The central tactic of BJP and communal organizations is to bypass the issues related to people’s needs and to distract the attention towards those related to emotive issues. Issues which can put his opponents in a bad light have been regularly resorted to by Modi. For creating this Modi can go to the extent of saying untruths with great amount of confidence. In this statement-question raised, he is speaking a lie on one side and is also trying to glorify his icon Savarkar on the other.

As a matter of fact, while the Indian National Congress had differences with revolutionaries like Bhagat Singh, they respected the high level of commitment and dedication of these young men. There are reports in the Tribune  at the time about Nehru visiting the jail to meet Bhagat Sing and his comrades. The reports in Tribune on August 9 and 10 of 1929, tell us about Nehru’s meeting the jailed revolutionaries, inquiring on them.
 
Motilal Nehru had even formed a committee to demand humane treatment for the revolutionaries who were on a fast unto death. In his autobiography, Towards Freedom, Nehru gives a very touching account of his meeting with Bhagat Singh, Jatin Das and other young men. “I happened to be in Lahore when the hunger strike was already a month old. I was given permission to visit some of the prisoners in the prison, and I availed myself of this. I saw Bhagat Singh for the first time, and Jatindranath Das and a few others. They were all very weak and bedridden, and it was hardly possible to talk to them much. Bhagat Singh had an attractive, intellectual face, remarkably calm and peaceful. There seemed to be no anger in it. He looked and talked with great gentleness, but then I suppose that anyone who has been fasting for a month will look spiritual and gentle. Jatin Das looked milder still, soft and gentle like a young girl. He was in considerable pain when I saw him. He died later, as a result of fasting, on the sixty-first day of the hunger strike.”
 
The other aspect of the statement by Modi is to equate Savarkar with the dedicated young revolutionaries like Bhagat Singh. This seems to be a clever ploy to elevate Savarkar to the level to which he did not belong. While Bhagat Singh was in jail, pending death penalty, he was requested by his family to seek clemency, which Bhagat Singh refused. On the contrary, he wrote to the British government that since he and his comrades have been sentenced to death for waging war against the empire, he should be made to face the firing squad not just death by hanging. On the other hand Savarkar, after being sentenced for his role in the case of murder of a British officer, totally changed his stance in jail. From an anti-British role he wrote series of apology letters, surrendered to the British and promised them to be of help in future! He did remain loyal to British after his release from jail.
 
As a matter of fact the Congress, in recognition of Savarkar’s initial role, was trying to put pressure on British government for his release. But Savarkar was already writing petition after petition to British to release him. From 1920 INC was asking for his unconditional release, but due to reasons best known to him Savarkar preferred to give a written undertaking, which in a way was total surrender. “I hereby acknowledge that I had a fair trial and just sentence. I heartily abhor methods of violence resorted to in days gone by and I feel myself duty bound to uphold [British] law and constitution to the best of my powers and am willing to make the ‘reform’ a success in so far as I may be allowed to do so in future.” (From the facsimile of Savarkar’s letter to British authorities). There are many such letters and British did grant him clemency.

This act of his seeking pardon from British was a betrayal of freedom movement. His followers present it as a tactical ploy to get released so that he could continue his struggle against British rule. As matter of fact after his release Savarkar, floated the concept of Hindu nationalism, brought to fore the concept of Hindutva, (total Hinduness) and stated that there are two nations in the country, Hindu and Muslim! This was precisely the equal and opposite of the politics of Muslim nationalism being brought up by Muslim League. This is what also contributed to partition tragedy.

So Modi on one hand speaks a lie about Congress leaders ignoring those struggling for freedom. On the other he puts Savarkar in the same category as Bhagat Singh. Congress was trying to get Savarkar released. Bhagat Singh remained firm on his ideology and path of resistance against British power. For his principles he undertook a hunger strike in jail. Savarkar on the other side buckled under the jail conditions and surrendered to the British. Goebbels’ methods being resorted by Modi need to be opposed.

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Image: Hindustan Times

The SC, in an unprecedented move, held an overnight hearing on the matter. The Bench that heard the matter at 2am, comprised Justices A.K Sikri, S.A Bobde and Ashok Bhushan. Attorney General KK Venugopal represented the Union of India while senior advocate Dr. Abhishek Manu Singhvi represented the petitioners Dr.G. Paremeshwara, Congress MLA and H.D Kumaraswamy, JD(S) MLA. The petition drafted by Advocates Devadatt Kamat, Prashant Kumar, Javedar Rehman, Aditya Bhat and Rajesh Inamdar was filed through Gautam Talukdar. Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi stated that he has instructions from the BJP MLAs Govind M. Karjol C.M Udasi and Basavaraj Bommai.

Hearing went on till early in the morning after which the court asked for the letter given by BS Yedyurappa to the governor showing majority. This letter is to be produced at the next hearing scheduled to take place at 10:30am on 18^th May, 2018. The court did not pass an order staying BS Yedrurappa’s swearing in.

In its order the court said, “After hearing the parties, we are of the opinion that it is necessary to peruse the letters dated 15th May, 2018 and 16th May, 2018 submitted by the respondent No.3 (Yedyurappa) to the Governor which find a mention in the communication dated 16th May, 2018 of the Hon’ble Governor. We request the learned Attorney General and/or respondent No.3 to produce these letters on the next date of hearing. WPD 19482/18 3 This Court is not passing any order staying the oath taking ceremony of respondent No.3. In case, he is given oath in the meantime, that shall be subject to further orders of this Court and final outcome of the writ petition.” 

The entire petition may be read here:

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The drama is not over. The next few days are crucially important not only for Karnataka but India as well.
 

 

The elections to the legislative assembly of Karnataka have proved to be more dramatic than any work of fiction could ever have hoped to be. At the time of writing this article, the story is not over and the end of the tale is not known. 

It is not clear whether it will be a happy ending for the Bharatiya Janata Party or the Indian National Congress. Even for the Janata Dal (Secular), does it have every reason to rejoice having become the “king” as well as the “king maker”? For former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda and his son former Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, challenges lie ahead. 

What is not clear is whether its flock of JD(S) Members of the Legislative Assembly will remain together or not, or whether some among them could be swayed by the money power of the illegal iron ore miners of Ballari – led by the relatives and associates of Gali Janardhana Reddy – to defect as a group of over a dozen MLAs or, what could be even simpler, fall ill on the day of the floor test in the assembly. That’s not all. Particular newly-elected MLAs of the JD(S) could simply resign their seats to reduce the effective strength of the assembly as had happened in the past in Karnataka. 

Whatever be the character and complexion of the new state government and whatever be its longevity, there are some important lessons that need to be learnt by all concerned. For the BJP, the way in which the ruling party cobbled together a majority in a completely opportunistic manner in Goa and Manipur in March 2017 is now going to be emulated by the Congress. If the BJP emerged successful in forming the governments in these two small states, the point is simple: two can play the same game. The Congress has learnt the “rules” of the game the hard way and the party’s moves are now “smarter” than before.  

What the coming days will also indicate to the BJP is the extent to which money power can influence politics. The Congress under Rajiv Gandhi had claimed that the Bofors scandal would have no impact on voter behaviour, that corruption was not an issue that mattered. The party was proved wrong in December 1989 when Vishwanath Pratap Singh became the Prime Minister of India leading a minority government with support from both the Left and the Right. Will the BJP be proved wrong on this occasion because it brazenly and wholeheartedly embraced the Ballari mafia believing that the manner in which this gang looted the natural resources of the people of the state (and their children as well) would not matter to the electorate of Karnataka?

At a national level, the uncertain outcome of the state assembly elections sends significant signals to all political parties across the country. For the BJP, its attempts to triumphantly march southwards has faltered. So has the Prime Minister’s hopes of rapidly ushering in a opposition-mukt country if not a Congress-mukt Bharat. At the same time, what the Congress should realise is that if it has to take on the BJP in the run-up to the next general elections, it has absolutely no alternative but to align itself with regional parties opposed to the BJP even it means that India’s “grand old party” would have to play second fiddle to some of them. The Congress must accept the fact that the outcome of the Karnataka elections would have been very different had it stitched together a coalition with the JD(S) before the elections, not after it.

For the other smaller and regional parties as well, the outcome of the Karnataka elections has sent out a message that cannot be ignored. Whether it is the Communist parties (in Kerala, West Bengal and Tripura), the Bahujan Samaj Party, the Samajwadi Party (in Uttar Pradesh), the Rashtriya Janata Dal (Bihar), the Trinamool Congress (West Bengal), the Biju Janata Dal (Odisha), the Telugu Desam Party, the YSR Congress (Andhra Pradesh), the Nationalist Congress Party (Maharashtra) the Telengana Rashtriya Samithi, the small parties of North-East India, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (Tamil Nadu) and others – if these parties are really (and I mean really) serious about defeating the BJP, they have no choice but to work with the Congress in their fight against communal forces.

For the partners of the BJP in the National Democratic Alliance too, the Karnataka elections have sent out salient indicators. The constituents of the incumbent ruling coalition, including the People’s Democratic Party of Jammu & Kashmir, the Shiromani Akali Dal in Punjab, the Janata Dal (United) in Bihar among others, will have to necessarily blow hot and cold towards the BJP and hedge their bets on the leadership of Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah and also the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), as the Shiv Sena has already been doing in Maharashtra.

Why should the BJP be so keen on keeping the Congress and the JD(S) apart in Karnataka? The answer is simple. Seventeen out of the 25 Members of Parliament from Karnataka in the Lok Sabha belong to the BJP at present. Imagine what would happen if in the next general elections, a Congress-JD(S) alliance wipes out the BJP from the state. That would be terrible news for Modi and Shah. 

The drama is not over. The next few days are crucially important not only for Karnataka but India as well.

The writer is an independent journalist

Courtesy: Newsclick.in
 

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The message of Pope Francis has four inter-related parts: (i) what is “fake” about fake news? (ii) how can we recognize fake news? (iii)“the truth will set you free” (iv) peace is the true news. In many ways, these parts are self-explanatory, but Pope Francis consistently emphasizes the non-negotiable dimensions of communicating truth and countering ‘fake news’ stating, “I would like to contribute to our shared commitment to stemming the spread of fake news and to rediscovering the dignity of journalism and the personal responsibility of journalists to communicate the truth.”

This is Pope Francis’ fifth Communications Day message. In 2014, his theme was ‘Communications at the Service of an Authentic Culture of Encounter; in 2015, it was about family and love; in 2016, on mercy; in 2017 on hope and trust and this year on truth. There has been a clear method in what he has been trying to communicate to the Church and to the world. His opening statements for this year’s message perhaps summarizes the thrust of his ‘spirituality of communications’, “Communication is part of God’s plan for us and an essential way to experience fellowship. Made in the image and likeness of our Creator, we are able to express and share all that is true, good, and beautiful. We are able to describe our own experiences and the world around us, and thus to create historical memory and the understanding of events”.

The Media Revolution has redefined the way people think and behave. Millions of people all over the world are ‘wired’ all the time: glued to the television or through the internet either on a computer or through a latest gizmo. It is no longer an exaggeration to say that we live today in a ‘virtual village’’ However sadly as Pope Francis says, “in today’s fast-changing world of communications and digital systems, we are witnessing the spread of what has come to be known as ‘fake news’”.

Lies, falsehoods, half-truths, exaggerations, disinformation, myths- the whole range in fact constitute what is known as ‘fake news’. Both traditional media and modern media are used effectively to spread such news. Pope Francis says succinctly, “spreading fake news can serve to advance specific goals, influence political decisions, and serve economic interests”; and he is right on spot. We experience this all the time. In the recent run-up to the Karnataka elections, we saw the amount of ‘fake news’ being dished out mainly by the right-wing elements. PM Modi in keeping with the ‘feku’ tag given to him went to town spewing lie after lie.

Fortunately, India is also blessed with several researchers, analysts, intellectuals and other effective communicators who were able to produce in no time very effective media presentations to counter these falsehoods. Significantly, these past few days a poster showing the Pm with the words ‘Lie Lama’ went viral on social media; printed posters of these apparently were also plastered in several areas in Delhi. A ‘fake’ letter attributed to the President of the CBCI on the ‘lingayat’ issue also naturally created a furor.

Across the world, several politicians and others with vested interests are known to propagate ‘fake news’. Even in the America of today so many fall trap to the tweets and rhetoric of their President. Take for example the recent case of the nuclear deal with Iran; inspectors who are closely monitoring Iran unequivocally state that the country has not reneged on its promises; besides every other party (country) who is signatory to the deal has no reason to suspect Iran. However, falsehoods are foisted on gullible people. One can cite several other examples of how truth can get convoluted by so-called leaders with   falsehood dished out.

Strangely enough, several Church personnel also are trapped in the web of ‘fake news’. Very often, particularly on social media one receives plenty of ‘forwards’; without caring to check the veracity of some news- like “Pope Francis to resign” ; “Christian Pastors going to be killed in Afghanistan” etc., -one happily goes on spreading them. Pope Francis rightly asserts, “fake news often goes viral, spreading so fast that it is hard to stop, not because of the sense of sharing that inspires the social media, but because it appeals to the insatiable greed so easily aroused in human beings”. He challenges all to counter this saying, “yet preventing and identifying the way disinformation works also calls for a profound and careful process of discernment. We need to unmask what could be called the “snake-tactics” used by those who disguise themselves in order to strike at any time and place”.

The core of Pope Francis’ message is that we have to be communicators of truth. “That is why education for truth means teaching people how to discern, evaluate and understand our deepest desires and inclinations, lest we lose sight of what is good and yield to every temptation.” He is convinced that only when we take a stand for the truth will we truly foster a “journalism of peace,… that is truthful and opposed to falsehoods, rhetorical slogans and sensational headlines…a journalism less concentrated on breaking news than on exploring the underlying causes of conflicts…, a journalism committed to pointing out alternatives to the escalation of shouting matches and verbal violence”.

It is no state secret that those who take a stand for truth, who foster a journalism of peace, have often to pay the price: they are sidelined, denigrated, false accusations are foisted on them and some even killed.  In January 2004, the  General Assembly of the Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) meeting in Thrissur, produced a path breaking statement, ‘Called to be a Communicating Church’ in which they highlighted “that  media have a prophetic role, indeed a vocation: to speak out against the false gods and ideals of the day materialism, hedonism, consumerism and narrow nationalism” . The statement also called for a Pastoral Plan for Communications; sadly, precious little has been done to ensure that “God’s plan for us” is mainstreamed! World Communications Day 2018 should galvanize us to revisit that statement, to vivify that call to be a communicating Church and to ensure its implementation. The message of Pope Francis is inspirational and challenge enough to   get our act together.

Pope Francis concludes his message with an adaptation of the Prayer of St Francis of Assisi,
Lord, make us instruments of your peace. 
Help us to recognize the evil latent in a communication that does not build communion. 
Help us to remove the venom from our judgements. 
Help us to speak about others as our brothers and sisters. 
You are faithful and trustworthy; may our words be seeds of goodness for the world: 
where there is shouting, let us practise listening; 
where there is confusion, let us inspire harmony; 
where there is ambiguity, let us bring clarity; 
where there is exclusion, let us offer solidarity; 
where there is sensationalism, let us use sobriety; 
where there is superficiality, let us raise real questions; 
where there is prejudice, let us awaken trust; 
where there is hostility, let us bring respect; 
where there is falsehood, let us bring truth. 
Amen.
 
We would do well to internalize this prayer and to act: to counter the fake news of today and to be communicators of truth because only the TRUTH WILL SET US FREE!
 

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Interview with N Santosh Hegde
Interviewed by Paranjoy Guha Thakurta Produced by Newsclick Team,

Former Lokayukta (or people’s ombudsman) of Karnataka, N Santosh Hegde, who had prepared a voluminous report on illegal iron ore mining in the state in July 2011 that had severely indicted former Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, is “saddened” that the Bharatiya Janata Party has nominated him as its Chief Ministerial candidate in the forthcoming  assembly elections in the state. A former judge of the Supreme Court of India, Justice Santosh Hegde, whose father and he has had close links with the BJP, told Paranjoy Guha Thakurta in an exclusive interview that he and his officers in the Lokayukta had found “foolproof” and clinching evidence against Yeddyurappa and his sons for receiving bribes for granting illegal favours to mining companies. He express unhappiness that the state government and other law-enforcing agencies had not diligently pursued the cases against the former Chief Minister and his family members and rued the way in which the faith of ordinary people in the criminal justice system had been eroded.

Courtesy: Newsclick.in

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In his speech on Monday, he alleged that the Siddaramaiah government’s move to accord separate religious minority status to Lingayats and Veerashaiva Lingayats was a ploy to prevent B D Yeddyurappa, BJP candidate for the post of Chief Minister from winning. Making that as his key argument, he kept on launching provocative assaults against the present government, and obviously not in the most sophisticated manner.

While repeating what he said on Monday, Amit Shah made an embarrassing faux pas today. While addressing a press conference in the Denagere city, Shah termed his party’s chief ministerial candidate B.S. Yeddyurappa as “the CM who led the most corrupt government in the country”, albeit mistakenly.

Earlier, referring to BJP’s win in the 2014 elections and thereby its win in several states as a victory procession, he said, “Modi’s victory chariot is now coming to Karnataka after winning several states and will sweep it too”
Targeting the present Chief Minster, Siddaramaiah majorly, he said, “Siddaramaiah ji, please tell us, the watch worth Rs. 40 lakhs that you are wearing on your hands, from where do you get the money to afford it?”

He said that under Siddaramaiah’s government the state has not developed at all, in fact the government has also misused the money that was allocated for the state by indulging in corruption and that it was the topmost corrupt state in the country. “If we say all this to Siddaramaiah ji, he will get upset like a woman!” he lamented. He said that when Siddaramaiah was already slated to lose the elections, why did he align with another loser, Rahul baba?”

The crowd, which seems to be comprising of a lot of BJP and RSS karyakartas, relished his pungent remarks whole-heatedly.

Further, he alleged that since the time Siddaramaiah’s government has come into power, in a span of 4.5 years, more than 20 karyakartas of BJP and RSS have been killed. (Indirectly alleging that either the government was responsible or complicit in all these murders)
 
However twitter users called out his bluff.

It must be noted that the Lingayata controversy started in March when the Karnataka government said that it wanted to accord a minority status to Lingayats. The followers of Lingayata tradition strongly reject the caste and thread wearing traditions of traditional Hinduism. In fact Basavanna, the leader who popularise the ideas of the sect was on the basis of ideas of human freedom and equality.

It is understood that Lingayats, who constitute 17% population of Karnataka, are highly organised and structured and have supported BJP in the past. So, BJP may stand to lose if they are accorded minority status. At the same time, Congress may gain by their minority status. Hence, one can imagine the discomfort this has caused within BJP, which, not focusing on its own deliverables for the election or even its own plans, is launching targeted individualistic attacks on Siddaramaiah and Rahul Gandhi.

Amit Shah met Shivakumara Swami of the Siddaganga Mutt in Tumkur on Monday. Today he plans to visit the Madara Chennaiah mutt, which has been traditionally associated with Dalits. He also plans to visit the Bekkinkal, Singere and Muruga mutts among others during his visit to the state’s central region. He plans to end his visit with a rally to lure Dalits in Challakere in Chitradurga.
Certainly, his visits to holy places and meeting gurus is being seen as part of his efforts to ensure that the community backs the BJP.

However, a BJP office bearer in central Karnataka told The Economic Times on the conditions of anonymity, “We think our party president will talk to the mutt heads and convince them to continue supporting us and not the Congress” He added, “Shaji’s visit could also be a move to take suggestions from the pontiffs on whether the Centre should accept the Karnataka government’s recommendation, reject it or just put it on the backburner

Only a few weeks after the Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a rally in Davanagere on February 28, in which he said, “We are likely to make maximum gains this time in the central Karnataka region and that is why Shahji is focusing on retaining our Lingayat vote bank here” Shah is making the tours to lure people to vote for BJP.
 
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