Advani Rathyatra 2 - A Political Gimmicks

Advani’s Rathyatra 2 A political gimmicks 10/10/2011

The name rath yatra may give you the impression that L K Advani is going to undertake an all-land march. Until you learn about the list of flights the Bharatiya Janata Party veteran would use as part of his nation-wide trip against corruption starting next week. For Advani's 7,600-km yatra, his party leadership has decided to make use of air transport in a big way, so the former deputy prime minister can cover 23 states and four Union territories before the mission ends in Delhi on November 20.
At the start it was told that Advani would start his Rath Yatra from Sitab Diyara the birth place of Loknayak Jai Prakash Narayan. JP, as he is fondly remembered, himself launched his famous ‘jati toro’ or ‘break the caste line’ agitation. Now it is established with official version that Advani in effect would ride his ‘Rath’ from Chhapra some 45 kilometers away from Sitab Diyara.
Fasting/Yatras now become a fashion in India to gain cheap popularity like Poonam Pandey is doing. Now Advani is going to start Rath Yarta to remove corruption. His charioteers (sarthi) horses will be Yaddurappa, Reddy Brothers, Bagaru Laxman, Juhdev etc.
This is clearly a political gimmick at diverting public attention because Mr Advani knows all the angles and has already has a tendency of creating subversive , fundamentalist activity in the country . He would do well keeping away from such yatras.

BJP wants to ride on the popular sentiment built against corruption, thanks to anna’s movement. Lack of development and high corruption are two big minus points of Congress, BJP wants to cash on. But congress always corner and discredit BJP on the issue of so called “communalism” . This practically deprive BJP of 20% votes of Muslims/Christians and roughly 25% votes of liberal Hindus (Believing the “secular” propaganda) Image of Adwani ji ,in popular perception ,particularly in Muslims , is of a “Hardliner Hindu” unlike Atal ji, who had a liberal image. No one can change the perceived image overnight. Because of this image problem, and taken into consideration his age ,the proposed “yatra” is ill conceived . It will do more harm than earn any gain for the party. Rather party should put forward young members (Look for good orators/ thinkers) and avoid any trap by not foolishly engaging into a bogus debate on secularism.

AICC spokesman Abhishek Singhvi's hurling of "tainted" saffron names at the BJP patriarch appeared to make light of his yatra's stated objective. Mr Singhvi should also remember that, it is Congress that has been the government for the last 55 years. That means, in all of the scams registered in last 64 years, 80 to 90 percent of them are attributed to congress men. If BJP has Babri Masjid, Congress has Operation Blue Star. If BJP has Parliament attack, Congress has Delhi High Court Attacks, Pune Blasts, Mumbai Attacks. It is pathetic to listen to this raving lunatics explaining how they are holier than thou..I think we should have a system, where an elected representative cannot be in office for more than 2 terms. Mr Advani is an octagenarian. Even if he becomes a PM one day, the chances of him lasting the entire term are quite dicey. So is the case with Mr Manmohan Singh. But given the alternative of Narendra Modi or Rahul Gandhi, the former candidates are better.
Describing Advani's crusade against corruption as 'uncalled for' and 'ill timed', the NCP leader said the former should have waited for the outcome of the proposed Lokpal bill being drafted by a parliamentary committee on the basis of several proposals submitted by the civil society. The RJD has also decided to oppose Advani's rath yatra by taking out a protest march on October 11 under party national president Lalu Prasad, he said.

Advaniji has said that his rathyatra is not for any prime minister candateship. "Who will be prime minister, the party will decide when the time comes. Three years are still left for the elections. However, the (UPA) government has been run in a way that it can fall anytime. People are tolerating it," Advani said. "Though I will raise the issue of rampant corruption, price rise and extreme poverty that exists in the country during my Jan Chetna Yatra, issue of black money stashed away abroad will figure most prominently," he said.

Now Politics has become a lucrative business where both the UPA alliance , I mean the government and the BJP or NDA , whatever you may call the roses are mired in corruption.

SIDDHARTHA SHANKAR MISHRA,
BUREAU CHIEF,
THESE DAYS, TASVER E HIND,
ORISSA, SAMBALPUR