वर्त्तमान राजनीति विकास की अथवा ध्रुवीकरण की ?

आज पुरे हिंदुस्तान में  राहुल गाँधी बनाम नरेन्द्र मोदी की बहस छिड़ी हुई है। उत्तराखंड के आपदा में भी लोगों ने दोनों के बीच तुलना करना नहीं भुला। हम में से जितने लोग भी राजनीति की बारीकियों को समझने की चेष्टा करते हैं और राजनीति के छात्र हैं उनके लिए यह बहस केवल दो नेताओं के बीच की तुलना या अपने राजनैतिक विचारधारा दिखाना मात्र का नहीं हैं, परन्तु दो एक दम विपरीत सोच का अध्यन है। साथ ही देश के भविष्य का भी आकलन लगाया जा सकता है उनकी सोच से । चुकी मैं कांग्रेस विचारधारा की हूँ और पदाधिकारी भी हूँ तो मैं बहुत ज्यादा दोनों की तुलना में नहीं जाउंगी क्यूंकि शायद मैं पारदर्शी विश्लेषण करने में सक्षम नहीं हूँ।  बस इतना कहना ज़रूर चाहूंगी की जब भी मैं राहुल जी को सुनती हूँ तो कहीं न कहीं अपनी सोच को उनसे जुड़ा  पाती हूँ।
आज हम सब विकास को सबसे बड़ा मुद्दा मानते हैं। वैश्वीकरण के इस युग में हम सब चाहते हैं की प्रत्येक भारत वासी विकास का भागिदार बने और अंतिम पंक्ति के अंतिम व्यक्ति तक विकास पहुचे। ऐसे में अनुच्छेद  ३७० की बात उठाना, सम्प्रय्दायिक दंगो की बात करना कहा तक सही है। प्राकृतिक आपदा में सब की सोच होती हैं अधिक से अधिक  लोगों को बचाने की और राहत पहुचने की। ऐसे समय में किसी व्यक्ति विशेष की बात करना बैमानी हैं।
२१ वी शताब्दी में धर्म के आधार पर लोगों को पाटना कहाँ का विकास हैं? वर्त्तमान राजनीति में ध्रुवीकरण करने की कोशिश की जा रही हैं, चाहे वह किसी एक व्यक्ति को सर्वेसर्वा दिखाकर किया जा रहा हैं, अथवा जाति धर्म के नाम पर किया जा रहा हो।
यहाँ पर उनकी बात करनी भी ज़रूरी हैं जो ६ साल की निद्रा के बाद एकदम से धर्म निरपेक्ष हो गए हैं और विकास पुरुष बनना चाहा  रहे हैं। आप या तो धर्म निरपेक्ष हैं अथवा नहीं हैं। राजनैतिक कारणों से आप अपना दल नहीं बदल सकते हैं।
आज के युवाओं के लिए यह ज़रूरी हैं की वो व्यक्ति की वाक् पटुता पर ही न जाये परन्तु भविष्य की भी सोचे।

Uttarakhand Disaster

A lot has been said, read, heard and seen regarding the Uttarakhand disaster. Everyday the television channels are witness to debates which range from discussing the cause, nature, politics, economics, heroics and what not. All these debates are required and as a part of open democracy should be encouraged. However little is being said or done regarding two things.
First is to go beyond the rhetorics of the causes. Every body knows that we played with nature and in turn nature is playing with us. A few years back I extensively and frequently traveled to Himachal Pradesh. In a couple of years there was a huge change in the climate. The trees were cut without a second thought, dynamites were used for blasting the hills, all in the name of development. Mandi a small place always had a lovely weather but within a few years it became hot and lost its charm. The same thing has happened to Badrinath and Kedarnath. The hills which were once green with black tulsi are now barren, it is hot and the ubiquitous polythene bags can be seen everywhere. The need of the hour is to formulate an environmental policy which is effective and takes local socio economic parameters in mind. Also in such areas a single window system is required for the clearances of projects because unless there is coordination between all the departments, the private players will keep taking advantage of the loopholes in the policies.
Secondly currently the entire focus is on evacuating the people who are stuck there. Little is being said or done for the locals. My friends from my political party who are working there are reposting that entire villages have been washed away along with the infrastructure. They require not only our prayers but short term and long term help.
The state of Uttarakhand has been pushed back by atleast 10 years. A lot has to be done very sincerely and cohesively to restructure the state. Both the places involved are sites of great religious faith, therefore the local governing bodies have to be taken in confidence and made a part of the reconstruction process.
At the end a special mention to all the personnel of the armed forces who have put their lives in danger to rescue them. But again it is calamities like these that give them an opportunity to show their strength and mettle and to give back to the society all the love and respect that they have earned.
A word of caution for all the politicians like me, to be away from blame game and one upmanship. A lot can be said by our party for other party and vice versa but we need to look at the bigger picture. An individual is of no consequence at such times, so he should stop making sound bites to portray himself as the right Prime Ministerial candidate.
Let us all make whatever small efforts that we can make to rebuild the state and also have a bigger vision so that such calamities can be avoided or at least we are better prepared.
Shradhanjali to all the people who lost their lives.

Shiv Raaj and Beti Bachao

Last week a very disturbing event took place at a mass marriage ceremony at Betul. The ceremony was under the Kanyadaan Yojna run by the Madhya Pradesh State government led by BJP. Previously too there has been a lot of wrong doings in this program and a large number of social organisations and social activists have raised their voice against it. However the recent development in Betul has crossed all limits of shameful behaviour by any government.
On 7th June 2013, during the Kanyadaan Yojna at Betul where the majority of the couples belonged to the economically backward Adivasi community. In this ceremony more than 400 brides had to undertake virginity test and some were declared pregnant. They were publicly "disqualified" from participating in the marriage ceremony. While this uncivilised act was carried out, there were ministers, ex-ministers, top government officials present on the stage as guests. Nobody uttered a single word of protest while the tribal women were being humiliated in full public glare. Their only fault was they are poor and are adivasis. It was only after the act was reported in the media, that the Collector ordered a probe whose result will come in 7 days. Pressure was also created by Congress leaders and workers and social activists.
For a state where crime against women is the highest, this incidence brings forward a new all time low in the status of women. The Chief Minister constantly can be seen on billboards holding girl child and talking about how girls and women are his prorities, but when such shameful incidences take place he is absolutely mum about it.
In today's world where we are talking about development and equality in all spheres such acts are a blot on the society. It shows the regressive mindset of the BJP leaders and draconian attitude towards the poor. One of the leaders who was present there is an ex minister who a few months back was removed due to his publicly demeaning words spoken against women.

I as a women and a Congressman take serious offence to this act and demand that not only the people who gave the orders to carry out such dastardly act to be severely punished, but also he should put billboards where he publicly seeks forgiveness from all women. I also through this platform want to urge today's youth especially girls to be aware of such acts of the BJP government. We are all free to have different political ideologies but we cannot condone such an act. Women from BJP should also come out and condone this act vociferously.