Loksatta editor Kumar Ketkar argues in The Indian Express that the BJP has become a hybrid organisation pulled in different directions by moderates, hardliners and lunatics.
Result: the party cannot recognise the real face from the several masks it has acquired for electoral persuasion:
“In Manmohan Singh, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, the vast majority across classes and castes, has found the real plural India. Today, along with the markets, most Indian people have introspected and recognised the the folly of militant Mandir and Mandal politics. That is why we saw the decimation of Mulayam and Mayawati, the marginalisation of Pawar and Paswan, and the discomfiture of Advani and Modi. Plural India has triumphed.”
Read the full article: Mask upon mask in the BJP
churumuri 
BJP has become a hybrid organisation pulled in different directions by moderates, hardliners and lunatics.
That served well during the heady days of you know when. So BJP tried the same now to their own constituency…. alas it did not work out.
Louh purush should have ironed out his image first, what he is, before accusing “nikamma” to someone else.
Plural India has triumphed
Hmm…lets not be so quick.
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This election has clearly proved that the Indian Media and Journalism (Blogs included) are one of the best in post mortem.
It has already proved that they are nothing but bookies when it comes to predicting the trends through sound research and analysis.
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BJP should think of Dynastic politics if it has to survive. Bring your children into politics-young and energetic!
See Mr. Karunanithi!
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Its because of the media, secular persons and also Ram Mandir!
Only way to come back to power once again is “DO ACTION” and dont be paper tigers.
Build Ram mandir, people will be back to BJP
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Dont lose heart BL. This is just an election. No need to swing to the extreme right as an answer for this defeat. BJP needs to regroup. And show maturityat this crucial juncture, otherwise it will go back to 2 seats.
I personally think Varun Gandhi and Narendra Modi’s projection as PM candidate were the major factors in this defeat.
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BL, Building Ram Mandir wont solve this country’s problem. In fact it feeds fodder for more pseudo-secular rants. BJP has 5 years, ample time to come up with development plan etc. It should also introduce fresh faces.
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the message is all nice. but i find it amusing that just because one party one the most number of seats, this mood is being acribed to the entire nation.
congress + got ~29% of the total votes.
http://eci.nic.in/results/frmPercentVotesPartyWiseChart.aspx
~70% did not vote for congress (secularism)
~80% didnot vote for bjp. (hindutva).
~60% didnot vote for regional + bsp (mandal)
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Percentage of votes polled by Congress has hardly increased in spite contesting alone in UP and Bihar. Almost everyone has voted the same way they had in the previous election. Only number seats have changed. No need to come to any conclusions. India voted for stability and all that is just “Rubbish”. Only concusion that we can draw is that Left parties has been totally marginalized. “ASHTE”
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Junja
Percentage of votes polled by Cong has increased 9% in Uttar Pradesh and 6% in Bihar.
Overall, there is a 3% shift towards Congress in the whole country and a 3% negagive swing against BJP
The difference between the two major parties is now close to 10%
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TS,
The numbers thrown up by the election results are the nation’s choice. You are free to vote and you know how it works. Not voting for someone or voting against someone else is just semantics. That way nothing can be ascribed to the entire nation. Elections are the closest we can get for a large number of people making some kind of choice. Probably not the best way, beats anarchy, mob rule or rule by sharia. And keeps the hungry hordes from revolting for a few years.
So for now the country chose, UPA won, NDA and the other fronts lost.
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Not voting for someone or voting against someone else is just semantics. That way nothing can be ascribed to the entire nation.
no no, semantics might not be everything, but neither is broad stroke. my whole point is why use a vote to cynically “peel out a mandate”? our elections are not a mandate for any particular issue. and that is to be understood and celebrated. by quirk of electoral dynamics, if bjp won, does it mean a mandate for hardline hindutva? no.
my whole point is why this desperate urge to ascribe anything to the whole nation? for me it is comforting and completely sufficient that we are a people of competing local perceptions, world views and impulses and yet we come together to respect the the covenant of the commons aka constitution. why do we have to be sheep of any idealogical leaning?
people here wail against sanskritization, despite the fact that krishna and yashoda are indian universals. but yet they are ok with bulldozing people’s disparate expressions, with some neo-revisionist theoretical ideas when it comes to elections? too much nonsense only this is.
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gokuhellboy – Building the Rama Mandir was never meant to solve any problem, just like building the Somanath Mandir was not too. However, let us not forget that the BJP grew out of a collective Hindu will that started with the Mandir campaign. I know that even traditional Congress and Communist voters were part of the Rama Mandir campaign.
It was only when the BJP abandoned it was when it fell. Fell too because the Hindus realized that the BJP had meant to milk it rather than do anything constructive with the energy generated.
There is no hope in hell for the BJP if it abandons it’s Hindu agenda. At least no hope for a BJP that was meant to be. That’s what is showing up.
The thing is this; it will not take much time for parties with precisely this Hindu agenda to come on to the fray and occupy the vacant slot left by the BJP. And these parties will learn not to turn against their agenda like the BJP did to it’s utter detriment.
So let the BJP have “good governance” as it’s center piece. Soon Hindus will look for more than that. In other Hindu parties.
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Even in elections be as individual as you want – I guess India is better off than many places in that regard. But when it comes to elections, it is necessarily a collective action with a small set of results i.e. from the set of parties who have the means to put up candidates. The whole objective, setup and process is clear and transparent. The choice of the masses translates to victory or loss. Percentages are a part of the game, but everyone knows that before even taking part in elections. Winners and losers knew the rules of the game, and they accept the verdict as the choice of the nation.
The winners hold real power and to some extent power over the lives all 100% of the people of the nation for the next few years. Not much theory here no?
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And the social contract that is the constitution. I wonder how many people of us Indians have really understand its essence in terms of a social contract we have agreed on as a base minimum.
Given that social justice isn’t there yet in our country, the elections are one of the few real manifestations of this abstract concept for most of us yet-to-evolve-fully people.
Maybe in another two or three generations, the majority of us (our grandchildren?) will genuinely grasp the idea of a covenant. After all we have achieved so much in just 1 generation since independence. Maybe then we can start to do away with big, bad elections and start going back to our local ways even for governance.
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Interesting to see changing parameters all of a sudden ….
– If Congress is all about development, clean-admin etc., that is the parameter with which we should argue/discuss. Dont tell me that Cong is secular and that solves all problems of India.
So, forget about popularistic issues like ram-temple, Jai-Ho song, etc and look at the performance criteria. Are there any big differences between BJP, Cong or anyone else?
Was the GQ project launched by NDA wrong for the nation? Why Cong did not continue this project with full-speed? What happend with 3G spectrum launch? Is it false that Gandhi family & friends earned huge commission in XXXX deals? Is it false that cong/UPA did partisan politics in the context of Karnataka / BJP? Is it not TUR that Lallu did huge scam in railway recruitment? Is it not TURE that UPA bought votes during no-conf-mot (nuclear mess)? Is it not TRUE Cong (who ruled the most of the nation for the most of the time since indep..) ensured corruption is part-and-parcel of India?
POINT I AM TRYING TO SAY HERE IS that whole lot of great intellects seems to be just happy that ‘secular’ rule the country…. Who cares how-many go-hungry daily? who cares on corruption-index India keeps slipping……
BJP certainly has to fix its internal issues like any other house /party…but…
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Pak paper’s take on Indian elections:
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/columnists/i-a-rehman-the-indian-election-159
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Palahalli
People now have realised that Ram Mandir is not a vote plank and you need more development and people friendly policies to get the electorate approval.
BJP by tilting right with Varun and Modi tried to test the waters for the policy you suggested, and look what happened. 3-4% vote change and the result is out for the whole world to see.
We need good governance, a suave and diplomatic man for the top job.
BJP dearly misses Atalji. His charm left even his opponents flat. The man was just too good.
And secondly BJP has a serious pro-Hindi tilt. I suggest they opt for a southern leader for the top job. Venkaiah Naidu & Yeddyurappa are few choices.
Correct my ignorance, if any.
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BJP is still an important national party despite its defeat in this election.
WHAT THEY NEED TO DO NOW?
1. Concentrate on behaving as a responsible opposition at the Centre as well as the states where they are not ruling, for the next 3-1/2 to 4 years. Let people judge them by their ideas, suggestions and stand on various issues of the day. It is necessary to be sincere in their thinking as the people can see through deceptive strategies.
2. POLITICS NEEDS TO MATURE AND CHILDISH BEHAVIOUR LIKE THE CURRENT INFIGHTING AND APPORTIONING BLAME ON EACH OTHER WILL LEAD NOWHERE.
3. 1 to 1-1/2 year before the next election, they must identify the issues that are important by meeting the people of all the constituencies and decide their response to each issue sincerely, not necessarily opposed to the views of other parties.
4. Answer the question, why any voter should vote for the BJP.
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@Simple,
That is what I am trying to say. In spite of increasing the vote share in UP and Bihar, over all at the national level it has remained the same. Gains made in UP and Bihar is lost at many other places. India voted for stability is just rubbish and it is simply the opinion of English mafia sorry media.
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mysorehuduga – How does one say what a “vote plank” is? If “development and people friendly policies” were indeed the only vote planks then how did the BJP gain votes during the Janmabhoomi movement? The BJP was new. Was untested. Promised to pursue the Hindu agenda. Even at that time it promised honest and corruption free government. It promised to take India to great heights. So, first of all delinking Janmabhoomi and “development” was the BJP’s coalition convenience and not a necessity. The party compromised its core value.
Detractors have always been saying that the BJP “is testing” waters whenever the BJP takes a hard-line position. There never seems to be a time when the BJP actually is “hard-line”. It is “testing” forever. Now, either this line is a media/detractor ruse to confuse the BJP or it is a fact. This is specific to the BJP’s position. My view is that the BJP loses support because of this confusion and not because of any hard-line position it takes. The Janmabhoomi movement was testimony to this fact.
We need uncompromising hard heads. Vajpayee was an ace compromiser who did not mind seeing his own party and its agenda decimated. Vajpayee was like slow poison. Nothing more, nothing less. Hindus need to know who stands by them and who doesn’t, clearly. Congress and of course BJP politics is cloak and dagger politics. Full of schemes and convenient positions that apply pain killers for our people. We all know what happens when too many pain killers are taken.
Sure the BJP can do with more southern leadership. But Sir, who can match what happened with Southern leaders in the Congress? Poor PVN had to come back South because he could not get a place on the death stretch.
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Palahalli,
Good point on southern leadership. Applies in general. Only someone with skills, charisma and hindi-speaking abilities will be able acceptable to the majority who live in the north. While still maintaining a base here in the South. Ramakrishna Hedge comes to mind as an example. Cant see anyone like that in current set across parties in the South – not even the sons and daughters who have been groomed to take over their father’s legacies.
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Anonymous Guy – “skills, charisma and hindi-speaking abilities” PVN had the first and third but got lost in the middle. I’m not sure if RK spoke Hindi so well. But why be a hostage to such nonsense?
Ambedkar had suggested a second national capital in the South. He had Hyderabad in mind. I still think it’s a great idea.
I forgot, what about that Supreme Court bench in the South?
Imagine! They call it “bench”!
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If I remember right, in addition to being a sanskrit scholar, Hedge also studied hindi at Benaras Hindu University and spoke it very well. PVN – in general people from telangana speak hindi better than most of us from the South. Probably was not a factor for a polyglot like PVN. Some south indians have even managed to win seats from the south and have been aided by their hindi speaking ability. While not a rule, unfortunately the ability to speak fluent hindi seems to be a factor for anyone aspiring for a long innings as a national leader.
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Junja
Elections is all about relative strengths.
last time, the difference between BJP and Cong wa a mere 2%. This time the gap has increased to 10%
Cong is clearly the single biggest party in India, and no party comes anywhere close to it.
Incumbent govts getting a 3% swing throughout the country is a fantastic achievement. Cong has not just got huge swings in UP and Bihar
Cong has got mega swings in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka (2%) Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Orissa, Bengal, Uttarkhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana, Punjab, Delhi.
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Palahalli
You are damaging the BJP further by this hardline approach. I consider Mr.Vajpayee the greatest statesman BJP has ever produced. Don’t be little his efforts.
Ram Janmabhoomi is a very emotional issue. But I think it has outlived its shelf life. Politicians have stretched this issue beyond reasoning, and now the public are left with no option but for a judicial solution.
I also feel that BJP supporters should tone down their hardline stance, and accomodate people of all castes for increasing vote base of BJP.
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mysorehudga
I think you are right on this. The electorate too displayed that with great confidence across India.
Indeed, the emerging India has rejected both the right and the left. The country of a billion people, determined to get its place in the sun, is seeking to tread a middle path of moderation, reason and pluralism.
So the real big story of the Election 2009 is not the re-election of Manmohan Singh or the rout of the left or right but the resurrection of Congress as the natural party of governance. The party has been reinvented as a national movement that reflects and represents the aspirations of all communities and faiths and both the rich and poor.
The kind of politics the Hindutva brigade has been peddling for decades has become irrelevant in the 21st century India. This is why even the BJP veterans found themselves squirming when Varun in an election rally exhorted “Hindu brothers” to join hands to drive all “traitors” to Pakistan.
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mysorehuduga – The BJP got scared of it’s own shadow. It seems it was never fully convinced about it’s stance. Vajpayee was a huge and underlined error.
The Janmabhoomi cannot be decided by the courts. We all know this. Do you think the courts can legislate against the Temple? No. Do you think it can legislate for the Masjid? No.
So, why do we common folk not talk more honestly? Why don’t we at least recognize the fact that the BJP gave up Janmabhoomi but the Hindus did not. Eventually the Hindus gave up BJP. All that it would take for the Janmabhoomi to rise again would be to pursue the secular hounds into court. As for why the Janmabhoomi with Kashi and Mathura remains important to Hindus is not a secret at all. If any Hindu does not realize it yet, either he needs to be informed or he’s lost anyways.
Can you please explain “hardline” and “taking along people of all castes”?
kingkhan – The one thing minorities must not do in these next 5 years is to push the Congress to make more compromises. I say this because the Congress will not refuse and therein lies the rub. Do you get it?
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@Simple
http://www.hindu.com/2009/05/18/stories/2009051854961100.htm
Vote share of state level parties and national level parties in this election have remained the same as in 2004 election. People have voted the same way as in the previous election. No dramatic changed as claimed by the media.
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Junja
The link that you have sent me shows that there is a massive 10% gap between BJP and Congress.
Whichobviously means people have not voted the same way as they did in 2004.
In 2004, the gap between Cong and BJP was just 2-3%. this time it is 10%. And you are still saying voting has not changed?
Left parties have lost massive vote share up to 7% and u still claim no major vote share has changed?
Tsk tsk…
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Palahalli
There you start again. Can’t you not reconcile to the fact that the Indian electorate has delivered its verdict that India is not communal.
And personally I suggest that you too reform yourself and think in terms of Indian resurrection. Then you too can lend a constructive hand.
I 100% agree with you on the fact that Muslims should not ask for special favours, and it is in their interest to join the mainstream.
Babri Masjid/Ram Janmabhoomi issue is very difficult to resolve. My personal solution would be a joint venture of a massive structure with people of both relegions practicing their faith on either side. Something like what they are doing in Jerusalem.
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Kingkhan – So the Hindus have relinquished their need for a recognized Hindu rashtra. Hmm, well there are always tests that can prove or disprove these claims.
Your “mid-way” on the Janmabhoomi reveals the secular – Muslim Achilles heal. Would you have offered this solution for Al-Aqsa? Let’s say the Jews destroyed it or the Christians did..would you offer a joint venture?
It’s interesting you mention some such work in Jerusalem. Is Israel safe now? Have all Muslim nations accepted its existence?
Kingkhan, the Congress may have won this election but that’s no reason for you to fly so high. We, you and I, have reality to deal with.
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Palahalli
I have serious doubts about you being a Desh Bhakt. Dont’ go on and on and on with the same track. Try to be constructive in your thoughts dear.
With regards to Babri Masjid issue…it was my personal path of a possible solution. But I think you would love the issue to be dragged on forever…possibly that is your agenda.
But dear friend India is no more in the dark ages. It can identify its strengths and weaknesses. People like you have been preying on people’s weaknesses and feeding them evil. Stop it before you yourself fall in your trap.
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Palahalli
Israel is a total different ball game. It no longer is David…it has become Goliath. And the muslim nations round it are nothing but puppets. Its Israel ruling all the way. Update yourself friend.
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kingkhan – Very nice arguments. Perfectly avoids the issue at hand. This is the game secularists and minorities have been playing. I think you should take your last suggestion yourself to your benefit.
Next time, don’t preach to others what you never intend practicing yourself.
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Kingkhan – “Israel is a total different ball game. It no longer is David…it has become Goliath. And the muslim nations round it are nothing but puppets. Its Israel ruling all the way. Update yourself friend.”
– I am up to date on this, thank you. My question was if Muslim nations have now accepted Israel’s right to exist in lieu of whatever joint venture you mentioned earlier? Please answer this query.
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Palahalli
-My question was if Muslim nations have now accepted Israel’s right to exist in lieu of whatever joint venture you mentioned earlier?
I think you have serious top floor problems. Israel is not begging to be accepted by its neighnours. It is ruling the whole area. Arent you aware of it. Egypt,Syria, Turkey, and others are friends of Israel now.
Now Israel is looking in terms of expansion..It is not satisfied with Palestinian land …it wants more. There in lies the problem.
And dear friend the more people like you get inspired by Israel, more the problem for India. India is a cosmopolitan society which demands it gives equal status to all its citizens, unlike your thoughts.
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kingkhan – Being clever by half again. Who told you Israel was begging for recognition? In case you did not know, recognition is accorded as a matter of acknowledgement that a Nation state has the right to exist and will have normal relations with other nation states.
Israel need not beg, it has a right to expect. The fact that you think Israel “rules” over states that are now friendly towards it, reveals your mind. You must also be ruing the day India accorded Israel recognition that was long overdue.
Shamelessly, you think you can blackmail India out of its legitimate foreign policy only because it does not accord with your hatred towards Jews!
You have no right to speak of “equal status” in India when you support thug regimes and systems in the Islamic world that DO NOT accord equal respect to non-Muslims including Hindus.
A wolf in sheep’s clothing you are!
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Palahalli
There you go again. This one trackmind of yours will lead you to your doom. Pity the people around you who are suffering your self infliction.
My contention in this whole issue is give equal opportunity to muslims in India. And as rightly suggested abstain from maintaining any relationship with a rogue state(u were successful in leading me out from the main subject).
I’ll tell you of a sure shot way to ensure BJP power at the centre. But for that you will have to ask me for that.
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kingkhan – “My contention in this whole issue is give equal opportunity to muslims in India.” – What kind of “equal opportunity” is denied or admitted to Muslims that is not denied or admitted to others?
Ask for equal opportunity when you can ensure your ummah does the same for non-Muslims. I don’t think it’s an unfair exchange at all.
It seems your cover has been exposed for what it actually is. You have the temerity to call a good friend of India a “rogue state” only because it kicks ass in the Middle East.
Well deserved too, btw.
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KK
“My contention in this whole issue is give equal opportunity to muslims in India.”
Surely you are familiar with Indian constitution, aren’t you ??
Which constitutional law denies “equal” opportunity to muslims ?? Can you point out ??
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Palahalli
-You have the temerity to call a good friend of India a “rogue state” –
Well here lies your interest, a probable brahminical connection?
The thinking sure is? Don’t mind if i touched a sensitive spot.
And extending benefits to the economically backward muslim community is the need of the hour. Afterall they too are citizens of this country, and they too are as deserving as the brahmins of today.
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Kingkhan – Like I said, your colors are out.
But the fact that you still pretend reasonableness tells me that you don’t tire of scheming. Good skill. You can put it to better use.
Btw, Brahmins, rich or poor, do not get benefits. So, Muslims simply don’t have a case. Now please stop extending your palms….it’s embarrassing.
Sandesh! Long time buddy! Yell hogidRi?
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KK
“Well here lies your interest, a probable brahminical connection?
The thinking sure is? Don’t mind if i touched a sensitive spot.”
Just as Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Palestine etc etc all have muslim connection…Please don’t mind if I touched a touchy connection.
You didn’t answer my earlier questions….
“And extending benefits to the economically backward muslim community is the need of the hour.”
Agree 100%. But muslims too should take a step forward…start mingling with mainstream if they have to be treated like one. I for one would be happy seeing that happen. But the problem lies within muslim community itself. And you probably know it better.
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Dear Pala
-Now please stop extending your palms….it’s embarrassing. –
When will you understand that we are not begging but demanding.
When I speak of Indian muslims you go to Israel, and when i speak about Israel, you speak about Arabs. Now who is the scheming chap?
Sandesh
Muslims should take a step forward and join mainstream. Absolutely right.
But the Government should ensure that education and job reservation to the poorest should be rendered. Not only for muslims but people from other communities too. This will help them reach a stage where their standard of living reaches the minimum level atleast.
There is clear responsibility on the govt to ensure that the economically deprived portion of the society is uplifted. Hope constitution of India approves my argument.
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