Mahatma Gandhi v Present-day politicians

Immersion of the ashes of Mahatma Gandhi after sixty years of his death can be summed up in the following words: “The handful of ashes was all that was there of the Mahatma Gandhi surviving sixty years after his assassination.” This is the crux of the prevailing political ethos in India. We, Indians believe in hero-worship but shy to follow the ideology of the hero we worship. By putting up statues on road-crossings, naming the institutions after names of the national leaders, we think, we have done our duty to revered one.
Political parties irrespective of their hue are power-hungry-overtly or covertly. In such a scenario, their sole aim remains to grab power and power comes with numbers in democratic set up. Criminals help the parties to brow-beat the really deserving candidates and in the bargain, get themselves also elected to the august body which was once adorned by the personalities like Acharya Kirpalani, Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad, Rafi Ahmed Kidwai, Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia, Shyama Prashad Mukherjee etc.
There is dearth of leaders and proliferation of politicians who never follow what they say. Large number of issues of national importance are pending because the present politicians’ future will get compromised if such issues are resolved or attended to.

Musharraf v Democracy in Pakistan

18th February poll-results vouchsafe that long suppressed and living under the jackboots for years, the people of Pakistan have voted for democracy and sent a signal to the Prez Mush that they cannot be kept under military oppression in perpetuity. However, it would be asking for the sky to expect Musharraf to leave on his own because the armed forces are unlikely to go back to the barracks despite the outcome of Monday’s poll. One who has tasted blood does not let its prey easily.
If PPP & PML-N by sinking their partisan differences forge a cohesive front, only then can the people of Pakistan hope for redressal of their sufferings, and long cherished desire to breathe in a free flow of democratic wind.
Super cop of the world-Prez Bush will have to abstain from backing the army propped regime in Pak and let the politicians who have been given mandate by the people of the country enough space to set their house in order.



Hisar (Haryana)

Musharraf

Sh. H.K. Dua has analyzed the situation arising as a result of the outcome of general elections in Pak from various angles in his first page editorial: “Better Musharraf leaves on his own than told to do so” (20th Feb., 2008). “Long suppressed and living under the jackboots for years, the people of Pakistan have” voted for democracy and sent a signal to the Prez Mush that they cannot be kept under military oppression in perpetuity. However, it would be asking for the sky to expect Musharraf to leave on his own because the “armed forces are unlikely to go back to the barracks despite the outcome of Monday’s poll”. One who has tasted blood does not let its prey easily.
If PPP & PML-N by sinking their partisan differences forge a cohesive front, only then can the people of Pakistan hope for redressal of their sufferings, and long cherished desire to breathe in a free flow of democratic wind.
Super cop of the world-Prez Bush will have to abstain from backing the army propped regime in Pak and let the politicians who have been given mandate by the people of the country enough space to set their house in order.


Dt. 20th February, 2008 Laj Pat Rai Garg
Hisar (Haryana)