The MoSh duo – Modi & Shah!

The MoSh duo – Modi & Shah!

In 1980’s a hardcore band “Scream” led by lead singer popularly called “Bad Brains” (Paul Hudson) sang a typical hardcore aggressive song “Total Mash”. Due to the way “mash” was pronounced by the lead singer, the fans heard it as “MoSh” and then began this great movement of heavy metal hard rock “MoShing”, which typically would mean people and fans would bump each other, collide, jostle and make violent moves as part of dancing routine! Little did we know that MoSh would one day rock India… and how!

 

So why am I bringing this dance form today? Well, simply because our country has taken to MoShing as never before! Majority of our country is swiveling to the MoSh form and has been rocking and disrupting every known norm with their abrasive and disruptive ways. On the way, establishing new order in the way country behaves and works! In our case, the Rock-star of this MoSh group has to be Modi, with Shah being the rock band Manager… the brain behind the popularity of the Rockstar himself. They together form the most dynamic duo referred to here as “MoSh”. And they have surely caused huge disruptions!

 

We know so much about our PM Narendra Modi now (some facts… and a lot of it fictional as we know). So I am not going to waste your time here talking about him. But I am sure not many know about Shah as much as they should by now. Again, it will suffice to say – if Modi is the undisputed “face” of this band, Shah is the one that makes it work. I will try and explain why I think so… and why this MoSh duo will be around for very long time… like it or not. It’s hence better to understand them better – not as individuals alone… but their impact as a pair!

 

MoSh: The bond!

 

Even before he won his first Assembly elections in 1997, Shah was a successful business man and was part of his family’s business. He ofcourse, like most of the BJP people, was RSS worker since early days. It is in one of the RSS functions that he met Narendra Modi for the first time – way back in early 1980s (when Modi was RSS Pracharak in Ahmedabad). So what is RSS? It’s important to understand RSS and its known history briefly. Let me try and summarize quickly for benefit of people who aren't aware. 

 

RSS (Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh) is primarily "supposed to be" a social organization that works on spreading the message of Hinduism and its values - in India and across the world. It is an organization that claims to be non-political and meant to be devoted to social work primarily. One of its main & stated objective is to create a Hindu Rashtra (country) of what we know as our country today. RSS was founded in 1925 and in its time since then it has also been banned a few times for various reasons (once by the British and a few times by Congress Governments over period of time). The first time it was banned in Independent India was in 1948, by order of then Home Minister, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, because RSS was found to be spreading hatred amongst Hindus - against the Mahatma Gandhi. That eventually led to one of its members (Nathuram Ghodse) killing Gandhi - it is said. During and immediately after partition, RSS was found involved in  violence - in the name of taking revenge from Muslims. Patel, the Home Minister then, was deeply anguished. He supported RSS and the work they did till that time. But even he was fed-up eventually with the violent streak in them and for their involvement in Mahatma Gandhi’s murder. In Patel’s words in his letter written in 1949 to RSS head Golwalker “Even an iota of sympathy of the Government or of the people no more remained for the RSS. In fact the opposition grew. Opposition turned more severe, when the RSS men expressed joy and distributed sweets after Gandhiji’s death. Under these conditions it became inevitable for the Government to take action against the RSS”. RSS was then banned.

 

To lift the ban on RSS, Patel forced RSS to write their constitution and give in writing to the government (way back in 1949) that they would not enter political field ever and any RSS worker (Pracharak, Swayam Sevak etc) who wishes to join mainstream politics will cease to be RSS functionary member. RSS agreed to make Terms & Conditions for their own organization (a constitution to define their own activities). And finally, after all the assurances, the Cabinet then decided to lift the ban in 1949. It is hence that RSS principally does not take “official” plunge into Indian Politics overtly, but as we all know, it has done so regularly through “Bhartiya Jan Sangh” earlier and later with “Bhartiya Janata Party”. It has always encouraged best of their workers to go and join the political party. Ofcourse, we have seen many great and able political leaders from their flock in the past and some of them living currently as well, like Atal Behari Vajpayee, LK Advani etc... and inspite of my great opposition to them – I must add Narendra Modi to the list. They all have done a lot of work for RSS in their youth and though they officially went into BJP, they continue to be bound by the common thought process and principles of this organization ingrained in them. So much about RSS...

 

Anyways, getting back to my subject here - Amit Shah, as usual with majority of BJP political figures in those days, joined Akhil Bhartiya Vidya Peeth (ABVP, a student wing of RSS-BJP). After a brief stint of student politics with ABVP, he formally joined BJP in 1986 (even before Modi took the fateful plunge)! In the years to follow, he rose through the ranks in various youth organizations of the party and also played a great role (along with Modi) in LK Advani’s election in 1991! Advani at that time was one of the rising stars of Hindu Nationalism, and indeed the dominant force within BJP. If BJP has risen from a mere 2 member (elected) party in mid-1980s to forming government in late-1990s, it is thanks to the great push that Advani provided on the back of Ram Janm Bhoomi issue (Ayodhya Ram Temple issue). Anyways, Modi and Shah caught the eyes of Advani for their excellent organizational & election management work during his 1991 elections. So, when BJP formed government in Gujarat for the first time in 1995, he gave them specific tasks. They were asked to find ways to never lose another election in Gujarat. It is here that MoSh duo really came close and worked on many out-of-the-box strategies to strengthen the party at grass-roots level. For instance, they targeted rural and taluka areas and picked the leaders who had lost previous Pradhan (Srapanch/ Village level leader) elections in each village. These candidates were persuaded to join BJP. The entire might of RSS and BJP was then put to work with them in their area. Such dedicated focus to individual candidates and specific areas slowly turned these 2^nd rung candidates into winning prospects. And as expected - the turnaround started to happen. These BJP candidates started winning in their villages whenever elections were due. MoSh duo then concentrated at Taluka, district and town/city levels and used similar formula to win key seats at that level. People must remember that Congress had great hold over rural Gujarat areas in those times. They still do to a large extent. However, excellent strategies of this MoSh duo is credited for turning around the elections based on "set pieces" they had worked hard to put together over those 2-4 years. In parallel, the duo also targeted all government run institutions like elections for president of Cooperative banks, sports bodies etc and put BJP people in key posts whenever they fell vacant. The takeover was being done piece by piece. Congress (like the then BJP stalwarts) did not realize how their support base started to vanish! But even as MoSh were rising in stature in BJP’s corridors of power (and in Gujarat unit especially), they quickly realized the need to move to next level i.e. if they wanted to make large scale impact. It is well known that Modi convinced Keshubhai Patel (and the then central leadership of BJP) to allow Amit Shah to fight a by-election of Gujarat Assembly in late 1990s. Keshubhai, a wily politician that he was, did not know what was to come next though… and how this one step would be a trigger of his own downfall (decimation?) down the years!

 

MoSh: Set pieces

 

Amit Shah ofcourse won the elections with handsome majority. With Amit Shah entrenched in Gujarat government, Modi slowly moved to BJP’s national level politics. He was made General Secretary of the party. It is here that he started making name for himself, which was till then confined in Gujarat alone. He worked hard, very hard in fact. The stroke of luck wasn't far away - and it did "knock" at his door - in form of 2001 Bhuj earthquake. Keshubhai Patel (then CM of Gujarat) was blamed for not managing the rehabilitation process post this massive natural disaster. Loss in a key by-election (of Gujarat) in that year prompted BJP Central Leadership to look for alternatives for Keshubhai Patel. There were many tall and worthy aspirants within BJP ranks then. But it is here that LK Advani played his card. He proposed the name of Narendrabhai Modi for CM (Chief Minister) post. There was immediate opposition to his name ofcourse not only because he had no experience in any government position till that time, but he was also seen as an arrogant & autocratic leader (even then)! However, no candidate/ aspirant otherwise had support of majority of Gujarat BJP MLAs. And because there was no other alternative (called the TINA factor “There Is No Alternative”)… and also because of very strong backing from Advani (Note: Vajpayee was not so enthused), Modi was sent to Gujarat to take over Chief Ministership. Advani had seen the way the MoSh duo managed elections first-hand and with an election due in a year (2002-03), Advani believed that this duo could turn the post-Bhuj situation around. But even before they could do anything "luck" knocked again, Gujarat was back in the news again – and not for any good reason. Gujarat saw one of the worst riots recorded in Indian history (March/April 2002). The riots were triggered by a gruesome incident in Godhra (a city in Gujarat), where a train compartment was burnt purportedly by Muslim villagers nearby. The riots that followed were called an emotional “reaction” of Hindus to “action” of Muslims in Godhra (Modi quote as per SIT report in Supreme Court: Kriya pratikriya ki chain chal rahi hai. Hum chahte hain ke na kriya ho, aur na pratikriya). A lot of innocent people from both communities got butchered. Hindus ofcourse dominated the 3-5 day riots (and subsequent outbreaks of violence in next few months), ostensibly with support from the then Modi Government. Ofcourse, this charge has seen its ups and downs and the last of the charges were removed as soon as Modi Government came to power in Delhi (2014).

 

But that is not important here as it has been debated threadbare and courts have spoken, so no point in going over it any further. Point is, Modi-Shah duo clearly saw even this adverse situation as an opportunity and declared elections in Dec 2002, much before their term was to end. That was a master stroke on hindsight! Even if they were not involved in instigating or tactically supporting the riots (and as I said, courts have given them clean-chit more or less, in lack of any evidence anyways), they never made any attempt to dispel the notion. They knew well – in a Hindu dominated Gujarat - that high emotions prevailing at that time would only benefit them. And with both Modi and Amit Shah stoking Anti-muslim sentiment in their speeches (and one can look at archive of their speeches then to validate), they decimated the opposition to limit them to only 50 odd seats. BJP got 2/3^rd majority in the assembly… ringing in the “MoSh” era in Gujarat. Amit Shah became the youngest cabinet minister of Gujarat with as many as 12 key portfolios at one time, the highest number of portfolios amongst the entire cabinet. If there was some opposition to MoSh left within BJP’s Gujarat group, it was quickly and systematically decimated behind the scenes. The MoSh duo went from strength to strength over period of more than a decade, before (I think) Shah asked Modi to consider getting into national level politics. It helped that BJP looked listless and leaderless by 2010-11! The duo floated the idea with RSS and got their backing. However, the stain of riots was still hanging over them and they had no clear path to push Modi as a national level leader across the country with that sword hanging over them.

 

However, if you did observe, it is in 2011-12 that we started seeing a more assertive Modi in view. He was no more a CM of Gujarat, but was taking active interest in national issues/ politics. He had views on Kashmir; on Corruption in Central Government, on social issues across the country etc. He started walking out of meetings called by Central Government of State CMs and did it on more than one occasion due to one or other point of disagreement with Central Government’s policy against what he termed “cooperative federal structure”. He started talking increasingly about democratic, republic & federal structure of India and kept talking about corruption in Central Government in comparison to strong governance record in Gujarat. He successfully differentiated between pathetic situation of India (and other states) with Gujarat. It looked as if Gujarat was not actually India – but a “La-La” dreamland some place far off! He kept talking about progress of Gujarat (ignoring the fact that they were not in number one position in any of the reported areas/ metrics). Refer to the article I wrote in 2014 dispelling the assertions that Gujarat was the “Oh!” such shining armor in India’s artillery (my Article - “NaMo's Command - I am going to Serve you”). Anyways, as per plan – a section of media started playing up Modi and one could suddenly see Modi more on TV than ever before. He seemed pretty content with his Gujarat CM position till then, but the country now started to notice the change - slowly but surely. A few months down the line, we started seeing live telecast of his political rallies across Gujarat and then other parts of the country… in UP, in Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Punjab, Uttrakhand, Karnataka, Jharkhand etc. All this was much publicized in media. The drumming up had its impact, so much so that at whenever the then BJP President had a press meet, he would have one standard question to “dodge”… “Is Narendra Modi your PM candidate in 2014 general elections”? And the standard answer would always be, “The party will collectively decide”. Well, party never got a chance to decide really. As is the duo’s wont, they almost forced the decision on Rajnath Singh (the then BJP President). And then came the moment, when Modi was indeed declared BJP’s PM candidate… and that too much ahead of general (Lok Sabha) elections in 2013. It all felt like a coup, well as close to it as we have ever seen in India at least!! Ofcourse, Congress had the same moment in 1966, when after Lal bahadur Shastri’s unfortunate death, Indira Gandhi stumped Morarji Desai to become the head of Congress Legislative Party! That was a bigger coup in my view as it was within the incumbent government… and there was a taller leader (like Morarji) who bit dust! But in my living memory – I had never seen such takeover in India playing live in front of my eyes…

 

MoSh: The Giant Leap

 

Anyways, what we witnessed then was a media blitz… a strong “Modi” storm that took everyone by surprise and left people in awe! This, my friends, was trademark of Amit Shah’s stamp on it! He knew Modi’s power of oratory and his ability to connect with common people with his speeches! And boy, did he pull people! Phew. For me – it was so very exciting. I mean after long – here was a political leader, who could just make people come to his rallies and listen! I don’t think any political leader apart from Nehru, Kamraj, NTR, MGR, Indira or Atal had that hold over people! Congress kept thinking that country would see Modi through prism of him being 2002 riot accused… huh, how foolish they were. In fact, if anything - people were looking at Congress “more clearly” as being corrupt! And then came the change in narrative - “If not Modi – who?” The “TINA” factor, which had helped him ascend to Gujarat CM post was again being put to use at national level. Congress thought it could win somehow, but “Modi Tsunami” just swept them away. And how?!! Not that Congress leaders did not see it coming. I do think most of the leaders in Congress realized pretty soon, and hence some of their top leaders and ministers refused to fight election in 2014… Chidambaram, Kapil Sibal, Manish Tewari etc. Good for them that they did not… the result wouldn’t have changed one bit! MoSh had all bases more or less covered with their pitch of Modi Vs others! And ofcourse, Amit Shah swung it for BJP single-handedly with that one key decision late in the cycle, by making Modi fight elections from Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh). What was the impact of that one master stroke? Well, more than 1/4^th of BJP seats (71/282) came from that one state (Uttar Pradesh), propelling them to become the single largest party in Lok Sabha! It was that huge!

 

But you may still say that this is Modi’s magic. Ah, that is so far away from truth. Let’s look at what was Amit Shah up to in the last few years before 2014. Remember, Amit Shah was charged with having orchestrated extra judicial killings of Sohrabuddin Sheikh, his wife & another criminal associate of his – with help of his accomplice DIG Vanzara? Well, true or not, this kept Congress fellows permanently hanging their tongues out to get the man they had come to know as the brain behind Modi. Without Amit Shah – Modi with all his skills would not be the same force and could be easy to tackle. Modi is perhaps a great administrator and knows how to get work done by his team. But an administrator can only do so if there is something to administer! People in the know agree that all the Modi campaigns are more or less the brainchild of the Shah fella! And Congress govt. started to work in earnest to get rid of Amit Shah. They let CBI loose on Sohrabuddin case. And in no time, Vanzara and other Police personnel were put behind bars. Recording of Amit Shah’s conversations with Vanzara were recovered with Shah referring to “Saheb” being worried about Sohrabuddin etc. Anyways, audio tapes are not generally permissible as evidence in courts – but it does make an impact on people’s mind! Shah was arrested in 2010 on charges of murder, extortion, kidnapping etc. It is said many Gujarat BJP leaders were extremely happy with this course of action since Shah was extremely autocratic. He did not have good relations with quite a few of them… but people tolerated him only because he had Modi (the Chief Minister) by his side. Shah eventually got bail, but was exiled from the state for 2 years!

 

One can only imagine, how Modi took this decision (to exile Shah), one of his most prolific supporters/ friend/ cabinet colleague in Gujarat. It must have felt as a personal failure for him. With all the power he thought he had, he could not help his friend. But again, this actually proved to be blessing in disguise for Amit Shah and eventually for Modi. Here is why I think so. What Modi did not understand about national politics in his stint as party General Secretary till 2001, Shah did pretty quickly in 2011-12! He toured the country – especially the northern parts. He realized that BJp was not that great a force anywhere – as it was in Gujarat. He also found that there was no coordination between BJP and RSS workers anywhere (a combination of cadres that was the backbone in Gujarat). And that was strange for him, since RSS & BJP were brother’s in arms and joined at the hip historically and worked so well together in Gujarat… but that was not so in other places. It did not take him long to understand what I have been calling since 2010 – “a political void” in central leadership of those times. The political void created because of the lack of a “political” leader. People think UPA won in 2009 because of great work they did. Unfortunately, that is a good example of living in fool’s paradise – which Congress subsequently paid price for! It was not the UPA which won in 2009… it was NDA which lost that election, if you know what I mean. BJP just did not have leadership to take on Government in power. A situation similar to what we may see in 2019, albeit with reversal of roles. Modi may not win because oh he has done magic (which we know he hasn’t on majority of the fronts he opened)… he will win majorly because there is no one in opposition at the moment to match him.

 

Anyways, back to 2012, Amit Shah perhaps understood that the country was yearning for someone to fill that void. After a decade of an economist being at the helm of a political post, people were genuinely fed-up according to me. Solution to needs of people cannot always be measured in terms of cost, there needs to be political sensitivity & humanitarian thoughts going into it. People longed for someone like Atal, Indira, Shastri, even Desai… who would take “political” decisions in the interest of people and make the economics of it work accordingly! The astute leader that he is – Shah sensed this rising angst in people and he must have known how opposite Modi was to the then dispensation of leaders… who did not speak the language of common people and neither seem to have a clue about their problems. He had seen the magic time and again in Gujarat! With Anna Hazare movement taking shape and Shah finally allowed to go back to Gujarat, the time was right for him to convince Modi to take the call. Not that Modi would have needed great convincing! It is then that the MoSh together created the master plan. They knew Anna was making the cracks in UPA image and waited for that movement to slow down. Once that happened, the hit the mike and loudspeakers! And lo-behold – the drama began! After winning Gujarat Elections in 2012-end, Modi threw his hat in the ring – even before BJP central leadership had uttered a word! And he did not wait for them to accept or deny anything – MoSh had already hit the campaign trail in early 2013.

 

MoSh: The Firm Grip

 

Now that I have fairly established how MoSh are joined together at hip or wherever, it was but natural for Amit Shah to make the next natural progression – get elected to Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha. General elections were still far away and seats from Gujarat in Rajya Sabha would not fall vacant again so soon – so they went for the window immediately available. Amit Shah applied for one of the RS seat from Gujarat and ofcourse won. For a man who is known to plan big (and long) and who is the important cog in the wheel for aspirations of this Hindu Nationalist Government – it was an important step. He has done all he could as BJP President, he has colored key states saffron already, with BJP winning major Assembly elections in last 3+ years. I will try and establish why I think government needs him or let me put it the other way, why it is important for MoSh aspirations.

 

The MoSh grip was established in 2014 ofcourse, when Modi became the PM and handed over BJP President-ship to Shah! As soon as BJP won election, I had said that Amit Shah will be the new BJP National President. I also said they would find a way to keep Advani out of government. No great science there, it is how Modi and Shah always ruled, to have no potential challenger anywhere near them. Even in Gujarat, they quickly moved out all experienced leaders from Cabinet – and gave positions to only their supporters or new MLAs/MLCs. But this was national government, and I struggled to see how Modi (a protégé of Advani), would ever find a way to keep him out of new BJP Government. Ofcourse, I did not see another master step coming… which it eventually did. They suddenly declared that no one who has reached (or is beyond) age of 75 years will be in the government!!! Premise? Well, in a young India they said, they needed young people to take charge. Young people like Modi, Naidu, Jaitley etc – all 60+ years. In India being in 60s is still young in Politics, lest anyone had any doubts! Anyways, despite all criticism of the move, which was seen as a way to keep Murali Manohar Joshi, Yashwant Sinha and primarily LK Advani out of the cabinet, no one seemed to notice the larger agenda behind fixing not 70, not 73 or any other number, but 75! I told my wife that day - this man is already planning on winning 2019 and staying till 2024!

 

Modi, born on 17^th Sep 1950 was 64 years of age then… i.e. May 2014. If things go as per plan, they will win 2019 hands-down, with mandate to rule till 2024. That is when Modi will be 74 years. He will only touch 75 years in Sep 2024! Now, if that is not a class act, I don’t know what is? If that is not long term planning, I don’t know what else could be termed so – in a volatile Political environment of India! They did their math, understood the importance of Modi being there for long and with this one age-bar notification - ensured he will remain available for full decade. Ofcourse they would need to win 2019 elections, which they should - by hook or by crook! From a time in 2009 when BJP looked listless, leaderless and a party with no one to give direction, BJP of 2014 was indeed a dramatic change!

 

Since, that historic moment for BJP, whatever they are touching is turning into gold! Victories in Assembly elections post that and have made them not only the biggest party in India – but the only party which has formed government on their own across multiple states. A scenario not many would have seen coming – given the pathetic coalition era in last couple of decades. One can possibly ignore aberrations like Delhi, Bengal, Punjab or Bihar where they lost elections (though they found a way to get back in Bihar). To be fair to them, they paid the price of aligning with Akali party in Punjab! And moreover, they knew they wouldn’t win there – and hence Amit Shah never planned for big rallies of Modi in Punjab (as is the case always for any election-bound state). The story is not as much of Congress’s continuous downfall as the steep rise of BJP’s stake in the country. A Hindu-nationalist party finally registering presence in a Hindu dominated country! Suddenly, secularism was being seen as being supportive of corrupt people or people who only supported Muslims and the ones who hated Hindus! Get into debate on secularism with anyone who believes in hardline Hindu nationalism and they will quickly turn the debate towards corruption… as if they are two sides of the same coin! Support for minority groups (read as support for Muslims) is now synonyms with Secularism and termed as Muslim appeasement. And Muslim appeasement now means being anti-national!

 

MoSh: Future

 

With popularity of Modi firmly established and being in power till 2024 more or less certain, they started planning ahead i.e. Life after Modi (as PM). But there is no one MoSh trusts and neither will they build any 2^nd level of leaders. The two trust only themselves, think only they are the only saintly figures in the world with right to rule (oops, serve). Have they built any next layer of leader who can take charge? Is there anyone in BJP today who has that stature? Ok, let’s see who are the challengers or worthy persons for the post as we see today? Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley, or a long shot of Smriti Irani or Ravi Shankar Prasad. Quickly, Sushma and Jaitley will be on the wrong side of 70s in 2024, with only 2-3 years before they reach 75 years. And Ravi Shankar Prasad though a Modi follower, is well – just say – too small a player. That leaves us with Smriti Irani as the possible candidate. But she will have to climb a few more ladders before she reaches that stage. I have a feeling, MoSh will allow her to get discredited with some or the other charge coming from Opposition (as they tactically did when she was HRD minister and was subsequently removed). Now with this scenario – who are they left with? This is where I want everyone to look at Amit Shah’s Rajya Sabha nomination! This according to me is another of the steps they have taken, which they will hope turns into a master stroke for BJP beyond 2024.

But why now one may wonder, what was the hurry? Well, all the Gujarat RS nominations were up for grabs now and would not be available again for another 6 years. He could have fought Lok Sabha elections in 2019 (and would still do I think). He would win hands down from Gujarat. He is the only leader in Gujarat Assembly who has consistently won by more margins from his constituency than even Modi has from his chosen one. But if I read the situation correctly, there are 2 key reasons for making this move to RS now – a short term and a long term goal.

Modi currently lacks control over Rajya Sabha functioning which has off-late become a pain area for government. And MoSh do not like any situation which they cannot control. BJP is still some way away from getting majority in the upper house (which they will get anyways in next 2 years as more seats get vacant and are up for grabs). I have a feeling that couple of setbacks in Rajya Sabha in the last couple of years (returning of bills by RS to LS) due to absenteeism of BJP members in RS at the right time necessitates change of tact. Even as Modi has admonished BJP members for their slackness a few times, it apparently has not worked the usual magic. Shah’s entry in RS was then hatched, for achieving a short term goal immediately. Given that MoSh are a “feared” duo in their own ranks, it is hoped that the RS performance of BJP will get streamlined with Shah’s presence there. Modi has anyways done that in Lok Sabha and people attend Lok Sabha out of his fear. Given the kind of vice-like grip they have gotten over the party now, It is hence believed that fear of Shah will make BJP RS MPs attend the house regularly. Modi said as much in his speech post Amit Shah’s RS victory “The holidaying is over for BJP RS Members”! What better proof does one want?!

The long term objective is ofcourse 2024 and beyond. Who takes over as PM – if BJP wins? And I am betting for Amit Shah to take the mantle. I see no one else. But does Shah have that popularity to just ascend to the high seat? What happens if there is a need for coalition government? Will Shah get the backing given that he is a man highly disliked in general within the party and outside of it? This is where I think his election to the RS/ LS was becoming overdue. Here is why. Getting into government after 2019 would mean only 5 years for Shah to prove his skills in governance at national level. Given that there is high risk of anti-incumbency factor leading to lesser seats in 2024 elections, they may need some of the other smaller parties to support them in 2024. There is another key factor to why they may get lesser seats then. So, even though Modi will campaign for BJP – people would know that he won’t be the PM anymore. So they may split and vote for other parties. In which case, Shah would need some credibility in national politics to showcase. People in BJP fear him and may be made to toe the line, but what about others? To shove him to top ladder, MoSh would want Shah to come across as an astute national level administrator, with larger acceptance amongst people. That takes time. He is already proving to be Chanakya of current times to keep the Modi on top and proving he is on top of the “political aspect”. But Public acceptance or governance skills? That’s not easy to win … and one needs long time to prove that. My take on this is, before 2019, he will be the defacto floor manager of RS (a role played by Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi currently). He is needed as President of the party till 2019 elections if BJP wants to win… so he cannot officially hold any government post till then. But I see a lot of media feed coming in, in next couple of years about how a government policy was brain child of Shah, how well he was able to convince opposition in working together or how well he has led RS functioning for the government etc etc. You get the gist.  And then unleash him on the nation as the strongest minister with Home and defense minister posts. Logic – with country facing terrorism across the board, we need to align Defense and Home ministry so that they work in tandem. That would make him the defacto number two in the Cabinet and with Modi’s love for travel, Shah would get chance to lead the government in his absence quite a few times in next 5 years. With his skill around managing decks, he will slowly be “considered” worthy replacement of Modi. And if all goes well for MoSh, Shah will be the Prime Minister of India in 2024. Imagine that.

So what then happens to the “Mo” of the duo? My quick take on this fate is, Venkaiah Naidu would be made the President in 2022 (i.e. he would be 73 then) and in 2024, he will demit office for someone he has often called “The God’s gift” to the nation, the Aaka, Narendrabhai Modi. Naidu has sung many a parodies of Modi till date and he will be more than happy to make way for Modi in 2024! So 2024 or 2025, I see Amit Shah as PM of the nation and Modi as the President. The MoSh rath would continue its journey for another 5 years. Which then would mean a straight 15 years of rule for BJP and more so for MoSh. If there ever was a “Jai-Viru” friendship in real-life we don’t need to look too far away my friends. It is a friendship forged in 1980s would have by 2029 become the story of century! One may like it or not… unless something goes horribly wrong for them, this new MoShing form will continue to make us roll for long time dearies! As much as I see it happening, I don’t find that an appetizing future… not sure if you do.

Do think about it…

 

Its Montoo..

11^th Aug 2017' – 6^th Oct 2017'

Article: NaMo's "Command" - I am going to "Serve" you

NaMo’s “Command”: I am going to “Serve” you

“Namo namah, Namo Namah”… A chant every BJP supporter wants the nation to recite. A chant, which I believe will become the defining phrase in the crucial (2014) Parliamentary elections.


Narendra Modi, principal opposition party’s Prime Ministerial candidate, is truly an enigma for many. Never before in the history of Independent Indian politics, has someone captured the imagination of people so much in this country. Never before in my living memory has any political leader been so heavily “marketed” in India! Here is a man, who seems to embody every single virtue that one would want to see in a leader of the country – especially in these times. Apart from being known as a Hindu fundamentalist leader, he is (projected as being) honest, is progressive, an achiever, a teetotaler & a bachelor (important in Indian parlance. It would mean he is not going to accumulate wealth by ulterior means for his Wife/Sons/Daughters etc)! This is a true antithesis to current leadership, which seems to be “decisively” indecisive, “competently” incompetent, “corruptly” corrupt, “selfishly” self-centered and “arrogantly” arrogant bunch of idiots. Modi just seems “so right” to take these people on! Wow.

NaMo, as he is popularly called (or is cleverly marketed as), has made an instant connect with the youth of the country which has long been frustrated by the infidel approach of current leadership and which doesn’t seem to be speaking the language, or “walking the walk”, as this generation of Indians would want them to. NaMo has captured the imagination of this young brigade it would seem. He has also cleverly marketed himself as champion of middle-class community of this country, by promoting the dream of growth and better life in his rule… as he says he has done for Gujarat. That he is a champion of Industry “Movers & shakers” is by now a chronicled story. Perhaps what is more worrying for Congress Party is, that NaMo seems to be making inroads into the votes of lower caste and of people of other religions (non-Hindu ones). Suddenly, Congress party seems to have a very formidable opposition, infact it’s just one man … NaMo. For the supporters of NaMo, future of this country suddenly looks very bright. And why not? Here is a man who “seems” to have everything one would want in a leader and who suddenly seems to be the big hope for India.

Yet, with all the above said – why am I not so enthused? Why? What is it about Modi that makes it so impossible to accept him as my leader? This article is primarily a result of this dilemma I face. Am hoping many of you face similar quandary.

What has led to Modi’s elevation?

We all have “read” & “heard” about how great a job Modi has done in Gujarat to make it the one of the top state in the country and also how peaceful & riot free it is. We are made to understand that Gujarat has achieved phenomenal inclusive growth which includes people from all section of society and is unparalleled in the history of this nation. It has best infrastructure & is the top destination for all business houses to setup their factories and business units.

All these claims made me look at some official figures to make sense of. I wanted to figure out if all of the claims do really make sense? I mean – Modi would have us believe that if there is heaven on earth – or at least in India – Gujarat was it! The numbers ofcourse tell a far different story. The pan India numbers tell me that everything that Gujarat CM claims to have done for Gujarat, many other states have done them far better. They may not have marketed themselves as well as Gujarat – but they have done pretty well. For example, the biggest claim of Modi, the growth rate of Gujarat being “Wow”ish! Well, the growth rate of Bihar, Maharashtra, Delhi, Tamil-Nadu is more impressive and infact better than the Modi-propagated “heaven”. Infact, likes of Andhra Pradesh & Kerala have had higher growth consistently than Gujarat. There bursts the first balloon… Let’s look at a few more examples:

- GDP of Gujarat though is higher to Avg India GDP, yet it is in the 6th position overall (amongst all Indian states) behind Delhi or Haryana, infact even behind Goa.
- Per capita income of Gujarat is lower to Bihar, Haryana, Goa, Andhra, Kerala, Maharashtra etc consistently in the last 5-6 years.
- In Human development Index, Gujarat is at number 11 behind Punjab, Kerala, Goa, all the north eastern states and even J&K.
- Literacy rate of growth in Gujarat stands at number 13, behind a host of states small and big.
- In natural growth rate (babies born to each woman) Gujarat is far higher – leading to population growth.
- In terms of Sex ratio (Number of Women per 1000 men) – Gujarat is sickeningly placed at 24th position, between 2001-2011. Infact they have a negative growth of -4% or so (-3.9% to be exact). India had a growth of 7%... improving the imbalance.
- Vaccination Coverage% is way too low with Gujarat poorly placed at 19th position out of all states (with only 45% of children covered).
- In terms of access to Safe drinking water – Gujarat again performs poorly at number 15th! Even West Bengal & Bihar seems to be fairing far better.
- Electricity consumption (Percentage of households using electricity as their primary source of lighting) is a lowly 90.4% - way low at 16th position behind a host of states. But Modi keeps harping about how 100% Gujarat is electrified.
- Poverty reduction is 8.6% overall. Well, Maharashtra and TN have fared far better on this front.
- Roads per KM index shows Gujarat being at number 10th out of all states – MP, Bihar, Orissa and even UP being higher there.
- Life Expectancy ratio in Gujarat makes it stand behind states like TN, Andhra, Kerala and Maharashtra at number 11.

Oh don’t even ask – I can keep going on and on. I got tired beyond this point. I could already see a trend forming. My intention is not to bring down Gujarat as a state. No way. It is a part of my country – so no way would I bring it down for any bloody reason – Modi or no-Modi. Though, Modi seems to be least bothered about the country. He seems to be deriding all the states while comparing Gujarat to them. It is sick of him to do that. However, it is important that we all know the facts Vs. claims and given that Modi seems to be hell bent on propping himself on the Gujarat horse – I had to look at facts and bring them out. It is also to prove how misplaced the growth story (as presented by Modi) of Gujarat is in this country. Do not forget, Gujarat was always the top growing states – even before Modi came out of his tea-stall (as he wants everyone to remember). So when he says Gujarat is “this” and Gujarat is “that” – well, keep in mind the above metrics. These are from official figures of planning commission, official Census results etc. So don’t even bother about contesting it as some form of conspiracy against the “beloved” Modi. . If you have any doubt on any of the assertions I have made above, let me know, I can pass on the exact percent state wise for the same. Or better still do your own study.

But for me other than Modi and his PR machinery working overtime to project Gujarat in bright light and then tying it up with Modi’s skilled administration and personality, there is one other major factor for country’s Modi-obsession in present times… Manmohan Singh. Yes, I think this one man has single handedly helped Modi to this stage, in the process making him even bigger & brighter than he actually would have us believe. Manmohan Singh, who after showing some sparks in the first half of UPA government, just fizzled out in the second round. I mean, here is a man who was the leader of the largest democracy in the world and who just would not react to anything going wrong in the country. As if, he just did not exist. His voice would be heard only on state visits abroad. Let me know if anyone remembers when he last spoke on anything in public about any issue of concern? It was always statements released through PMO (Prime Minister’s Office). Ofcourse, he would come out of his abode with a paper in hand to speak every 15th Aug. But is that enough from the leader of a country? Ofcourse one would hear him say his two-bits every time the country has faced economic concerns or when something would affect Business houses, FDI etc. I have rarely, if at all, heard him talking on political situations, on issues of common man, on problems of people in any given state… you know, the everyday problems in this country, which made the biggest news (unlike the very technical economic parameters). Even as recently as Mujaffarnagar riots, did anyone hear anything from him directly? Just some PMO statement/s! Again, where was he when commonwealth loot was going on? Where was he when an Indian Diplomat was being harassed somewhere in other country. Where was he when 2G scam or Coal scam was being reported and talked about? What were his opinions on CBI autonomy, Lokpal, corruption in society, loss of Congress in all state elections in the last round, etc. Nothing… A pin drop silence. As a result, a perfect image of a weak leader is properly stitched into our mind. Add to it the aloofness of the other two people supposedly running the government – the Gandhi pair (Sonia & Rahul). They are just as inaccessible as Manmohan. You would hardly if ever see them speaking to people (except rallies – where it is all about “great work” they have done). And forget about the people connect program that Rahul seems to be running now. I generally don’t believe anything done in Election season.

Cut to, Narendra Modi! He has views on everything under the sun. Even where he does not know chalk from cheese (Indian History, Geography etc are but a few examples). Though, he is also not an accessible commodity per se (wonder what is it with our top leaders? Why are they so media shy? Why leave everything to Lawyers who are primary spokesmen of all political parties and who do not even know how to say “I am fine”… They would perhaps say “In the given circumstances and on available information available with me, I have to say that things are rather in control at the moment, subject to things remaining the same, the situation is not expected to change”… Take that! Huh). But otherwise Modi speaks in a language that establishes immediate connect with the people of this country. A definite sign of a wonderful Orator. Something you felt with Atal Bihari Vajpayee in recent past, or with Indira, Jawahar, Kamraj, Gandhi (the “Father” one), or even LK Advani in his prime. I mean except for directly “abusing” the Gandhi clan & Manmohan – he has all but used every name that he could to address them. In the times of Honey Singh and Sunny Leone – well such oratory style is a big hit. Morals and values of the society in general have gone down and hence when Modi says “Yeh desh tumhare Mama ka hai kya? (Is this country owned by your Mama/Maternal Uncle?)”… Referring to the Gandhis’, well, people just latch on to it! That is the general mood of this country… and he is conveying it in his own style! Ofcourse, he has an open field (and license) to go after the current government with vengeance. One would expect any opposition to have a great run after 10 years of other party’s governance, nothing new there. However, with Modi at the helm – the opposition is right on top at the moment!

Point being, there was a great vacuum created in Indian polity, where there was lack of a politician who could talk about the plight of common man and in the language people understood. Since long, our life has been taken over by things like Inflation, Retail inflation, FDI, FII, Stock Market, Industrial Output, GDP, Brent rate of oil, Current Account Deficit, VAT/Taxes, Duties, RBI Repo rates, PLR, commodity market problems, etc. Hoof. I mean, all very educational, yet it does nothing to address people issues and neither explains how it affects us. At least it does not help common man understand why petrol prices have to be increased, why does cost of pulses, rice, vegetable, fruits, etc. continue to increase? If cost of everything that is procured needs to be passed on to the people, well do we pay taxes (and lot of taxes in various forms) for salaries of the leaders and executives of government alone? What is the Government doing to help the common man with the collected funds? Decisions on safeguarding poor people, from inflationary trends, rising prices etc., need to be taken by leaders. But does current leadership understand the pain? On top of that – corruption is blamed on everything else (and everyone else), other than themselves? Great! All the lower level leaders are thrown towards media to address their silly question and they in turn talk rubbish and try and cover for everything that is seen wrong by the people in general. It helps when you have silly lawyers answering media questions. Well, lawyers and law in this country, does not find anything wrong with wealth accumulated by Leaders like Mayawati or Mulayam or J Jayalalitha, or many many other politicians - so the lesser said about the conviction of lawyers, the better.

Oops, I digressed… so such lack of leadership in current establishment had to make people crave for a “political figure”, a leader who can show them a way out. Talk about hope. Talk about solving problems (even if not about how they will do it). This is the job of “Political” leaders. This is what Nehru did. This is what Shastri, Indira or JP did. This is what Rajiv (in later phases) or Atal did. But ever since Atal Behari Vajpayee – India has just not seen anyone talking about what people want to hear. When Rahul says UPA has done a lot for people – but perhaps has lacked in connecting with them, well – I think he is right to an extent. However, he is saying it way too late. But then who is to blame? Right to Education, Right to Information, Right to Food, Right to job (MNREGA), and now Lokpal. All these are definitely people oriented policies. If all of them are implemented, it would help in overall growth of this country – both morally and economically in the long run. However, why are people not talking about it with positivity? Hell, even the opposition does not target these progressive policies. Yet, Congress just does not know how to project it. I see it purely as a lack of political acumen on part of current Congress thought leadership. Would Indira, Rajiv, Shastri or Nehru have allowed this to go without cashing on it? Forget about them. Would Modi have let it go? Even after sitting through the most horrible riot seen in this country, this guy is able to sell himself as a man of peace and (surprise… surprise!) as a great administrator! He has done what any sensible CM does in his state wrt growth, yet, he has people believing that he has done “the” extraordinary in his state and hence he can do that across the whole nation. Well, it’s all bunkum ofcourse. Still – people believe him to a fault. That’s the power of a politician. Something which Atal had, Indira had and even JP had. In the last 10 years though – that has been missing… big time. And I would blame Manmohan Singh’s leadership style for the same. He lost his usefulness to Congress post first round of UPA. Congress should have put someone more political savvy in UPA-II. Someone who had political background – who could talk in the language the electorate understood. But they did not. And today, they are facing the music. And it’s just not fun…

It is time a “Financial” Government is replaced with a more political one. And out of all the political leadership in this country, Modi seems to be the one chosen to do so. Thank You Mr. Manmohan Singh – you brought it upon us.

What is my worry?

Inspite of all that I have said about Modi as a leader, why does his elevation and over obsession of people with him worry me? For all the hope Modi brings on the table, I should be happy with Congress going out – a bloody good riddance. But here I am, worrying about the scenario when Modi will be the PM with all the powers that comes along with the chair & position. I am not corrupt, I am not a criminal, I am not involved in anti-nation activities… well for all I know I am a pretty law-abiding citizen, even stopping at traffic lights early mornings like 1-2 AM too – when even the owls have gone to sleep! Then why am I worried? Infact, without sounding too weak… why am I scared?

Here is a man who, if not the perpetrator, is surely the instigator and abettor of one of the major riots ever witnessed in India (other than riots during partition and the deplorable and perhaps bigger anti-Sikh riots in 1984). Inspite of sitting through the entire killing drama he seems more proud than regretful of the event. And don’t bother about the “sounds” of pain that he seems to be murmuring off-late. Remember I told you – don’t believe a thing said during elections. His utterances are coming 10-12 years too late Sir. Again, here is a man, who has ruthlessly crushed every opponent in his path – big or small. Here is a man, who has unabashedly lied big time in projecting himself, and his state, in brighter light and in course of doing so, has not spared states that were governed or ruled by his own party (MP/Rajasthan etc are case in point). Here is a man, who did not think twice before publicly humiliating his own mentor (LK Advani) in his zealous drive to become the Prime Minister of this country. Here is a man who shamelessly abuses every politician of opposition without disdain for their act of folly – yet does not even speak about his shameful act of using state machinery for snooping and trailing his purported love of life. Here is a man, my friends, who has had many IPS and IAS officers either suspended/dismissed or convicted (or waiting conviction) and all of whom has been party to his shady administrative business run in the backyard of Gujarat land. Is this sign of a righteous and a sane mind? Is this a man who you think is fit to be a PM of our great country? Well think again, he does what “he” thinks is right – and what he does not – well he believes no one should do it. “Autocratic” - one would say?

I can ofcourse go on and on. But of all the problems that I see – I have biggest sense of fear from couple of concerning matters if Modi is elevated to the top position.

Ofcourse, the primary part of my concern is Modi’s dominating attitude & his “Triple-M” mantra - “Me, Myself & Modi”. His “Triple-M” rant is something to be seen to be believed. Rarely have we seen an Indian politician as selfish, as ruthlessly ambitious and well, as insensitive as our man in question. He is capable of going to any deplorable depth to get his wishes. Mind you, there is no way to prove that his wishes would be yours too or vice-versa. That is what all dictators believe – yet none of them have any connect with their people or their welfare. Let’s not forget the great riots of Gujarat. Riots neither were – nor are new to India. Yet, the way Gujarat riots took place and the way Modi and his government stooges got involved in perpetrating it, proves that he is not a man who believes in peace. Ask any Modi lover and he would say, “…well it was time to settle the matter with Muslims. And see, there have been no riots in Gujarat since then!” Well – all good. But look at the facts, 1000+ people killed, 2,00,000 displaced, 25,000 still continue to live in relief camps, people were butchered and burnt even as policemen stood and watched helplessly. The sufferers were from both Hindu and Muslim community… 70% Muslims (read statistics online). And for Modi to say that he does not feel “guilty” (read his Interviews) of whatever happened during his watch in these riots shows his arrogance, an unsympathetic nature and morally repugnant behavior. A Chief Minister and his government is responsible for every single citizen of his state. And for them to tell everyone that it is not regrettable - is in itself regrettable. (And don’t start saying what did UP Government do or what did Maharashtra Government do when riots took place in their states, etc… well they are not in line for PM post – so shut up. This is about my country.)

Kriya pratikriya ki chain chal rahi hai. Hum chahate hain ki na kriya ho aur na pratikriya. (What is happening is a chain of action and reaction. What I want is that there should be no action and no reaction). Narendra Modi (2002)

Even Isaac Newton would be ashamed by the use of his definition (of 3rd law of motion) in these circumstances. But the above quote shows Modi’s mindset. He is not bothered about stopping the “Kriya” (action) and ofcourse not the “Pratikriya” (reaction) – he was rather justifying the killing that went on in those times. If this is not criminal – what is? There have been riots before and after Godhra across the country, yet rarely has a government been seen wanting in doing everything to stop it. That they are unable to do so “quickly” leads to many people being killed. But no one has ever unabashedly indicated that this is expected. As if this is the norm one has to live with in this multi-religiously country.

For all those who claim that Gujarat has been riot-free even as other parts of country has had riots (very recently Mujaffarnagar), and hence it is a sign of Modi’s iron hand rule, I have to say, it’s an appalling justification of the means and therefore the end result. Is this man worth believing when he says he was “saddened” by what happened in 2002… ofcourse he has said this only now – knowing that “a Gujarat’s CM” view will not work pan-India. You may note that he endorsed the view of RSS which passed resolution in 2002 stating “Let Muslims realize that their real safety lies in the goodwill of the majority”. So don’t be fooled by what he is saying now. Muslims are 20% of the population. It looks small – yet they are more than 25 Crores. Are we to then crush them and keep them crushed for a peaceful Hindu India? Well some idiots world over have tried crushing one part of population – they have ended up being either killed/lynched or have committed honorable suicide. So think again about it.

The pure and simple truth is rarely pure and never simple (Oscar Wilde)

Closing my remarks on this concern, my problem with Modi in all this is his thought process, his philosophy & his values of administration. For a man who is not repentant about massacre (some say “holocaust”) under his watch, for a man who justifies his follies rather than show remorse, for a man who revels in the thought of people being scared of him and enjoys taking advantage of it – for me – such a man is neither fit mentally nor morally to lead any government. Democracy may be about ruling with majority – it is definitely not about ruling with mandate of only majority community in the country. For me, given my view of Modi and whatever I have seen and understood, it would be one of the most shameful day/s if Modi were to become my Prime Minister.

The second matter of concern to me is the lack of Modi’s parallel in BJP. I have said this earlier and will say it again. Modi is a crude form of Advani in 1990s. Advani had a big hand in getting BJP huge success in elections across 1990s. He single-handedly led BJP to victory - without question. Yet, he did not succeed in becoming the PM. Ever wondered why? This was because the supporting parties could never agree to have a hardliner Hindu to become PM in this multi-religious country. Atal Behari Vajpayee was the “next-best” choice in BJP. Vajpayee was a man of great stature anyways. He could stand up to Advani’s dictums. This one factor, infact, helped BJP a great deal in running a pretty successful government. For every hardline view that Advani took – there was “recourse” in form of Atal. Add to that the fact, that they both respected each other immensely – which helped in one of them coming around on matters that led to conflicts within the government. They shared great camaraderie. They both knew, BJP would crumble without either of them. Seeing them I could imagine how the first Government of Independent India may have run. With Jawahar who had a more conciliatory model of working and the great Patel had a more pragmatic view of governance. Both would have their own views on matters of governance, yet, they ran a damn successful government!

In all matters of opinion, our adversaries are insane (Oscar Wilde)

I am primarily referring to the “antidote factor” here. Look around, where is that in BJP now? Before Modi, BJP was leaderless – without question. But after his anointment – he is the ONLY leader. And he is a hardliner to the core. Top it with the fact that he is a terribly ambitious leader and you are looking at a very lethal combination indeed. Now, who in BJP has the guts to oppose whatever he says, suggests or implements? All the voices of rebellion have been crushed, including the likes of Advani, Yashwant Sinha, Sushma Swaraj etc. Today (except for Advani) they all look like his stooges. They sing what he writes and they depose what he proposes. There is no one to raise a voice. He has had scant regard for RSS on matters that conflict his ambition (He has been at loggerheads with them on many occasions. Sanjay Joshi was forced to go out of Gujarat since he did not take Modi’s orders. Remember?). The question to be asked and answered yourself is what he will do with such unlimited power in the party and ofcourse when BJP forms Government at Centre. Imagine, if he is taking a decision that is wrong, which of the BJP leader has the stature to oppose him? None. It took someone like Atal to say Modi has to follow “Raj-Dharma” (when 2002 riots were going on). This was on the appeal of various people around the country who were seeing Modi doing nothing about the killings going around. Well, there is no Atal now. Now, look at what he has done with his opposition within Gujarat BJP unit. He has sidelined/ crushed or forced people to leave BJP. Every single one of them who dared to oppose him has gone. Examples like Keshubhai Patel, Sanjay Joshi, Suresh Mehta, Kanshiram Rana etc were all tall leaders in Gujarat. Where are they now? Gone…Decimated. And we are already seeing that he is using that Gujarat Model at national scene too within BJP. People “fear” him in political circles – within his party. This is dangerous, very dangerous my friends. This is pure dictatorship, and is not good for our country… if you are not already seeing it coming.

He is vicious, he is venomous and hey - he is cruel. Don’t be in any doubt on that one. So what do we do? Sulk and suffer? Or get up and fight back?

One ought never to turn one's back on a threatened danger and try to run away from it. If you do that, you will double the danger. But if you meet it promptly and without flinching, you will reduce the danger by half. (Sir Winston Churchill)

What does future hold?

Rate of conviction in Gujarat Riots run by Investigative teams of Gujarat is less than 5% (as per information from each Gujarat police station - using RTI)… Whereas it is close to 40% on investigations done and ordered by SC (SIT team) and done by investigative agencies outside Gujarat. Examples of Maya Kondani, Babu Bajrangi etc were not convicted by Gujarat (Quote from Newspaper)

So what would happen if Narendra Modi does become the PM? And even before one asks this question, perhaps a more pertinent question is - “how” will BJP, and hence Modi, come to power – absolute power. My other set of worries stem from that proposition.

Consider this - Is 273 a realistic target for BJP? Well, I would be very surprised if that happens – unless something drastic happens in the next 2 months to election. No one is even contesting the fact, that the number of seats for Congress, will go below 100 seats (ofcourse, unless things take a U-turn for some reason – or there are enough people in the fight to divide vote shares)! I think in their history – this will be the first time they will go below 100 seat mark. And frankly, I won’t be surprised – given the sentiments today. I am sure you all will agree on both the counts!

So assume that BJP gets around 180-200 seats in Lok Sabha. It will still need a lot of seats from supporting parties to form the government. Where will that come from? A few of the known and devoted Modi lovers will extend their support – parties like SAD (Punjab), Shiv Sena & MNS (Maharashtra), J Jayalalitha (TN), Jagan Reddy (Andhra) and perhaps some people here and there. J Jayalalitha is playing it very well. Though she/her party is known to be close to Modi, she is fighting as part of 3rd front or is it now the 4th front? Who knows? What everyone knows is how “reliable” she is when it comes to keeping her alliances. Hus. She is not aligning with BJP for now so that voters in TN “think” that she is not with the fascist Modi and hence Vote for her. She can then support Modi if he is in a touching distance of forming government. Just on the point of TN, one of my friends thinks people are being fooled that way for generations and TN parties are very good at such deception – hence every alternate elections we see AIADMK and DMK coming to power!

Anyways, given the scenario, this is not exactly like a Gujarat Government where Modi is the “Numero-Uno” of the Government! His state will be no different to Atal or Manmohan to some extent. Ofcourse, he will perhaps be better off than Manmohan Singh in that respect, as BJP stooges do not have the guts to breathe down his neck every time he walks or runs! But this will be very different setting for Modi. With all the local patriarchs of supporting parties having their own personal fiefdom and egos to manage, Modi cannot just lord over them as he does those Gujaratis in his current state government. And knowing what I know about him – I think he won’t like the situation too… not by a long stretch. He neither has the patience, nor the necessary humility to handle pulls & strings of a coalition government. So what would be his options to gain full control? Hmmm… now that’s an interesting prognosis to make. Let me try my hand.

Not that he won’t already be planning for it! Ofcourse he would. He is street smart. However much people around him live in the assumption that such political makeup would help keep him in check, I think he will outsmart them – at least he will try to. Remember, it is what all the German politicians thought when Hitler came to power with minority seats! Read German history, to observe how Hitler ended up becoming a Chancellor and then took a firm grip on German polity and people. It was through dreadful maneuvering and trickery. Modi is everything that Hitler was in 1920-45. I have no hesitation in saying that. You all shall see. It took the entire world to come together to kill and remove Hitler. But not before he had destroyed and decimated that great nation. Ofcourse, when he took over, the country was in ruins with high inflation, corruption, weak government, low morale etc. He took them to position of strength and then unleashed his personal agenda - to be the King of the world. Not for once did common Berliners feel (till very late into the war) that Hitler was as big a devil as he is. So were they foolish? Nah… it was Hitler’s brilliance and smart “perception” management that fooled people until very late when they realized the extent of damage he had done. He was very popular till early 1940s’, by when he had 1/3rd of the world under his control or part of his alliance! Eventually this madness led to destruction of the country itself… all over again (the first time was after WW-I). They went back to a position that was worse that 1920 when Germany was punished by Allied countries. Hitler’s ambition was solely responsible for it. They became slaves again for another 54 years till Berlin wall eventually fell in 1989.

India is no Germany for sure. But remember, it did not take much for someone like Indira Gandhi to impose emergency for a few years in 1970s. It was the time when she took total control. She at least could claim bad guidance from her close confidants in her decision to impose emergency. For all her follies, she had a history behind her - of a father who had international reputation and who was a prominent freedom fighter and an ex-Prime Minister. She had that reputation to manage/salvage which eventually led her to path of correction from the foolhardy step of emergency. It was politically and constitutionally a very unpopular move. It was rightly opposed, till Indira was made to bend and was forced to declare fresh elections. Thanks to people’s ire - she was justifiably punished and defeated.

A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes. Mark Twain

So what options will Modi have? He has many routes to follow. My take on this is… Modi would quickly start feigning helplessness in implementing “people” policies that he wants to implement for the benefit of the nation. Slowly he will start calling people opposing him and restricting him “traitors of the nation”. He will tell us that he is being handcuffed in governance matters and even though the country has given BJP the mandate to “serve” the nation – he is being stopped by the “traitors” of the society. He will let everyone know that he is sad that the mandate was not total and comprehensive for BJP… blah blah blah. He would make everyone believe that it is important to give him and his party majority of seats in Lok Sabha. He will beat the drum so loud that this will “seem to us” a matter of NATIONAL importance. Ofcourse, he will also tell us that country’s security is at risk if we do not give his party (which would mean “him”) majority/absolute powers. Unless you have forgotten, BJP is so very smart at playing “National Security” plank. All their time during NDA regime were filled with “national Security” shield! All they did became a matter of “national security” and hence no discussion/disclosures were made on a lot of things during their tenure!! Modi is one step ahead. Every single breath that he would take would be for "National Security” and anyone or anything opposing him will be a “threat to our national security”! Anyways, the point is he will start drumming his tune I believe from 8th to 10th month of his “rule”… oh – my sincere apologies… I should say his “Service” to nation (sic). He would keep the crescendo going - till the pitch reaches a point where I think he would call for ‘vote of confidence’ in the parliament. There he may either lose (and act like a martyr to garner sympathy votes) or resign just before losing! He will declare national elections and then trust all his “good work” (of drumming, ofcourse) and his charisma to get him through the 273 line! Devil forbid if that happens.

I think Modi would be targeting to get full power - with complete (or 2/3rd) majority by mid-2015. If that were to happen (which for all my fears, I think it will), then, Ladies and Gentlemen - will start the “Modi Era/ Empire”. Can’t call it the rule of Modi Dynasty (;-))… but it will be a start of Modi-era! Modi will be hailed as the constitutional head of the nation and supreme leader (or “Supreme Servant” – you can trust Modi with words!) of the people of this great country. For once, we will be “ruled” in the pretext of being “served” (a word he continues to chant every time he opens his mouth). Look at him when he talks about serving the nation. It’s like “Hey, I want to serve you… you better get served”! Phew. This man– who is proven liar (big time), a big time egoist, a certified hate-monger, a man who hates every other person (almost everyone – since in his eyes he is the all righteous one!), a man who is vicious, someone who assumes everything he does is virtuous and all the rest are anti-national - and finally, he is a man who cannot take criticisms of himself. In summary, a perfect picture of a Dictator.

How many of us here think he won’t be able to take total control of the nation? Is that impossible to achieve? For a crooked/ manipulative person like him? Really? I mean, once he has his man as head of Armed forces/ paramilitary forces/police fores, all he needs to do is to create problems in a few places in the country and use that as a pretext to apply President’s rule in few states unfriendly to him (note I am not referring to HIS PARTY, I am saying HIM. It’s all about him/himself & his perception of my country). There would be protests ofcourse in the entire nation, including the capital. He will use that as a pretext to tell all of us how the situation in the country needs to be immediately controlled. He will use that excuse to apply Emergency in the country (something his party has been opposed to). Emergency will nullify majority of liberal & democratic provisions of the constitution. Once that is done, he can use all his official machinery to clamp down on any opposition in the country quickly over a period of 3-5 months and lo-behold – a dictatorship is formed. What good is Congress without Gandhis? What good is AAP without Kejriwal? What good is BSP, SP, AIADMK, DMK, TMC, SHIV SENA, NCP, RJD, National Conference, BJD, JD(U) without their main leaders. That is the disadvantage of a single leader parties. It takes arrest or assassination of just 10-12 key politicians/ prominent social figures in this country and you will suddenly see that all protests will be disorganized and easy to crush. And if it seems too difficult to achieve in normal course of process, well there is always an option to go on a war with that naturally available bogey – Pakistan! Ofcourse, how would Indians ever oppose that move? “That arrogant neighbor needs to be taught a lesson. It’s long pending”. Isn’t it? We keep hearing this even in peace times. So when Modi declares war – the whole country will be running head over heels to garland him. Ofcourse, what it would mean is a lot of those garlands will also be needed for many near and dear ones when they get killed in the war because of an act of madness by one mad-man. Ambition… ambition, it’s for nothing it is considered the source of all ills of this society.

And once he assumes power, you can be sure he will be the monkey you all would eventually find hard to get off your back. Ofcourse, many here would say it will be all the more better. Oh yeah? Think again. In my (limited) opinion, it will be detrimental to all the hard work that has gone in building this nation from scratch, from being poorest, to a stage where we we can make or break world economy. That has come without having people like him in the top.

(And before I move to next section, remember his love for federalism today. We shall see how much he loves the fact when he becomes the Prime Minister. I will not be surprised if I soon hear him tell us that federalism in current form is hurting the nation and that we need to allow “Centre” to have more powers wrt state subjects!! For all his love of judicial and lokpal related issues, you won’t have to wait for too long before you hear him say how Courts (Supreme Courts) are hampering policy implementations and are acting like parallel government and how it is important to curtail judiciary powers in the country and also how current lokpal bill is useless and why it is important to keep PM away from it. After all he successfully averted all the moves to appoint a lok-ayukt in Gujarat, because then he would come under its ambit. How could he allow that when he would be the PM!!!)

Conclusion?

He has all the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire. (Sir Winston Churchill)

I wish and hope my 2-cents prophecy does not come true and that Modi gets defeated at national level sooner than later. That way we will come out with limited damage. I pity people who say this country needs a dictator to set things right. Well, tell me one country or one dictator in the history of mankind where a dictator actually helped set “things right”. It’s easy to brag about how things seem to be ordered in a country which has its share of Dictatorship, communist or rule of monarchy. Countries like erstwhile Germany, China & Russia seem to come quickly to mind. Also some middle east countries – where people seem to have ordered & prosperous life. Infact, we are so obsessed with China that for everything that they achieve we compare ourselves with them. How silly can one get? Well, for starters, they cannot indulge in some of your favorite time-pass activities, like abusing and blasting every known politician…even the Prime Minister of the country. Yes Sir, they can be easily jailed or killed for such a “trivial” matter! There is no freedom of expression, a basic and important tenant of our society. Do you know what they pay to their labors working in those mammoth factories? Ofcourse you don’t. Do you know the state of poor in that country and health facilities there of? Ofcourse you don’t. Do you know how many in that country die because of famine? Ofcourse you don’t. Hey, till not long ago, they killed babies to keep the equation of 1 family – 1 child! Huh… Some country to compare India with. Hell. As I said, it’s silly.

Coming back to Modi, you do think Modi will free this country of corrupt and rid this land of criminals? Oh, you think that is impossible? Ok so how much of reduction do you think there will be? 90%... 80%... surely 50%? Not sure? But I thought he wanted to root out corruption from this country and all his followers seem to be gulping down that dream every single day he speaks? Myth-busted? Apologies for being the one to do it. Ok, how sure are you that he won’t turn against you or your family next – in the name of corruption/national threat or security or in the name of bringing order in society etc? How sure are you? 100%... 80%? How sure? How sure are you that he won’t become dictator? 100%... 80%? Not sure? Oh, but you all seem to know him very well, and love him too perhaps. Yet, you cannot be sure of him? Myth-busted? Apologies again.

You know what (?)… You all know he is dangerous. He is no 10th Avtaar of Vishnu to do everything right. So how sure are you that he will make “all the right decisions” that are ONLY and ONLY for your benefit? What if he is not? What if he turns against you one day? Whom will you turn to against the “Man” himself? Oh. You think it will be as easy as it is today? Well think again. Ask people who survived the limited Dictatorship taste in form of emergency during Indira days. Even then no one was spared. We are talking about dictatorship here dearies.

Listen, I am showing you a possibility which is not so hard to achieve. With an ambitious man like Modi at the helm, well, it’s certainly in the realm of reality. Absolute power is corrupting and with absolute power in two hands, the measures taken (to hold on to the control) are also extreme. Ask any crowd management chaps and they will tell you how a crowd is far easier to scare than an individual. When brutal force is used, a crowd will have its tails between the legs and will quickly wither away. And when that image is flashed across media – it creates terror/fear in the minds of other people. There are many instances we have seen. A few goons come and fire around… the crowd – runs away. A few self-righteous people get in a pub and beat and harass girls (for wearing short skirts or some such silly pretext), well the crowd there too runs away. A few policemen come and clean up a protest gathering at Ram Lila (Ex: Baba Ramdev’s) in a matter of an hour. No one dares come back. How many examples do you need? In all the instances people voice their opinion from Media houses, telephones, FB etc. Hey – but who is there on the street to defend your and my rights? No one. Infact, history will prove that if the government had forcibly evicted Anna/Kajriwal and the key members in the first gathering at Jantar Mantar – the Lokpal movement and hence AAPs creation and its inspirational victory would not have been possible. Perhaps then the issue of corruption would not be this big. Perhaps the Government in all its arrogance thought that Anna’s movement too will go away like others… well – they are now paying the price of their haughtiness. Well – thankfully so.

A people that values its privileges above its principles soon loses both. Dwight D. Eisenhower

Not for once do I think this Government needs to stay. It needs to be booted out with a permanent mark on their bums. But then, who are we replacing them with? Modi - the menace? Well, I would rather have third front for some time if that is the only alternative left in the fray. BJP is an arrogant party (at least they are consistent – in victory or even in defeat), no doubt, but Modi is an extreme form of that arrogance. If keeping Modi away means keeping BJP out of equation, well so be it. For me – my country and its future is far more important. I am not ready to put my liberties and rights at stake due to “blind love” of people for a crazy man.

Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself. Leo Tolstoy

You see, no one in this country thinks of changing himself or herself. They all want others to change and since they have no control over “others”, they use their anger by changing the government. All well. But, will Modi (or any leader) be able to stop Rapes, loot, Maoism, terrorism, Gundagardi or atrocities on people or even crime against old people? Well the straight answer is - no. Rapes won’t stop unless the frustrated Indian males do not stop being “cruel” perverts. I mean c’mon, it is just not right to stare at girls/women from top to bottom, it is not right to pass comment on girls, it is definitely not right to think every girl wants what these perverts think they watch in porn clips. Well… it is just not right. Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, Shiela Dixit, or Indira Gandhi did not ask the Indian male to go and rape women. It’s bloody our problem. We - the male community. And Modi or any Tom, Dick or Harry cannot stop this sadist thinking. It’s us. We need to change. Similarly, Modi cannot all by himself solve other issues – for ex, Maoist problem. I doubt if he even understands it. Else, he would not be praising Raman Singh under whom the highest number of Maoist attacks has taken place in Chattisgarh! Hell, he does not understand much publicized Kashmir issue itself (he has not dared to talk about Kashmir since he talked like an idiot the last time – thankfully so). So there is little chance he will understand Maoist problem – which is way too complex. Point I am trying to make here is – unless we Indians start thinking right, no Gandhi or Modi can help. He can create the fear… but that will have its own drawbacks like making some really draconian laws – which never helps the society in general.

The idea of a model where you’re going to have one guy coming on a horse and who is going to come, and he’s going to fix everything… does not work – Rahul Gandhi

For all his weaknesses, Rahul did say something very useful. He may be an idealist who knows what needs to be done – but is clueless about how to implement! But he has a point here. The problems of this country have to be solved in a planned manner. Modi’s coming alone is not going to solve them. If he could, he would have done it for his oh (!) so beloved Gujaratis… which we have seen above is not the case. So trim down your dreams.

In Germany, they came first for the Communists, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Communist; And then they came for the trade unionists, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist; And then they came for the Jews, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew; And then . . . they came for me . . . And by that time there was no one left to speak up.

I have quoted this earlier and am quoting it again because I think a lot of people are going to feel the same way if what I have written above comes true. All I will say is, let’s not wait for our turn to know what has hit us. We need to be judicious; we need to take learned decisions. Let’s not be blinded by the folly of one side and be dazed by the myth of righteous people being on the other. Let’s not get swayed by the online campaign of a man who has nothing to conclusive prove his credentials. Let’s not put our fate in the hands of a man who does not respect or bemoan the loss of every single Indian (Hindu/Muslim or others). Let’s for the sake of this country take decision/s that will benefit the nation in the long run than have a quick fix solution that will make us suffer for longer periods.

As for me, I surely don’t want a “Hindu Nationalist” or a Gujarati, a Marathi or a Bihari as my leader. I want an “Indian Nationalist”. That for me would be an apt definition of my leader…

And quoting from my earlier article written in anticipation of Modi like dictator coming to power in India someday (at least in that respect – I can say I saw this coming many years back… much before the current Modi converts fell in love with him) –

…given that politics in this country has touched an all-time low, given that majority of masses have lost hope on the political entities of this nation and given that there is no light seen at the end of this dark tunnel - I have had this sinking feeling that we may somehow be responsible for propping our own nemesis, our very own Hitler to the high seat someday (--India - Waiting for “Hitler”, 2008)

Its Montoo..
(20th Dec 2013 – 31st Mar 2014)

Kids Poem: Fun n Frolic

Poem: "Fun n Frolic"

I was given the topic of fun n frolic,

I asked my Dad - "What is frolic?",
He Hmmed & mmmed, till my curiosity became hyperbolic,
Finally he said... Frolic is really... a cheerful "rollick",
Oh great, I thought, that sounds like a good logic!
Now… Now, he said, don’t be so vitriolic...
Finding meaning of words is always fun and frolic!
And here I thought it would be amusing & anabolic. Huh.

So I ran to my Mom and asked her about "Fun",
Thought I would have it easier, and have to struggle none,
She too Hmmed & mmmed and toyed with her hair bun,
As I looked with hope at her, she peeled the onions one by one,
And then she said - Well "fun" is about everything under the sun!
I kept looking at her to check if she was done(?),
Getting nothing more felt really like a bullet from a gun. Grrrh...

I then went to the park & sat on the swing,
I looked up the sky to see birds fly and sing,
There were bees on the tree that hummed with zing,
A dog ran around jumping like a spring,
As kids shouted away flying kite with a string...
Oh! I felt excited rollicking on my lovely swing,
I realized then what my Parents meant about fun & frolicking...
Fun is absolutely about everything under the sun
And being playfully excited is definitely frolicking!

Thankyou

Mantosh Singh..
Oct 2013
(Prepared for my daughter Ruhin Raghuvanshi's Inter-school recitation competition. Poem was selected by school for use in Inter-school recitation competion 2013)

Poem for Kids: “वाह री महंगाई” (Wah ri Mehangai)

“वाह री महंगाई”

वाह री महंगाई, मुसीबत तुने गजब है ढाई,

जब-जब आती मेरे देश में, आती सबको खूब रुलाई,


पहले हम सब खाते फल थे, अब तो दूध में भी नहीं मलाई,

पहनते कपड़े नए नए थे, अब तो सालों नहीं बनवाई

वाह री महंगाई, मुसीबत तुने गजब है ढाई


खाना बनता स्वादिष्ट पहले था, जब भी माँ ने पकवान बनाई,

प्याज, टमाटर के दाम सुनकर, हम सब की तो आँख भर आई

वाह री महंगाई, मुसीबत तुने गजब है ढाई


याद है मुझको हर त्यौहार पर, मिलती थी हमें खूब मिठाई,

अब तो सपनों ही में आती वो, तूने जबसे है दस्तक है लगाई,

वाह री महंगाई, मुसीबत तुने गजब है ढाई


क्यों आती है जब देखो तब, सोती क्यों नहीं ओढ़ रजाई,

लक्ष्मी पूजन के शुभ अवसर पे तो, हंसने दे मुझे मेरी ताई,

वाह री महंगाई, मुसीबत तुने गजब है ढाई


बिजली-पानी-तेल-सब्ज़ियाँ, फल-कपड़े और दूध-मलाई...

मेरे लिए सब ख़ाक हो गए, जबसे तूने है आग लगायी,

वाह री महंगाई, मुसीबत तुने गजब है ढाई


क्यों नहीं जाती यहाँ से तू, बस बहुत तुने है तक़लीफ़ बढ़ाई,

दूर हो जा मेरी नज़रों से, अब बजने दे मेरी खुशियों की शहनाई,

वाह री ज़ालिम महंगाई, मुसीबत तुने गजब है ढाई…

Mantosh Singh.. Nov 2013'   (Prepared for रूहिन रघूवंशी for School Magazine having topic of महंगाई)

Speech - Tryst With Destiny (15th Aug 1947)

Tryst with destiny (Jawaharlal Nehru's Speech)

Long years ago we made a tryst with destiny, and now the time comes when we shall redeem our pledge, not entirely or in full measure, but greatly so

At the stroke of midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom. A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new. It is then that the soul of a nation finally finds its voice. Today, we end a period of ill fortune and India discovers herself again.

The ambition of the greatest man of our generation has been to wipe every tear from every eye. That may be beyond us but so long as there are tears and suffering, so long our work will not be over.

Freedom and power bring responsibility. That responsibility falls upon this assembly

To the people of India, we make appeal to join us with faith and confidence in this great adventure.

To the nations and people of the world we send greetings and pledge ourselves to cooperate in promoting peace, freedom and democracy.

And to India, our motherland, the ancient, the eternal and the ever-new, we pay our reverent homage, as and we bind ourselves afresh to her service.

Jai Hind:'
(JL Nehru – 15th Aug 1947 (in Constituent Assembly))
-----------------

(14th Aug 2013: Prepared for Ruhin's 15th Aug speech at the time of flag hoisting. Note this is a concise version of the original speech)

I Know My Seasons

I know my seasons (poem)

As sun rises early and the heat irritates,

... Holidays help me sleeping till late

I dont track time and neither the dates

...I feel like that King - Alexander the great!

As I laze around all day acting like a hummer

I know that season, it is called summer


After summer, the rains do come,

...It brings happiness to the birds who hum,

I feel like dancing to the beat of drum

... getting wet in the downpour feels absolutely awsome

Hmmmm, I do catch cough & cold pretty much soon

I know that season, it is definitely Monsoon

As the Monsoon is on... we wish it stalls,

...to welcome the time some call - "The Fall"

Even as festival season starts to entrall

I delve into the freshly harvested fruit haul

And as My study time hits rock bottom,

I know that season, it is called autumn


And then comes the time which I love utmost,

...as we all wait for year-end the most

The days are shorter, the nights like ghost,

...the temperature dips lower than the lowermost!

And as I celebrate with the stars that glinter

I know that season, it is my lovely winter


So Yes Sir, Yes Maam... I do know my seasons.

Thank You.

--------------

Mantosh Singh..

7th Sep 2013

(prepared for Ruhin's Recitation competition in School)

Bengal - The rich culture

Bengal - The great culture

Bengal, 1947 ke pehle ek bada rajya hua karta tha. 1947 mei desh ke vibhajan ke dauran, is mahaan rajya ko dharmic aadhar par do bhagon mei baant diya gaya - poorv-bengal aur paschim-bengal. Poorvi-Bengal ko Pakistan se aazadi dilane mei bharat ne wahan ke aazadi ke sainikon ko bahut bada sahyog diya. Aaj poorvi-bengal ek poorna desh hai jiska naam hai - Bangladesh.

Pashchim-Bengal (jise hum aage Bengal ke naam se bulayengey) bharat ka ek abhinn ang hai aur iski mahatta shabdon mei bayaan nahi ki ja sakti. Iski Rajdhani, kolkata, ko humare desh ki sanskritik rajdhani bhi kaha jata hai. Nobel puraskar vijeta Shri Rabindranath Tagore Bengal ke ek mahaan putra hain, aur humare desh ki shaan hain. Woh is vishwa ke aise ek hi insaan hain jinhone do deshon ka rashtriya gaan likha, Hindustan aur Bangladesh. Unse prerit ho kar unke ek Sri-Lankayi chatra (ananda samarakoon) ne Sri-Lanka ka bhi rashtriya gaan likha.

Bengal ki bhasha "Bengali" hai. Bangaliyon ko "machh aur bhat" khana bahut pasand hai. Unhe meetha khane ka bhi bahut shauk hai, jaise Hilsa, Roshogolla, chomchom, kalajom, sondesh ityaadi. Bangali mahilayein jyadaatar paramparagat "shari" (saari) hi pehenti hain aur purush "panjabi aur dhoti" pehentey hain.

Bengal ka sabse mahatwapoorna tyawhaar Durga puja hai. Is samay purey dus din Maa Durga ki puja ki jati hai. Anya tyawhaar jaise poila baishakh, basant-utsab, kali puja bhi badi dhoom dhaam se maya jata hai.

Bengali apne sanskritik pratibha ke liye jane jatey hain. Chahe woh gana ho ya paramparagat nritya. Wahan ke log Baul lok sangeet, Gombhira, Bhawaiya, Rabindrasangeet, Narzul Geet bade hi chaav se gate aur gungunate hain. Aur Purulia ka Chau nritya (mukhauta pehen kar nachna), aadiwasi nritya aadi wahan ki lokpriya nritya shaili hai.

Bangal ke log khel-kood ke diwane hain. Humare desh ke kayi mahaan football khiladi, cricket ke khiladi isi pradesh se aaye hain. Par Footbal yahan ka sabse pasandeeda khel hai.

Bengal ne humare desh ko film jagat ke kuch mahaan hastiyaan di hain jaise Satyajit Ray, Mrinal Sen, Shyam Benegal, Tapan Sinha ityadi.

Bengal ke abootporva yogdaan ke liye humara poora desh inka rinni rahega.

Thanks.
---------------------
Mantosh Singh..
30th Aug 2013'
(prepared for Ruhin as part of her speech of various places & cultures in India)

Meri Dilli (Delhi) meri Shaan

Meri Dilli Meri Shaan

Dilli... Iss desh ka woh hissa, jise Pandavon ne apnaya, Mauryon ne sajaya, Afghanon, turkiyon, mughlon ne aur fir Angrejon ne sanwara, iski khobsoorti ko nikhara... Inn sabhi ne ise apne rajya ki rajdhani bhi banaya. Aur aaj bhi yeh humare desh ki rajdhani hai!


Ki yahan Lal Quila hai, Qutab minaar hai, India Gate hai... par hazaron saal puraney iss "indraprastha" par garv karne ki wajah kuch aur bhi hain.

Garv hai mujhey ki main hindustaan ki pawan bhoomi ke us tukdey par rehti hun jo humarey desh ki sanskritik, kootnitik aur rajnaitik rajdhani hai... aur inn sab ke saath saath, yeh iss desh ke dilwaon ki rajdhani bhi hai!

Mujhe garv is baat par bhi hai ki dilli ki sadkein iss desh mei sabse behtareen hain. Dilli ki metro iss desh mei parivahan vyavastha ki ek misaal hai.

Salaam karti hun main Dilli ki police ko, jisne apradhiyon ka har baar mun todh jawaab diya aur Dilli Police ka naam poorey desh mei roshan kiya.

Doston, Is shaher ney sabko apnaya... aapko, mujhe - hum sabko. Dilli mei na koi punjabi hai, na marathi, na bangali hai, na bihari, na hi tamil hai na assami... hum sab ek hain... hum dilli wale hain!

Mitron, Lal Quile ke diwan-i-khas par likha Amir Khusro ka yeh chandd mano dilli ke liye hi kaha tha unhone - ki "Agar firdaus bar roo-e zameen ast, Hameen ast-o hameen ast-o hameen ast"... ki, agar is dharti par koi swarg hai to woh yahi hai yahi hai... yahi hai.

Aise Dilli ko mera sat-sat pranam.

Dhanyawaad
-----------------------
Mantosh Singh..
1st Aug 2013'
(prepared for Ruhin as part of Elocution competition)

Sochti hun main

Sochti hun main...

Sochti hun mai ki jab sabko yeh aabhaas hai
Paani jeevan ka hai strot fir kyon nahi ehsaas hai?

Bade bujurg keh gaye keemti ek ek boond hai
Sochti hun mai ki fir, kyon yeh aankhein moond hai

Him, Nadi, saavan, ghata sab kar rahe prayaas hain
Sochti hun main ki fir, kyon badhrahi ye pyaas hai

Badhtey Udyog, rasaayanik kachra kat-tey paed, badhti aabadi... sabkuch barbaad kar rahey
Fir Sochti hun mai, ki kyon nahi hum kuch kar pa rahe

Kya karoon kaise karoon, kaise samjhaoon in sab ko,
Sochati hun mai ki, kya itni samajh bhi nahi hum sab ko?

Ki Aaney wali pushton ka kaise rakhein hum khayal
Sochti hun mai ki Paani bagaer, kaise hongey wo khushhaal

Aaiye hum khayein kasam ki paani ko bachayengey
Sochna hoga hum sab ko ki har boond se seep banayenge...

Sochna hoga hum sab ko ki har boond se seep banayenge  

Mantosh Singh..
May 2013'
(prepared for Ruhin for Water conservation and awareness)