India’s national parties, the Congress and the BJP, have
shown distinct signs of maturing in the past 10-15 years. For one, the top
leadership in both the parties has a pan-India vision, they are well read and
have a well-articulated stand on international issues, there is broad consensus
on important policy issues like defence, international relations, foreign
policy and internal security. This is a good sign and shows that there will be
continuity on important issues irrespective of the party in power. This is an
indication of the fact that the ensuing 2014 elections will be fought on
regional and local issues especially since regional parties have gained
prominence in the last decade. However, there are still areas where we need to
go a long way. For one, the ruling party must avoid using the CBI to ‘settle’
scores, pressurise or armtwist opponents, and there should be a complete
elimination of politically influenced violence by behaviour or actions on
individuals or entities.
However the maturity levels need to be fine tuned and
tweaked a wee bit more. This was most apparent after Hon’ble Shri Rahul
Gandhi’s CII address, the many pot shots by the BJP spokespersons and the
counter strikes by Congress spokespersons on Hon’ble Shri Narendra Modi. We
need to go beyond personal attacks on individuals and focus attention on their
policies and actions. To see both sides sparring over two speeches does not
befit a ‘great’ democracy like India. However, what is a good thing is that
over the decades there is a great deal of tolerance and acceptance of either
parties stance and philosophical tilt. For the BJP to have a greater pan-Indian
acceptance, it should build itself on inclusiveness of castes, religions and
regions, and promote Hindutva more as a way of life, like Hon’ble Advaniji’s
cultural nationalism minus some aberrations, with its main political plank
being ‘good governance’ and ‘strong Indian identity’.
WE NEED TO SALVAGE THE PRIDE OF INDIA; WE NEED TO SALVAGE
THE PRIDE IN BEING INDIAN.
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