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Anita Parikh asks, is it enough to be a politician with a clean image? When the chip is down, we find hardliners and nationalists take U-turns. Clean intentions would give us clean governance. Is the Prime Minister Modi listening!
I have come to realise that I am really not pro any party. May be I would lean a bit towards Aam Aadmi for their ideology but their rhetoric tends to put me off. I’m pro-true progress. When it is progress or even an attempt at progress, at all levels. Needless to say, much of all the progress that is talked about or flaunted during elections depends on clear mandates and accountability.
Ironically, even separatist groups sometimes display lucid directives and exhibit answerability, making you reconsider your definition of an anti-nationalist or nationalist.
Now take a look at the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT). When the General Officer Comanding 16 Corps, Lt. General R R Nimbhorkar, expressed concern over the LeT collaborating with the IS, by the third day the Lashkar-e-Toiba actually issued a statement distancing itself from the ISIS saying, “The Kashmir people don’t want aid and support form an external group, which was a production of anti-Islamic Western countries”.
Poof! In one line they swore non-allegiance to the ISIS and reiterated that theirs was a homebred mandate, for their people as it were. Well, even the ISIS did claim that they considered Asian Muslims (Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis) ‘inferior’ to their Arab counterparts. Of course, they would have to justify why they pay them less, provide inferior equipments and even trick them into suicide attacks. Still, everyone is trying very hard to clear the dust.
So, Mr. Competitive Prime Minister, why are you so quiet? We know you don’t take any kickbacks personally or is that your indirect kickback to those who keep you up there? Then you are no better than them. And please stop your hollow rhetoric. Or give me a reason to believe in you!