The ICC 20-20 world cup has surprisingly taken a back seat in a cricket loving country but all format political matches and match fixings are in full swing. On the other hand, in a one day match like situation, ‘secular’ parties are employing test match tactics- A batsman is being cornered with close
quadrant field set up. And parties are amply employing a 20-20 cricket like
‘secular’ sledging.
After harping on the Gujarat riots for more than a decade, if one is silent on the worse series of riots and tense communal atmosphere in a politically
important state like UP, the divisive agenda is bound to be exposed. The
intolerant statement by a Samajvadi turned Congressi, Imran Masood of
‘chopping off Modi’ is just a diminutive symptom of hatred nurtured in
‘secular’ minds for political gains. SP leader Azam Khan has called Modi an elder brother of a “dog's pup” while Beni Prasad Verma of Congress dubbed the BJP prime ministerial candidate as the “biggest goon” of RSS. A K Antony has gone further and given a clarion call to the ‘ultra secular’ and staunch opponents of Congress in Kerala, the Left.
Though Samajvadi Party is an epitome of secular bigots, other regional satraps Nitish, Sharad Pawar and Lalu Prasad Yadav are not lagging behind in pushing the secular bogey. The new ‘secular’ face, Aam Aadmi Party, has almost lost its clean governance and anti-corruption plot. Towing the line of Congress Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, AAP has in its manifesto
devoted an entire section to “Security and non-discrimination of Muslims”, and pledged speedy redressal of cases against Muslim youth and work towards improving the quality of education for them- As if the other sections of society do not need justice and education. In a recent, journalist- turned -politician, and an AAP candidate, has suddenly brought a so called ‘sting operation’ on alleged conspiracy of demolishing a disputed structure in Ayodhya. It is evident that it is nothing but an attempt to negate ‘governance’ issues and bring in fear psychosis among different communities.
The master mind of this sledging game is Congress. PM’s remark that ‘Modi is most dangerous’ and Madam Sonia’s meeting with Imam Bukhari and
subsequent call to Muslims to rally behind the Congress to save ‘secularism’, is ideologically not different from Akbaruddin Owaisis and Imran Masoods
mindset. Pseudo-secular stand of the Congress and its divisive compatriots have encouraged the communal voices in India to ‘chop off’ the nationalist tone. Congress has been surviving in post-independent India with structural and political entrenchment of ‘divide and rule’ policy propounded by the British. As a result of building frustration against non-performance and rampant corruption among the voters, this is their desperate attempt to save the sinking ship.
Secularists are forgetting that sledging is a double edged psychological weapon. Desperate bowlers use it to perturb the concentration of competetive batsman. Sometimes the ploy fetches you a wicket, but if the batsman has the right temperament and attitude, it’s the bowler who faces the music. Similarly, despite the ‘secular-communal’ debate being rolled out for months, the national issues of governance have still remained central to the political campaign. The common voters are vociferously supporting the agenda. And therefore, even when every attempt is being made by the ‘secular’ brigade to vitiate the atmosphere during elections to garner votes, it looks this time the psychological ploy is going to bounce back at them.
