BJP and Shiv Sena leaders interpreted the meeting between Amit Shah and Uddhav Thackeray differently — BJP described it as “positive” but Sena struck a cautious note.
A crucial question runs as an undercurrent through the book — if ancient India had all the scientific inventions some of our ministers think it had, what happened to them?
Another important topic that came up for discussion was the rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits in the Valley, a pet cause the RSS feels the government hasn’t done much to pursue, the sources added.
There is growing angst within the JD(U), which plans to revive its pitch for special status for Bihar. CM Nitish Kumar has also been heard speaking against Assam's Citizenship Bill and Modi government's demonetisation move.
It would be a disservice to the women of Hassan to look at Prajwal Revanna’s alleged abuse of power as a ‘sex scandal’. Allegations against him show what ‘absolute power corrupts absolutely’ actually means.
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.
After a slap in face, there is shot in the foot. Forget Modi haters, what is really disconcerting to any Modi supporter is that after this sugarcane debacle, BJP has really proven to be a party of mean urbanites with no clue what agriculture is all about and think farmer is a spoilt guy who is having loads of free fun on huge patch of land bigger then the plot they could buy in Sunehri Market. People are raring to throw this man and his party out, but options are only worse.
Prof PK Sharma,Freelance Journalist, Barnala(Punjab)
Taking a leaf from bitter and bad experiences of coalition governments at the centre book, the masses pinned its high hopes upon BJP led by Mr. Narendra Modi offering it the clear cut mandate for a change for the best in the 2014 !
However, this optimism only proved to be a silver lining for a brief spell and electorate found its hopes dashed to the ground very soon!
Why did it happen?
PM Modi during his poll campaign then created a hype of high hopes among the public to deliver the goods ! But unfortunately, he frittered away this golden opportunity for want of vision, proper planning, seriousness and selection of competent team of ministers and advisors to match the confidence reposed in him by the voters !
Neither did NaMo impress citizens of India with his brand of politics nor economics during all these four years ! His decisions reflected immaturity aimed at hollow populism not backed by a firm political will to effect positive and constructive innovations and advancements on the national scene !
For example, demonetisation, farmers distress, shattered economy, poverty,corruption, black money, unemployment, affordable quality education, health care system, foreign policy, insurgency in Kashmir, GST and communal disharmony are the burning and sensitive problems of the day.
What is the output of these tormenting issues after four years of NaMo government’s input?
Not learning any lesson from past too many blunders, Modi is not at all keen to strive for immediate course correction measures treading on the same worn out path ! Half a year’s time is not inadequate if you have the will, right intentions and determination
to translate your ideas into actuality ! But now again instead of taking practical decisions he is making all out efforts only for a
damage control of humiliations suffered at the time of hustings during the bypolls ultimately eyeing 2019 Lok Sabha Polls !
All of a sudden, Amit Shah, BJP supremo is now constantly on his toes to rush to Matoshree Mumbai and the very next day to MLAs
Flats at Chandigarh. It seems quite awkward that Shah had to see Uddhav Thackeray and Parkash Singh Badal to convince about the achievements of NDA government of which they are a part and parcel. Very strange type of campaign- Samparak For Samarthan where BJP Chief is constrained to impress upon NDA allies. The dusty road to impress upon people of nation then must be very rough and tough if allies ought to be placated in this style !
After a deep and long slumber of four years, BJP is indulging in just melodrama of waking up to the stark and dark realities faced by the nation! Where is the credibility ? Who will believe NaMo when his regime stands miserably exposed ?
In 2014, residents of India fell a prey to the ploys, false hopes, fallacious and hype-creating guiles of NaMo but now they have seen through his tricks ! They have made up their mind to write a new narrative teaching a lesson to megalomaniac and authoritarian
rule of NaMo in 2019 !
Prof PK Sharma,Freelance Journalist
Pom Anm Nest,Barnala(Punjab)
Two things can be said about 2019. 272 has become Mission Impossible. And each CM will have to deliver. Far too many of them – like their colleagues at the Centre – are simply not up to the mark. Mrs Gandhi started the system of bonsai CMs because she could reach out directly to the people, all over the country, and win elections. That contributed to the long term decline of the Congress party. Too late for one, too difficult for the other, but it would improve the BJP’s chances in 2019 if it replaced its CMs in Haryana and UP.
Agrarian crisis can only be solved in the long run, not in the four years. First of all, we need to move to produce as per market demand. But MSP business, the loan waivers etc are not helping it. Modi government also faced two successive droughts. All farmers agitation are politically instigated as their problems are not very new. BJP allies if feel very clever and demand too much, they will sink too. As they are all vulnerable in their states. In the election year, BJP is to give the good perception to everyone to shut opposition off. Now it is not the time to solve long-term problems. These can be solved in next tenure. Only very small percentage of people understand how things can be solved and what has to be discontinued for the long-term good.
no question modi’s underperforming gimmick prone ministers from irani to agriculture etc. But modi appointed them, he should pay the electoral price for their failures.
Its absolutely true Shekharji. Polarization will never happen again as it happened in 2014. We may even see a hung parliament and dilly dallying/horsetrading et al in the aftermath of the people’s verdict. Lets see what happens in 2019. Anyway, we are in for a humdinger of an election with the non-NDA parties rallying behind an yet to be announced prime ministerial candidate. The honorable Shashi Tharoor, MP is a charismatic leader, behind whom we Indians must stand firm. He is the most suited person to lead our country forward at this crucial juncture.
With due respect to Mr. Tharoor (he’s my favourite Malayali person), his reputation is sadly tainted by the Sunanda Pushkar case. Although he will be eventually found innocent, that may take years to materialize.
A Congress-led UPA or a Third-front led UPA would require a non-tainted person for the top post, someone like Manmohan Singh who sadly cannot make a comeback. Someone young and eloquent in English like Shashi Tharoor would be a good candidate, to help bring much-needed foreign investment into India. Sadly you can’t have always have what you want.
Rahul Gandhi is not an ambitious person. Even though he’s face of the Congress party, he is content being Party president. He is guaranteed to step aside for a more deserving candidate. Also he’s not in the league of someone qualified like Manmohan Singh, a fact he himself admits to. But I know for sure Rahul is not a greedy person.
I have a feeling that UPA might go for a Dalit Prime Minister this time, someone like Mayawati who is on good terms with Sonia Gandhi. Do not underestimate her even though many upper caste Indians harbor prejudice against her. The fact that India has elected a Dalit woman as Prime Minister will be seen as a very progressive move in the Western countries which often chastise India because of centuries old practices such as untouchability.
After 5 years of Modi era fascism, it will be a welcome change to have progressive politics in India from 2019 onwards.
Regarding Shashi Tharoor, I too feel he is the best person to lead the country. Let the sense prevail in 2019.
The Problem is with isms and the dogma it develops in its wake. As long as there is enforced normativity there is going to be an issue.
After a slap in face, there is shot in the foot. Forget Modi haters, what is really disconcerting to any Modi supporter is that after this sugarcane debacle, BJP has really proven to be a party of mean urbanites with no clue what agriculture is all about and think farmer is a spoilt guy who is having loads of free fun on huge patch of land bigger then the plot they could buy in Sunehri Market. People are raring to throw this man and his party out, but options are only worse.
Prof PK Sharma,Freelance Journalist, Barnala(Punjab)
Taking a leaf from bitter and bad experiences of coalition governments at the centre book, the masses pinned its high hopes upon BJP led by Mr. Narendra Modi offering it the clear cut mandate for a change for the best in the 2014 !
However, this optimism only proved to be a silver lining for a brief spell and electorate found its hopes dashed to the ground very soon!
Why did it happen?
PM Modi during his poll campaign then created a hype of high hopes among the public to deliver the goods ! But unfortunately, he frittered away this golden opportunity for want of vision, proper planning, seriousness and selection of competent team of ministers and advisors to match the confidence reposed in him by the voters !
Neither did NaMo impress citizens of India with his brand of politics nor economics during all these four years ! His decisions reflected immaturity aimed at hollow populism not backed by a firm political will to effect positive and constructive innovations and advancements on the national scene !
For example, demonetisation, farmers distress, shattered economy, poverty,corruption, black money, unemployment, affordable quality education, health care system, foreign policy, insurgency in Kashmir, GST and communal disharmony are the burning and sensitive problems of the day.
What is the output of these tormenting issues after four years of NaMo government’s input?
Not learning any lesson from past too many blunders, Modi is not at all keen to strive for immediate course correction measures treading on the same worn out path ! Half a year’s time is not inadequate if you have the will, right intentions and determination
to translate your ideas into actuality ! But now again instead of taking practical decisions he is making all out efforts only for a
damage control of humiliations suffered at the time of hustings during the bypolls ultimately eyeing 2019 Lok Sabha Polls !
All of a sudden, Amit Shah, BJP supremo is now constantly on his toes to rush to Matoshree Mumbai and the very next day to MLAs
Flats at Chandigarh. It seems quite awkward that Shah had to see Uddhav Thackeray and Parkash Singh Badal to convince about the achievements of NDA government of which they are a part and parcel. Very strange type of campaign- Samparak For Samarthan where BJP Chief is constrained to impress upon NDA allies. The dusty road to impress upon people of nation then must be very rough and tough if allies ought to be placated in this style !
After a deep and long slumber of four years, BJP is indulging in just melodrama of waking up to the stark and dark realities faced by the nation! Where is the credibility ? Who will believe NaMo when his regime stands miserably exposed ?
In 2014, residents of India fell a prey to the ploys, false hopes, fallacious and hype-creating guiles of NaMo but now they have seen through his tricks ! They have made up their mind to write a new narrative teaching a lesson to megalomaniac and authoritarian
rule of NaMo in 2019 !
Prof PK Sharma,Freelance Journalist
Pom Anm Nest,Barnala(Punjab)
Good observations but It’s a choosing PM himself had decided!
Two things can be said about 2019. 272 has become Mission Impossible. And each CM will have to deliver. Far too many of them – like their colleagues at the Centre – are simply not up to the mark. Mrs Gandhi started the system of bonsai CMs because she could reach out directly to the people, all over the country, and win elections. That contributed to the long term decline of the Congress party. Too late for one, too difficult for the other, but it would improve the BJP’s chances in 2019 if it replaced its CMs in Haryana and UP.
I find it logical, I also see a contradiction.
If there is so much abundance, why govt. has to import sugar?
Agrarian crisis can only be solved in the long run, not in the four years. First of all, we need to move to produce as per market demand. But MSP business, the loan waivers etc are not helping it. Modi government also faced two successive droughts. All farmers agitation are politically instigated as their problems are not very new. BJP allies if feel very clever and demand too much, they will sink too. As they are all vulnerable in their states. In the election year, BJP is to give the good perception to everyone to shut opposition off. Now it is not the time to solve long-term problems. These can be solved in next tenure. Only very small percentage of people understand how things can be solved and what has to be discontinued for the long-term good.
no question modi’s underperforming gimmick prone ministers from irani to agriculture etc. But modi appointed them, he should pay the electoral price for their failures.
Its absolutely true Shekharji. Polarization will never happen again as it happened in 2014. We may even see a hung parliament and dilly dallying/horsetrading et al in the aftermath of the people’s verdict. Lets see what happens in 2019. Anyway, we are in for a humdinger of an election with the non-NDA parties rallying behind an yet to be announced prime ministerial candidate. The honorable Shashi Tharoor, MP is a charismatic leader, behind whom we Indians must stand firm. He is the most suited person to lead our country forward at this crucial juncture.
With due respect to Mr. Tharoor (he’s my favourite Malayali person), his reputation is sadly tainted by the Sunanda Pushkar case. Although he will be eventually found innocent, that may take years to materialize.
A Congress-led UPA or a Third-front led UPA would require a non-tainted person for the top post, someone like Manmohan Singh who sadly cannot make a comeback. Someone young and eloquent in English like Shashi Tharoor would be a good candidate, to help bring much-needed foreign investment into India. Sadly you can’t have always have what you want.
Rahul Gandhi is not an ambitious person. Even though he’s face of the Congress party, he is content being Party president. He is guaranteed to step aside for a more deserving candidate. Also he’s not in the league of someone qualified like Manmohan Singh, a fact he himself admits to. But I know for sure Rahul is not a greedy person.
I have a feeling that UPA might go for a Dalit Prime Minister this time, someone like Mayawati who is on good terms with Sonia Gandhi. Do not underestimate her even though many upper caste Indians harbor prejudice against her. The fact that India has elected a Dalit woman as Prime Minister will be seen as a very progressive move in the Western countries which often chastise India because of centuries old practices such as untouchability.
After 5 years of Modi era fascism, it will be a welcome change to have progressive politics in India from 2019 onwards.
Regarding Shashi Tharoor, I too feel he is the best person to lead the country. Let the sense prevail in 2019.