["But for the Sena and BJP none of this is of any consequence. Uppermost in their mind is to avoid a divorce, if possible, or to hop into bed with another partner, if necessary. Verily is power the political equivalent of Fevicol."
That apparently turns the rather short-lived ugly public spat between the two uneasy partners in power into a mere charade.] http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/talking-terms/charade-in-mumbai/ Charade in Mumbai October 17, 2015, 12:03 AM IST Dileep Padgaonkar in Talking Terms | Edit Page, India | TOI *How Thackeray and Fadnavis scripted the Kulkarni-Kasuri drama to settle their political scores* Every actor involved in the harrowing spectacle witnessed in Mumbai on Monday can claim to have the last laugh. Images of Sudheendra Kulkarni’s face, blackened by a group of Shiv Sena hoodlums, splashed on television screens throughout the day and on the front pages of newspapers across the country the day after. Never had he imagined that he would receive such intense and widespread media exposure. His defiance of the Sena’s writ not to hold a book launch indeed earned him accolades even from those who were sceptical of his ideological and political flip-flops: Marxist turned Hindutva votary, BJP insider turned a fierce critic of Narendra Modi, hyper-nationalist who, in his latest avatar, is an apostle of peace and communal harmony. Kulkarni took both the attack on him and the praise that followed with amazing grace. The author of the book that got the Sena’s goat, Muhammad Khurshid Kasuri, a former foreign minister of Pakistan, hadn’t bargained for such a bonanza of free publicity either. One doubts if he ever spoke to so many reporters in the course of a single day during his long stint in his country’s public life. He answered their toughest questions – especially those related to terror outfits in Pakistan and Kashmir – with unfailing courtesy and candour. Shiv Sena was true to form. Ever since it appeared on Maharashtra’s political landscape in June 1966, it has sought to fulfil its ambitions on the strength of provocative statements of its leaders and the thuggish deeds of its lumpen rank-and-file. A potent cocktail of regional chauvinism and hardcore Hindutva drove it to target, turn by turn, and often simultaneously, south Indians and communists, Gujaratis and north Indians, Left-leaning and liberal Maharashtrians and Muslims. The intent was to deny political space to other parties, including BJP, its ally. Such was the fear the Sena spread across the state that successive governments were loath to stop its vandalism. Sports stars and film stars routinely made a beeline to the Sena supremo to seek his benediction. But the outfit began to see the ground slip beneath its feet once BJP headed the government after the last state assembly elections. Denied ‘lucrative’ ministries and fearful of losing its grip on local bodies, veritable cash cows, it went on a warpath against its ally. All of this came to the fore on Monday. The Sena ostensibly targeted Kulkarni and Kasuri. In fact it wanted to settle its scores with BJP. It not only defended the goons who had attacked Kulkarni but Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray even felicitated them. And it lambasted Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis for providing security for the launch of Kasuri’s book. The message it sought to convey was loud and clear: BJP had gone soft on Pakistan – a charge, it reckons, that still has political traction in the state. That Fadnavis stood his ground and ensured that the book launch took place without an incident also had much to do with the strains and stresses in BJP’s ties with the Sena. But he did uphold the law. This was a departure from the past since his predecessors hadn’t summoned the nerve to confront the Sena’s misdemeanours. However, even as he vowed to discharge his constitutional responsibilities, the chief minister added the caveat that the organisers of the event would be brought to book if anti-India statements were made during the proceedings. This was a classic case of one-upmanship over the Sena. Unfortunately, the interventions of those who spoke on the occasion didn’t figure in the media coverage. That would have revealed if anything was said on the occasion that confirmed Fadnavis’s apprehensions. Quite to the contrary. This writer for one disagreed with fellow panellists A G Noorani and Kasuri on a host of issues. They heard me out without losing their shirt. Many of their views made eminent sense too. So reasoned and patient dialogue does have its uses no matter what the Pakistan baiters contend. ***But for the Sena and BJP none of this is of any consequence. Uppermost in their mind is to avoid a divorce, if possible, or to hop into bed with another partner, if necessary. Verily is power the political equivalent of Fevicol.*** [Emphasis added.] -- Peace Is Doable -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send an email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
