SHRINIDHI HANDE writes from Madras: It may sound absurd, of course. But I see great benefit to the BJP if it chooses to suppress its political rivalry with the Congress for a few months and support the Manmohan Singh government on the Indo-US nuclear deal.
For months now, the left parties have been holding the UPA government to ransom on the n-deal. The differences between the two has even brought their relationship to break point. The Congress is desperately hunting for prospective allies, like the Samajwadi Party, to save the government.
What we are seeing right now is political opportunism of the obnoxious kind. But…
What if the BJP came to the Congress’ rescue?
After all, there’s no rule that an opposition party shouldn’t support the ruling party. After all, it was the BJP government headed by Atal Behari Vajpayee that had given flight to the nuclear dreams the second time round in Pokhran, a decade ago.
If the BJP can bury their animosity for the Congress, I believe this will help create history.
Here’s how:
1) It would send a strong message to the nation and the world that the BJP will not its political rivalry with the Congress come in the way of “supreme national interest”.
2) Such a move would surely impress lots of voters who may not see the BJP the way the BJP would like to see them. This could be encashed by the party in the next general election.
3) The general elections are less than a year away. So the timing would be just perfect, and the BJP’s magnanimity will be fresh in the minds of voters till that time.
4) The BJP will earn the applause of the electorate for putting national interest above its own interests, for saving the government, and for avoiding a mid-term poll.
5) Backing the Congress will help the BJP clip the wings of its arch rivals, the left parties, who have been contributing nothing to the nation’s progress, but setting hurdles in its path at every opportunity. The BJP’s move will drastically reduce the importance of left parties altogether.
6) Manmohan Singh was never able to think and act on his own, as he always had to bow to the demands of his allies. By saving his government and allowing him to complete his term, the nation and the world will be able to see if he is capable of doing anything bold and effective. If he succeeds, good for him and good for the country. If he fails, good for the BJP.
Do you see any harm in the BJP backing the Congress on the nuclear deal? Does the BJP have the large heart required for this? Does the Congress have the humility to accept such support? Will such a move help restore the trust of the people in politics and politicians?
Do you see any harm in the BJP backing the Congress on the nuclear deal?
No harm seen..
Does the BJP have the large heart required for this?
No! If it has, nothing like it!
Does the Congress have the humility to accept such support?
No! If it has, nothing like it!
Why should BJP bail out Manmohan when his government rejected every single suggestion made by the BJP?
1. BJP asked for a Joint Parliamentary committee to look at the agreement. In the US, both the houses debated it threadbare. Here Manmohan Singh just allowed the opposition to shout for few days in Parliament and closed the chapter.
2. After repeated pleading by the BJP, Manmohan finally arranged for a presentation by NSA. Jaswant Singh even praised the diplomats on their work. At the end of the meeting, BJP took the deal to study for itself and found the deal, unsatisfactory. Arun Shourie made a point-by-point rebuttal of the government’s claims.
3. BJP repeatedly sought to know the implication of the Hyde act on the 123 agreement. Manmohan Singh lied on every forum (parliament, national TV and to the press) that Hyde act doesn’t influence 123. Hyde act ofcourse forces India to destroy its relationship with Iran and nullifies the 123 agreement if India conducts further nuclear tests.
4. Advani went out of his way to suggest an amendment to the Indian Atomic Energy act so that we can offer a political response to the US Hyde act. Manmohan Singh did not even bother to respond.
Everytime BJP offered to cooperate, Manmohan Singh humiliated the party and kept on talking to the Left. And then he behaved like an immature child and antagonized the Left, when they didn’t play ball.
Now unmindful of the political consequences for his own party, he throws tantrums at Sonia Gandhi, threatening to humiliate her by resigning and throwing the government in chaos. Sonia Gandhi might be gracious enough to humor this immature, immodest and ungrateful man and help him secure his legacy, but why should the BJP do the same?
BJP is not obligated to support a treaty which is detrimental to the national interest. The PM does not have the courtesy to meet the NDA led delegation that was sent to meet him under George Fernandez’s leadership and outright humiliated the entire delegation by asking them to get out and refusing them a meeting. I am very distressed that we are being ruled by such a uncouth person. Now he want BJP to bail him out of the mess that he created by blindly rushing into this agreement. Let this guy stew in his own juice
:(
Balaji,
I agree with you. Note that BJP is not opposing the deal but it is asking for renegotiation of the deal. But left is opposed to the deal because the deal is with US and it seems it is anti Muslim (they communalize an energy deal and call themselves secular). They even oppose any strategic ties with US. This stand is not only ridiculous but anti national too. They say India should not issue any statement on Tibet issue because it is an “internal issue” of China but they oppose the deal on the grounds that US attacked Iraq and Afghanistan. In this case it is somehow not an internal issue of US.
Every Indian may not agree with the Communists, but they have been consistent in their position. If the Left had supported this nuclear and military partenership with US, that would have rank opportunism.
Communist fascination with China is not very unlike BJP/Manmohan/Middle class fascination with US or Indira’s fascination with the Soviet Union.
Tibet is not a trivial issue. Indian activism there would jeopardize India’s claims over Kashmir. Tibet is a mess created by the British and made worse by India’s stupid aggression against the Chinese in 1962.
BJP support would have made sense, and actually made a difference about six months back when there was something to gain by showing magnanimity/statesmanship.
If the Congress is going to bribe the UNPA into supporting the deal, it discredits both parties as being power hungry and leaves the communists out of the powert/influence/support loop.
Perfect situation for the BJP to exploit next elections…
Congress has not been transparent about the nuclear deal. They have never shown the draft agreement to the Communists, and so it is obvious that they are hiding something from the people of India.
In such a situation, it does not make sense for BJP to support the Congress.
I did not like the article as it seemed like a seen for a (political) fiction novel! However, the comments on the blogs have been really enlightening. That is what I like about blogs. If someone is interested in the “True story”, read blogs and avoid all the biased and disillusioning news papers and news channels.
Disregarding politics for a while, wonder what any of the political parties opposing the nuclear deal have to offer as an alternative for our county’s energy problems?
Some (naive) questions from my side. Basically things which I feel will impact my daily life in the coming years.
1. If the price of oil goes up some more, how do the political parties plan to keep inflation/rising prices of basic commodities down?
2. Do they have an alternative approach to minimizing wastage in the power sector and in general inefficiency in the industrial and domestic power consumption. And what of petrol/diesel based transportation? When they have been unable to cut inefficiency in the functioning of the government itself, what can we expect here?
3. The deal is supposed to help us move forward in the area of nuclear power generation. If the deal does not go through – what alternative do they have to offer to develop homegrown scientific and industrial breakthroughs which will meet our energy needs? What of plans of funding into research and development to put our coal/natural gas/solar power to better use. Or even for that do we just hope for MIT/Stanford to do the research and some American/European/Japanese/Chinese companies to bring the technology to production and then sell it to us.
Or are do we just keep depending more and more on imported oil hoping that the energy problems will go away?
Nothing strange. This has happened before. Narasimharao completed his term, because BJP supported him. He had taken BJP into confidence on many issues. Where as, the present UPA has survived all these days with their hatred towards BJP being advertised. They do not have the cheek to ask BJP for their support.
Nice to see all these comments… More thought provoking and informative than my post…
BJP has not come out with their stand on this issue clearly. They must view this issue beyond political level. If signing the deal is OK for them then BJP should tell so and support the Government and expose the Communists and SP that they do not have the final word in the matter of stablity of the Government. It is also good for BJP to allow this UPA Government to complete their term and set right the economic disaster that they have created.
Very sensible, informative and educative arguments. I appreciate Hande for his modesty and starting the course of arguments.
On the N Deal issue, BJP’s behaviour has been inconsistent and its guilty of indulging in worst kind of politicking on the issue..
BJP will do nothing that will help the Deal by voting with Congress even though it hurts the Deal which may be in the interest of India.
hI ALL,
When it comes to NATIONAL INTEREST of USA, the democrats and republicans arre ONE. The Left works ideologically and cannot understand that Russia and china also sided with USA in security council and IAEA.The following report by IRNA shows the banckruptsy of Muslim leadership and also how CLERICS are involved in foreign policy and making a fool of themselves.
IRNA report of delhi “””Indian Muslim clerics Thursday termed Indo-US civilian nuclear deal as “anti-national”, a day after Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati termed the Indo-US nuclear deal as “anti-Muslim”.
Talking to IRNA, eminent Muslim scholars and religious leaders, Maulana Syed Mukarram Ahmed, Friday Prayers leader of Fatehpuri Mosque at Delhi and Maulana Syed Kalbe Sadiq, Vice Chairman, All-India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) called upon UPA government not to proceed with the nuclear cooperation agreement with the United States.
“Any alignment with US imperialism to impose unipolarity will dissolve India’s distinctiveness in world politics. This is precisely what the Muslim clerics seek to prevent in the interests of India and its people” said Muslim clerics.
Repeated assertions that India’s foreign policy will not be subject to external pressure, have not evoked confidence after Iran episode.
Spokesman for the Bush administration have often cited India’s attitude on Iran to be a test, said Muslim clerics. Adding that even before the nuclear cooperation agreement was finalised, the government responded by voting against Iran, not once, but twice in the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Meanwhile, eminent Muslim scholars and religious leaders on Wednesday met Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati and asked her to exert her “influence” in stalling the Indo-US nuclear deal terming it as “anti-national”.
The Muslim leaders drawn from both the Shia and Sunni sects, including Maulana Kalbe Sadiq, met the Chief Minister at her official residence in Lucknow, capital of Uttar Pradeh, requested her to help stall the nuclear deal describing it as “anti national”.
Muslim political leadership’s silence says it all.
I would have thought that the BJP think tank (Jaitley, Modi et al) would have been smart about the N-deal. They have everything to gain by voting for the deal and not introduce a no confidence motion. Elections are due in less than a year’s time if not earlier, anyway. A shaky government for the next few months will only help their cause (or are we missing something?).
BJP and Congress have a lot in common.
It was under Congress rule, the historic Babri Masjid was demolished; It was under BJP rule Gujarat 2002 genocide happened.
It was under Congress rule, economy was liberalised; It was under BJP rule “India shined”.
It was under Congress rule, Bangladesh was liberated; It was under BJP rule “Kargil” happened.
Congress had “Nagarwala, bofors scams”: BJP had ”Kargil coffin scam, Petrol bunk allotment scam, tehelka scam – who could forget the immortal lines of BJP national president Bangaru Lakshman “Give me in dollors!” – and also the filmy comment of some BJP bigwig from Jharkhand “Paisa khuda se kam nahin”.
Congress sits over “Sri Krishna report”; BJP failed to release the white paper on ISI terrorism. (Have you noted it? Nowadays nobody talks about ISI)
Congress has Ibrahim sheriffs, Gulam Nabi Azads etc etc; BJP has Shanawaz Hussains, Muqtar Abbas Naqwis etc etc.
Congress works as a B team of BJP; BJP works as a B team of Congress.
So the idea of these two parties coming together over a issue is not shocking.
Azeez,
Great comparison. Come to think of it, the Left – the self appointed protectors of the national interest – are blatantly communal in Kerala, outright capitalists in West Bengal and pretentiously protectionist at the Centre. No wonder the UPA is paying a heavy price for having supped with them.
mullah Luthfullah says:
“It was under Congress rule, Bangladesh was liberated; It was under BJP rule “Kargil” happened”
Are you sad that Bangladesh happened?Congress had nothing to do with that.It was the Pakistani muslims raping and killing Bangladeshi muslims and Hindus(of course Bangladeshis later turned out to be ungrateful traitors) that drove India to war.Too bad the islamic warriors got beaten by the Kafirs!!
As for Kargil,it was again Islamic pakistan’s treachery that caused it.Again the islamic wariors got beaten and they left their dead behind!!
@Azeez
Interesting comparison.
In India when politicians do not get what they want they communalise it. Are the leftists not as communal as anyone else in this country? In fact they are more communal than anyone else since they commit a forbidden sin against their declared ideologies.
Mr Luthfullah,
I am a regular visitor to Churumuri but never bothered to respond but now I am forced to. First of all,let me be clear – I am neither a BJP supporter nor a Congressman. However, my views are shaped to a large extent by the attitude of educated muslims like you who do not have any gratitude for their motherland. You are not happy that India won in Bangladesh and Kargil wars. You are sad that our economy was liberalised and India shined creating numerous jobs, including jobs for people like you.
I understand religion is important but there should never be a conflict in your commitment to religion and motherland. In spite of your comments, if you are from India, I consider you as a brother irrespective of any other thing. All I ask in return is unconditional love for my motherland. As long as that is not going to happen, most people like you will feel like second class citizens wherever you go.
@ Bhup
I thought you are a diehard BJP fan!. Your own Vajpayee complemented the role of Indhira Gandhi and hailed her as Durga devi. Now you give credit to the Pakistanis. What does it signify?
I am not the one who forgets the details. Remember, Uma Bharathi once forgot the lines of National Anthem and stumbled for the next stanza. And the big stars of Hindutva brigade at the dais could not help her.
And Kargil…! It is so fresh!. It has happened just a couple of elections back. And you have forgotten the great deeds of Heroes of Kargil…! You want to give the credit to the Pakistanis..! Ooops! I don’t know what to say! Perhaps you remember Kargil for the Kargil coffin scam!
BJP and Congress have many more similarities.
Congress is known for factions and groups. Similar is the case of BJP. In Tamil Nadu we have lakshman gp and radha krishnan gp and Thirunavukkarasar gp. In your state you have ediyurappa gp and anantha kumar gp. At national level there is a long list of second level leaders… It is different tale.
Congress is known for Aya Rams and gaya Rams. So many stalwarts outgo and return to it. BJP too has its share of Aya Rams and gaya rams. Remember the chubby faced Khurana…! Is he still in the party?
OK Azeez…
What are you trying to convey? BJP is Bad, Congress is Bad. You want to sell this country to Left, right? Go ahead. Signing Nuclear Deal or Making a Nuclear Bomb could be anti-musilm because moment Indica becomes powerful with energy, Pakistan can not wag its tails. Moment India becomes self-sufficient (self-respected) with military power, Pakistan is sidelined. So, the moral of the story is India should not become anti-Pakistan.
For you, India should not sign the deal for the sake of not becoming anti-muslim. For Leftists, India should not sign the deal for the sake of not becoming anti-China! Great guys, God save you and your …..
Wonderful reading the comments, particularly when someone with Muslim name writes, everyone’s cheddi become twisted.
Why do muslim name has to prove his “Nationalist” thoughts to you Cheddis, con’t you discuss without that??
But then again you cheddis are inferior complex guys..always looking for meaning between the lines…to remind yourself of dhimmi days.
Well, atleast SP has shown the sagacity to take risk and thread a path that is in national interest.
For all those who consider SP a two bit player without a national vision, lets remember they also did not support congress when they sought to make Sonia Gandhi the prime minister 10 years back.
So, while not liking the Minority politics of Mulayam, I have to say he is far more of a nationalist than BJP in many respects.
mullah Luthfullah:
Now you give credit to the Pakistanis. What does it signify?
What Islamic logic!!When I say the Bangladesh war was caused by the pakistan genocide,does it mean I am giving credit to Pakistan?How can anybody give credit to a party that lost badly in the war?Is simple logic also anti-islamic?As for your post about Kargil,I will just ignore islamic scholar like you.Maybe you have proof of israeli mossad executing the Kargil operations.
Politics bro is strange will congress do something like you asked like support the bjp if its in government to have a uniform civil code, thats your answer.
Every effort of our soldiers and scientists has been wasted by our wonderful politicians.
1971 should have been the stepping stone for peace in our subcontinent – after we had whipped Pakistan – we should have shoved peace down their throats – and settled the Kashmir issue once and for all!
After the 1973 Pokhran nuclear explosion we should have declared ourselves as a Nuclear Power instead of a hypocritical stance for over 25 years until the next nuclear explosion.
We have to admire China for at least one reason – they care two hoots about what the rest of the world thinks or says – and like it or not the world respects them for this.
Maybe it is time we too started to think independently for a change.
Religion is something one should leave at home – when it leaves the home – it is no longer religion but politics by a different name. Uniform civil code – one law for the land – is certainly the only option for any country other than an Islamic country. The forefathers of the Muslims of our country have already exercised that option in 1947 – and decided that secularism was better – we should just go ahead and implement it now! No Hindu, Muslim, Christian or Buddhist Law – just an Indian Law!
Shrinidhi,
Even I was thinking on similar lines. Why opposition parties always oppose the ruling party even if there is some good thing in the decision taken? Both opposition and ruling party legislatures are elected by the people. Once elected they should look at the collective good and not at the petty opportunistic politics. Then cant they agree on the deal which is supposedly beneficial to the nation as proclaimed by our scientists.
Raveesh