Samajwadi Party

Debate Opinion

Crisis of Democracy: India need institutional autonomy to protect and strengthen democracy

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat The poll outcome in five states have gladdened many and disappointing others with BJP’s extremely impressive performance but it is also a complete failure of the opposition parties particularly Congress and BSP. The results have also exposed the embedded media. It is not merely Modi Bhaktas but there is a ‘big’ anti-Modi anti-Yogi industry which gained enormously since 2014. After the demise of ‘media’, the so-called alternative media too came from those segments of ‘professionals’ who were part of what is termed as ‘Godi’ Media or ‘Darbari media’. The popularity of these ‘alternative’ portals went extremely high. Individuals became ‘Nayaks’ and Kisan Andolan ‘strengthened’ it further when ‘journalists’ became spokespersons of ‘anti-Modi’ or in Uttar Pradesh anti-Yogi narrative. Their monologues were often full of misinterpretations yet in the current trends, it does not matter what you write or how qualitative and objective you are, like Godi media, the ‘alternative’ too thrived on falsification of news and complete disconnect from reality. Those claiming ‘alternative media’ were neither alternative nor analytical but more a party, perhaps setting news ‘agenda’ for the political sponsors. They attended political rallies, spoke to ‘bhakts’ and made us ‘feel good’ that BJP has become ‘unwanted’. The Kisan Andolan, the anti CAA Protests were legitimate movements and protests but cannot be projected as ‘alternative’ political parties to BJP. Movements and their Crisis An analysis of the politically ‘apolitical’ social movement can give you an understanding that most of them have ended up in helping the ‘Sangh Parivar’ and its ‘idea of India’.  The longer these ‘movements’ are pushed, the better for the BJP to exploit the inherent contradictions of society. The fault line of the political analysts and ‘social scientists’ is in their portrayal of a ‘progressive’ movement but the facts are they were more due to political marginalisation of the communities. Anna Hazare-Arvind Kejriwal’s anti-corruption movement actually emerged after Congress-led UPA won its second term in Lok Sabha in 2009.  The movement in the name of ‘anti-corruption’ was led by the Savarna forces who felt that Congress was marginalising the ‘upper castes. The…


Debate Opinion

UP PREPARES FOR CHANGE

As Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections draw to a close, a wind of change seems to be blowing through the state. Initially, it was thought that because of the farmers’ movement the Samajwadi Party-Rashtriya Lok Dal alliance will dominate Bharatiya Janata Party only in western UP. Although the revival of SP had begun much before the elections but it was believed that BJP would make a comeback riding on the double engine governments of Narendra Modi and Yogi Adityanath. However, as the elections moved eastwards, an issue which BJP had not taken much seriously, and neither had other political parties, that of stray cattle – sprang up as a surprise, so much so, that even the Prime Minister had to say during the fourth phase of campaigning in Unnao that BJP government if re-elected, would buy cow dung making it economical for farmers to feed unproductive cattle. The Chief Minister had to say, also before the fourth phase polling that he would provide Rs. 900 per cattle per month to the farmer so that s(he) may take care of unproductive cattle. The issue of stray cattle had become a serious issue even in 2019 and should have been a cause of their defeat in parliamentary elections, at least in UP, but BJP was mysteriously able to win seats by huge margins here. There is a general belief that there was foul play in the 2019 elections marked by the absence of any celebrations by BJP even after a ’resounding’ victory. Amit Shah made a surprising statement in the middle of ongoing elections that Muslims can vote for Bahujan Samaj Party. Why should he worry about BSP? People suspect that there is a behind the scene alliance between BJP and BSP and either can help the other to form a government. However, if one talks to general people they are clear about two things. They want a change in government and are fed up with this government on various counts – price rise, unemployment, education and health care in shambles, fear and terror in the name of law and order, over the…