Shame on the Leaders of Jharkhand: झारखण्डी नेताओं को धिक्कार

२०१२ के राज्य सभा चुनाव में झारखण्डी नेताओं और यहाँ के राजनीतिक दलों का जो आचरण रहा है उसने देश और देश के बाहर झारखण्ड के वासिन्दों का सर शर्म से झुका दिया है ।झारखण्ड भारत का पहला और अबतक का एक्मात्र राज्य है जहाँ राज्य सभा चुनाव की पूरी प्रक्रिया निरस्त कर दी गयी है । आय कर विभाग की सक्रियता और निर्वाचन आयोग की अनुक्रिया ने बिकाउ झारखण्डी विधायकों का पर्दाफाश कर दिया । सबसे पहले झारखण्ड के सबसे कद्दाबर नेता और संविधान सभा के सदस्य जयपाल सिंह ने कांग्रेस के साथ समझौता कर झारखण्ड के हित के साथ समझौता किया था । बाद में नरसिंह राव की सरकार को बचाने में श्री शिवू सोरेन के नेतृत्व में जे.एम.एम. के चार लोक सभा सद्स्यों के आचरण ने झारखण्डी नेताओं की पहचान बिकाउ नेता के रूप में करा दी थी । जे एम एम रिश्वत काण्ड भारतीय राजनीति के पतन की एक सीढी के रूप में आज भी चर्चित है।
          झारखण्ड के साथ नेताओं के धोखे का सिलसिला और आगे बढा जब निर्दलीय मधु कोडा की सरकार कांग्रेस और जेएमएम के समर्थन से बनी और उस सरकार ने लगभग दो सालों तक शासन कर न केवल  एक कीर्तिमान बनाया बल्कि झारखण्ड को जिस निर्दयता से लूटा उसकी मिसाल किसी अन्य राज्य मे नहीं है ।
         झारखण्ड से राज्य सभा के चुनाव में धन बल की जो भूमिका होती है वह वास्तव में झारखण्ड के नेताओं के बिकाउपन को ही स्पष्ट करता है ।बाहरी अवाँछित तत्त्वों के लिये झारखण्ड चारागाह है । यहाँ के कुछ राजनीतिक दल और अधिकतर विधान सभा सदस्य राज्य सभा चुनाव का इंतजार उसी प्रकार करते हैं जैसे किसान अगहन और बैसाख का तथा शिक्षक उत्तर-पुस्तिकाओं के मूल्यांकन का । अभी तक का इतिहास बताता है कि इसमें झामुमो की भूमिका सबसे अधिक चिंताजनक रही है । अगर काँग्रेस / भाजपा जैसे अखिल भारतीय राष्ट्रीय दल राज्य सभा में अपना प्रतिनिधित्व बढाना चाहते हैं तो बात समझ में आती है, परन्तु जब झामुमो या झाविमो राज्य सभा में जाने के लिये एडी-चोटी का पसीना बहाते हैं तब उनके उद्देश्य सन्देह के घेरे में आ जाते हैं ।ये केवल राष्ट्रीय दलों की बाँहें मरोडने के लिये राज्य सभा में स्थान चाहते हैं । ये क्षेत्रीय दल विधान सभा में अपनी संख्या बढा कर अपने प्रभाव में वृद्धि कर सकते हैं ।
         भाजपा इस बात को शायद समझ नहीं पायी है कि केन्द्र से लेकर राज्य तक के गठबंधन उसके लिये बहुत मँहगे सिद्ध हुए हैं । सत्ता के क्षणिक सुख के लिये भाजपा ने अपने भविष्य को दाव पर लगा दिया है । सत्ता मोह से दूर रहकर उसे अपने आधार और संगठन  में सुधार क प्रयत्न करना चाहिये । केवल सत्ता सुख के लिये झामुमो के साथ गठबंधन उसे भविष्य के लिये बहुत मँहगा पडेगा ।
   झारखण्ड के नेताओं को यह समझना होगा कि केवल जीन्स- टी शर्ट पहनने से कोइ आधुनिक नहीं हो जाता, इसके लिये मानसिकता में बदलाव लाना होता है । क्या झारखण्डी नेता इस बात को समझ पाएंगे?

Foreign affairs gone local

 Foreign affairs gone local: Swapan Das Gupta



Foreign policy is an instrument of promoting the national interest of a country. Through the instrumentality of policy a country tries to respond to the challenges of and inputs from international environment. It is a truism to say that foreign policy is the other side of domestic policy. When India was ruled on the bases of ideology and rhetoric India enunciated the policy of non-alignment, the content of which was anti-power, anti-West and anti-capitalist growth. Had non-alignment been really judging each issue on merit, not entering into multi-lateral military alliances and the extension of the concept of sovereignty in international affairs, there won't have been much problem with non-alignment. In fact, non-alignment as a policy of independence was a wise policy, but non-alignment as surreptitious alignment with the Soviet bloc brought ridicule to the policy. No doubt, domestic politics is a determinant of foreign policy , but when in order to placate a coalition partner, the  government bends foreign policy to an extent that hurts national interest, the govt owes an explanation to the country.

Society must arm itself to counter communist terror - Analysis - DNA

Society must arm itself to counter communist terror - Analysis - DNA:

The hypocrisy and double speak of the supporters and defenders of Maoist violence expose their design.

Naming Your India Book: A Pocket Guide - NYTimes.com

Naming Your India Book: A Pocket Guide - NYTimes.com:

I have been an admirer of Patrick French since the days he wrote Liberty or Death. But in the present list of books on India, French has omitted some very important books like Ronald B Inden's Imagining India, Indiana University Press, 2000 and Sunil Khilnani's Idea of India, Penguin Books, 1998.

Reconciling Gandhi With Ambedkar - NYTimes.com

Reconciling Gandhi With Ambedkar - NYTimes.com:

Dr Ramchandra Guha, a historian made to order, only tries to be politically correct and in the process is economical with truth.

Economics Journal: The Price of Political Dynasties - India Real Time - WSJ

Economics Journal: The Price of Political Dynasties - India Real Time - WSJ:

The writer argues here that dynastic politics in India has not only affected the polity, but economy as well. In fact, dynastic politics dehumanises our soul and destroys the moral fabric of society.

Paul Berman: The Thought Police | The New Republic

Paul Berman: The Thought Police | The New Republic:

Facets of Islamic Thought and Practice

David Rieff for Democracy Journal: Democracy No!

David Rieff for Democracy Journal: Democracy No!:

America's record of promoting democracy has neither been sincere nor genuine; often it has been strategic. Had the US been serious in its support of democracy it could not have supported dictatorial Pakistan against democratic India. However, it must be admitted that American scholars don't hesitate to hold mirror to their own society and government.

CYNICISM AND POLITICS | FRANCOIS GAUTIER

CYNICISM AND POLITICS | FRANCOIS GAUTIER:

Why Sonia and Congress hate Narendra Modi ?

उत्तर आधुनिकता और ‘मार्क्‍स के प्रेत’ - Postmodernism and the ghost of Marx ' - www.bhaskar.com

उत्तर आधुनिकता और ‘मार्क्‍स के प्रेत’ - Postmodernism and the ghost of Marx ' - www.bhaskar.com:

The confusion that goes in the name of Post Modernism.

The real reason why SP won in Uttar Pradesh - Analysis - DNA

The real reason why SP won in Uttar Pradesh - Analysis - DNA:

Francois Gautier is honest in his analysis and tells the truth, unpleasant to many. Akhilesh's coronation as UP CM is not going to change the nature of Samajwadi Party and BJP, in order to woo Muslim voters, loses the Hindu votes also.

World's Richest Politicians

World's Richest Politicians:

If rich people come into politics and remain rich it could be understood, but if people take to politics to make money it is not only immoral but the very anti-thesis of what politics should be. Sonia Gandhi will have to explain how she manged to make so much money.

India's Congress Party Loses Election in Uttar Pradesh for Pandering to Muslim Voters - NYTimes.com

India's Congress Party Loses Election in Uttar Pradesh for Pandering to Muslim Voters - NYTimes.com:

The politics of pandering has done immense harm to India and sooner the political parties realize this better will it be for the future of the country and their own future. Pandering to sectarian demands is showing its effect on society and polity.

Women in politics: India ranks 105th in world - Indian Express

Women in politics: India ranks 105th in world - Indian Express:

This is simply because Indian politics is so much dirty; our women will have to carry long brooms to clean it; and politics being the game for people with leisure, women in India find it difficult to enter politics.

India a superpower? Unlikely, says LSE study - Indian Express

India a superpower? Unlikely, says LSE study - Indian Express:

We can appreciate that India is not a super power; we can also take in our stride that it is not likely to be one; but from these statements how does it flow that India should not aspire to be one? With historians like Ramchandra Guha included in the group, this type of study is not surprising.

I Paid a Bribe and Similar Corruption-Exposing Sites Spread - NYTimes.com

I Paid a Bribe and Similar Corruption-Exposing Sites Spread - NYTimes.com:

Anxiously waiting for the tipping point.

Column: Is the judiciary ruling India? - Analysis - DNA

Column: Is the judiciary ruling India? - Analysis - DNA:

Arvind Radhakrishnan, who has written this article, teaches law, but he has failed to understand the basic reason for the people's distrust of the executive and the legislature and its trust in the judiciary. It's right that politicians will have to play politics, but the politicians will have to understand the limit of their politicking. From 1950 the politicians began to play politics with the Constitution and began to violate its spirit, its provisions and unabashedly resorted to reckless amendment of the Constitution. No wonder that when in 1967 the Supreme Court ruled in the Golaknath case that Parliament could not amend Fundamental Rights, people generally welcomed this. In Keshavanand Bharati(1978) case the SC came out with the "basic structure" theory, which said that though Parliament has the power to amend any part of the Constitution, it could not amend the basic structure of the Constitution. In the Minerva Mills case(1980) the SC reiterated its position. The politicians took the Constitution for a ride when they had the requisite majority in the Parliament and State Legislatures. Had not the judiciary stepped in, the politicians would have thrown constitutional provisions and propriety through the window as is evident in the case of federal structure, governor's role, meaning of secularism etc. As the guardian of the Constitution it is incumbent upon the Supreme Court to interpret the Constitution in the spirit of our founding fathers.