10 questions to Sagarika Ghose

Hindu Vivek Kendra

A RESOURCE CENTER FOR THE PROMOTION OF HINDUTVA

Author: Irfan Iqbal Gheta
Publication: Niticentral.com
Date: December 7, 2013
URL: http://www.niticentral.com/2013/12/07/10-questions-to-sagarika-ghose-165592.html

Dear Sagarika Ghose,

It’s quite heartening to note that the celebrity journalists like you have finally realised that the end of Congress is nigh. Rahul Gandhi’s lack of charisma, charm and inability to connect with the people of this country irrespective of their age, caste and creed have made Congress a party of nincompoop losers who are stuck in the age old time warp of vote-bank politics, minority appeasement and freebies masquerading as upliftment of the aam aadmi that have long run their due course. The voters too are clearly able to see through these false promises and meaningless lip services to the causes of secularism and development.

Who better than you can gauge the public mood? Since you interview so many political pundits and observers day in and day out, since you hold panel discussions of politicians cutting across party lines regularly, you have a fair idea of which way the political wind is blowing. And somewhere, the realisation that Narendra Modi has become a heavy weight on the national scene too seems to have sunk in. Which is precisely, why you’ve been trying to grab his attention on Twitter by posting and reposting a set of 10 questions for quite sometime now. There’s nothing wrong in what you are doing. If my memory serves me right, you did a similar Twitter Q&A with Aam Aadmi Party’s Arvind Kejriwal a few days ago, who responded to your questions warming the cockles of his supporters’ hearts.

This is perhaps, why it is understandable that you want to engage the attention of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi who happens to be BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate and whose campaign for his party in New Delhi has worked a magic bringing him closer to the chair of our country’s premiership. And since he’s a serious contender for this top most post in 2014, you want to know his vision for the country’s economic policy (fiscal deficit, taxation, FDI and aviation), foreign policy (strategy to deal with Pakistan and the US), nuclear policy and the policy to maintain internal harmony, law and order (places of minorities in democracy). You have asked pointed questions expecting him to answer them much to the delight of your followers. I don’t know whether he will get enough time to answer these questions as you know that he has been on a country wide crisscross trip to address public rallies while running the most efficient Government in Gujarat. I wish you all the best for your Q&A with India’s most popular leader.

That said, I am also one of your followers on Twitter and there are times when I feel like asking you questions. But I know that you won’t answer them because you are a busy journalist who has more pressing things like moderating panel discussions and interviewing celebrities to do than answer questions from a nobody like me. But your 10 questions to Narendra Modi on Twitter have inspired me to do something along the similar lines. Here are my 10 questions to you hoping that you will find time to read and answer them if possible.

1. Now that Modi Mania is on an upswing and the Modi fever has gripped the country, will you accept that celebrity journalists like you have been wrong all along in judging the mood of the nation? You had always been unfairly critical and harsh in evaluating Narendra Modi both as the Chief Minister of Gujarat and a politician whose secular credentials had been in doubt.

2. Will you also accept that Narendra Modi is no longer a regional leader whose popularity and mass appeal doesn’t extend beyond the borders of Gujarat? But Narendra Modi is the most popular national leader at the moment, who has created hopes of better future in the hearts of millions of people.

3. Now that people are looking for a change at the Centre and development sans corruption is the need of the hour along with an authoritative and decisive leader that believes in good governance, will you stop using terms like ‘ethnic cleansing’, ‘mass murder’ and ‘polarisation’ while talking about Gujarat?

4. The general election are going to take place in 2014, the battle for which is hotting up with each passing day, will you stop talking about 2002, Godhra and post-Godhra riots and give importance to issues like inflation, the rupee fall and hosts of scams under the incumbent regime?

5. Narendra Modi has always maintained that secularism is India first. He wants to develop the nation for Indians where everybody is Indian and there’s no sub-identities like Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Christians. Is there anything wrong with this thought process? Everybody will derive benefit out of his good work. Then why should you try and create doubts where there exist none?

6. Coming to Pakistan, you know 26/11 and the beheading of our jawans at the hands of Pakistani soldiers in the recent past and Indian Government’s lack of befitting reply that has enraged our countrymen like never before. Wouldn’t you like to have someone at the helm of affairs who maintains nation’s dignity by giving befitting reply to Pakistan’s nefarious designs?

7. The supporters of Narendra Modi come from all walks of life and of late, his popularity is not limited to any one particular community or caste. He’s loved by all, because he has established himself as a go-getter. Will you please stop using derogatory terms like ‘Modi bhakts’ while addressing common people who want to see Narendra Modi as the Prime Minister.

8. Gujarat is a State, where people are business minded and they know how to make the most of existing resources with deficits, thanks to their mercantile pedigree. Do you really need to know Narendra Modi’s strategy to deal with fiscal deficits?

9. When Narendra Modi becomes Prime Minister of India, I’m sure that our media would like to project him abroad as a man who is an administrator par excellence apart from being a development and good governance oriented leader with a proven track record to boot. Don’t you think that this will force the US to change its opinion on Narendra Modi and he will be able to take care of the big US business interests successfully?

10. Last but not the least, when the fight is on the issues like development, good governance sans corruption and scams, and the morale of aam aadmi vis-a-vis rising prices of essential commodities, will it be fair to raise hypothetical questions on saaheb and snoopgate and fake encounters and god alone knows what else so as to divert the attention from the burning issues? People of Gujarat have shown their unflinching faith and support three times in a row. Don’t the people of India deserve to show the same so that India can emerge as a prosperous super power in the years to come?

Thanks in advance.

-----------------------------------------------