South leads as an example to North
During last elections, Amit Shah had visited Kerala and had spoken down upon the state government and its administration. He had said the government had failed in protecting the interests of people and was harbouring terrorists in the state. People had responded with scathing criticism to such sweeping statements by Shah and had trended #PoMoneShaji on social media.
At this state it is imperative to remember this is not the first time BJP and its leaders nurse ill feelings about Kerala. They have lowly opinion about every south Indian state. Paying heed to this are some Karnataka BJP leaders who keep saying they’d bring ‘Gujarat model’ to state, to please their north Indian bosses. Since long, people from North feel people down south are made to be ruled by them and they accept that hierarchy. A BJP leader had even made very insensitive statement about ‘race’ in south Indian states vis-à-vis north Indian states.
One needn’t go too far to understand the mindset behind this statement. South India has always been posing a challenge to BJP and RSS’s Brahmin-centric mindset. The Dravida movement of south has always been about questioning status quo. Except for Karnataka, BJP hasn’t been able to gain a foothold in any other southern parts of the state. Even in Karnataka, the party hasn’t been so successful. Hence, the party is trying hard to create biases and ill feelings about south Indians.
The central leaders keep referring to Kerala at least once a month. That state has been posing serious challenges to the party and political outfit, in gaining ground there. And in order to prove the biases wrong and unfounded, a PIA survey has revealed all the south Indian states where BJP isn’t ruling, have been ranked among the top ones where administration is at its best.
PAC has ranked Kerala the highest, the very state that has been criticized by the BJP over and again. The other states on the toppers’ list include Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Karnataka. The states that are known for unrest and mob violence incidents, such as Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, and Jharkhand among others figure towards the end of the list.
PAC was set up by economist Samuel Paul in 1994. This agency releases a report on social and economic progress of the states, based on the data and other parameters. Social security given to citizens, women and children especially figures in the list. States have been divided based on their population as well. All this has helped Kerala top the list of best administration and other citizen satisfaction parameters. At the same time, all other states with BJP rule have done miserably according to the list. This goes to prove polarization and emotional politics, playing with people’s feelings does not yield good results. When the survey was done in Karnataka, the Congress govt led by CM Siddaramaiah was in power here.
The BJP would unnecessarily criticize Siddaramaiah government at every given instance. Without any basis, the BJP would call the government a corrupt one. But now the progress report submitted by PAC is presenting a different picture altogether. Yeddyurappa may have assured to bring a Gujarat Model to Karnataka, but Siddaramaiah ensured the Karnataka model was higher than that. The North Indian leaders want South India to lose its identity, with their consistent imposition of Hindi on us. While BJP played the Hindu-Muslim card, Siddaramaiah worked on the overall progress of the state. There is a lot for the BJP leaders to learn in South India.
Today, the North Indian states are mired with mob violence, and lynching incidents. Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand are known for Gau Rakshak sponsored violences. The PM isn’t even aware of the fact that the whole world is watching these incidents. The BJP has chosen Karnataka as a lab to experiment with violence and hatred based politics. The coastal Karnataka is already mired in such incidents. If the BJP is successful in spreading this violent model of politics, the impact of this would be on the progress indicators.
Social and economic parameters will suffer owing to this. The states that are known for best administration would begin to lose that advantage. The mob lynching virus has already spread to south India too. Some murders have happened during daylight. South India should never follow the example of North. The states here must serve as an example of giving best administration to the rest of India, without succumbing to petty politics played by BJP.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Inappropriate for MLAs seeking free IPL tickets, says D.K. Suresh
Bengaluru: Bengaluru Milk Union Ltd President D.K. Suresh on Monday said it is inappropriate for MLAs to seek free IPL tickets, adding that those interested in watching matches should pay for them personally.
Speaking to reporters near his residence in Sadashivanagar, he said, “IPL is a commercial tournament and does not represent the country. It is not right for public representatives to focus too much on such matters.”
Referring to the recent controversy during the RCB celebrations, he said, “let us find out who benefited the most from the statements made during the incident.” He also pointed out that BJP MLAs had received IPL tickets as well.
Responding to discussions about relocating the Chinnaswamy Stadium, Suresh said the government has already approved the construction of a new stadium at a location he had proposed.
“I had suggested building a stadium in Surya City and submitted a proposal for it. Bengaluru needs four stadiums in four directions to cater to its growing population and encourage youth participation in sports,” he said.
He noted that apart from Kanteerava Stadium, KSCA, and the Football Stadium, there are limited facilities in the city.
“When I was a Lok Sabha member, I had proposed allocating 100 acres in my constituency at Surya City. The land was later earmarked and the plan approved,” he added.
Suresh said he has discussed the project with Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan, Rajiv Gandhi Housing Corporation Chairman Shivalingegowda, and Anekal MLA Shivanna.
“The Cabinet has now approved the project, and a stadium will be developed on around 50–60 acres,” he said.
He further added that he has requested the Deputy Chief Minister to build another stadium at Shivarama Karanth Layout through the BDA, where 40 acres have been allocated. Plans are also being discussed to develop a well-equipped stadium in Bidadi.
Commending state government's recent bilingual policy move, Suresh said forcing children to learn three languages could affect their comprehension.
“It is a good decision to make two languages compulsory. Learning a third language should be left to the choice of students and parents,” he said.
Responding to criticism from BJP leaders, he said their tendency is to oppose every decision of the government.
“To please their central leadership, they take a pro-Hindi stance. Instead, they should advocate for the adoption of Kannada in all states,” he said.
When asked about the earlier three-language policy under Congress, he said, “the situation is different now. Today, the focus should be on quality learning. Kannada should remain the primary language, while students and parents can choose an additional language.”
