called jehadi's to carry anything that will identify them as Pakistanis? That is basic intelligence - isn't it? And we thought ISI was one of the most dangerous and crooked organizations!
5) Why would Pakistan get Abdul Gani Lone killed – especially in those times - they could have got him any time later when the tension eased!

Are these incidents really a making of Pakistan or is there something going on here? Something VERY DANGEROUS?

I have been observing this scenario for quite sometime now. I don't know whether some of you have ever given a thought to it.

Well if killing of seventeen people in Kaluchak warrants a war, then why not now – when more than 25 people have been massacred in Jammu just a couple of days back? Isn’t it curious?

Who cares that India can ill afford a war in these times? Who cares that the economic rise that we are experiencing will go back 50 yrs if we go on war? Who cares that the other side has a Nuclear weapon - which can destroy our existence? After all if they kill our 10 million people - we will kill all of their 20 Crores! Who cares about 10 Million - Huh! Its not even 1% of our population anyways! Who Cares - For Devil Sake - WHO CARES?

Mantosh Singh..