MyVoice: Views of our readers 22nd November 2020

A battle royale for Baldia

Though GHMC elections are no referendum on KCR govt but nonetheless is a litmus test for the TRS party. BJP's larger than life shadow is looming large over this elections . BJP which has humbled TRS in Dubbaka is also pulling all stops to make their presence felt. It's a water testing elections for both TRS and BJP much before the actual battle cry starts.

TRS's inking pact with MIM for seat sharing by no means was a vote cutter for BJP in any case but may consolidate win against BJP's candidates. Muslims as such are not going to vote for BJP per se. BJP may try to polarise voters on religious lines and fence sitters with development and growth plank. GMHC elections are very vital for both the parties because it has potential to set the course of wind to flow in the times to come.

Immediately after Dubbaka debacle, KCR govt which was very well within its right to postpone elections to February had caught BJP by surprise. Timely elections could have two possibilities that it has denied BJP extra time for preparations and TRS had worked out strategies to cover the gaping holes well before the polls were announced. KCR is a shrewd politician who knows that timing is the most important factor.

When the whole world was expecting him to postpone, he surprised everyone by announcing it thus denying main rival BJP a tactical advantage for war readiness. BJP is all charged to send strong signals of their presence in otherwise virgin waters of Telangana and wish to prove that their victory in Dubbaka was no fluke. They are going to put their best into this elections which is actually good for the polity.

A healthy and strong opposition party may push the ruling party to some quality work for the common good of masses. People can expect better governance and response to their issues. TRS shall have to shed ambivalence and complacency in their own best interests.

It's the voter who shall have last laugh in this election and should vote consciously and prudently by disregarding any other consideration other than what and who is good for their city. Choosing the best is the only way to help themselves.

BJP is no David and TRS is no Goliath as of now but if TRS continue to ignore the interests of common people who had waited six decades to realise their dreams, may force BJP to assume the role of David through their discretion and discriminatory powers.

BJP's advent and rise in Telangana may have given fragmented opposition parties a reason to realign and re-energise its cadre.

TRS which had developed signs of inertia, power misuse and apathy towards burning issues concerning general masses will have to reinvent itself to take on the BJP whose recent successes in by-elections have emboldened them to widen the chinks in TRS party. Challenge for KCR is nothing new but to save party and shake cadre from complacency is monumental.

Ashok Goswami, Mumbai

Congress is comatose, no hope in sight yet

The drubbing of Congress party in the recent Bihar assembly polls and bypolls held in various states sends a warning signal to the party to change its style of functioning to be in the political arena as a national alternative to BJP or else it is as good as dead. In this context, Congress stalwart Kapil Sibal fed-up with stereotype statements coming from party after every poll loss in the last six years that "we need to introspect the failings and take measures to improve poll prospects in future" has rightly come out that affirmative action within a time-frame is the need of the hour to salvage the party' fortunes in future hustings because time for introspection under the present circumstances is over and an attempt towards this end will only be a futile exercise.

Instead of taking the remarks positively and take steps for corrective action, senior congress leader Salman Khurshid attacking Kapil Sibal was not only improper but totally unjustified. Obviously, from the day, G-23 shot a letter to Sonia Gandhi expressing anguish in not following democratic process, the writing on the wall was clear that the party is on the verge of division.

The abysmal performance in the recent polls goes to prove that fortunes of Congress is dwindling across the country at a faster pace due to directionless and lacklustre leadership resulting in erosion of its base in every state. When this been so, brushing under the carpet statements of Kapil Sibal and other stalwarts about party's functioning affirms the fact that party is deliberately stalling not to elect a non-Gandhi at the helm.

Further, when the grand old party is at crossroads, it is unfortunate that coterie close to the Gandhi family is unwilling to adopt democratic process or showing interest to recognise the talent to rejuvenate the party at every level. In short, what is shocking is that CWC, decision making body of the party do not want to see reason given by the top brass in their letter even when the party's base across the country has plummeted to a new low signaling the end sooner or later.

Notwithstanding the fact, people have lost reposing faith in congress because the party has not only lost its sheen under the present leadership but is also not anymore the kind of force it used to be once. Despite the downward spiral, the party's silence to enforce changes in order to bring a turnaround tells the tragic tale that it does want to change.

Now even after the party is bashed inside and out after the implosion, the infighting going on with party's leader in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury firing a salvo at the party's trusted lieutenant Kapil Sibal asking him to leave the party if not happy is a clear indication that the party is neither interested to embrace democratic processes nor make efforts to end rumblings which is growing louder by the day.

In other words, time has come to seriously introspect the failings and set it right instead of targeting top brass who are not only critical of party's functioning but wanted to see the party change for the better in order to stay in the race.

K R Srinivasan, Secunderabad

Will KCR outwit the Opposition once again?

The unexpected debacle of TRS party in recent Dubbaka polls, sent warning bells to the ruling party for the sudden announcement of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation Elections (GHMC) elections.

It is pertinent to recall some recent past facts for the rise of Telangana Rashtra Samiti in elections arena. The party formed in April 2001 with a sole objective to carve out separate Telangana state from Andhra Pradesh.

Many eminent leaders of the region, irrespective of political affiliations strived for this cause, including senior leaders like former Union Minister Jaipal Reddy, Jana Reddy, MPs Madhu Yashki, Ponnam Prabhakar, Ananda Bhaskar (Congress), even BJP leaders like Venkaiah Naidu, B Dattatreya, Kishan Reddy. At last, new State was formed in June 2014. Late Jaipal Reddy rightly stated at that time; while every leader and grassroot worker contributed for Telangana cause, it is only K Chandrashekhar Rao, who hijacked its entire credit, leaving others at bay.

KCR and his party succeeded in forming his first government much to the dismay of Congress, which in fact, played a pivotal role as ruling party at Centre to pass the legislation in Parliament for the formation of Telangana State. Since last six years, many promises were made by TRS, keeping abreast the sentiments of Telangana voters and ensured to win several local and municipal polls including GHMC since then.

Make believe world was shown to rural and urban masses by TRS Chief with magnificent promises like free double bed rooms, Rytu Bandhu Pathakam, free ration distribution, free education to needy etc.

Many of these schemes yet not seen the light of the day, some are discontinued due to lack of funds in exchequer. All these freebies naturally burdened the new State with debts of Rs 2.29 lac crores till 2019-20, while Telangana had a debt of just Rs 79.88 crores in 2013-14. Still, our CM boasts that Telangana is a richest State ! Scant attention was paid to the development projects while mission Bhagirath and other irrigation projects left sub-standard quality causing huge budgetary expenses.

Opposition leaders day in day out alleging, huge State funds went into drains ! But the ruling party leader neither cared to check the same nor serious of their statements. Reason, TRS with absolute majority in House, is comfortable in saddle. Out of 28 Congress MLAs elected in last Assembly polls, TRS ensured to woo 12 members to its fold, increasing to 103, thus reducing Opposition to non- entity on the floor.

Engineering of opposition party Members at MPTC, ZPTC of local bodies was also systematically carried out. The party men with the 'blessings' of their leader ensured to sent his daughter Kavitha, hitherto lost in Lok Sabha polls, to recently concluded State Council from Nizamabad. Decks cleared gradually, so as to groom the young Minister and CM's son as successor of the supreme leader; while party reigns already entrusted to him. Now, being a shrewd politician, KCR realised the fast changing undercurrent at grass root level.

If left unnoticed, this may give a upper hand for opposition to stabilise. Hence the sudden call of elections in Baldia. Though illiterate, electorate too are equally shrewd, may not require much time to turn the table to the surprise of their masters. There are many precedents for this. Perhaps, GHMC polls may have several surprises in its store!

Govardhan R Jilla, Mumbai

Barack Obama impresses Indians with his new book

"A memoir is an invitation into another person's privacy"-These words of Isabel Allende are so right and reveals to the readership about the person and his journey of life a mixture of delight and dismay. In his newly released memoir, "A Promising land", former US president Barack Obama made some interesting comments on Indian mythology, Mahatma Gandhi, on contemporary political leaders and their attitudes. These comments have grabbed the attention of Indian media and created commotion in political circles.

We are well aware that Barack Obama had his fascination towards India and he himself disclosed that he would always carry Hanuman statuette in the pocket to get inspiration whenever he feels discouraged. Of late, he made it clear that in his 902 pages book "A promising land" Though he had never been to India before his presidential visit in 2010, he had his fascination with India because in his partly spent childhood in Indonesia he grew by listening epic Hindu tales of Ramayana and Mahabharata. Of course, he also revealed that Pakistan and Indian college friends, Dal and keema making and Bollywood movies are also in the row. This view of Barry (Pet name of Barack Obama) makes every lover of Ramayana and Mahabharata proud that they have chiselled and supplied a great leader to the world.

His book "A promising land "starts very promisingly with two excellent quotes one from an African American spiritual "O fly and never tire, Fly and never tire, Fly and never tire, There's a great camp-meeting in the promising land and the other was from Robert Frost's "Kitty Hawk" –"Don't discount our powers; We have made a pass; At the infinite. This book contains 902 pages, 7 parts, and twenty-seven chapters.

In the preface, Obama has opened his heart without any hesitancy for his shortfalls as president and about this unplanned writing that has resulted in two volumes in which one has hit the markets on Tuesday. In this book, he wrote about his journey of life precisely and recollected his various types of experiences since 2008 as a person and as a US president. Further, he also stated that parents and teachers should have to play a bigger role in transforming the generation "Y". He invited the young through this book to work for a better world with hard work, determination, with a large dose of imagination.

In this book, he made some attention-grabbing comments about India and its political tribe that has created ripples in a calm stream. He has shown his high respect towards India for its multiplicity in culture and its uniqueness of togetherness. He adored Gandhi and his non-violence that has won on brits in the independence movement of India, his determination for the well-being of dispossessed and marginalized groups.

He has expressed his displeasure too on Gandhi's efforts on caste system eradication and division of Pakistan based on religion. His views about contemporary politicians like Sonia Gandhi, Indian ex-prime minister Manmohan Singh, Rahul Gandhi, and not mentioning the present Indian premier Narendra Modi has created flutters in the political circles. Further, more interestingly the political outfits and their mouthpieces are interpreting in their way.

It was so right the words of Tariq Ramadan about the interpretation of other's opinions" The world is a complex place and the influence of the media in its representation and its power of communication and interpretation is a remarkable amplifier of emotions and illusions". The views and opinions of the ex-American President Obama have hit the world particularly India before his book hit the stores across the world.

His views about Indian Ex-Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh has reflected his keen observation and judging of his contemporaries. He called Dr Singh as scrupulously honest and icon for Indian economic reforms and expressed his displeasure over the inept handling of the 2011 November attacks in Mumbai that could symbolize him as anti-Muslim. He opined this has strengthened the opposition party BJP. The media as well as all the political outfits decently imbibed these words because it was a balanced statement.

He also made an interesting comment on Rahul a scion of the Nehru-Gandhi family that instead to have an attitude and passion to master the subject he is only having an eagerness to impress the teacher. Obama wrote that Rahul is a nervous and an ununiformed personality. These comments about Rahul has become viral on social media and gave scope to his opponents have termed it as "International humiliation".

Some of his party men also hailed it as an "Apt" remark behind the curtains. At the same time, he praised his mother Sonia Gandhi's beauty as "We are told of the handsomeness of men Charlie Crist and Rahm Emanuel but not the beauty of women except for one or two instances, as in the case of Sonia Gandhi. He also described that Sonia Gandhi as shrewd with forceful intelligence, dressed in a traditional sari, with dark probing eyes and quiet, regal presence. He also commented on her choice of Dr. Singh as premier with a weak political background that cannot pose any threat to her son's political prospects.

These comments mirror the ability of Obama and his comprehension of the happenings in the outside world. It is noticeable that in his first volume of "A Promising Land "he hasn't he didn't mention present prime minister Modi's name; this has been noticed and tweeted by an MP of Congress Shashi Tharoor and he interpreted In his style. Yes, the fans of Modi have to wait for Obama's views on Modi.

Of course, who knows the second volume of "A Promising Land "may find promising remarks about Modi? This suspense could be continued until the second volume hits the stores. So wait for the right time to happen. Is it not correct "Timing is everything; if it meant to happen, It will, at the right time for the right reasons".

E Gajendra Nath Reddy, Badvel