Abki Baar, Modi Sarkar!!

So NDA is coming to power. Stronger than ever!! A majority for BJP, ON ITS OWN!! Is anyone surprised? By the extent, Maybe! But, by the result in general?

Some journalists maybe! Oh Damn, we tried so hard, YET! Infact, even they are not surprised, they are just disappointed they couldn’t stop his juggernaut! Actually they helped him, they just didn’t realize.

And so must be Arvind Kejriwal and his haphazardly arranged group of socialists/industrialists/ex-corporates/poets etc. Infact, they are not surprised. They are just confused! They must be thinking – We had everything in our favour, where did we go wrong? Oh Sorry, how can they go wrong? How did the people go wrong in voting for the wrong party!! Clearly they country doesn’t deserve them – the only truly anti-corruption force in the country!! This country is full of corrupt people who vote for other corrupt people. 

Well Arvind – I will help you find an answer! Doing what you preach might be a starting point. Keeping idiots like Ashutosh at an arm’s distance would be my second advice. Staying in government and doing something, if given another chance, wouldn’t hurt either.  Go back to being an Aam Aadmi party instead of “Celebrities wanting to join politics” aadmi party. Accept that being against corruption is not everything! Accept that you not the only one against corruption. Oh, and stop going back on your word every second day. And how did I forget about Somnath Bharti? Seriously? That is your alternative politics?? These are just some pointers. Rest, you are a smart chap to figure out whats best for you! Or you can always go to Prasun Vajpayee for some Krantikari advise.

You know who has not been able to believe the results at all?  Rahul Baba! Since morning, he has been crying in his mother’s lap and Rajeev Gandhi’s proud daughter has been trying to solace him all this while. “But what did I do wrong mommy?” He has been asking his mother all day. When Manmohan Singh visited 10 Janpath and saw the spectacle, he couldn’t hide a smirk though the two Gandhi ladies were too busy in comforting Baba and ignored him.  “Manmohan Ji, aap hi kuch boliye! Subah se kuch khaya nahi hai isne!” Sonia Gandhi asked the outgoing PM. “Main to 10 sal kuch nahi bola Madam. Ab kya hi bolun!” MMS is said to have replied

Advice to Congress. Declare yourself a heritage organisation and declare Rahul Gandhi a member of som extinct species that somehow resurfaced - Belonging to the times when the human race still hadn’t developed gray matter. That will be very beneficial - You can claim Rahul was responsible for women empowerment in dinosaurs! And he has some affinity towards fundamentals, Right?? So, you can also claim that HE IS the fundamental particle!! Once you have done that, you can start sidelining some smart people like Diggy uncle, Kapil “Zero Loss” Sibal, Mani “not worth a tea cup” Aiyar, Manish “Some complex English word” Tiwari and did I say Diggy Uncle??  Then you can just tell Rahul Baba that Prime Minister of India will now sit out of Mount Everest, I am sure it wouldn’t be tough to convince him and send him off as well.  Bring in some fresh blood and then you might have a chance in the next 10 years!!

Advice for Mr. Modi – Please don’t disappoint the people of this country!! We have high hopes from you, hopes you have built! It’s your job to live upto the expectations and make us a country that we can be proud of!

IPL vs IPL, Politicians and their cricketer equivalents!

Indians love cricket, and a lot of them hate politics with an equal measure. But, if you look at things closely, you will realize there is not much of a difference. If IPL stands for Indian Premier League, it can also stand for Indian Political League. And, if you dig deeper, even the players ( or characters if you think its all a drama) bear an uncanny resemblance.  This season of the Indian Political league will come to an end this Friday, while the cricketers will carry on for a bit longer. We, in the meanwhile, will try to find the cricketer equivalent of some of our more popular politicians.

Lets start with the man of the moment, Narendra Modi, who for the past year or so has been in the best form of his life. Ofcourse, you will have to concede that he has had his fair share of controversies. He can always be trusted to have some not-so-kind words for his opponents, but has kind of mellowed with time. Currently captains his IPL team and hopes to soon take over the reigns at the national level. Virat Kohli?

Arvind Kejriwal – A gutsy player, who has his own unique style. Started with a bang, a century on debut but threw away his wicket when he was nearing a double. Off late, has started throwing away his wicket cheaply and form has been very sporadic. He will need to bring consistency into his game or the selectors might have a relook. Shikhar Dhawan?

Sonia Gandhi – Was never in power, yet always in power. Remote controlled the team from the outside. The captain damaged his clean reputation by falling in line with her plans. Obviously, the son-in-law has not helped!  N Srinivasan?

Robert Vadra – Ok. This is too easy. Who else but Gurunath Meiyappan!

Rahul Gandhi – Had a rich heritage and a legacy most of the country adores. Got opportunities based on the same legacy but could never live upto his surname. A surname doesn’t make you a good cricketer, why should it be any different in Politics? Rohan Gavaskar?

Digvijay Singh – Was once considered highly talented but wasted all his opportunities. Has a foot in mouth disease. His affairs outside the real game have grabbed the limelight lately. If anyone in politics could be called Controversy’s Child, its him! Sreesanth?

Priyanka Vadra – The poor lady has not even began her career yet. But, for the faithful she has already become a ray of hope. Her every movement is tracked, every innings is being watched! Arjun Tendulkar?

So these were the players, What about the teams??

Aam Aadmi Party –  A team which has done the most with limited resources. Created shockwaves with their maiden performance! A mix of everything. First time youngsters or people with years of experience who never got their chance, they have everyone. Rajasthan Royals?

Congress - Corruption scandals have haunted them. Captain was considered clean but the owners have made sure he is also caught in the mess. Yet, can never be counted out. Chennai Super Kings?

BJP – Have become a one man show. Have many players worth their names, yet they are overshadowed by this trailblazer. After the poor form of last few seasons, decided on a total rejig of the team. Brought in a lot of new players, masterminded by someone sitting in the dugout, are currently leading the charts. Kings XI Punjab?

Which makes me realize, there is difference between cricket and politics! In politics, we don’t have a non-controversial figure, someone who is loved by all. Politics doesn't have a Sachin Tendulkar ( or Rahul Dravid ) equivalent!

When the Country Spoke up

“You have gone mad? Stop it!” was the reaction I received from many quarters, sometimes in less kind words, as I engaged myself in a debate ( toeing on war ) in reference to the Indian elections on  Facebook. Debate sounds like a sound alternative for Status wars, as some others would call it.

So, I tried to introspect and asked myself whether I was taking it too far, or the ones taking a contrary view? I have always have had political inclinations towards a particular side, which I believe is right ;) but never was I so open about them, never did I engage in fierce war of words around them, never did I try to influence others but something changed! And this change is not just with me, this change can be seen everywhere. I remember the 2009 elections or many assembly elections post that, never was there a sea of people openly backing one side over the other, making their views known to the world. And just look at you facebook walls or twitter feeds today!

I can’t talk for everyone but atleast at a personal level, I grew up in a household where discussing your political leanings was not considered as the most intelligent choice. “People will judge you based on this” was what my mother would tell me. Others would have their reasons but the fact is, discussing your political leanings in public was never fashionable, till now!

UPA might not have done much for the nation but you have to give them one thing, they screwed us up so badly that people were willing to come out and take a stand. 2G, CWG, Coalgate, JijaG etc etc had made frustrations reach levels unseen or unheard. So, I am not surprised when my “debates” in the last few days have been centred around ( against ) AAP, because frankly for a large part of the intelligentsia – Congress is not even an option and for those that it is, are probably too embarrassed to put it out in the open.  

Arvind Kejriwal and his AAP may yet not be a national phenomena, but he has played a role in redefining the political discourse in the country, he has galvanized the youth of the country in a way others have not been able to. I may not like his dharma style politics but he has enthused a large chunk of people who had given up on the country. Narendra Modi, too, has made sure the debate in this country moved on from caste/religion to national agendas like development/economy/security. He has become the messiah for those who were fed up with the appeasement politics of the last 65 years. Surprisingly, many Modi supporters don’t even like the BJP, they just believe in the man! Be it the MODIfiers or Aam Aadmis, one thing we all have to concede is that the two leaders in question – Modi & Kejriwal have sensed the mood of the nation and have brought out energy unseen in the past so many years, atleast since I have been around.

The result of this election will soon be out. Soon, the social media will see the excitement diminish that it has so grown used to, and a sense of calm will set in. But, if the next Government fails to live up the expectations, the decibel levels will rise again, people will make themselves heard and the unworthy will be shown the door.

In a democracy, difference of opinion is bound to be there, or what’s the use of having the most complex form of governance? But, for me, this election will be iconic for having made that opinion come out strongly like never before!

Left with a choice to crib silently or to press for change, we chose wisely!