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October 13, 1998
ELECTIONS '98
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How Readers responded to Saisuresh Sivaswamy's recent columns
Date sent: Wed, 07 Oct 1998 08:17:25 -0500
Dear Saisuresh, Since you obviously feel that not many people bother to respond to your articles, I thought I would send a mail. I hope this one will get published in Rediff (it being my third mail). Regarding politicians, I feel strongly that P V Narasimha Rao is the best PM we have had during the last two decades, or even, after Independence. He had the foresight to push India into economic reforms, knowing well that it wouldn't be a popular move. He is the only politician in recent times who governed for the betterment of the country. Remember Punjab? It was during his time. And please consider the fact that the two PMs before him got very near to creating a situation of anarchy in our country. The spineless way in which V P Singh acted when the then home minister's daughter was kidnapped is the single reason which gave the Kashmir militants the inspiration to fight it out. Better I don't talk much about Chandra Shekhar. I can't remember anything special happening during his period except the election and Sriperumbadur. Rajiv Gandhi sure kept the public interest alive. And Lalooji and Mulayam, by their antics, entertain us. But is this what we want? Sankar
Date sent: Wed, 7 Oct 1998 00:00:19 EDT
It is still not clear what Sai wants to say. Spinning a story on what happened in Indian politics is not going to do any good to anyone. You can write such articles from your bedroom. There is no need for someone to be paid for it. There was enough discussion about Rajiv and Bofors case, V P Singh and Mandal Commission, PV and Pickle Pathak case. We expect Rediff articles to be futuristic. More stress on what is going to happen, you know. Sai can write about the current politics of Laloo and Jaya, how they are hell bent on turning the law onto their side, the recent transfer of a judge hearing a tax evasion case of Sasi and Co and other things to come.
Date sent: Tue, 06 Oct 98 14:14:23 -0800
Please accept my compliments on correctly analysing the politics in India. I would also like to add one more thing here: The worst thing that has happened to modern India took place before Independence in the form of the birth of a boy: V P Singh This guy has brought in caste politics and given birth to numerous Laloos and Mulayams who do not even know how to spell their names correctly. They talk about taking this country and its people to a new century and heights!
Date sent: Tue, 06 Oct 1998 16:21:50 -0500
What the hell is your problem, Saisuresh? Are we so much short of villains and issues that you need to aim at poor PV once again for all of India's ills? Who wants 'colour' anyway? What India needs is a set of responsible leaders who are willing to grapple with real issues... one hardly cares whether they are colourful or drab. For all their so-called 'colour' we know what kind of legacy Mrs G & her worthy son left behind... gimme a break, buddy! PV, for all his colourlessness was one PM who had the courage to change policy, bring in reforms and tear down absurd protectionist shibboleths. It's time we stopped blackballing him and find someone who has vision and courage to bring real change to India.
Date sent: Mon, 28 Sep 1998 16:35:08 PDT
Hello Sai, I must say your article makes a lot of sense. But I would like to analyse a few LONG-TERM implications of this whole episode: * Even though the BJP lost face, it adds to the long-term stability of the present BJP government. Main point being, Jayalalitha can no longer demand Karunanidhi's dismissal. Even Mamata Banerjee cannot ask for the blind dismissal of the West Bengal government. I think the BJP has taken a highly calculated risk to achieve this. * Even if the Congress now tries to destabilise, it has nothing to offer Jayalalitha or any other of the BJP's present allies. If the Bihar government cannot be dismissed, certainly no other government in the country deserves to be dismissed!!!! * The President's role in the country has become more important. Finally one can say that the President is no longer a rubber stamp! * The BJP has by pulling this face-losing stunt, in a crude way, not only kept up its election promise that Article 356 will not be misused, but also made sure its successors also find it difficult to use it! * Even though it is a loss of face in Parliament, I think this move/attempt to dismiss the Rabri Devi government in Bihar will certainly get more voters for the BJP in other reasonable states! I wonder why no one thinks this way :) Anamika
Date sent: Mon, 28 Sep 1998 20:16:28 -0700
Hi Sai, Why are you boring me? Go to Bihar. You are fit to be there. Quit Rediff. Join Laloo, Mulayam. Rediff, I don't want to see anymore articles from this Sai!!!!
Date sent: Tue, 18 Sep 2007 16:07:04 -0400
Saisuresh Sivasamy has shown his true colours -- the Congress colours. These neo-patriots openly started supporting the BJP only after its emergence as an alternative to the Congress. There is one only interest in the minds of these mediocre intellectuals from the upper middle class -- their class and caste. They were licking the boots of the Nehru family until V P Singh, Mulayam, Laloo, Kanshi Ram et al drilled holes in the Congress boat, because the Congress took care of their class and caste interests. Even during the Nehru family rule, occasionally these pseudos pretended to criticise Congress politicians (excluding the Nehru family), just to keep their intellectual image. During those days, even though they preferred the BJP, the ideal champion for their cause, they did not reveal it for the fear of being branded communal. When they knew for sure that the Congress was a sinking boat, all these pseudos turned to the BJP, as the BJP was by then accepted all over India. However, they cannot be ungrateful to the Nehru family for taking care of their interest thus far. Saisuresh Sivaswamy's article is an example. He wants to portray Rajiv Gandhi as an innocent victim of malicious propaganda carried out by the media and the 'satanic' V P Singh. Besides covering up Rajiv's looting of Bofors money, Saisuresh hits two more mangoes -- one in expressing his gratitude to the Nehru family, the second in attacking their class enemy V P Singh who changed the Indian polity overnight. In case Sonia revives the Congress from its deathbed, these suckers will then turn to her. They know very well that there is no difference between the Congress and the BJP except that the latter is clean and sincere to its ideals. Only the stupid Leftist parties fail to see this difference and prefer going behind the Congress, rather than working with the poor and downtrodden to make them aware of the upper class politics. Even the likes of Laloo and Mulayam are not reliable in this regard, because their affection for the oppressed class is out of convenience rather than conviction. S Sankarapandi
Date sent: Mon, 06 Jul 1998 13:43:03 PDT
We have better things to read about than 'In defence of Jayalalitha' or in defence of Husain's paintings. Jayalalitha is wrong in seeking the DMK government's dismissal and Husain in depicting a goddess in the nude. Do we need articles to defend their mistakes? Padma
Date sent: Mon, 6 Jul 1998 14:47:22 -0400
I do not believe that Advani and Vajpayee are fools and that they will give any assurance to Jayalalitha on the DMK government's dismissal. I remember when the Coimbatore blasts occurred, Advani criticised the DMK and Karunanidhi. He just stopped short of asking for his dismissal or resignation. Please check Rediff archives for this. It is not a simple case of the BJP cheating Jayalalitha on the promise and then Jayalalitha retaliating, as Sai would like readers to believe. First, there is not even circumstantial evidence that the BJP gave such a promise without any ifs and buts. Second, Jayalalitha did not retaliate. She started this entire episode by withholding the letter of support to the President even before the BJP-led government was formed. This blackmailing by Jayalalitha on the eve of government formation created this mess. We cannot blame the BJP for that. The third factor that went against Jayalalitha and indirectly against the BJP's plan to overthrow the DMK government if the law & order situation indeed continues to be bad, was Karunanidhi's switching sides and distancing his government from Al-Umma, and cracking down on Muslim fundamentalists. The Congress can go to any shameless extent. They will invent reasons to dismiss a government by roping in influential journalists. The BJP has not reached that state yet. If I have to choose between Jayalalitha and the BJP, I will choose the BJP. Sai, sorry for not accepting Jayalalitha as a victim. She created this mess. The BJP is the victim.
Date sent: Mon, 06 Jul 1998 14:30:32 -0400
I believe that Article 356 should be abolished altogether. This has to be done while converting Union territories into states and insuring that all states have uniform statehood -- that is, there is no special status. It is perfectly logical, and perhaps even prudent, that the people elect one party (or a coalition) to power at the state level, another party at the city level (within that state) and yet another party to represent them at the Centre. Nobody but the people (via voting) or their elected members should be able to dismiss such a government. The idea of a central government being able to supersede the wishes of the people by dismissing the duly elected state government is simply appalling. By the same token, the state government should not be able to interfere with the workings of the local government. This, along with more authority to local governments, should help correct some of the egregious violations of democracy in our country. It is easier for the local population to directly approach their local government to ensure proper working than people approaching their MPs (although that should be strongly encouraged too). Ajay
Date sent: Tue, 7 Jul 1998 13:52:40 -0400
Hi Saisuresh, "Defending Jayalalitha" is really a wrong and misleading title for your column. It is nothing more than a teaser. You are only explaining her situation and the ill-intended logic behind her actions and words. I usually like your columns and your straightforward style. But I must say this column had nothing new to offer either in the form of news or analysis. A note of self-criticism: I have never written to you before in appreciation of the columns that I liked. Sorry 'bout that. Srikanth Meenakshi
Date sent: Mon, 6 Jul 1998 21:12:25 -0400 (EDT)
Hi, That was one of the most mishy-mashy articles that I have ever read on Rediff. Saisuresh's point is that Jayalalitha's stance is justifiable *because such an arrangement could have been forged prior to the elections with the BJP*. Correct me if I am wrong: But this very reason that the dismissal of a democratically elected (forgive the cliche) state government was discussed and promised even before the BJP formed the government at the Centre would give the Supreme Court a most compelling reason to throw the BJP govt's case in the bin. A chronology of the statements made by the AIADMK leaders would reveal that the demand for the dismissal and the BJP's promise came much before the Coimbatore blasts. If indeed the arrangement between the BJP and the AIADMK was a quid pro quo, it deserves to be condemned for that very fact. All of us will no doubt grant that politics in India is at its nadir. Justifying rash pre-poll arrangements is no way to redeem it.
Arvind Sivasubramanian |
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