BJP full of hope & promises

For the last four years, the BJP has passed through a very bad patch of its history. There is no use remembering and recounting bad experiences. To me, it now seems that not only have those bad chapters ended, but I feel a new chapter of the party's turning point has arrived full of hope, enthusiasm and promises.

This conclusion is a result of the rally on April 21, which was one of the most massive mobilisation of workers, unparallel in the decade that passed by. This demonstration was against the unprecedented price rise of almost all essential commodities. I am 75 and do not remember a price explosion like the present one. What is worse is the graph of rising prices, despite the wholesome propaganda of prices being curbed. As if this was not enough, the Government opted for publishing an illusory chart of prices. No one can buy a product in any part of the country, even of the worst quality, without being squeezed. What is more cruel for the aam aadmi is increasing prices every week. Sometimes milk becomes costlier by Rs 2, the next week petrol and diesel prices attain new heights. Everybody knows that if you increase diesel prices it has a cascading impact on all transportable items.

The BJP rally was to protest against the continuous rise in inflation. The issue that the BJP was protesting was genuine suffering of masses. The common man is unanimous about this issue. In fact, while the prices were rising, people even asked why the BJP was not protesting. The demonstration on April 21 was in response to the public demand. People have started remembering the BJP rule during which not one dharna, one parliamentary speech on this topic happened. Prices were stable.

The April 21 rally was a superlative success. Newspapers, which earlier seldom reported about BJP's rallies, this time unanimously treated the rally as successful. There were lakhs present in the rally listening to their leaders. During the scorching heat, with the mercury at 43 degrees, numerous persons fainted. April 21 falls in the busiest harvesting season. Had it been another season, the numbers might have swelled.

When the rally started, lakhs of people were stranded on half a dozen Delhi borders from Narela to Rajghat. Traffic jams up to 10 Km were seen due to influx of vehicles carrying protesters. A similar scene was seen at Gazipur depot. There were seven Delhi borders where at least more than three lakh protesters were stranded. Had they succeeded in reaching the rally spot, the target of the organisers would have exceeded. In Dhaulana constituency (Ghaziabad) alone, the organiser had planned for 40 vehicles. The degree of enthusiasm was such that the organisers had to arrange for more than 80 vehicles. A similar enthusiasm was seen in the bordering districts of Dhaulapur, Alwar and Bharatpur in Rajasthan.

None of the BJP gathering included a hired crowd. People from southern and eastern parts of the country spent from their own pockets to reach the rally spot. This spirit was lacking from the past five years in the BJP. It has re-emerged. An MP from western UP told a reporter that he would spend all his money, if it was required, but would go to Delhi with 500 packed buses to take part in the rally.

The rally was not a show of strength by the BJP, it was an expression of anger against the Central Government and a protest against the false propaganda and rosy picture being given by it.

The bad patch of BJP history has also had it's silver lining. After all, BJP recaptured MP, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat and came to power in Himachal, Uttrakhand, as well as the Punjab in alliance with Akalis. Also, it added Karnataka in the Party's map.

But, in spite of all this, the atmosphere of hopelessness continued because of the lack of ways to handle the situation. Earlier, a few journalists had put some unwanted words in LK Advani's speech. The heading given by the media played havoc in the party and succeeded in creating huge confusion. But journalists alone are not responsible for this. Many others also contributed to it. Fortunately, the bad patch has ended. Now BJP seems to be readying for the battles ahead.

But let me warn, if leaders persist with their old habits, the bad patch may reoccur. At the moment, all political parties are in disarray. You cannot blame the Congress for its undemocratic functioning. It is a family dictatorship. Even the Communist parties are suffering from internal problems in Kerala and West Bengal. DMK has fallen due to the tiff between the sons of Karunanidhi. SP is suffering from desertion. The country is being ruled by the CBI to handle the opposition.

In a situation like this, the BJP is likely to acquire its rightful place.In a situation like this, the BJP is likely to acquire its rightful place.

Courtesy: www.dailypioneer.com, May 2, 2010