Monday, December 01, 2014

BJP - A lifestyle and culture of lies and deceit.

A senior BJP politician had told me that politics is about winning constituencies. The strategies that you adapt to win elections may have no relation to what you actually do after you win the elections. He of course, said it in the spirit that the elected Government will do what is best for the country, even if election speeches and strategies may have had what is 'not good' for the country.

Even then, isn't it promoting deceit?

Our Prime Minister Mr. Modi is proving to be a genius in winning elections. He exactly knows what needs to be done or said to win elections, be it collecting funds from rich business houses, be it media management (Gujarat Tourism Ad with Amitabh Bachchan), or be it making seemingly straight forward sentiment inciting statements that the public would love to hear their leader say. Sadly, it is not necessary that Mr. Modi has to do what he had said after he gets electoral majority mandate. It is quite clear and widely discussed in media that Mr. Modi has been making U-turns in lot of his election promises and statements, very much like what a senior BJP leader told me about politics.

Yesterday, 30th November 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his first visit to Assam after becoming the Prime Minister announced (quite shamelessly) that his government would not compromise on national security and utilize the land transfer agreement with Bangladesh in a manner that it serves the long-term security interests of the state. Using his oratory charm, he said that it might seem to be an immediate loss to Assam, but the state would benefit in the long run. He said that he would utilize the India-Bangla land transfer agreement to seal all routes across the international border through which illegal Bangladeshi migrants have been entering Assam and creating havoc in the state.

Wasn't that a convenient and a correct way to deceive the people of Assam? Isn't it deceit?

There is a reason why I qualified his statements with 'quite shamelessly'. The reason is that Modi was vociferous against the deal before the general elections. Assam and its various socio cultural and student organizations have been equivocal against the UPA Govt.'s proposed land swap deal with Bangladesh from the beginning. The deal is to give certain parts of Assam to Bangladesh as per the latter's demands. It is like giving some parts of Kashmir to Pakistan. Almost like creating a 'Pakistan Occupied Kashmir'.

BJP during the campaigning for Lok Sabha elections supported the view of the common people and vehemently opposed the UPA Govt.'s stand on giving away land to Bangladesh. BJP had created massive public awareness and outburst against this land swap deal by declaring a 12 hour Assam Bandh, and by hoisting the Indian National Flag at the debated land by the International border with Bangladesh. BJP even supported the biggest student body of the country - AASU and sat with them in various protest sittings and marches.

Why is Mr. Modi silent on how this land swap deal is better for Assam in the long run? Logic and sharing of facts will surely make us understand why is he going back on his words, and agreeing to his bitter enemy - the Congress. 

Now, it is clear that BJP was doing electoral politics before the Lok Sabha elections, by playing to the sentiments of the people of Assam. BJP is not any different from the Congress. In fact, perhaps it is worse by being communal, casteist and pro-capitalist profiteering.

Interestingly, BJP ally of the previous elections - AGP President Mr. Atul Bora told the media yesterday that Congress and BJP are the two sides of the same coin, and that Mr. Modi is an agent of the big business houses. Finally, political parties are realizing what Aam Aadmi Party has always maintained.

AAP Assam had maintained in the Lok Sabha elections that BJP cannot be the alternative to Congress misrule. We have to change the system, not the rulers.

I am not opining whether the land swap deal is good or bad for Assam and the country. I am bringing forth the lifestyle and culture of lies and deceit that BJP is promoting. We have to question ourselves deeply if honesty and being truthful are essential to lead a life of happiness and contentment. If we believe that 'honesty is the best policy', politicians like Modi has to be curbed at any cost. Else we will kill the very concept of 'being good and honest' and transform ourselves into a society of wolves.