Dear Chetan Bhagat,
Your column ‘Time to
polish those very rough edges’.
I do not venture to write on politics or politicians because
it would be better to write about the shape of a cloud at least I can be sure that
probably sometime or other I can show to people what type of cloud I was
writing about. So at the outset let me make it very clear that I am not a
supporter of any particular party or political figure.
I would like you not to ignore facts even if you are not
willing to accept or approve them. This is the fundamental rule for writing
about politics or history. You are at liberty to then give your own
interpretations, justifications, opinions etc. So, first notice facts without prejudice,
take notes from political correspondents like Paul Johnson or our own M.J.
Akbar [ who has incidentally written an excellent article in the same page
today] and read history by authors like Will Durant, Dance etc along with
reading of social psychology before venturing to write on subjects like Modi.
Do your home work before arrogating yourself
to sit on judgment on all matters like
TV anchors or act like the feigning petty know-all newspaper or news channel
reporters.
1] “He stands
tall but does not work well as a combo meal” It is not a rough edge
it is the sharp difference of a great personality and all great leaders are
firm and look firm. He did not have greatness thrust upon him either
by virtue of any dynasty, sect, class, caste, religion or sponsored by any political
party or business house but has become great through showing to India what is
governance and what a leader who gives priority to governance over corruption
and promoting his family members can do. What is wrong in being a tall leader
if you can deliver good governance and achieve something very important for
improving the economic conditions of the people like a Margaret Thatcher,
Moraji Desai, Vallabai Patel, Martin Luther King, Jothi Basu and E.M.S.Namboodiripad
[ from a parties where party ideology {whether right or wrong} and cadre
approval matter more than any single personality]
2] On Independence Day remember it was not aggression but
it was honest appraisal and evaluation. Come on stop being
hypocritical all Prime Ministers, Ministers, Chief Ministers owe their post ,
position , power ,pelf etc to politics and must and do use all opportunities to
play politics. Unfortunately most Prime Ministers and Chief Ministers observe
Independence Day and Republic Day as mere calendared observation of rituals rather
than an occasion to put across what is required to make the nation a better
place to live and acknowledge the mistakes that have led the nation to where it
is now and also pointing out who is responsible for the mess [here though not
directly- unfortunately the PM is the official face of the present Government]
3] Modi hype. Without PR, publicity or hype
nothing sells anywhere. That too in a country where it involves
taking on a entire government machinery , paid and biased media and a hoard of sycophants
who would do anything to support a single family. Please remember it is only because of hype and promotion by business houses like IBD that your
books are in the front racks in most book shops at the Air ports, Railway
stations, major book stalls etc and only because of hype an ordinary
small time writer like you could become popular enough to migrate from writing
very ordinary novels to writing columns in newspapers and they too publish
them. Please do not abuse something [hype and publicity] which
has given you an identity which probably many better writers deserve in India.
4] Pan –Indian sensitivity. Please define
what it is? Probably
only economic development, equal opportunities to all, dignified living standards
to everyone, national interest above dynastic, family, party ideology etc could
be the few things that can be included in that classification called Pan –Indian
sensitivity. We cannot
even include common civil code for fear of
losing a particular minority vote which is euphemistically and
conveniently termed as Secularism of lately. On this Modi has declared boldly
that Constitution is the only religion of a politician.
He talks frankly as all leaders who have with national and
economic welfare as a vision and mission combined with good intentions, initiatives and interest in implementing
them like Margaret Thatcher, Dr. B.R . Ambedkar, Vallabhai Patel, Moraji Desai,
Kamaraj etc rather than perpetuating a dynasty, promoting their kith and kin or
thrusting a political ideology at the cost of economic welfare of all. It was one family which ensured that a great person like B.R. Ambedkar
was never allowed to lead the nation as a main leader or sidelined Kamaraj and ultimately
pushed him out they want to push aside Modi too because he belongs to very
backward Ghanchi caste.
Considering all this I find your write up as highly
parochial, prejudiced and perhaps paid up.
