Beyond the Rahul-Modi fixation

How the binary of Rahul- Modi fixation is keeping the nation hostage to their respective idiosyncrasies.

Notwithstanding the ongoing whataboutery between the Congress and the BJP, the ostensible bipartisanship at the highest level of their political leaderships is starkly visible to one and all. The theatrics of sharp exchanges between the two, including the formulation of of that of ‘Feku versus Papu’ shenanigans, is a clever stratagem to keep the nation engrossed in their subterfuges so that the people of India are perpetually deluded into believing that nation has no choice beyond that of Modi or Rahu. Significantly, by keeping the nation singularly obsessed with these fixation, the underlying intention is to put a full stop for the nation to reflect beyond these two alternative viable options that alone can offer the cure for the nation’s humongous maladies that afflict it today. Interestingly, as this fixation helps both Congress and BJP to sell its respective brands as the only remedies for the nation’s woes, what it so comprehensively inhibits is the national thought process that may even remotely contemplate a refreshing window to look beyond this crippling national obsession.

As a Political commentator who increasingly has been facing hostility at the social networking sites for his columns, especially those which are dubbed as hostile to Modi, I am being randomly pooh-poohed by the gangs of Modi admirers who, in my justifiable, constructive criticisms of Modi government, have so regressively though, despicably designated me as a Rahul sympathiser. And, based on their faulty presumption, continually abuse me for being a Papu’s admirer. Paradoxically, any article or write ups that the Modi brigade or trolls that BJP unleashes on Social Networking sites, have a preconceived notion: Those who oppose Modi or, for that matter, BJP or Union government or any state government ruled by BJP’s policies, are, unequivocally, dubbed as the sympathisers of Rahul Gandhi. Initially, in the wake of such flurry of reactions, so unerringly to paint me with Congress’ hue and colour, I suspected innocently that that it could be a judgmental error, a bonafide misreading of my intention. However when such Machiavellian attempts continued unabated, despite sharing of my backgrounds, the realisation suddenly dawned on me that everything is mischievously conceptualised: the binary of viewing everything in Modi- Rahul prism is the consequence of a deep rooted conspiracy at the top; a bipartisanship to ensure that none gains an ascendancy in the public eyes apart from these two worthies who alone have the license to salvage the national pride, to redress the nation’s grievances, to continually strive for national rejuvenation. In my deep state of contemplation, it just struck me that this is a malicious propaganda tool designed by both the parties meticulously to keep the nation focussed on them as the competing voices of leaderships for the whole nation.

But then why would a nation of 1,30 billion of people so helplessly bank upon only these two faces as the representatives of the people’s urges and aspirations when the truth inevitably remains this: while the Papu remains hitherto an untested man who has not yet held any government position, the other one has simply failed the nation by his series of gaffes and goof ups that have put us all in a state of inextricable mess? A Prime Minister who is master of real politicking, has taken the nation for a ride at every drop of hat, still remains invincible within his party as well as outside of it. Seemingly, his Himalayan blunder in botching up the lockdown plans that had already triggered the nation toward the path of an impending catastrophe, callously remains unrepentant —not even once did he publicly express his apology for the severe hardships that his series of actions had inflicted upon the nation. Regrettably, his one error in judgment of not shutting the international flights or quarantining the passengers arriving from foreign countries, have so depressingly resulted in the widespread spread of pandemic Corona across the length and breadth of India. Worse still, with Indian economy going tailsspin with severe loss of jobs amounting to more than 16 crores, starvation of acute order knocking at our doors today, yet Modi is blissfully enjoying the arrival of his personal plane from the USA worth more than Rupees 4,222 crore. Now, the moot question: How could a democratically elected Prime Minister be so blatantly insensitive to the nation’s woes so much so that he still thinks it worthwhile to go ahead with such an acquisition of such an expensive plane that insulates him from any probable missiles’ attacks when the nation is in its biggest turmoil in decades? But then BJP may have an irrefutable logic to offer: With the national security degenerating, Chinese forces are stationed at our border, even moved inside our territory in Ladakh, in Pongong Tsu and Depsang, India’s head of the state needed to be secured against all odds.

But then the government spokesperson should have justified the reasons behind investing so heavily in buying a plane for Indian Prime Minister on the pattern of American Presidents’ F1 Plane. Yes, they have a justifiable cause for the same: India, being the largest democracy in the world, had every right to provide its Prime Minister with the modern, sophisticated plane like the one his friend Donald Trump enjoys. After all, Trump is Modi’s friend and, if his friend enjoys such facilities, why not his friend in orient would? Unfortunately, Modi has failed to take notice of the significant differences in two democracies: America, despite its many flaws, still remains world’s richest country, whereas India, despite all its hypes and hooplas, remains mired in poverty where, if the situation persists as it does today, it severely runs the risks of the entire nation degenerating in an impending chaos. But how does it matter to a prime minister whose only bravado is that he hails from the bottom of the pyramid, determined to rule over the 1.30 billion people as a tea vendor whose overwhelming interest lay in serving the people as its Pradhan Mukhiya. Alas, someone could remind him that Prashan Mukhiya cannot dream of riding a chopper, far less a sophisticated plane worth about 4,222 crore of rupees! Significantly, Modi has a readymade explanation for the same: Just because he is a tea vendor, all these conspiracies are afoot to target him; instead had there been some Namdar, Papu in his place, who would have dared to raise any question? The entire nation is silenced by this befitting repartee: After all, the tea vendor has bought the distinguished right to splurge the national resources the way he deems fit, he has the inherent right to do so because he is a Kamdar and all this right he has brought with his entry into the 7 Lok Kalyan Marg, the erstwhile Race Course Road
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While the Namdar never let go of an opportunity to remind the nation that whereas he has the birthright to inherit what the tea vendor has usurped. Based on his congenital ineritance and the birth right, the Namdar leaves no chances to go when he does not remind the nation that what his ancestors had preserved for him for decades, the tea vendor had illegitimately grabbed it in seconds. Therefore, Namdar feels vexed that what should have been his legitimate inheritance, was being so illegitimately denied to him. No wonder the thetrics of highest level is being played between this so- called Namdar versus Kamdar where there is no place for anyone else. Expectedly, the 23 rebels who dared to write a letter challenging Sonia Gandhi’s lopsided and ineffective leadership are cooling their heels, for the dynastic seeds so strongly entrenched within the Congress Party is not showing any sign of wavering, far less any disintegration. No wonder then the leadership of both BJP and Congress are in some sort of wedlock where no one is allowed to peep, far less gatecrash into this subterranean equation so collusively worked out. In the meanwhile, the gullible nation too is so delightfully watching this spectacle of bizarre magnitude when Namdar and Kamdar are the players in the field while 1.30 billion Indians are their cheerleaders. The show has the potential to go on and on without any intervals in between.

Nonetheless, this show of purported antagonism, has an undercurrent of camaraderie embedded in it in the surface. Both Modi and Rahul are in the win- win situation if the show goes on uninterrupted, yet the nation is all set to be the biggest loser if the immediate full stop is not put on to the same. While Rahul brigade by bracketing Rahul with Modi, secures his future in Congress as any of his detractors, if ever tried to upset the applecart, will feel isolated. As was the recent case when 23 rebels, justifiably so, tried to bring Sonia Gandhi to accountability, faced the axe in no time, for Sonia too as a stakeholder in keeping Rahul in wedlock till he can take on Modi with full might. Only then Sonia will call the divorce of the existing Rahul-Modi fixation. So far as Modi is concerned, his supporters are blissfully engrossed in prolonging this equation which suits Modi as much as it does to Rahul, for that so exuberantly keeps Modi unchallenged within his own party and also an invincible at the national level. Hence, Rahul -Modi fixation has its endorsement from the both sides of the political divides.

However with both BJP and Congress bipartisanship for this Rahul- Modi fixation, the nation is invariably paying a grave price. It is the appropriate time for the nation to break this jinx; it is the time that the nation should move beyond this binary of Rahul- Modi as the only political options to choose from. It is the time that political choice should move beyond this binary and unfold many other important options before the nation. Such an option has to come from within the polity; it has to come from within the existing political system. Further, it has to come from the politicians who have proved their mettle, their performance through decades of honest service to the public. Saryu Roy is the one of such politicians in the country whose politics is hitherto based on the public service without any quid pro quo being involved in it. He is the trusted face who has a clean image that is trusted by both Hindus and Muslims, alike. This apart, he is the one who was instrumental behind the defeat of BJP in the last assembly election in Jharkhand. Also, his decades of political career is the testimony and credentials of his being a man of impeccable character. The upcoming party of Saryu Roy, with intellectuals from all hues and colour rising in support for his ideology, the nation will have a credible choice. The nation, albeit for the first time in decades, will have a genuine man –neither so called Namdar or Kamdar–but the Karmayogi whose summum bonum has been to serve the larger public interest. This will be a welcome sign for the nation in 2024. The rise of the People’s leader Saryu Roy will be a new beginning for the nation where the democracy hitherto been taken for a ride by the bipartisanship of both Congress and the BJP will witness a much needed reprieve with the advent of a very trusted face at the national level. Hence in this backdrop, Saryu Roy’s foray into the national politics was long overdue.