Massive challenges before Imran Khan
The general elections in the neighbouring Pakistan had evoked interest in India too for various reasons. Because, all the political situations and shifts in Pakistan have a considerable impact on India too. The establishment of strong democracy in Pakistan and its strengthening can prove to be beneficial for both countries. There was a reason to anxiously watch Pakistan election unfold with great interest. A group suspected to have deep links with the extremists was contesting in the Pakistan elections.
The group wanted to ride over leftover chunks of democracy to capture power and enter mainstream to find more acceptance to their hate rhetoric. If it had been successful, Pakistan and India would have entered into a dark phase as far as bilateral relations are concerned. Saffron terror used the same route in India, and has been partially successful too. This is something we need to have in perspective. On another hand, former Pak PM Nawaz Sharif who is carrying corruption charges on his tenure, sat in the jail and faced the elections.
This election was a massive challenge for Pakistan too. A constant threat of violence erupting at any time during the run up to the elections was a major possibility. The nation had to make this election a success to be able to retain the pressure by America, and the friendship with China. The election, however, has thrown up a very surprising verdict as its conclusion.
The party led by Imran Khan, that was assumed to be dormant, has turned into a big vote grosser this time. Imran Khan looks stands a fair chance of being the new captain of Pakistan now. With the results being out, there are allegations of vote tampering and mal practices. All the parties that lost, have been insisting that the election results be declared null and void. There are allegations of Pak army backing Imran Khan as well. With all these aspects, the results this time around are very significant for various reasons.
Primarily, those who had tried to peddle extremism have been rejected, and thus taught a lesson. Women had played a major role in the run up to the elections. This is something new and fresh in Pakistan. Nepotism has been rejected. Those who looted Pakistan have been sent home. Imran Khan’s personality is not made for politics. He has always been in international news for reasons such as cricket, and not politics. He ensured the world noticed Pakistan with his game. He had fans all across the globe, including India. He has the charisma to take Pakistan away from religious forces that have held the country to ransom. But he is now riding the tiger called the Pak army. It is highly impossible to think where this ride would land him.
He faces a lot of controversies himself, so one cannot be sure if the army will let him do his job. India had anticipated that past leaders of Pakistan would be able to do better, than their predecessors. But all of them were consumed by religious forces and were dictated by the army. Finally they just ended being corrupt politicians. Now Imran Khan stands in that space. One wonders how he would use the popularity he has gained through cricket and how he would help the future of Pakistan get better.
India committed a diplomatic blunder with its response to Imran Khan being elected. While the news of Imran Khan’s party getting a majority began to appear in the media, a minister said: “Pakistan Army is behind Imran Khan. So we do not trust him.” This could have been ignored if an RSS functionary or a BJP office bearer said this. But this response came from someone who represents the government.
A country had still not finalized its leader and India had already rejected him. This shows the political inexperience of the ruling dispensation. But, better late than never, India did mend its words eventually. It welcomed Imran’s election, and Khan also said he was keen on engaging in good relations with India, through bilateral talks. “If India can keep one step ahead, Pakistan can keep two steps in the same direction of resolution,” he said. This is a very positive outlook. Khan will also face a new challenge of managing the hugely intricate and challenging relationship with America which is expecting and pressurizing Pakistan to deliver more to make things better.
China and Pak relations are strengthening. On the personal front, Khan is said to be a man of many wives. All of them are at logger heads with each other. Plus to manage many ‘interests’ between America and China isn’t an easy task for the new leader either. It is going to be very difficult to work under the influence of Army. No matter how ‘trivial’ his personal side of life may be, it may claim his tenure as a good politician.
But then, it is imperative to expect that Imran be able to overcome these challenges and deliver good for his nation and for the others too. With that, we hope and wish, India and Pakistan enter a phase of warm relations with each other, ending the cold-enmity between both nations to progress well.
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Trouble ‘Miyas’ everywhere only then they will leave Assam: Himanta Biswa Sarma
Says “Himanta Biswa Sarma, BJP are openly against them, we are saying it openly
New Delhi: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday said that four to five lakh “Miya voters” would be removed from the electoral rolls in the state once the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists is carried out. He also made a series of controversial remarks openly targeting the Miya community, a term commonly used in Assam in a derogatory sense to refer to Bengali-speaking Muslims.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an official programme in Digboi in Tinsukia district, Sarma said it was his responsibility to create difficulties for the Miya community and claimed that both he and the BJP were “directly against Miyas”.
“Four to five lakh Miya votes will have to be deleted in Assam when the SIR happens,” Sarma said, adding that such voters “should ideally not be allowed to vote in Assam, but in Bangladesh”. He asserted that the government was ensuring that they would not be able to vote in the state.
The chief minister was responding to questions about notices issued to thousands of Bengali-speaking Muslims during the claims and objections phase of the ongoing Special Revision (SR) of electoral rolls in Assam. While the Election Commission is conducting SIR exercises in 12 states and Union Territories, Assam is currently undergoing an SR, which is usually meant for routine updates.
Calling the current SR “preliminary”, Sarma said that a full-fledged SIR in Assam would lead to large-scale deletion of Miya voters. He said he was unconcerned about criticism from opposition parties over the issue.
“Let the Congress abuse me as much as they want. My job is to make the Miya people suffer,” Sarma said. He claimed that complaints filed against members of the community were done on his instructions and that he had encouraged BJP workers to keep filing complaints.
“I have told people wherever possible they should fill Form 7 so that they have to run around a little and are troubled,” he said, adding that such actions were meant to send a message that “the Assamese people are still living”.
In remarks that drew further outrage, Sarma urged people to trouble members of the Miya community in everyday life, claiming that “only if they face troubles will they leave Assam”. He also accused the media of sympathising with the community and warned journalists against such coverage.
“So you all should also trouble, and you should not do news that sympathise with them. There will be love jihad in your own house.” He said.
The comments triggered reactions from opposition leaders. Raijor Dal president and MLA Akhil Gogoi said the people of Assam had not elected Sarma to keep one community under constant pressure. Congress leader Aman Wadud accused the chief minister of rendering the Constitution meaningless in the state, saying his remarks showed a complete disregard for constitutional values.
According to the draft electoral rolls published on December 27, Assam currently has 2.51 crore voters. Election officials said 4.78 lakh names were marked as deceased, 5.23 lakh as having shifted, and 53,619 duplicate entries were removed during the revision process. Authorities also claimed that verification had been completed for over 61 lakh households.
On January 25, six opposition parties the Congress, Raijor Dal, Assam Jatiya Parishad, CPI, CPI(M) and CPI(M-L) submitted a memorandum to the state’s chief electoral officer. They alleged widespread legal violations, political interference and selective targeting of genuine voters during the SR exercise, describing it as arbitrary, unlawful and unconstitutional.
