Author: Francois Gautier
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: March 25, 2009
URL: http://www.dailypioneer.com/164839/Promises-BJP-must-keep.html
Sending a clear message to divisive forces,
the BJP must come out with a 'nation first' agenda of governance and fulfil
the promises it has made to the masses
The curse of Hindus has always been disunity
and betraying each other to the enemy. Today we see this trend again in the
BJP where sometimes the highest party office-bearers can't even say hello
to each other. As far as one can remember, the BJP had three pillars: Former
Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Mr LK Advani and Mr Murli Manohar Joshi.
Mr Vajpayee is no longer able to lead an active
life due to health concerns and thus Mr Advani and Mr Joshi, who was president
of the BJP in the early-1990s and had hoisted the Indian Tricolour in Srinagar
at a time when no other leader gave a damn about Jammu & Kashmir, are
two pillars of the party today. Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi has risen
to the stature of a national-level leader, not only because he is an ironman
but also because he has made his State a model of economic efficiency.
The BJP should make it known that it will
really build the Ram Mandir, protect temples, stop Christian conversions,
honour India's gurus and impose some guidelines on media, which have a pre-conceived
notion about Pope and Islam but always see Hindu godmen and sadhvis through
the eyes of 'secularism'.
On the external affairs side, the BJP should
reaffirm its commitment to keep Arunachal Pradesh, stand-up to China's bullying,
and support Tibet to counteract Beijing, which is propping up Maoist Nepal
and covertly using Burma as a military base.
The party should also make it clear that it
will keep Jammu & Kashmir with India, hang terrorists (and not translate
11,000 indictment pages into Urdu for terrorist Ajmal Amir Kasab), punish
Pakistan by launching surgical strikes next time it attacks India through
a proxy war and keep the United States at bay as long as America supports
and provides arms and ammunition to Pakistan.
But you would say: What about the NDA? The
BJP should not bother about its allies who are anyway jumping the ship as
they think the Congress will win the election. If Mr Advani stands true to
the aspirations of Hindu voters, the BJP can come to power on its own at the
Centre and thus be able to implement the changes which India so urgently needs:
Adopt a Uniform Civil Code, repeal Article 370, reform the judiciary, and
switch over to a Parliamentary system of governance.
The BJP should reiterate that it considers
all Indians equal and that it is always attentive to the demands of the Muslim
community.
Unfortunately, the media always feels closer
to the Congress and flaunts this proximity blatantly. It is gleeful every
time the BJP is in trouble. For instance, the media and the Congress have
been much more severe with Mr Varun Gandhi than Kasab (the former didn't say
anything provocative while the latter went on a shooting spree).
As for the West's opinion, French Ambassador
Jérome Bonnafont, an otherwise courteous diplomat, summed it up very
well when he said: "The RSS and the BJP are dangerous fascists and Muslims
in India are persecuted, not having the same opportunities as Hindus."
He also genuinely feels that the burning of Hindus in the Sabarmati Express
never happened, but that "the anti-Muslims riots in Gujarat were a crime
against humanity".
As Indians worship their country as the 'mother',
the BJP should reintroduce the notion of 'Mother India' in its election manifesto.
If US President Barack Obama can be sworn in on the Bible, then all future
Indian Prime Ministers can take the oath of office on the Bhagavad Gita. Those
who are Christians can use the Bible and the Muslims the Quran. That should
satisfy everybody.
- The writer is a senior French journalist
who lives in India.
