http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=Mayawati%E2%80%99s+faux+pas&artid=SX%7Cgf8f%7CJSg=&SectionID=RRQemgLywPI=&MainSectionID=RRQemgLywPI=&SectionName=XQcp6iFoWTvPHj2dDBzTNA==
Mayawati's faux pas First Published : 21 Oct 2008 12:25:00 AM IST Unlike Mamata Banerjee, Mayawati realised before it was too late that she was making a big mistake by stalling the construction of a rail coach factory in Sonia Gandhi's Rae Bareli constituency. It isn't clear what made her beat an ignominious retreat — whether it was restiveness among the farmers or the fear of being seen as anti-development. Whatever the reason, her impulsive decision and the subsequent dawning of sense cannot but be politically damaging. Up to now, she was perceived as a no-nonsense person despite the signs of megalomania. But the one-step-forward, two-steps-back minuet over the railway project has revealed her feet of clay.What is worse, her critics are bound to say that someone who cannot assess the impact of her own decisions isn't fit to hold a position of responsibility. Besides, if even the retreat fails to earn her any applause, the reason is that the puerile nature of her original move will detract from any show of regret. It was clear from the start that the UP chief minister was being guided by nothing other than spite in trying to deny Sonia Gandhi,whom she seemed to consider more of a threat than even the Samajwadi Party, any chance of wooing the voters with a new industrial unit with considerable scope for employment and acceleration of the development process. The maliciousness of her move became even more obvious when she imposed prohibitory orders to stop Sonia Gandhi from holding a rally. Even in a country where decency is not always the hallmark of politics, the egregiousness of Mayawati's conduct was blatantly apparent. It is not impossible that among the factors which made her reconsider her decision is the realisation that the episode will not boost her prime ministerial claims. As it is, her penchant for building statues of herself and her mentor, Kanshi Ram, hasn't enhanced her reputation for sobriety.Nor has her explanation of the massive rise in her assets,which she ascribes to gifts in cash and kind from her admirers. As long as she reserved her ire for businessmen close to her rivals or officials of UP cadre who pursued the cases of disproportionate assets against her, her friends and foes might have felt that such acts were not unusual in today's less than perfect world. But the mean-spirited targeting of an opponent was too gross to be overlooked. Even Mayawati conceded the point by her act of reparation. ------------------------------------ ---- INFORMATION OVERLOAD? Get all ZESTCaste mails sent out in a span of 24 hours in a single mail. Subscribe to the daily digest version by sending a blank mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED], OR, if you have a Yahoo! Id, change your settings at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTMedia/join/ PARTICIPATE:- On this list you can share caste news, discuss caste issues and network with like-minded anti-caste people from across India and the world. Just write to [email protected] TELL FRIENDS TO SIGN UP:- If you got this mail as a forward, subscribe to ZESTCaste by sending a blank mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] OR, if you have a Yahoo! ID, by visiting http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCaste/join/ Also have a look at our sister list, ZESTMedia: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTMedia/Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCaste/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCaste/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
