1. Was Mr.Jaswant Singh,in the first place right in writing about this posthumous character ?
- Barack Obama would do well to know who set the idea of Jihad (Holy War) rolling - Mr.President, it was none other than M.A.J's Muslim League which deescribed Direct Action as "holy war against the enemies of the Muslim nation."
- Kolkata,then Calcutta was turned into "City of Dead" when violence was unleashed on Hindus,residing there.The Direct Action Day, initiated by Jinnah had succeeded.
- The Hindus' angry retort at Bihar,the agonising spread of communal flames burnt the very idea of Unity.
- Every terror attack,each communal riot at India's crown - Kashmir ; Every Khan being stopped at the U.S airport - Jinnah's idea of Ji *** continues to haunt.
- His brainchild/birthchild - his product Pakistan has become the global headquarters for breeding terror.
Inspite of all this, if J.S found reasons to glorify M.A.J through the prose and text of little under 700 pages book,I suppose he is this Nice Guy Muslims search among the Hindus.All said and done, carrying the tag of an Indian - J.S is entitled to his Freedom of Expression and Speech and the other Democartic Rights, Jinnah's counterparts formulated.Whether he is justified in the glorification or rather the de-demonisng of Jinnah is upto the 'Interpreter' of Facts - the common man.Our ideolisation of J.Nehru shouldn't bind us to Nehru's side alone and hence refuse to see the bright side of another individual. J.Singh, has done just that, to which he has every Right - Right or Wrong.
*finger on lips* - Jinnah might have avoided a civil war and more human loss. ITW conviniently chooses to avoid that,and more complexities.
2. Was the BJP right in expelling Mr.Jaswant Singh?
- Definitely,not.
- The last time I read a book furiously was when Ms.Rowling released the last of her seven books on HP.Skipping lines here and there,the fiction was gripping and made a fascinating read.The fact that Mr.Rajnath Singh or any other BJP party member,read the 669 pages of heavy verses - difficult to comprehend - in less then 36 hours amazes me.If he/anyone denies this Herculean task - all I ask is this - How do you expel Jaswant Singh from the Party as a result of the thoughts echoed in his book without even reading the book completely?!?!
PS:Dynamic Hindu Incarnate,N.Modi had banned the book in Gujarat.Effortless way to escape reading.
- L.K.Advani publicly condemned the "secular"(Duh!) vison of Jinnah in the latter's Presidential Address on Aug - 11th,1947.Advani was made to step down,no denial - but he wasn't expelled was he ?!?! Just because the name was L.KAdvani and not Jaswant Singh.
- C.Rajagopalachari's personal sizing of Jinnah didn't differ much from Jaswant's.He thought Jinnah was a decent,secular(?!?!)politician worthy of engaging in a serious dialogue.Rajendra Prasad and the entire Parliament observed a couple of minutes of silence after the demise of Jinnah.Would the BJP now go against CR,RP and possibly go on to create a rift in the ideologies of S.V.Patel and CR,if not,then WHY Jaswant?!?!
A senior leader,30 years of experience - expelled.The Chintan Bhaitak brought about verything to Shimla,except their minds.
3. Drawing Comparison with India : From Midnight to Millenium - What could have been done to J.S.
A must read work of S.Tharoor,India:FMTM has been revisited and the new edition has an added chapter of the Gandhi family,in which Mr.Tharoor plays the game fair and square. Without any inhibitions,he writes -
- At Indira Gandhi - questions her disposal of power and her vision beyond the eradication of poverty.
- Takes gentle digs at I.Gandhi's husband ( questioning the consequence of his political career if he was a liquor agent and didn't carry the surname) and S.Gandhi at how, an Italian girl minus a Bachelors Degree and being confined to the Residences of the P.M (Rajiv) has rosen to the masses and how she never studied political philosophy at Cambridge,but English.
- Brings out the ghosts of the Bofors corruption scam under Rajiv.
The Congress' success story lies in its ability to accomodate people with different ideologies (Including a match fixer,seat formula fixers from South and cut throat politicians).The fact that the Congress didn't make S.Tharoor's India:FMTM a big issue( not that he was wrong,I second him.)and instead recognised his merits and posted him in the Cabinet Ministry(A whole family from S.India incl. Mr.A is there,So What? :P) is commendable.BJP has still got to learn a few tricks.
- A show - cause notice to J.S, a warning, or a decision after a personal face - to - face talk wouldn't have hurt.
Verdict:The BJP,in the first place needs to understand that a book is a book,and so will it remain. Debating and expelling leaders like J.S, for expressing views about the incidents which happened sixty years back is just callous attitude resulting in catastrophic times for the Party.There are BIGGER issues which BJP needs to focus .Solve the present-day country matters first and then live in the past. You can't just ban a book fearing the wrath of pro-Hindu groups.Sheer stupidity - Hindutva. Get this straight -WE,Hindus and Muslims are children of the same Mother,Mother India.
*sigh* That would put rest to half a million problems , if only BJP didn't expel such authors and ban such text.
