Unfortunately I have a conflicting commitment on 6/10 or else would have loved to participate in your dialogue with Rahul Bhatia. Your piece as usual is superb. There's much to learn from your writing. And to be honest, the BJP is sounding tired of its own tropes - how much Hindu Muslim can one keep parroting? What is dangerous is the seemingly near capitulation of the judiciary in High Courts on various judgments including Jaggi Vasudev's Isha Centre Probe and the stay on FM Nirmala Sitharaman's FIR. I have been thinking we are a banana republic since the scams in the UPA era, but this level of depradation (is that a right and strong enough term?) is unheard of in my time on Planet E. It's shameful and I know that I look at our judiciary with a suspicious and jaundiced and nauseated eye. Sorry for the rant. But you know these things hurt, more than heartbreak - it's festering, lingering, brooding and depressing. Thank you again for your perspicacity.
Pity you can't make it tomorrow. As to what you write about, read Rahul's Identity Project. One of the ah-ha moments is that all of what is happening right now -- including a compromised judiciary and police force -- has happened over a 100 years ago. Like someone said, there is no present and no future -- merely the past, replayed in an endless loop.
This is the longest running scam of a Modi regime characterised by long-running scams. As you say, it happens in every state, just before every election -- huge announcements, none of which ever fructify.
The scam lies in this: Because these are "governmental announcements", Modi travels not as campaigner-in-chief of the BJP but as the Prime Minister, with all the paraphernalia that goes with that position: Official flight, wall to wall security, full utilisation of the state administration, all of that. Which means, in effect, that the taxpayer is paying Modi to shill for his party.
Agree sir. These are announcements. The present 10-year in continuum GoI knows that no one will ask Qs and if you do, Jail Hai Na. Look at what's happening to Sonam Wangchuk of Ladakh and his group. They've been jailed. Really? For what? You can't walk now, can't go to Delhi now, can't protest? What exactly is allowed in this country? Oh stupid question - a tick to spreading hate, tell lies, ask no questions, jail everyone in politics, keep spreading shitty fake news, including reels of Peru Rail passing off as Indian Rail, never show the various protests around the country in the supposed mainstream media, keep talking grandiose like CJI DYC in different fora, but doing jackshit about giving bail to the wrongly incarcerated, and pompously saying don't say yeah yeah this isn't a coffee shop...that comment is not even intelligent, but the SC is a chai kadai where you play roulette and discuss aaj kaunsa case will give us mileage and what we should do... it's so much BS. Am getting triggered just writing it. This is the country we're living in. This is the quality of politicians our society has bred and nurtured and voted to govern. Really. Who the f*** are we and what the hell has happened to each of us?
See my response to a previous comment. Will wait till I get hold of numbers, see what they say regionwise, then speak to the same people I spoke to before writing the preview, and then write whatever thoughts I can glean.
LS election, the exit polls were faked, not that they got it wrong. This time, there are puzzling factors -- I'll wait for the final numbers, make some calls, and then write my thoughts. (Here is something puzzling me right now, though -- I didn't write this post based on exits; I wrote based on conversations, with the very same people I spoke to during the LS polls. They were bang on then -- like I pointed out in this post. How come they -- people actually living there -- are so wrong now?) Lots of questions... will take me some time to process the numbers, talk to people, figure things out. Will write as soon as I can make sense.
The end of the beginning of the decline and fall of the BJP. The LS election was when the graph began to slip downwards; the six Assembly elections in the next few months is the end of that beginning and the start of the next phase, when the government at the Centre runs into serious problems.
Not quite yet -- that beginning comes when the allies begin to pull out. Which will happen, but likely not this year -- my best guess is closer to next year's budget
As for J&K, the BJP is not contesting 28 of the 90 seats. So basically, if it is to win, it has to get 46 out of 62, which is so far-fetched it isn't worth discussing. Moreover, the waters there are muddied -- there are official BJP candidates, plus proxies the party has put up, sometimes for the same seat. Which is why I steered clear of any comment on that state -- unlike other parts of India, I don't have any reliable ground-level sources there.
Unfortunately I have a conflicting commitment on 6/10 or else would have loved to participate in your dialogue with Rahul Bhatia. Your piece as usual is superb. There's much to learn from your writing. And to be honest, the BJP is sounding tired of its own tropes - how much Hindu Muslim can one keep parroting? What is dangerous is the seemingly near capitulation of the judiciary in High Courts on various judgments including Jaggi Vasudev's Isha Centre Probe and the stay on FM Nirmala Sitharaman's FIR. I have been thinking we are a banana republic since the scams in the UPA era, but this level of depradation (is that a right and strong enough term?) is unheard of in my time on Planet E. It's shameful and I know that I look at our judiciary with a suspicious and jaundiced and nauseated eye. Sorry for the rant. But you know these things hurt, more than heartbreak - it's festering, lingering, brooding and depressing. Thank you again for your perspicacity.
Pity you can't make it tomorrow. As to what you write about, read Rahul's Identity Project. One of the ah-ha moments is that all of what is happening right now -- including a compromised judiciary and police force -- has happened over a 100 years ago. Like someone said, there is no present and no future -- merely the past, replayed in an endless loop.
Will do. Thanks.
Talking of tired tropes, these headlines (PM Modi to inaugurate new Mumbai Metro line, infra projects worth over ₹50,000 crore in Maharashtra today - https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/mumbai/pm-inaugurate-mumbai-metro-infra-projects-worth-over-50000-crore-in-maharashtra-october-5/article68719013.ece) keep appearing just before every significant election and the so called thousands of crores of infra projects never materialise or collapse within days of the inauguration by no less than the top man himself. No one seems to be bothered in the media!
This is the longest running scam of a Modi regime characterised by long-running scams. As you say, it happens in every state, just before every election -- huge announcements, none of which ever fructify.
The scam lies in this: Because these are "governmental announcements", Modi travels not as campaigner-in-chief of the BJP but as the Prime Minister, with all the paraphernalia that goes with that position: Official flight, wall to wall security, full utilisation of the state administration, all of that. Which means, in effect, that the taxpayer is paying Modi to shill for his party.
Many examples. Just one suffices:
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/karnataka-govt-spent-3643-crores-during-pms-visit-on-feb-27/article66713418.ece
The irony is, most of these projects that he "inaugurates" already exist. In Mumbai, for example, he is inaugurating ONE-THIRD of a metro line.
Agree sir. These are announcements. The present 10-year in continuum GoI knows that no one will ask Qs and if you do, Jail Hai Na. Look at what's happening to Sonam Wangchuk of Ladakh and his group. They've been jailed. Really? For what? You can't walk now, can't go to Delhi now, can't protest? What exactly is allowed in this country? Oh stupid question - a tick to spreading hate, tell lies, ask no questions, jail everyone in politics, keep spreading shitty fake news, including reels of Peru Rail passing off as Indian Rail, never show the various protests around the country in the supposed mainstream media, keep talking grandiose like CJI DYC in different fora, but doing jackshit about giving bail to the wrongly incarcerated, and pompously saying don't say yeah yeah this isn't a coffee shop...that comment is not even intelligent, but the SC is a chai kadai where you play roulette and discuss aaj kaunsa case will give us mileage and what we should do... it's so much BS. Am getting triggered just writing it. This is the country we're living in. This is the quality of politicians our society has bred and nurtured and voted to govern. Really. Who the f*** are we and what the hell has happened to each of us?
Gosh! The situation seems to have reversed in Haryana. What happened though?
Is it that people's "angst" cannot be taken at face value, but they have only learned to hide their bigotry?
See my response to a previous comment. Will wait till I get hold of numbers, see what they say regionwise, then speak to the same people I spoke to before writing the preview, and then write whatever thoughts I can glean.
Will wait for your analysis. Wonder what it means for Maha too. Something smells fishy.
Looks like the biggest losers are the exit polls once again! What a turnaround for BJP in Haryana. Look forward to understanding what happened really!
LS election, the exit polls were faked, not that they got it wrong. This time, there are puzzling factors -- I'll wait for the final numbers, make some calls, and then write my thoughts. (Here is something puzzling me right now, though -- I didn't write this post based on exits; I wrote based on conversations, with the very same people I spoke to during the LS polls. They were bang on then -- like I pointed out in this post. How come they -- people actually living there -- are so wrong now?) Lots of questions... will take me some time to process the numbers, talk to people, figure things out. Will write as soon as I can make sense.
A superb piece as usual Prem. Only thing I didn't quite grasp is the title. What 'begining' are you referring to which is coming to an 'end'?
:-)
The end of the beginning of the decline and fall of the BJP. The LS election was when the graph began to slip downwards; the six Assembly elections in the next few months is the end of that beginning and the start of the next phase, when the government at the Centre runs into serious problems.
Thanks Prem. Ah, okay -- in that sense, can also be construed as a beginning of the (BJP's) end. That's what I originally thought...
Not quite yet -- that beginning comes when the allies begin to pull out. Which will happen, but likely not this year -- my best guess is closer to next year's budget
How is it that no one is talking about AAP and its prospects in Harayana ?!
And in J & K, is BJP likely to get the highest number of seats ?
Because AAP is nowhere on the ground in Haryana.
As for J&K, the BJP is not contesting 28 of the 90 seats. So basically, if it is to win, it has to get 46 out of 62, which is so far-fetched it isn't worth discussing. Moreover, the waters there are muddied -- there are official BJP candidates, plus proxies the party has put up, sometimes for the same seat. Which is why I steered clear of any comment on that state -- unlike other parts of India, I don't have any reliable ground-level sources there.
Look forward to seeing and hearing you in person at BIC. 🙏🏾