The Saffron Gandhi

Wednesday April 8, 2009 , India

It's terrifying and it's tragic. It's terrifying to watch how cynically politicians can reduce religion to nothing more than a vote catching gimmick. How many of us who watched Varun Gandhi rally crowds with his shouts of Jai Sri Ram, actually believe that this was driven by devotion? Why is a religious slogan used at a political rally in the first place? Contrast this with the Varun we first met 5 years ago, when he entered politics at the age of 24, too young to fight an election but already being groomed for the Pilibhit seat.

My colleague Barkha Dutt accompanied him on the campaign trail with his mother, Maneka. At that time when asked on UP BJP leader Vinay Katiyar's hardline speeches, he said and I quote " I'm not a politician...I think my mother has taught me compassion, she has taught me discipline and I hope to put them to test this time".

So, what happened? What changed a young, educated, poet politician into a venom spouting leader who would put Narendra Modi to shame? Political insiders, would say its fear. Fear that in a tough election, appealing to caste or community is the only way to win. Hate speeches in Uttar Pradesh from both Hindu and Muslim leaders are part of the campaign landscape. Development and progress are the tough parts, issues a politician can't rely on to build a votebank. At the end, it's all about political power and how it can corrupt. Just trace how India's first political family has changed from the time of Jawaharlal Nehru.

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Posted by Dr Pratibha Pereira on Apr 13, 2009

People have always been emotive and fundamental in their views with respect to religion.Earlier the politicians, true leaders then had a sense of responsibility and some conscience and duty bound to keep the country united and go on the development path. They were well read and highly focussed people. Today the majority of politicians are not duty bound. They lack vision so they are shamelessly making use of the religious factor to the hilt.There is no guilt no conscience in doing the most heinous crime. Height of absurdity is covering it up with emotionally blackmailing gullible people. Rhetoric hate speeches are easy to make . It is easier to hate and blame than to love and take responsibility. Most absurd cover up is calling Fundamentalism as Nationalism!!!! It is not far when India will be another Swat valley if people do not dissociate from people teaching negative feelings like hate,blame, fear,suspicion. Jai Hind.

Posted by Amit on Apr 13, 2009

At first this story should and will shock every rational person. But as a global citizen I have realized that 'Hate' speech or the idea of demonizing the opposition has been injected into the veins of democratic politics. If we look at the West we all so seem to admire, one can find FOX news an establishment who has branded Obama from 'socialist' to 'Muslim loving, christian denouncing' president. Lets move now to Europe and more precisely Netherlands. A country which is one of the more liberal and open societies, here to Freedom Party leader Geert Wilder, the proud producer of "Fitna," which juxtaposed Koranic verses against a background of violent film clips and images of terrorism by Islamic radicals. Is democracy a political framework designed to protect and empower the people also the the underlining reason behind hate speech?

Posted by Peaggarw on Apr 13, 2009

Let us not think that the problem in one area means that the community or people of the whole country or party think that way. You need to visit Meerut or Aligarh and not long back there were problems every day and they were stopped by showing that you are not weak. Our weakness is that we are too humble.

Posted by Yeh Gulistan Humara on Apr 13, 2009

"Fear that in a tough election, appealing to caste or community is the only way to win." These words alone are enough to shatter an idealist youth's heart. There are no real leaders, there are only vote seekers in India really. Be it Varun Gandhi, his darling leader Advani, his uncle in the past Rajiv or even his grandmother Indira. This is just history repeating itself. As you said, power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Sadly, our nation is so immense and diverse that now instead of celebrating the unity in our diversity politicians can only win seats by dividing us. Us and them. When will we be free of our religious, caste, language, state and so many other divisions. When will India truly learn to be secular. Maybe it never will. No country is really secular not the USA or Canada with their Christian ideologies imbibed in their laws and definitely not Europe. At least we were very close. Sadly, it seems not close enough. It is time to forget about the Congress and the BJP and the Gandhi's India, its time to wake up. Progress and growth are awaiting. Time to make our future happen, us they educated and the sensible need to for once think about the big picture and make it happen. Come this election Im not voting, who do I vote for ? Those supporting Tytler or those supporting Varun Gandhi and his hate speeches. Instead I wish I could be proactive and do something real for this country with so many great minds and so much potential.

Posted by Govind on Apr 13, 2009

While I strongly condemn what Varun Gandhi said, don't understand why is the media so obsessed with him. He would have been no one today had the media not made him their 'pick' of the season. Ms. Singh, while you were terrified to hear him, why are you not terrified when you hear all the other politicians. The vast majority of political parties in the country are trying to divide the country on some lines - the BSP on Dalit/Non-Dalit, regional parties like TDP,DMK, AIDMK on regional lines, etc. Have you ever heard a Chandrababu Naidu or Karunanidhi talk about India. All they care is Andhra or Tamil Nadu. Varun Gandhi is an easy whipping boy (again not trying to justify what he said but trying to highlight the double standards of the media). I agree he is probably misfit to be a member of the Parliament. Let the people of India decide that - we will vote him out. The media should understand the average Indians are smart enough to choose the right candidate. Just because someone says something, we will not just believe the person. I just wish you can focus on 'real' issues. Instead of just boiling this 'avoidable' issue, here's my suggestion to the media what they could do better - 1. List 10 of the most pressing problems facing India today and come up with genuine workable solutions. You could easily reach out to the intellectuals as well as masses. Once you have something concrete, whenever a new government is in place, campaign hard to make sure the government of the day listens to you and acts upon them. (you know this can work as it did to an extend in the Jessica Lal murder case) 2. Analyse all the party manifestos - ask real hard questions to the leaders about how they are going to respond to the 'real' challenges our country faces. How are they going to tackle the global economic downturn, fix our country's fiscal deficit, how will they solve the energy crisis we foresee coming, the water crisis, save & create jobs, etc. We have had enough of this religion debate.

Posted by Prince of Brunei on Apr 13, 2009

It's terrifying and it's tragic. It's terrifying to watch how cynically politicians can reduce religion to nothing more than a vote catching gimmick. How many of us who watched Varun Gandhi rally crowds with his shouts of Jai Sri Ram, actually believe that this was driven by devotion? Why is a religious slogan used at a political rally in the first place? Contrast this with the Varun we first met 5 years ago, when he entered politics at the age of 24, too young to fight an election but already being groomed for the Pilibhit seat. My colleague Barkha Dutt accompanied him on the campaign trail with his mother, Maneka. At that time when asked on UP BJP leader Vinay Katiyar's hardline speeches, he said and I quote " I'm not a politician...I think my mother has taught me compassion, she has taught me discipline and I hope to put them to test this time". So, what happened? What changed a young, educated, poet politician into a venom spouting leader who would put Narendra Modi to shame? Political insiders, would say its fear. Fear that in a tough election, appealing to caste or community is the only way to win. Hate speeches in Uttar Pradesh from both Hindu and Muslim leaders are part of the campaign landscape. Development and progress are the tough parts, issues a politician can't rely on to build a votebank. At the end, it's all about political power and how it can corrupt. Just trace how India's first political family has changed from the time of Jawaharlal Nehru.

Posted by Kiran on Apr 13, 2009

Was it Lord Tennyson who said, "Power Corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely." As a citizen I am concerned where this whole thing is going. It is nauseating to see people who go after power with a shameless hunger and court it and treat it with absolute irresponsibility. We are all to blame for this circus. Our nation is not empowered, the ducated few don't care, those who do care don't know what to do and worse, the majority of people will vote to every criminal who should be hanged for treason for creating disharmony and divide this nation to power because he gives them a few hundred bucks, what a shame! The media campaigns and says cast your vote, its valuable while The choice of available candidates only gets progressively worse!

Posted by Chitra on Apr 13, 2009

Devotion is a mere word that exists in the dictionary. For politicians, perhaps the nature of the game is such that they cannot exercise it. It is all about numbers - at the end of the day. And that is the word that matters the most. Religion is a means to getting the numbers piling up in their vote banks.

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