Politics of fast

The opposition Congress Party observed fast to express sympathy for Dalits, which the nation witnessed how they made a mockery of it. BJP appears to have realized that Dalits are not happy with its government at the Centre. So, to please them they decided to follow Mahatama Gandhi’s, the Father of the nation, belief, and conviction by observing fast to protest against the wash-out of Parliament by the opposition Congress party. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his Council of Ministers, MPs, MLAs, leaders, and workers went on fast today in their respective areas or constituencies to protest the wastage of 127 hours and some minutes of parliamentary time by the opposition parties. BJP alleges that Congress is still not in a position to digest the humiliation in one election after another. That is why it is still trying to establish its dominance by disrupting the Parliament. It is good to move by the BJP to make the people aware of the parliamentary behaviour of MPs and MLAs belonging to opposition parties. But the ruling BJP also cannot be absolved of all faults. Their MPs and MLAs also cannot be given clean cheat and only opposition members will not be held responsible for washing out of Parliament and state assemblies by the ugly behavior of its members. The clapping cannot be possible by single hand. It requires both the palms to strike each other. It is also not correct to say that BJP had never been in opposition role in the past. It has also a long experience to be in opposition. Here it would also be better if it had introspected itself about its role when it was in opposition. It also created hurdles, caused disruptions, staged walk-outs and its members rushed into the well of the House over trifle. To run Parliament smoothly, the ruling political party has a greater role to play than the opposition. It is its responsibility to take initiative in running the Parliament swiftly. BJP blames Congress for all the ills in the country while the latter attacked the former for taking the country backward. Both are mostly engaged in the blame game. They are only busy with scoring political points over each other. Today's fast of the BJP is also aimed at assuaging the hurt feeling of Dalits because of the dilution in SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act by the Supreme Court. Mahatama Gandhi observed fast for the benefit of the people against the British misrule. He was also considered to be very close to Dalits. He had space in his heart for them and always stood in their support. The role of the opposition is to oppose the ruling bench on the basis of the importance of the issue. It must be constructive. Opposition for the sake of opposition must not be done. Fast is also not new to the country. First of all, Mahatma Gandhi used fast as a weapon against the mighty British rule. As he was opposed to violence, he observed fast many time in the recent past. The political class or party of today’s only follow him to win people’s favour with the nearing of elections

Arrest the culprit of Unnao rape

The incident of the alleged rape of 18-year-old Unnao girl by a ruling BJP MLA named Kuldeep Singh Sengar and the subsequent death of her father in jail have been hogging the headlines of the newspapers of the nation for the last three days. But no action has yet been taken against the rape accused by the UP police. The rape survivor also accused the district administration of keeping her and her family in confinement. This is the position of law and order in UP under CM Yogi Adityanath. It has been reported that even the FIR has not been lodged against the accused MLA. He wields so much influence in the areas that the police dare not touch him. They are even not prepared to lodge FIR against him as stated by the rape survivor. She accused BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar and his associates of raping her last year. As the MLA has political and muscle power, he got the rape survivor's father jailed and allegedly beaten him so mercilessly that he died, though autopsy reports suggest infection in wounds as the cause of death. Sengar's brother has been arrested, but he himself is at large. Yogi Aditynath government of BJP boasts of dealing with criminals very strictly and police have been given go ahead signal to do encounter with criminals to finish them without any reservation, but when CM's own party MLA is allegedly involved in the rape case, no action is taken. It is nothing but the mockery of law and order in the largest state of UP, which has perennially been defamed for crimes. If the BJP govt. and the Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's statement had matched his action, the rape accused BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar would have been arrested immediately on the day the rape survivor came to immolate herself in front of CM's residence in Lucknow. CM Yogi should have immediately taken cognizance of her attempt to immolate herself because police had refused to lodge the complaint against the rape accused MLA. On the one hand, Prime Minister Narendra Modi gives a long speech and attractive slogan for encouraging and promoting girls in the country and they are raped by none other than the BJP MLA in UP on the other. It is the most shameful incident and all of us hang our heads in shame. The UP police must arrest the accused MLA without waiting for the SIT investigation report. There must be a thorough investigation into the incident but at the same time, the situation demands that the accused MLA must be arrested immediately. All claims of CM Yogi Adityanath govt. appear to be hollow. The state govt. appears to be helpless before the criminal, who is an MLA. There must be rule of law in the state. The people voted BJP to power with a massive mandate in UP. They hoped that it would finish goondaraj from the state. But in return what they have got is only the goondaism. The BJP must also expel the rape accused MLA immediately from the party to set a record. It is baffling that what weakness is there behind not arresting the rape accused MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar.

Dalits' assertion and aggression

The way Dalits all over the country showed their anger on streets against Supreme Court order regarding the dilution of SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act amply reflects their assertiveness. Their assertion to protect their rights in the society is absolutely justified, but the violence and the damage of public property during their protests must not be allowed by the administration in different states of the country. There must not be any modification in SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act for its dilution, but at the same time violence has no taker. In all 9 innocent lives were lost in the clashes between Dalit protesters and the police in different parts of the country. Our Constitution doesn't allow violence at any cost. Political colours were also given to the call of Bharat Bandh by Dalit activists and the ruling BJP was pushed on the back foot. Supreme Court rightly said that mere filing case against anyone under SC/ST act will no longer allow the police to arrest him or her. There cannot be instant arrest the moment the case under SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act was filed. The arrest will only be possible after investigation and that the charges were proved to be true. Dalits account for more than 20 percent of the country's population. That is why they political significance in the politics of our country in a major way. But the matter of the fact is that Dalits were blackmailed by their own community leaders. They have also been exploited as a vote bank by the political parties since Independence. All claim to the Messiah or Champion of Dalits. All political leaders for the sake of building votes claim to be the true followers of Dalit icon Baba Saheb Bhim Rao Ambedkar. No so-called Dalit leaders of our country are less than the worth of crores. Mayawati, Ram Vilas Paswan, Jitan Ram Majhi and others claim to be the true representatives of Dalits, but all of them are very solvent in every respect. The violent Dalit protest that witnessed the country yesterday damaged BJP's credibility among them. A perception has been created in the minds of Dalits since the BJP came to power that it is anti-Dalit. The incidents of Rohit Vemula's death in Hyderabad, flogging of 4 to 5 Dalit young men in Una of Gujarat and several other heinous and sexual crimes against Dalits are enough shreds of evidence to corroborate the charges that the BJP is anti-Dalit. The law and order is a state subject. Yesterday, most of the state government failed to act against the lumpen elements. Though all opposition parties have condemned the violent acts during the Bharat Bandh, it appears that they provided overt or covert political support to their violent protests. The coming together of all the opposition parties against the Narendra Modi-led NDA govt over Dalit protest has worsened the situation. All have constitutional right to protest, but peacefully. Whether there is Dalit or no Dalit, no one can take the law into one's own hands. The violent Dalit protests caught the police off guard. Dalits' assertion and aggression with violence on streets have no takers. Protests must be sans violence. Violence has no place in our Constitution.