A news headline about election results in Singapore surprises you. It is not often that we think of Singapore as a democracy. Singapore has a parliament and regular elections every five years. The elections are not rigged as in, say, Russia. Yet the country’s ruling People’s Action Party has been in power continuously since 1959.
Earlier this month, the party won 61 per cent of the popular vote in the general election. The major opposition party won just 10 of 93 seats. By any standards, this was a sweep. But for Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s People’s Action Party (PAP), it is one of its worst performances ever.
Founded by Lee Kuan Yew, the PAP perfected a unique model in power where elections are free but not fair. The election commission is not independent, it is controlled by the government. Parties are given very few days to campaign.
The media in Singapore is free, but controlled by the government. It is a little critical, but ultimately pro-government, and self-censorship is common. They don’t rock the boat in the way that, for instance, the Indian media did for UPA-2 between 2011 and 2013. The latest onslaught on free speech in Singapore is a stringent fake news law — the government decides what is fake news and what is not.
Singapore is a multiparty democracy but historically, whenever opposition leaders have been electoral threats to the PAP, they have faced cases and arrests. When constituencies are redrawn, the process favours the PAP. The electoral system, neutral in theory, is designed to help the PAP, with its influence over courts and media, frequent litigation against opponents, vastly greater financial muscle than opponents, and so on.
This setup sounds a lot like the India of 2020. Like Singapore, India has free elections, but we are not sure if they can be called fair anymore. In democracy and freedom indices, India has been falling, coming closer to Singapore. The Economist’s democracy index lists both India and Singapore in a group of countries it describes as “flawed democracies”.
Media, courts, election commission, tax agencies, bureaucracy — all these institutions favour the Indian government in a way that has not happened since Indira Gandhi’s time. The ‘Singapore model’ has been called benevolent dictatorship, “authoritarianism with democracy,” a “hybrid system”. Singapore is not China, but it is not the United States either.
Also read: Sachin Pilot still on the hunt as numbers stack up against Gehlot govt in Rajasthan
Learning the wrong lesson from Lee Kuan Yew
The Singapore model was established by the late Lee Kuan Yew, who was the city-state’s first prime minister, and Narendra Modi has been known to be his fan. But PM Modi has so far been successful only in copying the bad parts of the Singapore model — making elections irrelevant. Modi hasn’t been able to deliver Singapore-like economic growth, productivity, efficiency, opportunities or even cleanliness.
Many Indians, especially middle-class Indians, have long aspired for a ‘strong leader’ like Lee Kuan Yew to turn India into Singapore. But it turns out that our own wannabe ‘Lee Kuan Yew’ has done away with whatever economic growth we had. Perhaps, he sees the India of 2020 as the Singapore of 1959. The messy business of democracy has to be fully tamed before India can begin to prosper.
As part of this taming of democracy, making elections irrelevant is key. The Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) domination of all independent and constitutional institutions ensures the party wins even when people are disenchanted with it.
Yet, if an opposition party does win a state election, no problem, the MLAs can be wooed and bought over, and a BJP government established. In this way, the BJP wins even when it loses. Defeat is also victory. When people are voting for the Congress, they are still voting for the BJP, because the elected Congress MLA will soon switch over to the BJP for a few suitcases and a ministerial birth.
Which is why it is time to stop taking Indian elections seriously. They’re now as meaningless as the Indian government’s data, always fudged to make a bad situation look good.
Also read: 19 rebel MLAs not enough, Rajasthan BJP leaders say as they wait for Pilot to line up more
Ornamental elections
As in Singapore, Indian elections now serve the purpose of giving regular legitimacy, endorsement and feedback to the party that has already chosen itself for the people. So, the biggest economic blunder in post-liberalisation India, namely demonetisation, was legitimised by the BJP’s election victory in Uttar Pradesh in 2017. Similarly, Modi’s mismanagement of the coronavirus pandemic and a poorly planned lockdown that gave immense pain to millions of migrant labourers, will be legitimised by a BJP-JD(U) election victory in Bihar. Even if holding an election amid a pandemic is a bad idea.
Weakened by endless tax raids, the Tejashwi Yadav-led Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) is not even trying to win the election in Bihar, lest the raids begin again. In the unlikely event that the people of Bihar are misled into making the opposition win, no problem. “Operation Kamal” will be launched and MLAs ‘wooed’. The Governor’s office is anyway an extension of the BJP office. If need be, the President of India can be woken up at 5 am.
Poaching MLAs, buying them with suitcases full of cash, hoarding MLAs in resorts — this was common practice in Indian politics. However, thanks to an anti-defection law, toppling elected governments was on a decline. The anti-defection law requires two-third MLAs to switch for a legal defection, otherwise, the defecting MLAs are disqualified. The ‘chosen’ party for India has found a way around this. MLAs don’t defect, they resign. By-polls are held and the BJP wins. That’s what happened in Karnataka, that’s what is going to happen in Madhya Pradesh, and that is what the BJP was allegedly trying to do in Rajasthan.
Also read: Why a Modi govt ordinance looks like Operation Kamal to Uddhav’s alliance in Maharashtra
The law is an ass
The Sachin Pilot camp, the latest catch for the BJP, was caught ‘red-handed’ on tape allegedly participating in “Operation Kamal”. Before he could collect the 30 MLAs needed to topple his own, he was outfoxed by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. The assembly speaker has issued him and his fellow rebel MLAs a disqualification notice. If they get disqualified, the majority mark in the assembly falls, and Ashok Gehlot would have it easy in the floor test. But if they are not disqualified, they would defect on the floor of the House, the government could fall, and then their disqualification wouldn’t matter.
As a result, Pilot and his friends have filed a case in the Rajasthan High Court. Since a mere notice cannot be challenged, they have challenged the anti-defection law itself. If a BJP government cannot be installed despite skulduggery, the law needs to be changed. This might even be a good reason to call Parliament again despite the fear of Covid-19.
In 2016, the Modi government imposed President’s rule in Uttarakhand. However, the Uttarakhand High Court found it illegal and restored the Congress government. The judge who gave the verdict was up for promotion to the Supreme Court. The Modi government did its best to stall the elevation, though it did eventually happen. When the government is seen to be hostile to judges who give unfavourable judgments, and when former chief justices become Rajya Sabha MPs soon after retirement, one wonders if even the judiciary can save democracy.
The author is contributing editor, ThePrint. Views are personal.
[31/01, 10:08 PM] Ria: A country is only as strong as its people and so, anyone dis-empowering the people is dis-empowering India. When people’s representatives are purchased, India’s democracy is weakened. In this regard, the BJP has damaged India the most—in fact, on all counts the BJP has been a disaster for India due to its maladministration.
[31/01, 10:08 PM] Ria: This book sounds so fake after 2 years of Modi’s rule :
1. Modi is the first PM to fake his educational credentials in affidavit
2. Modi had left blank the marital status all this while (actually married to Jasodaben)
3. Cannot read 1.25 (@ UNGA, 2014 and African Summit New Delhi (He said Indian population as “One point twenty five billion” it should be “One point two five billion”
4. Modi as PM has made countless U-turns in last two years
5. Modi shamed India’s image by saying ‘earlier Indians felt ashamed of being born as Indians’
6. Modi shamed India image and violated protocols as he walked when Indian anthem was played in Moscow
7. Modi has no powers, he cannot reign in motor mouths of BJP
8. Modi’s BJP made record by taking in highest criminals into Parliament, Modi inducted record criminals into cabinet and topped it with a rapist
9. Modi scared of RTI, his own wife, student leaders, transparency, scared of media, no media brief since he took over as PM, just bull-s**t Mann ki baat.
10. India’s worst PM, economy in red, no jobs, highest intolerance in society , anti-poor, anti-dalits, anti-minority govt.
Yes BJP is bad but sadly it is way better than any other alternative we have. They mismanage everything, don’t commit their mistakes, a real threat to democracy and have fake nationalism ( don’t care about people but their vote bank) evident by their lack of incompetence in everything (demonitisation, covid19 response, and border disputes) but it is way better than choosing the others, the economy is bad but atleast people are not blowing up in streets like it used to happen earlier.
I stumbled upon this article while searching why Indians still vote for BJP despite the fact that their policies have failed miserably and their greed for power is costing the Democratic base of this country.
Some reason which I feel make the country still believe In BJP and Modi
1. Modi and BJP are not having any dynastic lineage. Modi has an image of ordinary Indian who works hard to make the lives of his countrymen better and bring more in hands of Indians conman men and women. Though i am not sure to what extent its true but this image has been created and Chowkidar Chor Hai slogans have not synchronized with the people.
2. Congress had too many scams behind them and their leaders lacked the dynamism and willingness. I remember in my school days where I could not admire any leader in Congress led Govt, somehow they did not appeal.
A more serious blunder was to have Manmohan Singh as Prime Minister, of a country with over 1 billion people and which is dying to make a mark in the world stage!!!
3. When you lack leadership and you need to make Manmohan Singh as PM, then people are not left with choice. Till today Congress is not able to find President of their party!!
4. What was stopping Congress and their leaders to launch public awakening for cleanliness? Why people accepted Modis appeal, and even if not drastic we still see and feel the improvement in cleanliness of our cities.
What was stopping Congress to strengthen the defense of country and bring more indigenization in defense manufacturing. Agree Congress did its part but was it enough? Does a common Indian citizen feel proud to see country’s army and air force in shambles?
5. What is stopping Congress now to use the legal and judiciary channels to expose the BJP. BJP is at its full might today and only a very determined Congress can get over them. Do they have that will and resource? If not then the strong and willed BJP will never let them rise. Does Congress has it in them?
6. Last but a serious and important point about Hindus in India. Why Congress treated a majority Hindu like third world citizens! They were not heard, they did not feel at home, they did not feel safe. And its not because of another community, it’s because the Congress chose to favor a community and create this divide.
No we don’t want a pro Hindu govt in this country but we want a govt which atleast respects us and also look at the culture and ancient history & respect that.
Congress is on the burn. And in this ‘the print’s’ article, it shows. Even Antonio Maino just said ‘freedom of expression and speech is missing’ haha. Hilarious!!
You could tolerate a shit party for over 60 years and now you are ‘just’ hurt because that shit party of yours is not in power. Sad news.
Very well said ……these so called “unbiased”, “woke” “liberal” journalism agencies are just salty because their investors aren’t in power. No filter whatsoever ….just straight up anti-modi propaganda.
Congress’s Achievement: Looting for 60 years.
BeeJayPee’s Biggest Achievement: Looting double that sum of money within a matter of six years.
Congress = We have just one family that loots.
BeeJayPee = We are one large family of looters.
~~~ O Gullible People of India, judge for yourself which kind of looter you would prefer, or perhaps you could do very well without a ‘Government’. Gone are those days when a POLITICIAN could be trusted. Perhaps in future it would be better to live without the presence of a Government ! ~~~
big brothers
People of India,
It is time to revolt against the Government.
The Govt can certainly not be trusted.
They have shown how crooked they can be.
It is a known fact that the Govt does not trust us – citizens.
They think everybody else is corrupt like themselves.
Millions of citizens have lost their jobs.
Millions of businesses have failed.
Millions of agriculturists are suffering.
Millions of traders are suffering losses.
Lakhs of people have died because of the COVID crisis.
Overall, the economy has collapsed.
And all the while, the Govt keeps saying that “Everything is fine”.
They think we are all FOOLS !!!
The Govt has done absolutely nothing for us.
Therefore it is time to revolt against the Govt.
This is the only way we can give a new meaning to Democracy.
-CommonMan
MINISTRY OF DEFECTIONS
Last time I checked, there were about 57 Ministries in the Modi Government. I suggest that the government creates one more, which I tentatively dub: Ministry of Defections.
Given the fact that defections will take place regardless of party in power and both in the Centre as well as in the States, the Ministry of Defections. I am pretty sure that the Minister who will head this Ministry will be a pretty powerful chap. He can be tasked with identifying disgruntled and opportunistic MPs and MLAs and facilitate their movement across parties. Quid pro quo arrangements can be made by the Ministry to reward defectors. Additionally, defectors can find a one-stop shop to look for possibilities to cross the floor.
It is about time there was a “clearing house” for defectors and their benefactors. So Modiji, please create a Ministry of Defections !
Got 2 rs Mr blind hater of BJP from Chamcha IT cell
Just reading the responses to the article seems like everyone wants to make an excuse as to why buying MLAs is a virtuous endeavor when the BJP does it, but is tyranny and murder of democracy if the Congress does it. Pulling down a democratically elected government by paying MLAs is corruption of the worst kind and both the BJP and the Congress are guilty of it. So no use defending one or the other. Democracy under BJP has suffered as much as it has under the Congress. Where is the so called ED now? Sleeping.
Never mind the fact that our elected representatives can pony up 500Cr for one government but cannot get ventilators to our hospitals. When migrants were walking back they were kind enough to charge them for a mess that they themselves created. People are dying on the streets in this pandemic and our great leaders are busy gabbing power. Is this the apathy that we voted for? We are like fools who are sawing off the branch on which we are sitting on and making merry of it too.
So please do not use “Chanakya Neeti” to justify immoral and corrupt acts of parties. All parties are corrupt and it is happening under the PM’s watch. Period.
Another media bought by Congress. Shame on you
Why don’t you leave your kallu kada, get sober and write sense ? – If you can that is.
The devotion of bhakts to defend the wrong deeds of the govt never fails to amaze me. The article literally took references and drew critical analysis to explain the point to you. But instead of understanding that, you are quick to make false assumptions. Shows exactly why this govt gets elected again and again. they have the support of those people who put their emotions above their logic.
thanks to people like you, our country is in a continuous downward spiral.
Good article but late
Should have been published in 1975
Well, this is the very same strategy that got then PM Indira Gandhi into trouble in many restive regions of India. PM Gandhi’s strategy of “one Congress size fits all” led to many movements that weakened the very unity of the nation. The Sikh Khalistan movement in Punjab, the agitations in Assam against Bengalis, Naxalite movements in Orissa, AP, Bihar, the strife in Kashmir, Nagaland etc. etc. are testament to that flawed approach and the fractured polity that her brand of politics spawned.
Creating puppet regimes in the states that mirror the political priorities of the party in Centre weakens the federal structure and intent in the Constitution. It ushers in de facto one party rule like in the former USSR and today’s Russia, China, Singapore and increasingly, in Trumpistan as well. The outward appearances of political stability that these states display actually cloak deep internal divisions, massive use of force, the state becoming a police state, suspension of civil liberties and ultimately, a descent into unchecked fascism and internal strife.
PM Modi is a ruthless authoritarian in the very same mold as Indira Gandhi – albeit a much less educated one and a much less respected one on the international stage. Of course bhakths might conflate the hollow words of praise that get showered upon him by cunning foreign dignitaries as true respect for the man. Cheap, glitzy Howdy Modi type “event management” stunts and hugs with foreign politicians might impress bhakths and lead them to believe that diplomatic gains are being garnered by India. Ms Indira Gandhi, for all her faults, never fell for any of these traps. She humbled Nixon and Kissinger and decapitated Pakistan the loyal sidekick of the Americans in the region.
But in domestic politics, both these leaders ignore a very basic fact about India:
India is not a country consisting of regions, religions or people that have voluntarily and willingly come together to form a nation; India consists of regions and people that are often antagonistic to each other and have to be held together, often by force. There is strife in Kashmir; Sikhs wanted a separate Khalistan and that fight went on for nearly 3 decades; there has been tension in Nagaland for a long time; there is a bitter struggle to throw out Bengalis in Assam; the South chafes at Hindi imposition; Bombay at one point wanted to eject other Indians from the city; large swathes of the country are controlled by Naxalites – to name a few of the internecine conflicts in India. And then you have violence due to religion, caste, language …
In a country like India, “one size fits all” approaches are bound to generate more violence and conflict. And just as the Indira Gandhi led Congress before it, the Narendra Modi led BJP is going to come to grief trying to impose such homogeneous ideas on an inherently heterogeneous country like India. The BJP’s and Modi’s attempts to tamper and dilute federalism and ushering what must be called “one party rule” all over India is a sure-fire recipe to create a replica of the Soviet Union of yore. And we all know how that went.
If you are combating against opposition like congress and your motive is fair, then you definitely have to choose ethically wrong way otherwise you’ll not be able to win.
“Opposition like congress” let me remember you 1975’s president rule, slogans like “vote for calf and cow”, MPs assembly elections where congress promised loan waiver of 2 lakhs etc etc etc. Thus if the opposition is like congress you need to form government by hook or crook or else better leave politics.
How to be Leftist Print.
1) Start with a demeaning line about BJP or Hinduism.
2) Then write about some other nation and the wrong practices.
3) Provide such facts of other countries.
4) Make people believe its wrong. (Wrong is wrong definitely)
5) Then somehow “by hook or crook” compares it with BJP or Hinduism
6) Somehow establish relationship between them.
7) Forecast a benign future (As Forecasted before LS elections 2014 and 2019 but nothing such happened)
8) Distract people.
Congratulations you can write for the print.
Mr Sushobhit Patidar: You write as if the BJP is the same as Hinduism. Maybe your gomutra swilling gaurakshak mentors might have taught you that but that is far from the truth Sir.
To the best of my knowledge, Hinduism has existed for a couple of millenia whilst the thuggish saffronistas who have transformed India into Lynchistan have been around for much less than that. The RSS, one of the ideological fonts of the BJP has been there for about 9 decades whilst the Jan Sangh has been around for about 6 decades. The BJP itself has been around for less than 4 decades. And the 56 inch chested chowkidar has been in power for about 6 years.
Yet, your ilk regards a thuggish, hardline political party called the BJP as the equivalent of Hinduism. Worse still, you regard criticism of the fascist, violent Hindutva ideology of the BJP as criticism of Hinduism. And that is the very definition of being a blinkered, blind bhakth !
R.I.P The Print
Because Cong has started losing elections all such paid articles have sprang up in media in which hand of enemy country is evident . When cong was wining elections sincev70 years no such article was published .Shame on such journalists .
What about Maharashtra? Did not congress bribe Udhav by offering him CM post, even though he sought votes in the names of Devendra Narendra?
What a lousy partisan columnist you are! Wear specs that allow you to see all evils!
Mr Rajiv Ranjan: The Congress and the BJP hurling invective at each other for engineering defections is not something new. Indeed, for that matter any Indian political party A hurling invective at a rival political party B for getting corrupt, venal politicians to defect is hypocrisy. The ability to jump ship is a potent weapon in the arsenal of the Indian politician. Indian political parties have perfected the “Aaya Ram, Gaya Ram” technique ever since MLA Gaya Lal of Haryana pioneered this methodology in 1967 by switching parties 3 times within 24 hours !!!
That India’s scumbag politicians hoodwink their voters and line their pockets by defecting is nothing new. But what is new is that blinkered, blind voters such as yourself approve of these shenanigans as long as people jump towards a party you like, in this instance. the BJP. And criticise those that jump away to parties you don’t like – instead of stopping and saying no this charade.
Your ilk reminds one former US President Roosevelt’s description of the Nicaraguan tyrant Anastasio Somoza:
“He may be a sonofabtich, but he is our sonofabitch”
It is precisely citizens like you who chip away at the very edifices of democracy in India. The discussion as to whether the author of the article has to “wear specs” as you suggest or whether you need to get treated for your tunnel vision worsened by your saffron tinted glasses is therefore settled Mr Rajiv Ranjan.
Does the writer remember the Maharashtra elections? 2 coalitions fought. Then the smaller party of the winning coalition got ambitious and walked over to the other side. Today, the party with the largest number of seats is in the Opposition. Those who live in glass houses, should not throw stones at others.
Power makes them above law n rules generally meant for every Indian citizen.
But here it shows if their is power, it controls everything. Can their be a unbiased investigation about politicians being bribed etc. Is it possible?
I see all politicians irrespective of any party with perhaps an exceptional few may be good.
The write up in print is only one side of picture .It Simply forgets the tyranny of Nehru era & assault on Indian psyche by series of Himalayan blunders.Indian publis is too benevolent to forgo ,otherwise history tells how public had been cruel to winner Churchil & stallin.?The murder of popular PM Shastri ji & authoritarian rule of Indira can not be forgiven.The duality of Nehru dynasty & crushing centuries old heritage /tradition in the name of Secularism has created environment for rise of BJP .Let’s not forget the drama enacted by Congress in installing Puppets PM & manipulating power .The emergence of Modi is answer to all such assaults. Whatever happening today is tip in comparison to misadventures in 6 decades.Heaven has not fallen in 6years BUT many unprecedented decisions taken.All is well.
This article in cricket parlance was equal to six sixes in an over, all clearing the rooftop of the stadium!
Yeah.. it’s no coincidence that both the PM and the CJI are getting spanking new office-cum-residences while the people are dying from the virus, and more will follow due to economic distress!!
That audit of the PM-DON’TGIVEADAMN funds is super critical right now!! We want to know if the real reason Modi didn’t want to even want to pay for the suffering migrant workers’ travel home was because he planned to buy MLAs for hundreds of crores of the peoples money!! Again not a coincidence that the CJI himself did not allow that audit!!
Let us discontinue the habit of quoting left leaning magazines such as Economist . What all you have State in the article is nothing but frustration on your part . Poverty alleviation programmes are implemented since independence . Is Modi responsible for the poverty in the country . Even Covid 19 management the world is appreciating our approach . In a problem of this magnitude can you eliminate pain and discomfort. People have to be alert to the dangers and behave in a responsible manner much more than what they have exhibited so far. Finally why congress MLAs defect . Congress should think about it. As long as there is support from people like you to the irresponsible banter of Rahul Gandhi Congress can not one out of the woods. Country needs a solid opposition . But ruling parties do not build opposition parties.
Dr Chamarthy Umamaheswara Rao.
Singapore model is not suitable to India since India is founded on principles of liberal democracy by its founding fathers. Perhaps democracy has some drawbacks, as far as development is concerned, particularly in a nation of diversity, as diverse as India. The drawbacks are in the form of slow growth. This slow growth may take some more time, over and above the time it has already taken – 70 years. But adopting the Singapore model, only to hasten up development and growth is not a wise idea. The present government has not succeeded in copying that model either. Unfortunately it has jeopardised the democratic soul of the country in this process. Messed up even already prevalent economic growth while implementing the half-baked ideas of its leaders like demonetisation and faulty implementation of GST. The national productivity, efficiency, opportunities for business, employment and enterprise or even the cleanliness in public places have remained a far cry even after about seven years in office.
What is wrong in this? Every party did it. A pre-poll alliance brought bjp- ss to.power. those who did not like ncp snd ncp voted for this alliance. SS WAS HOLDING TALKS EBEN PRIOR YO RESULTS. AND FOTMED.GOVT. THEY SAY OROPLE’S MANDATE IS FOR THEM. WHY DO NOT ALL THESE PARTIES COME TOGETHER AND MAKE LAW FOR AUTOMATIC DISQUALIFICATION OF AN ELECTED REPRESENTATIVE IF HE CROSSES HIS PSRTY’S LINE IF THINKING.
To Shivam Vij,
Even your newspaper is useless, but still it is continuing. If election is no more , your newspaper will also be no more. It is because of democracy that anti nationals like you have right to speak and write.
From,
Responsible Citizen of India
Useless paper.
India is not China but US either. This is also a true statement
It is the opposition parties wholly responsible for BJP’s rise. Congress is yet to find a President after Rahul resigned. Credibility in every State is at the lowest level for all other parties. BJP has not taken sanyas & entered Politics. None either. The logic is strange – when Congress indulges all nefarious acts to retain Power, they are divine; but if BJP tries normal methods, they are monsters. The abv articles are classic examples! What is their intention? They want Congress back? God save this country.
How conveniently these liberal/Sickular writers forget Karnataka and Mahrashtra recently when popular elected single largest parties were relegated to opposition by conniving parties. Now they talk about money changing hands and wonder what congress gives to form a government to the independents and others to stay? When congress does it it is brilliant strategy and when BJY does anything like that it is a sin!
News have become meaningless in India — the print will print against BJP even when the work for country and not a family.
The congress dominance in the past 70yrs is what has left India floundering and rudderless. While China has grown from strength to strength and noe we are trying to catch up. Lay the blame where it should be. Also, what is wrong with Singapore? there is political, economic and social stablitiy. Citizens are living well and have no need to protest. They got independence around the same time and have a one trillion in reserves, cannot say the same thing about India under Khangress rule.
I think everything u sid abt media and joirnalists is absolutely right.
And everything u wrote is after seeing ur own face in mirror.
Good job.
The write up seems too biased against BJP. The fact remains that Congress is labelled synonyms to Corruption . Gandhis have been individually found in deep currptionn deeds. Democracy has no place in Congress and Gandhis behave like old kings. And no true leader is allowed to comes forward to lead Congress. This is root cause of BJP being in power
LOL…This fellow, Modi doesn’t even know how to run a Nation. All he knows is how to pander to the propaganda of the RSS.
Well said Mr K.Sankar !
Well actually, there are 2 Gujaratis in the picture – literally and figuratively. And before we condemn Modi, we ought to know that the man waiting in the wings to become PM is none other than Ajay Singh Bisht, a.k.a. Yogi Adityanath.
God can’t save India.
Do you not have enough access to Burnol during the lockdown?
But the important question that should be asked Who is responsible for this? How is it that nobody raised any searching questions and even thinkable answers about 6 years back?… Has the world changed all of a sudden…. No way, humans don’t make a sudden about turn…. It was always in the making…. What with the entire ecosystem controlled by the Congies, their masters , their families, just like the old style mafiosi’s did….People saw through them…. When given the opportunity, they threw them out…. Worst these congies , their supporters are still in their bad old ways, never realizing that the world has changed… Its not Mr Modi’s job or even the BJP’s job to create an opposition…. Its opposition’s job to raise their credibility, by encouraging new people, new ideas, new thinking, rewarding talent… if they do it they stand a chance…else only god can save them….
Mr Kannan Unni MN: In your indignation and deep, unquestioning Modi bhakthi, you ask :
“.. the important question that should be asked Who is responsible for this? ..”
I was under the impression that your ilk already knew the answer to that question: Nehru !
Isn’t everything that goes wrong in India Nehru’s fault ? Demonetisation, a botched GST implementation, an economy that was in deep distress even before the COVID closedown, the lynchings of innocent Muslims, the destruction of the leather industry due to cow slaughter bans, the worhsip of Godse, the lack of oxygen in UP hospitals, the loss of territory to China and many other ills that plague the nation can be traced back to Nehru can’t they Sir? Isn’t that the wisdom you received in your shaka?
Pathetic that people like you think like the illiterate, scrotum-scratching North Indian gaurakshaks and inhalers of Arnab Goswami’s hot air !
Just because you are not a north indian, you cant expose your ignorance. There are intelligent south Indians. Ok. So just shut your traps
Do you understand English Mr Sriram Veeraraghavan ? Or are you also a product of some shaka run by Adityanath?
But the voters are not rejecting the party changing MLAs/MPs. Voters should see MLAs’ image and performance and their party separately. Anyway, our elections where the party getting less than 50% votes are winning elections. Also, it is difficult for the central government to rule and do reforms if it does not have its own government in big states.
Don’t blame BJP but who chose them then corrupt Congress where there is Dynasty rule.Since ‘The Print’ is paid by Congress to write stories against BJP no wonder voters choose BJP.
Biased journalism
agreed
This is more a problem of the Congress culture than anything to do with the BJP. A moment a greedy Congress MLA or MP does not get his cut he is ready to ditch the Congress and team up with BJP or anybody for that matter. When these “elected representatives’ get the high office, exactly what culture and benefits do they bring to the table. These Congress rascals will sell the country to the highest bidder.
Your frustration is visible in every article.
For yo, democracy means chaos in country.
We indians wish the media men like u to rest in peace.
Let the nation move on it’s own leg than this so called fourth pillar
Didnt people in Maharashtra and Karnataka vote for BJP as the biggest party, and yet the opposition did not allow it to form government. As long as opposition does this it is fine? Did BJP break any laws – or is it BJPs responsibility to ensure that no one in opposition revolts? Keeping your house in order is your own responsibility when you have won.
Correctly said.
Mr Nikhil: Nonsense !
What the people vote for is not what their elected representatives do. The people may vote for Mr X from Party A based on whatever sop he gave them or whatever caste he promised to promote. But Mr X will betray the people and join Party B as long as Party B makes what to him is a better bid. Politicians spend millions to get elected. They do not do it to serve the people who elect them but because they know that politics is the fastest way to multiply their initial investment. And that applies to ALL parties without exception. It certainly applies to the BJP as well, despite bhakths like you believing – against a lot of evidence – that the Modi government is clean. After all, every corrupt Congress MP or MLA is welcomed into the BJP fold and cases against him vanish and IT raids cease don’t they ? Not to forget the very rotten core of the party, people like Karnataka’s infamous BJP thief Yedyurappa who enjoys a particularly cosy relationship with his Gujarati pals in power.
As they say:
“The more things change, the more they stay the same”.
Whatever BJP is doing was invented by Congress.
Democracy is messy, deal with it.
Vij makes some good points but these are blighted by his rabidness .
Is there ever really a true democracy anywhere in the world? That might just be a utopian concept.
Why it took you so long to understand that “Elections have bec0ome meaningless in India”?You need an informed and politically mature citizenry to make the elections meaningful. Instead you have the ignorant, incompetent citizenry that elects people with money and muscles! We are all aware of ADR’s survey that in the last election, the voters elected some 43% MPs with criminal charges against them, with some 29% of them with serious criminal charges against them! So then, the elections are means or tools in the hands of unscrupulous politicians and people with money and muscle to empower themselves! Such elections are a mockery of democracy. Even in America, where Trump is a certifiable criminal, his supporters can’t wait to reelect him for a second term! The country is so divided that people are fighting among themselves. A majority of Republicans are against using face mask as protection against the coronavirus, because their leader Trump belittled the virus by calling it a hoax by the democrats and the fake media. He went against the doctors, and said the face mask wasn’t necessary, and never wore it. The Democrats are for using the mask. Thus the people can’t even agree on a basic thing like the use of face mask! All this in spite of a stern warning from the doctor on Trump’s task force that the deaths might reach a figure of 100,000 a day if steps are not taken to control the virus. Trump is now pressuring the schools to open, but a majority of parents don’t want to send their children to the schools. He has threatened the schools that if they don’t open, he would cut their funding! Political observers say that he may not accept the election result if he loses it, and may even refuse to vacate White House for the new president! He has even threatened that there would be a civil war if he is not elected! Democracy is suffering even in America. The coming election in November would provide an opportunity to the voters supporting Trump to reelect him as the president for the second term, thereby entrusting country’s future to a criminal.
Wildest imaginations.
🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂 how about India 🤔
Ha ha ha ha ………..!!!!!!!
Every word written here is the truth. Meaningless elections, spineless institutions, toothless media, deeply communalized minds, depressed economy… this is how India has become. Sad.
Sorry friend….Totally incorrect….there is an interplay of all kind of forces, ideas, thinking…. what is informed decision for some, is sell out for others… it depends upon which side of the wall you are… India is fine… and will continue to be fine in future too..
Exactly, ornamental elections, stupid people still zindabad to them, people paying tax they currupt and they do whatever they wish poor people going to more poorer, richers looting bank or country money and they flew wherever they like, govt gives silent consent, India never win even charge 200/ rs per ltr of petrol which cost 25/rs per ltr, looting currupting, simply foolish citizens the way Hindu, Muslim caste and religion play which is nothing benefit here to the people, how much tax paying from a day morning till evening 140 crore people.
This guy is a bumbkin. He says the lockdown was handled badly….can this silly fellow mention what he would have done ? In india we cannot achieve what Europe achieved simply because we have far too few beds as a percentage of population…so if this dimwit thinks we should flatten the curve, he should probably be sent to Mars or have his head examined. India will continue to see increasing cases and now it’s all in the state govts hands. Anyhow this fellow like all his sickular dimwit libtard friends will keep criticising but will not offer any concrete workable solutions. They are neither secular or liberal…they will always talk caste and religion with illiberal values in the guise of secularism and liberalism.
Wao….. Baised fellow…. Where were you in 90s when congress were doing the same. Are they not rigging the election. Hypocrisy is at upper level.
“Shoe I am “you STUPIDO. Remember BJP IS a rich party because funds reach the party. While our party men are rich because we pocket the funds. Mamamia.
The Supreme Court of India must direct the Indian Army to conduct the next elections. Let us see if at least the Army can be reliable.
The headline sums up everything! It reminds me of Bhajan Lal’s statement: “Whoever wins, I form the government”. Now, how will people’s feeling find expression?
A Singapore like democracy would have done no harm to Indians. We have too many Laloos and Bhaloos, pappus and Mayawatis, crooks and thieves taking advantage of our lenient democracy.
Conveniently not mentioning back stabbing in Maharashtra?
Your angst and restlessness is so soothing. NAMO must be doing something right, that has made you so disturbed.
Chuckling in MVA !
Tumne BJP ke khilaf paise le rakhe hai kya jo negative article dalte ho jab congress lagatar satta mai thi tab kaha gaye the tum
if the deputy chief minister of rajasthan mr sachin pilot whose family has been tradionally in congress since ages decides to desert the grand old party one would definitely expect the main opposition party reaf bjp to support him. even if the editor the print was in the seat of bjp eben he would do it. it is not unethical to support a person who is disgusted with the existing dispensation.
As is your paymaster Congress hasn’t done all the above in last 70 years. Devil quoting scriptures. hahahaha….
How much did congress guys pay you yo print this nonsense?
Christian guy sure did not whine in maharashtra or the long commie rule and violence of West Bengal where still workers of so called dictators are killed.
Let ” Shivam” Vij reval his religion. Seems nearly all anti ruling dispensation voices are either Abrahamics bongos or South Indian ricebags with hindu names.
Quite rich for you to call others bigots when your insanity is on full public display. A perfect example of a deplorable person.
What mandate has been secured by Congress party in Karnataka and Maharashtra ? The party securing highest number of votes and seats –BJP– was/ is sitting in opposition During ugly time of Congress hay days Non-Congress Governments had been toppled in more than 130 times . since the day almighty Indira G assumed the her ancestral seat of PM of India. History repeats itself , but beneficiaries change . Congress and its supporting journalists have no reason to complain. See the trend — vote share , no. of seats , deserting no. of young leaders — in which direction oldy of Indian political theater – Congress is moving— TO OBLIVION .
If You keep pushing such stories then I am sorry to say Even with good stories from Cut the Clutter no one who is decently literate and aware will find it difficult to subscribe to this e paper.please review and reconcile your choices to reach to masses and cut the classes.
How do you think people will pay for trash? And you call opinion pieces journalism??? Sorry, if we want journalistic news we have established media platforms. But certainly not dubious media like your kind whose only aim is to topple democratically elected governments because you get your payment from your mafia bosses who want Congress in the parliament. India is against your kind of lobbying media. You do not even have a fraction of Indian population as your readers. India had rejected you thoroughly. Some of us still read your trash to identify the traitors.
It is TRAITORS like you who have been destroying this nation for the past SIX years. We have seen the kind of trash BJPbootlickers spout everywhere. The dubious Modi Govt has been playing the fool over the last six years. Since when did the Modi govt become a “democratically elected government” ?? Everybody knows they manipulated the last elections. No sensible Indian voted for Modi last time. Only BOOTLICKERS like you did. So, keep licking their boots until their coffers run out.
Chamchas can’t respect the mandate,you need burnol,and a lot of it.When you lose an election,instead of focusing on how to win,u start blaming people.Leftist Nazis and chamcha ghulams like u say 45 percent of India’s voters are bootlickers,go on barking Scamgress ghulam
Are you the Commie, SitaRam Yechuri? Pure frustration? 😀
Well said Mr Sitaram !
Ms Rhea Goswami is surely another bhakth who inhales and has been intoxicated on her namesake Arnab Goswami’s jingoistic hot air !
Nonetheless, it is mind boggling to note the extent to which even the educated middle classes in India unquestioningly swallow the rubbish dished out by Modi and his minions. Indeed, when Modi realises that he has bungled something bigtime, such as demonetisation, the man cunningly distances himself from the fiasco and makes flunkies like Arun Jaitley (RIP) or Ms Nirmala Sitharaman face the torrent of criticism. Yet, you will see bhakths continue to defend Modi’s follies and egregious mistakes with a zeal that is simply incomprehensible.
People like Ms Rhea Goswami remind me of the quote from Italian political philosopher Niccolo Machaivelli:
“One who deceives will always find those who allow themselves to be deceived”
Meanwhile, as someone who lives in Europe, I do note that there is an increase in the number of smart businessmen – Gujaratis in particular – quietly moving their assets out of India and to safe locales like Europe and to stronger currencies than the Indian Rupee. The smart Gujarati might pay lip-service to Modi’s anti-Muslim rhetoric, akhand Bharat fantasies and so on but nonetheless realises that the Return on Investment (ROI) on Modi’s Hindutva is negative!
And hopefully, the toxic, fascist ideology called Hindutva will not destroy India by Modi’s attempts to contaminate the rest of India with that toxin.
How do you think people will pay for trash? And you call opinion pieces journalism??? Sorry, if we want journalistic news we have established media platforms. But certainly not dubious media like your kind whose only aim is to topple democratically elected governments because you get your payment from your mafia bosses who want Congress in the parliament. India is against your kind of lobbying media. You do not even have 0.1% of Indian population as your readers. India had rejected you thoroughly. Some of us still read your trash to identify the traitors.
Ms Rhae Goswami: You bray:
“.. we have established media platforms ..”
Would your namesake Arnab Goswami’s platform be one of them? After all they spew Modi friendly rubbish which is what people like you like to subsist on …
So in the openion of the writer elections held prior to modi govt were fair and clean. What a joke…….
Was it BJP’s fault that Rahul Gandhi wanted to sideline Jyotiraditya Scindia and Sachin Pilot? … LOL
What a joke journalist….
Awesome article reporting the truth . The deceiving Tactics of the rich and mighty BJP should be exposed.
Let us abandon election
1) No donation to political parties, so no obligation and no need of crony capitalism
2) BJP can implement any decision and spur economic growth like China model
3) 130 crore people can save time and money on voting, discussing politics etc.
4) Now that the elections are over media can stop sensationalizing news and provide normal news to the public
5) ….
6) ….
List of advantages goes on
Wrong analysis….as if Indian citizens (electrol) liked congress party for last 60years…and they did all Good for the country things..china / pakistan land occupation. ..emergency implimentation many many blunders …discimination religion wise. .so many..
Why don’t you talk about Karnataka & Maharashtra when Congress took the power through Hook or Crook. Are they saints? In democracy, numbers matters & those gets that will rule. You like or not.
So correct. Even if BJP brings all the growth and modernism it has promised but never delivered. It has killed Indian democracy. There is fear amaong common people who want to air their opinion against BJP. I have never experienced such a fear before.
Once upon a time BJP promised 15 lakhs…….they still haven’t delivered it. We can imagine what will become of any other promises they make.
Don’t wanna work and earn your money? Always a free loader?
Mr Kurivi Josiyar: No, that was not the intention of the comment.
But when candidate Modi made those promises, lots of gullible voters truly believed that the 56 inch chested Gujarati was capable of arm-twisting the mighty off-shore banks in Switzerland, Cayman Islands, Channel Islands and so on and recovering stolen Indian assets stashed away there. That was one of the many vacuous promises that dhokla man delivered to deceive the public before he set out to destroy democracy. Aided and abetted by the likes of you who seem to encourage this descent into fascism.
PS: As an aside, you seem to be inspired by my “nom de guerre” don’t you Sir? That you cannot debate rationally has been already established. That you lack even the simple originality needed to choose a good identifier is worrying – after all, India is supposed to recah the 5 Trillion dollar GDP mark isn’t it?
Isn’t Singaporean parliamentary election conduct responsible for their socioeconomic development, building state capacity and good governance. Drawing lessons from much celebrated book of Francis Fukuyama’s Political Order and Political Decay. He mentioned “by delaying the adoption of democracy till later into industrialisation and development of strong states, the North East Asian countries were able to avoid the problems of clientelism that affected countries like the United States, India, Latin America, and elsewhere”
and chart he mentioned about sequence of institutional evolution.
Drawing parallel between rise of modern democratic institutions and socioeconomic development of Singapore is worth to study
BJP wins because it nurtures the soul of real India represented by RSS. Congress looses because it pokes and kills the soul of real India.
BJP wins because it respects reality. Congress looses because it tries to create fake reality.
It’s real v/s fake.
It’s patriot v/s traitors.
Congress will die sooner than Vij expects it to die.
BJP-bootlickers like yourself maska polish all the BJP boots because you are paid a handsome sum of money. You have no love for India.
The Common Man does not take any money from anyone. He toils and earns and that is why he chose Congress. He is the only one who truly loves India, that is why he didn’t vote for Modi.
PS: You are a real JOKER.
you are the REAL JOKER!!
There is no other party made up of fools as Congress is.
ak.dev: But the very same “fools” of the Congress are warmly welcomed when the defect to the BJP don’t they ? And the corruption and other criminal charges they face miraculously disappear don’t they ?
Lmao we are common man ……. and everyone loves bjp and Modi , if your so called papu can’t win the election then sorry !!! It’s your pappu fault stop criticising the real indian party!!! Which is actually marking india proud
Rumblings of a frustrated man
Like the Covid pandemic seems to have changed life as we knew it permanently, so has the 2019 election verdict changed Indian democracy as we knew it permanently. New ideas will need to come forth, new coalitions forged, new movements launched, new leaders born. The USSR collapsed when faced with unfavorable economics, the Indus valley civilisation collapsed when faced with environmental changes – time and situation never remains the same forever.
As for the practical part every attempt should be made (on part of media, citizens and opposition) to focus the attention of political parties on economy, jobs, education, healthcare and environment – rest should be kept out of the domain of politics. Sustained efforts along that front will bring enduring and positive changes – the current politics is mostly lot of noise and little substance.
Elections are meaningless becuz people vote only BJP. 😄😄😄😄 what a joker he has become.
he is not worth even becoming a JOKER.
Who told people are voting to BJP…Everything he is changing in EVM while counting Vote..if it will be for congress it will show as BJP…no one want Nly BJP in present