Arun Jaitley releasing party manifestoes is BJP's strategy to ensure that it isn’t just in content but also in the optics that the party is seen as pro-development.
Going through their Instagrams and dissecting their ‘statements’ is not the astute political commentary you think it is—it is time for us to back off from targeting 20-year-olds.
Companies are borrowing more from banks and public. Economists say high capacity utilisation & growing new orders could set stage for renewed investment push by India Inc.
New Delhi has, in past, too, objected to Chinese construction activities in Shaksgam Valley. Work in this strategic region gathered pace after the 2017 Doklam stand-off.
A theme has not yet emerged for BJP & people see lack of a contest, which makes it unexciting. For all these reasons, 2024 is turning out to be an unexpectedly theme-less election.
Love the irony of welcoming those who believe in One Book One Way by assertions of how ‘hindus’ respect that and believe everyone is simultaneously right. A more muddle headed hindu cannot be found anywhere else except in khangress.
I recall Tharoor’s once having described Rahul Gandhi as a sincere and very well-read person. From what we have heard from Mr. Gandhi over last almost 10 years, it is obvious that Mr. Tharoor was bull-shitting and boot-licking. It is a great misfortune of Indians if they have to be ruled by Narendra Modi or Rahul Gandhi. Rahul Gandhi’s visiting temples is obscene; his poll promises are scary; his ability to paint much-needed change is non-existent. He just does not have a blue-print. This only shows that Congress has run out of ideas on how to defeat Modi.
We would like to know what has Congress learnt from this shock called Modi. If voted to power, what will it do that is different from what Modi and the Congress itself have done before 2019. While Modi is malicious, Rahul Gandhi, undoubtedly, is a buffoon. It gives us jitters to think that, if not by cancerous Modi, we could be ruled by RG, Chidambaram, Kapil Sibal, Shashi Tharoor, and their ilk; the old Congress gang. Given where India stands today, an unknown devil is certainly better than the known ones. Can congress promise that nobody who has been a minister in the union cabinet in last 15 years will be made a minister? Can they keep Rahul Gandhi out? Can they deprive Sonia Gandhi of the remote control? Do it. Show us some new faces; some new ideas; some new hopes. Do not define Congress just as not-BJP. As they say, “people don’t steak because it not tofu. They eat steak because it is steak.” Do it for the sake of the poor of India.
Nobody can have any objections to Rahul Gandhi or any Congressman or for that matter any person practising his religion covertly, and making a big show of it also if he wants. But when it is being used politically it is sending out a very wrong message. The congress is doing this to attract the Hindu voter, but this is the easy way forward. The ideal way would have been for this Party to have stuck to its secular credentials as Nehru would and to educate the masses of the follies and shortsightedness is mixing religion with politics. Then it would have stood out different from its opponents and commanded the respect of all right minded Indians, the educated and liberal Hindus included.
By going about it the way it is , it is almost acknowledging that it used to appease the Muslims in the past, which it never did. The justification being that they have to win the elections and anything for that is par for the course. One would have thought that if instead they did aggressively denounce the mob-lynchings and violence against Muslims, and worked towards greater representation for all irrespective of caste,class, race or religion they would have a greater chance of making a come-back as most Indians are now convinced of having a government which does not divide people and which works in the best interests of all, and upholds the plural nature of Indian society in practice and not by words alone. Tharoor with his erudite learning and scholarship is most qualified to lead the Indians in this right direction. And so instead of telling the liberals don’t be wary of Congress’s soft Hindutva , he should be advising Rahul and his party men of the need to stand out different from its opponents/enemies and to uphold the true spirit of India.
Mr Tharoor, nobody can ever object to anyone practising his faith covertly. But this should be kept out of politics. The state cannot be a party to religious activities.
Again the Muslims, I am sure do not expect the government to do anything special for them. But when they are being targeted and their innocent are mob-lynched at least have the courage and humanity to stand up for them and make an issue out of it. Make sure justice is done. Don’t be cowed down and be afraid to talk of their problems just because you fear that you will lose Hindu votes. I can assure you that all right right-minded Hindus also do not want to see the violence and discrimination that is being perpetrated against the minorities. By not taking up the cause of the Muslims you are giving out the message that you accept the wrong allegations of your opponents that you were earlier appeasing Muslims. You never did that. But you have to ensure that justice is done to all sections of society, irrespective of caste,class,race or religion.One way of doing this is by providing proper representation to all.
I have no problem with secularism. But, I have a severe problem with communism as well as the Congress history of finding short term, knee jerk reaction solutions to the problems of the country after Nehru had passed away. In 50 years, the Congress never attempted for long term, long lasting (permanency is not possible since change is the rule and new problems arise out of existing solutions) solutions for any of the nation’s problems. The only exception was P.V. NARASIMHA RAO, who not only thought it but also implemented it. What happened to him?
For example, if people are poor, since it is the government’s mandate to provide free basic education & healthcare & infrastructure, it should have done so but has never happened. Instead, it resorts to loan waiver, minority appeasement, caste divisions (which is as regressive as the BJP Hindutva), nepotism, favouritism, allow bureaucratic corruption, buy media with money and loot the general public.
Shashi Tharoor should realise that people in India are very well aware of what the education level as well as knowledge level of Rahul Gandhi is. They are also very well aware that not everyone can excel at everything. Shashi Tharoor’s weapons might be his oratory and eloquent vocabulary but that does not change the facts when presented in simple, plain vocabulary which is most easily understood by the layman.
Shashi: great piece. Now please ask Mr. Rahul Gandhi to repeat, what you profess to be, the congress version of Hinduism. If he can even comprehend what you have written, leave alone articulate it, then we can begin to believe its authenticity. Otherwise, this is just opportunistic balderdash, old chap!
Super stuff. Very well argued and articulated. Frankly even if Congress is practicing soft Hindutva..I don’t mind. After all there are no perfect choices in the life, naturally if I have too chose between a Murderer and a Pickpocket, I will be idiotic of me chose the former.
Mr. Tharoor need not present a laboured justification for Rahul’s temple visits. The best explanation is that the Congress party is following Gandhiji in his harmonious interpretation of religious diversity in the country. Gandhiji said that he was a good Hindu, and for that reason he was also a good Muslim and a good Christian and a good Sikh and a good Parsee. Only BJP says that you have to be an Islam-Christianity hater to be a good Hindu. What Gandhiji said was the more abiding truth about Hinduism and what RSS-BJP preaches is a superficial and illiterate version of Sanatan Dharma.
Shashi Tharoor will soon be Mani Shankar Iyer 2.0…a complete lackey shouting from the rooftop in support of the dynasty. Mr Tharoor have you got the guts to put your name for the role of PM in a family driven political enterprise?
There is merit in the criticism that the Congress is becoming more overt in displaying the Hindu identity of its leaders, especially Shri Rahul Gandhi. A few temple visits to set at rest insidious suggestions that the party is anti Hindu are in order, but the party is going overboard in Madhya Pradesh. Its relationship with the Muslims need not be so nudge nudge wink wink either. Nor should they be taken for granted, Aap ke pass aur option hi kya hai … Give a few more tickets to Muslim candidates, say it clearly and say it often that protection and welfare of all minorities, especially the Muslims, is an article of faith. 2. The Congress should not assign so much weightage to religious issues to keep up with the Joneses. None of us knows how potent a factor this will be in the next election. Let the party in fact say we want religion to be a matter of private faith and observance, our focus is only on Vikas who seems to be MIA.
Moderator: A request. You allow only those views that supports the authors. So much for your liberal free speech. The more you muzzle views not to your liking, the more powerful it become. Good Luck.
I love it when he said “Hinduism is open to reform and progress, which is why it has flourished for 4,000 years”. But he did open his mouth and views on the so called minority with 20% population.Here is the problem. Always take the Hindu for granted by saying this reform stuff. Have you ever tried any reforms for the Minority? All you do is take opinion of fanatics and pander to that and punish the poor minorities. You kept them poor. Your stand on Triple Talaq is the prime example. Look you congress guys argued in favor of TT. Hindus are the same people who elected you guys for 60 years. Rajiv got 400 plus seats. Did Hindus not vote then? Why did Hindu’s move away? BJP talks to Hindus and want their votes. That is why BJP grew. You guys never respected the Hindu sentiments, but BJP does. Not only BJP you guys lost to BSP,SP, TDP, BJD and all. Why? It is not about Hindu vs Muslim topic alone. But for you it is only the minority votes you need by instilling fear. Anyway this reply will not get posted by the moderator. That is what a Hindu will get in this liberal world
I partly agree with you, Mr. Tharoor. While BJP doesn’t even pretend to be secular, Congress is at least keeping up the pretence.
Love the irony of welcoming those who believe in One Book One Way by assertions of how ‘hindus’ respect that and believe everyone is simultaneously right. A more muddle headed hindu cannot be found anywhere else except in khangress.
A right differentiation between Hinduism and Hidutva. The former is all inclusive, but the latter exclusive. Good article by Shashi Tharoor.
I recall Tharoor’s once having described Rahul Gandhi as a sincere and very well-read person. From what we have heard from Mr. Gandhi over last almost 10 years, it is obvious that Mr. Tharoor was bull-shitting and boot-licking. It is a great misfortune of Indians if they have to be ruled by Narendra Modi or Rahul Gandhi. Rahul Gandhi’s visiting temples is obscene; his poll promises are scary; his ability to paint much-needed change is non-existent. He just does not have a blue-print. This only shows that Congress has run out of ideas on how to defeat Modi.
We would like to know what has Congress learnt from this shock called Modi. If voted to power, what will it do that is different from what Modi and the Congress itself have done before 2019. While Modi is malicious, Rahul Gandhi, undoubtedly, is a buffoon. It gives us jitters to think that, if not by cancerous Modi, we could be ruled by RG, Chidambaram, Kapil Sibal, Shashi Tharoor, and their ilk; the old Congress gang. Given where India stands today, an unknown devil is certainly better than the known ones. Can congress promise that nobody who has been a minister in the union cabinet in last 15 years will be made a minister? Can they keep Rahul Gandhi out? Can they deprive Sonia Gandhi of the remote control? Do it. Show us some new faces; some new ideas; some new hopes. Do not define Congress just as not-BJP. As they say, “people don’t steak because it not tofu. They eat steak because it is steak.” Do it for the sake of the poor of India.
Nobody can have any objections to Rahul Gandhi or any Congressman or for that matter any person practising his religion covertly, and making a big show of it also if he wants. But when it is being used politically it is sending out a very wrong message. The congress is doing this to attract the Hindu voter, but this is the easy way forward. The ideal way would have been for this Party to have stuck to its secular credentials as Nehru would and to educate the masses of the follies and shortsightedness is mixing religion with politics. Then it would have stood out different from its opponents and commanded the respect of all right minded Indians, the educated and liberal Hindus included.
By going about it the way it is , it is almost acknowledging that it used to appease the Muslims in the past, which it never did. The justification being that they have to win the elections and anything for that is par for the course. One would have thought that if instead they did aggressively denounce the mob-lynchings and violence against Muslims, and worked towards greater representation for all irrespective of caste,class, race or religion they would have a greater chance of making a come-back as most Indians are now convinced of having a government which does not divide people and which works in the best interests of all, and upholds the plural nature of Indian society in practice and not by words alone. Tharoor with his erudite learning and scholarship is most qualified to lead the Indians in this right direction. And so instead of telling the liberals don’t be wary of Congress’s soft Hindutva , he should be advising Rahul and his party men of the need to stand out different from its opponents/enemies and to uphold the true spirit of India.
Mr Tharoor, nobody can ever object to anyone practising his faith covertly. But this should be kept out of politics. The state cannot be a party to religious activities.
Again the Muslims, I am sure do not expect the government to do anything special for them. But when they are being targeted and their innocent are mob-lynched at least have the courage and humanity to stand up for them and make an issue out of it. Make sure justice is done. Don’t be cowed down and be afraid to talk of their problems just because you fear that you will lose Hindu votes. I can assure you that all right right-minded Hindus also do not want to see the violence and discrimination that is being perpetrated against the minorities. By not taking up the cause of the Muslims you are giving out the message that you accept the wrong allegations of your opponents that you were earlier appeasing Muslims. You never did that. But you have to ensure that justice is done to all sections of society, irrespective of caste,class,race or religion.One way of doing this is by providing proper representation to all.
I have no problem with secularism. But, I have a severe problem with communism as well as the Congress history of finding short term, knee jerk reaction solutions to the problems of the country after Nehru had passed away. In 50 years, the Congress never attempted for long term, long lasting (permanency is not possible since change is the rule and new problems arise out of existing solutions) solutions for any of the nation’s problems. The only exception was P.V. NARASIMHA RAO, who not only thought it but also implemented it. What happened to him?
For example, if people are poor, since it is the government’s mandate to provide free basic education & healthcare & infrastructure, it should have done so but has never happened. Instead, it resorts to loan waiver, minority appeasement, caste divisions (which is as regressive as the BJP Hindutva), nepotism, favouritism, allow bureaucratic corruption, buy media with money and loot the general public.
Shashi Tharoor should realise that people in India are very well aware of what the education level as well as knowledge level of Rahul Gandhi is. They are also very well aware that not everyone can excel at everything. Shashi Tharoor’s weapons might be his oratory and eloquent vocabulary but that does not change the facts when presented in simple, plain vocabulary which is most easily understood by the layman.
Shashi: great piece. Now please ask Mr. Rahul Gandhi to repeat, what you profess to be, the congress version of Hinduism. If he can even comprehend what you have written, leave alone articulate it, then we can begin to believe its authenticity. Otherwise, this is just opportunistic balderdash, old chap!
Super stuff. Very well argued and articulated. Frankly even if Congress is practicing soft Hindutva..I don’t mind. After all there are no perfect choices in the life, naturally if I have too chose between a Murderer and a Pickpocket, I will be idiotic of me chose the former.
Mr. Tharoor need not present a laboured justification for Rahul’s temple visits. The best explanation is that the Congress party is following Gandhiji in his harmonious interpretation of religious diversity in the country. Gandhiji said that he was a good Hindu, and for that reason he was also a good Muslim and a good Christian and a good Sikh and a good Parsee. Only BJP says that you have to be an Islam-Christianity hater to be a good Hindu. What Gandhiji said was the more abiding truth about Hinduism and what RSS-BJP preaches is a superficial and illiterate version of Sanatan Dharma.
Shashi Tharoor will soon be Mani Shankar Iyer 2.0…a complete lackey shouting from the rooftop in support of the dynasty. Mr Tharoor have you got the guts to put your name for the role of PM in a family driven political enterprise?
There is merit in the criticism that the Congress is becoming more overt in displaying the Hindu identity of its leaders, especially Shri Rahul Gandhi. A few temple visits to set at rest insidious suggestions that the party is anti Hindu are in order, but the party is going overboard in Madhya Pradesh. Its relationship with the Muslims need not be so nudge nudge wink wink either. Nor should they be taken for granted, Aap ke pass aur option hi kya hai … Give a few more tickets to Muslim candidates, say it clearly and say it often that protection and welfare of all minorities, especially the Muslims, is an article of faith. 2. The Congress should not assign so much weightage to religious issues to keep up with the Joneses. None of us knows how potent a factor this will be in the next election. Let the party in fact say we want religion to be a matter of private faith and observance, our focus is only on Vikas who seems to be MIA.
Tharoor and the Congress need to pay heed to the following:
https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/rahul-gandhi-congress-temple-entry-and-exit-editorial-5471528/
https://thewire.in/politics/why-cant-you-separate-religion-from-politics-open-letter-to-rahul-gandhi
Moderator: A request. You allow only those views that supports the authors. So much for your liberal free speech. The more you muzzle views not to your liking, the more powerful it become. Good Luck.
I love it when he said “Hinduism is open to reform and progress, which is why it has flourished for 4,000 years”. But he did open his mouth and views on the so called minority with 20% population.Here is the problem. Always take the Hindu for granted by saying this reform stuff. Have you ever tried any reforms for the Minority? All you do is take opinion of fanatics and pander to that and punish the poor minorities. You kept them poor. Your stand on Triple Talaq is the prime example. Look you congress guys argued in favor of TT. Hindus are the same people who elected you guys for 60 years. Rajiv got 400 plus seats. Did Hindus not vote then? Why did Hindu’s move away? BJP talks to Hindus and want their votes. That is why BJP grew. You guys never respected the Hindu sentiments, but BJP does. Not only BJP you guys lost to BSP,SP, TDP, BJD and all. Why? It is not about Hindu vs Muslim topic alone. But for you it is only the minority votes you need by instilling fear. Anyway this reply will not get posted by the moderator. That is what a Hindu will get in this liberal world