Author: Ravindra Dani
Publication: Mumbai Tarun Bharat
Date: June 21, 2004
What a colossal contradiction! On
one side, to save 5 infamous Ministers the entire Central Cabinet is united
while on another side, efforts are being made to punish a Chief Minister
for the crimes which he did not commit. This will have to be called "Adharma"
and not "Rajdharma".
In the Central Ministry, 5 infamous
ministers are moving with all pomp. They are not accused only of corruption.
Now a days, the seriousness of the charge of corruption has waned out.
These ministers are accused of dacoity murders and of ransom rackets. For
saving them, the United Progress Alliance is united and on the other side,
there is a talk of axing Modi for Gujarat riots. What is the fault of Modi?
What "Rajdharma"?
There is a charge against Modi that
he did not handle the Gujarat riots properly. Gujarat riots took
place because of Godhra massacre. In Godhra massacre, karsevaks were burnt
alive. This event was not even condemned by Communists. As a reaction
of this massacre, there were riots in Gujarat. Two days after the riots,
I had an opportunity to go to Gujarat. First Bhavnagar, then Rajkot, Baroda
and Ahmedabad. In all four places, during the riot affected areas,
a number Muslims told us that we were alive because of the protection given
by Gujarat Police. But every citizen cannot be given police projection.
This reality must be accepted and the riots must be considered from that
standpoint. But instead of accepting this viewpoint, when a demand
is made to overall hold Modi responsible for the riots, to axe him for
it, to arrest him and to prosecute him in the international court, that
demand is considered not political but an assault on the self-respect and
that demand must be replied in the same standpoint.
It is not that there are no faults
in the method of working of Modi. But such faults are in everybody to lesser
or greater extent. If Modi is axed on this point, it takes a different
outlook. But the reaction on the language talked from Manali of dismissing
Modi for Gujarat riots will be considered only natural. If Modi were dismissed,
would Chandrababu have won? Would Jaylalita have won? Would Mamta Banerjee
won? All these questions have only negative answers. The reasons
for the defeat of BJP are well known to the leadership of that party.
Great failure
And suppose, if some leaders are
now feeling that BJP was defeated because Narendra Modi, didn't they took
far more time to know it? If Modi was dismissed before 3-4 months, then
BJP would have got 250-300 seats and again Vajpayee government would have
come to power. Hence, it looks that the mistake of not dismissing Modi
was realized very late. Gujarat riot had not taken place before 3-4 months.
Two years have passed after the riots. If Modi was to be dismissed, he
should have been dismissed at that time only. But the language of
"Dismiss Modi" does look becoming to "Rajdharma".
The language of dismissing Modi
from the Chief Ministership is being talked by the Congress and Communists.
What Congress did in 1984? Riot was inflamed after the assassination o
Indira Gandhi in Capital Delhi. Some violence was expected after the assassination
of Indira Gandhi. It took place on 31st October. On 1st November,
the capital was calm and riots started after 2nd November. Congress gave
for all the three leaders, i.e. H.K.Bhagat, Sajjankumar and Jagdish Tytler
tickets for LS elections who were responsible for the riots. All three
got elected. Bhagat and Tytler were appointed Ministers in the Centre.
Bhagat was taken as an invitee on the political committee of the Cabinet.
This was a sort of promotion. Rajiv Gandhi himself had said. "When
a large tree falls, the ground does shake". He was the PM at that time.
The behaviour of Rajiv Gandhi may be wrong, objectionable, but he must
be respected for one thing. He defended his junior colleagues Bhagat,
Tytler and Sa! jjankumar. He could have followed Rajdharma by denying
tickets to all these three. He did not only defend them, but gave them
Membership of Parliament and even made them Ministers. In reality, the
image of these three in the public is not good. Yet Rajiv took their side
and here, there is language of dismissing Modi. But this did not happen
in the case of Modi only.
The Case on Advani - Joshi
It happened regarding Advani, Dr
Joshi, Uma Bharati also. Modi-Uma Bharati are in that way new to
politics. But what of Joshi-Advani? They have worked in the public
work for more than 50 years. Narsimrao filed the Babri Structure case on
Advani, Joshi and others to save his own skin. Would not have Vajpayee
Government been able to withdraw this case? In 1975, George Fernandes
was deliberately involved in the Dynamite case. Janata Government
had withdrawn that case. In Janata party regime, many cases were
filed against Indira Gandhi. Congress government immediately withdrew
those cases. Could not Vajpayee have done the same thing? Are Advani and
Joshi of destructive nature? Do they have not any image whatever in the
public life? And yet case on them when their own party was in power? What
sort of Rajdharma is this? Today, the defence Congress party is putting
for infamous Ministers Mohammed Taslimuddin, Fatmi and Laloo Yadav is only
because the cases on Advani, Joshi an! d Uma Bharati were not withdrawn.
Today, Advani-Joshi are being compared with Taslimuddin, Fatmi, Jayprakash
Yadav only because the case was being run against Advani-Joshi. Had somebody
expected Advani, Joshi, Singhal, and Thackeray etc to appeal for mercy
to the Government? It is really not incomprehensible that a case for fake
accusations against Advani, Joshi, Singhal, and Thackeray when there was
a government at the centre led by BJP. Can there be a case against Jyoti
Basu in WB? Can there be a case against Mulayam Singh I UP? Any case against
Pawar in Maharashtra? Then how and why the Babri case was run against
Advani-Joshi? Answer to this question will be perhaps given in the future.
It was far better thing that BJP
took a fast decision about Modi. When the opponents of BJP are waiting
to attack BJP, the Modi episode got a ready-made weapon. BJP has taken
the decision to stand behind Modi before it suffered more loss. If some
good talent had been shows by Vajpayee government about Joshi-Advani-Uma
Bharati, Nobody would have been forced to repent today.
