All sections of society are tired of these divisive political gimmicks. The enthusiasm seen among voters in this General Election is not against any community or nation, but for a prosperous and secured India. Let us hope that this democratic upsurge brings real ‘change’ not only of rulers but also of the policies that can work towards a truly democratic, socially united, culturally vibrant and an economically thriving India.
Surprisingly Pakistan is becoming an issue during Indian elections. There is nothing strange in this because it is known that the rise of Bharatiya Janata Party’s prime ministerial candidate, Narendra Modi is being closely observed by the errant neighbour.
Considering the precarious conditions within Pakistan, the Indian election has become an opportunity to raise anti-India sentiments and nurture the idea of solidarity within. Within two days of Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi assuring readiness to work closely with the new government’, BJP’s PM candidate was declared as ‘irresponsible’ and a ‘threat to stability of the region’, by none other than Chaudhary Nisar Ali Khan, the Interior Minister of Pakistan. The recent statement by the Pakistani army chief that the troubled state of 'Kashmir' was its 'Jugular vein’ was also said on a similar vein, and is the principle idea on which the Pakistani army sustains itself.
For Pakistan, Modi’s statement criticising UPA’s ‘anti-terrorism’ policy and assuring voters about bringing back Dawood Ibrahim to India, if he comes to power, is a a purely internal issue of India. It is no science to construe that the reaction from Pakistan is nothing but a veiled acceptance of abetting and sheltering terrorism on their turf.
While leadership, governance and security are the prominent issues in the ongoing elections, the fact that Pakistan is being pitched in the election campaign appears shocking. Lately, Farooq Abdulla who was one of the founding members of the Pakistan engineered “Kashmir Liberation Front”, equated ‘Modi’s ascendance to the PM post’ with ‘India becoming communal’. And if this absurd argument was not enough, he further reflected his secessionist and undemocratic mindset by saying that that Jammu & Kashmir would not remain a part of ‘communal India’, while asking those who vote for Narendra Modi to “drown themselves”. On the other hand, Lalu wants Modi to be sent to Pakistan. And, Congress leader Shakil Ahmed, reacting to the Pakistani Interior Minister’s statement, has went ahead by tweeting that it is possible that Pakistan is helping Modi this election.
Why these secularists and Pakistani’s find themselves on the same page in their anti-Modi tirade? The obvious answer is that it is the convenient way to nurture each other.
The idea of Pakistan was sowed and cultivated by the flawed concept of secularism in India. And, its is being followed by a long and divisive project of delinking India from its cultural roots. Started by the British, national and regional managers of this project do not find anything communal in delimiting constituencies on religious lines. Allocating pension schemes to terrorists or pressurising police machinery to ‘go slow’ on arrested youths, particularly from the so-called minority community, even if they are involved in violent or anti-national activities, promoting minoritism for petty vote-bank politics and providing educational facilities only to specific community is absolutely secular in their thinking. If such vote-bank politics does not work then ‘Pakistan’ or creating ‘another Pakistan’ is always an option for them.
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