modi – TheSeer

Howdy Modi and Why They Hate the NRIs

September 27, 2019May 10, 2020 Abhishek JhaLeave a comment

There was a time when crossing the seas was forbidden in India for the fear of the mlechhas who if mingled with, could disturb the purity of character of the sanctimonious Indian. Out of this fear, many never dared to go to the foreign lands but the traders had to travel to do their trade, so, they would come back and undergo some sort of atonement. However, the worrywarts of the community would still continue to enforce the prohibition and condemnation. As decades and centuries went by, these stopped mattering to people, or at least to most of the people. Most, because, it seems the regressive trend has made a grand come back.

After the NRIs put up a commendable show with ‘Howdy Modi’ at Houston, a set of descendants of mlechha-haters has surfaced on social media to profane at these NRIs who according to them are enjoying all the perks that a developed country offers and yet want Modi to continue at the helm in India. This according to them, is a bad thing. Since, these NRIs have already left the country, they can no longer have any views about India. The US immigration department, it seems, has kept brain scanners at the airports that scan and delete any opinion on India from the NRI’s brain on arrival.

Let’s understand this with an example confined within the boundaries of our country. If an NRI cannot have an opinion on India or a stake in Indian story, why should a Kashmiri studying in JNU or a Bengali settled in Bangalore have any opinion on Kashmir or Bengal respectively? In fact, when all the hotshots of Indian media can spend weeks of prime-time discussing US politics and their favorite Satan Trump, why should the austerity of self-censorship be forced only on the NRIs? Or perhaps NRIs are not the problem. It is not the NRIs who generate the hate.

Just a few monsoons ago, Kangana Ranaut was the Iron Lady of Indian feminism, hailed and cheered from all corners of self-declared woke media. Then, she made a mistake and professed her liking for Mr. Modi. This was a gobar-on-the-face moment (gobar is cow-dung) for many people who were looking for a new member for the Modi-Haters group on whatsapp. This was not the only time they had gobar on their face. Ranvir Shorey was a greater disappointment. Considering his filmography of off-beat and critic friendly cinema, he was to receive a wild-card entry to the group. Alas, he too spoiled his chances by backing Mr. Modi and was castigated by leading lights of the group on Twitter. The trend became predictable at one point after people like Kabir Bedi, Shekhar Kapoor, Anupam Kher, Vikram Sampath, Barack Obama, Bill Gates, Maurice Obstfeld voiced their confidence in Mr. Modi and were hounded by the touchy people who deactivate their social media accounts for a day and skip their leg day every time Modi gets an award outside the country.

Your enemy’s friend is your enemy. Your enemy’s nobody is also your enemy. The hate originates, primarily for Mr. Modi and after travelling a distance of about 14000 kilometers now, seems to have reached Houston. This anger is mostly for the NRIs in the US and not the other countries like Saudi or the UAE. A reason could be that one of the admins of Modi-Haters group was beaten fair and square in a full house wrestling bout by the NRIs at the Madison Square Garden in 2014. However, I wouldn’t count on that as the primary reason. The NRIs in the US are somehow amazingly tantalizing at displaying their affection for Mr. Modi and with their money and political muscle, they manage to organize these colossal shows that give Mr. Modi global platforms to laugh at people who effected his US-Visa denials while he was the Gujarat Chief Minister.

It is not only Modi who is hated with such gusto. His supporters are told to drink Gau-Mutra (Cow Urine) and eat Gobar (Cow Dung) by almost all of these self-appointed custodians of India’s secularism. You are told to not talk to Modi supporters, not have Modi-supporting friends, not marry a Modi supporter, and push the Modi-supporting old woman crossing the street under the bus. For this set of people, either you shouldn’t have a political opinion so that they have a shot at washing your brain and injecting hatred for Mr. Modi or if you have one, it must conform to theirs. If it is neither of the two, then either you would be requested to drink cow-piss or in case you happen to speak English, you would be shouted down at literature festivals. No matter how many trees you have planted in your lifetime or how many people you have helped with your abilities, if you like Modi, you become Public Enemy No. 1. Unfortunately for Modi-Hate hags, the Houston event was not a literature festival. It was a display of the growing power of India in global decision making. At such events, only a leader who is democratically elected and has the backing of a majority of his countrymen can make a mark. It is a far cry from a literature festival of the self-proclaimed intellectuals who lecture on moral standards during the day and entertain with their drunken fights during the night. There are so many individuals in our country today who have Modi-Hate as their only claim to fame.

I was on an author’s panel once. One of the panelists had published his first novel and even though the book was grammatically holding fine, he struggled while speaking in English. That notwithstanding, he went on about his book at length. This was not received very well by a lady poet sitting beside me who continued to smirk at his struggles with grammar and accent. Once the event was over, she ran up to me to share her opinions about this author and all she had were words of insult and condescension for this writer. Of course, I was expected to join her in her circus of snobbery. To her disappointment, I had only respect for this guy who could complete a book in spite of his limitations with the language. Of course, in an instant, I became an NRI-mlechha to her. If only I had conjoined my sur (tune) with hers, I could have been part of some non-native-speakers-haters group. When you find out that the person next to you is not thinking like you do, hate begins to unfold. When you find out that a majority is not thinking like you do, you start turning into a fanatic.

The Eccentric Tripartite for BJP’s Congress Mukt Bharat

March 9, 2018May 10, 2020 TheSeer TeamLeave a comment

After a staggering 25 years, Left Front was booted out of office in Tripura, paving the way for BJP which won 35 seats in a house of 60. It marked an increase in the vote share of the right-wing party from a mere 1.5 percent to 43 percent which came as a deadly setback for the incumbent CPI(M) which has now been reduced to just one state in the entire Indian Union i.e. Kerala.

This also reiterates the fact that BJP is now in power, independently or in alliance, in 20 out of 29 Indian states. The win in Tripura is a landmark victory especially because the BJP came out winners against their arch-rivals, the CPI(M). The people of India have now deliberately and progressively alienated the Left from the political discourse of India and the Right has been filling the vacuum, the so called centre being a hapless, clueless and docile spectator.

However, what should have been a cause for positive reinforcement and celebrations in the BJP has turned out to be the harbinger of mayhem, disruption, and anarchy. A day after the ground-breaking win in Tripura, alleged workers of the saffron party instead of celebrating their win with integrity, composure and the proverbial laddoos, chose vandalism instead and demolished the statue of Lenin, considered to be the fore-father of Communists world over. This mala fide activity, no doubt gave rise to much mayhem among the left front and was akin to rubbing salt on a freshly inflicted wound. Naturally, ‘Liberals’ from all sections berated this act of utter shamelessness and indiscipline from a party which has always taken pride in being called ‘disciplined and cadre-based’. The right presented the initiative to the left on a platter and the left did not disappoint. A statue of Dr. Ambedkar vandalized by unknown miscreants in U.P. a couple of days ago was immediately saffronized. People from the cabal immediately set out to find a pattern and in a large country like India finding selective patterns has never been a tough task. All was going well, the narrative was firmly with the left when some imbecile left novices in Jadavpur University decided to dismember a statue of Dr. Shyama Prasad Mookherjee. Although I don’t believe in bans but whoever gave them that idea should definitely be banned from politics.

All these disruptive and unsettling developments were slowly coming to the end of the very short attention span of Indian public when they were given a fresh lease of life by BJP’s Mr. H. Raja. He wrote on his Facebook page:
“Who is Lenin? What is the connection between him (Lenin) and India? What connection between communism and India? Lenin’s statue was broken down in Tripura. Today it is Lenin’s statue in Tripura and tomorrow it will be the statue of caste fanatic EV Ramasamy.”

For the uninitiated, the “caste fanatic EV Ramasamy” that he talks about is none other than Periyar and before one terms Mr. Raja as another fringe element in BJP, let it be known that he is one of the national secretaries of BJP. What is interesting though is the alacrity with which PM Narendra Modi and Party Chief Amit Shah have denounced the statement and the vandalism. They seem to know the reverence with which Periyar is seen in Tamil Nadu, and although the BJP’s neo-nationalism is in stark contrast with the regional nationalism of Periyar, they have no qualms in bargaining that for a better outreach in the region.

The 21st century has been BJPs century so far. From Mr. Atal Bihari Vajpayee to Mr. Narendra Modi, the hierarchy of BJP has truly aged and evolved. Mr. Modi and Mr. Shah have forged a formidable partnership to the chagrin of the opposition. Their combination has worked wonders for the saffron outfit pan India. However, there are pockets of opposition still left especially in the southern states, where an eccentric alliance is being touted. This peculiar tripartite consists of communists, ambedkarites and periyarites who have historically disagreed vehemently with each other on matters of ideology. But as they say, politics makes strange bedfellows. Having come to touching distance of Modi’s dream of “Congress-Mukt Bharat”, it can therefore be argued that the main challenge that lies ahead for him is this tripartite. And the irresponsible statements and actions of his peripheral leaders is only making this amalgamation a lot easier than envisaged.

About the Author : Ambikesh Kumar Jha is a social writer and a sailor, presently ashore.

Modi’s Pakoda Politics for 2019 and Chidambaram’s Joblessness

January 29, 2018May 10, 2020 Abhishek JhaLeave a comment

“Mitron, humne pakode khaane chaie ki nahi khane chaie?”
“Modi! Modi!”

“Mitron, pakodon ke saath chai peeni chaie ki nahi peeni chahie?”
“Har Har Modi! Ghar Ghar Modi!”

“Mitron, wo chai mmain aapko pilaauunga kyunki mmujhe chai pilaane ka experience hai! Platform pe chai bechne ka dard kya hota hai, ye mmujhe maloom hai!”

Our Prime Minister Narendra Modi in one of his recent interviews asked if a pakoda-seller earning 200 rupees a day could be considered unemployed. Mr. P. Chidambaram who held the finance ministry in the UPA rule has suggested that by Mr. Modi’s logic, beggars should also be considered employed. The twitter town is abuzz with exchanges between sides.

Mr. Modi on his part is frying his pakodas like he always does – well in advance. Like for everything else he does, he also becomes the first Indian Prime Minister to bring pakoda-sellers into the national discourse. However, one may ask, why pakodas singularly? There are other things sold by the street-side entrepreneurs, say, pav-bhaji, vada-pav, 99 types of dosas, etc. Shiv Sena has already laid its claim on vada-pav politics by offering free vada-pavs to Shobha De earlier. Let’s leave pav-bhaji for Uddhav’s cousin in the name of Marathi-Asmita. Dosas would have obviously offended the Dravidian parties for it would have meant Gujarati appropriation. Modi had already used up the khakhra card by waiving off the GST before Gujarat elections. Here, I summon the spirit of Shekhar Gupta of the Walk the Talk, The Print, the NDTV, and the Lutyen’s Dhaba to answer this. Pakodas are eaten across the country in varying forms and with different names. The country is 80% Hindus, so naturally, most of the pakodas prepared are consumed by the Hindus of this country. Mr. Modi being the Hindutva icon that he is, used the case of pakodas to polarise the electorate and gain Hindu votes in 2019 elections.

To be honest, this is the closest thing to confession that voters of this country can get from both the leading parties. Confession 1 – the present Government is selling pakodas in the name of job creation. Confession 2 – the opposition sits unemployed in the sixth row waiting for pakodas. The stage for 2019 elections is set. After spilling chai all over the kurtas and suits of the opposition leaders in 2014, Mr. Modi is all set to play with some pakode ka tel in 2019. P. Chidambaram is making things difficult for Rahul Gandhi by protesting against pakodas. At a time when Rahul Gandhi is looking to increase his pakoda tally from 44 to 545, P. Chidambaram should just fall in line and start begging for more pakodas right away. He will at least have a job that way. All the watering attempts at pakodas are going to cost the Congress party a lot of oil in face with no pakoda in hands.

Image Source – Karnataka for Employment (KFE)

हम इस हमले की कड़ी निंदा करते हैं। (कड़ी निंदा सन्देश )

September 20, 2016July 2, 2025 Abhishek JhaLeave a comment

लांस नायक राघव यादव आतंकवाद के शिकार हो गए। कश्मीर में ड्यूटी पर कोई उन्नीस बीस साल के लौंडे ने गोलियों से छलनी कर दिया। बन्दूक उनके पास भी थी, पर उसको चलाने पर पाबंदी थी सरकार की तरफ से। इस से पहले कि ये समझ पाते कि सरकार जाये भाँड़ में, बन्दूक निकालो और गोली मारो, लड़के ने गोली चला दी थी। शहीद हो गए ।
सलामी के बाद शव को परिवार वालों को सौंप दिया गया। साथ में एक चिट्ठी भी थी जिसमें कुछ ऐसा लिखा था –

प्रिय रेखा
हमारा सर्दी खांसी अभी पहले से बेहतर है। तुम कैसी हो? अच्छा ज़्यादा न्यूज मत देखना। हालत खराब है यहाँ पर । माँ को मालूम होगा तो घबरा जायेगी । अच्छा, एक बात सुनो – अगर ड्यूटी करते वक़्त हमको कुछ हो जाता है तो हमको फिर से जिंदा करने काएक उपाय है। प्रधानमन्त्री जी से अगर कड़ी निंदा सन्देश लाकर हमारे कानों में कही जाएगी तो हम ज़िंदा हो जायेंगे फिर से। येबात ध्यान रखना। नीचे देखो, सन्देश बिलकुल ऐसा ही होना चाहिए। ज़रा भी इधर उधर होने से ये काम नहीं करेगा –
“आज हमारे कुछ जवान देश की सेवा में शहीद हो गए हैं। हमारा देश उनके बलिदान को कभी नहीं भुला पायेगा। मित्रों, इसी के साथ मैं इस हमले की कड़ी निंदा भी करना चाहूंगा और हमारे पड़ोसी मुल्क को ये चेतावनी देता हूँ कि आतंकवाद का समर्थन बंद करे वरना चूहे मारने की दवा हमारे पास है। लांस नायक यादव को मेरी कोटि कोटि श्रद्धांजलि ।”
बिलकुल ऐसे ही होना चाहिए ये सन्देश, ज़रा भी इधर उधर नहीं। माँ का ख़याल रखना।
तुम्हारा रघु।

नायक यादव की पत्नी रेखा के चेहरे पर ख़ुशी की लहर आ गयी। अपने आँसुओं को पोंछ कर उसने घरवालों को वो चिट्ठी दिखाई। बैठक हुई और फैसला लिया गया कि प्रधानमन्त्री जी से कड़ी-निंदा सन्देश लेकर शव के कानों में पढ़ा जाएगा। पिताजी ने दिल्ली जाने का फैसला लिया। झंझारपुर से दिल्ली का सफर तय करके वो प्रधानमन्त्री कार्यालय पहुँचे। बाहर खड़े सिपाहियों ने थोड़ी बातचीत के बाद हालात की गंभीरता को देखते हुए अंदर जाने दिया। अंदर में बड़े बाबू ने चिट्ठी पढ़ी और कहा – “ये तो रक्षा मंत्रालय का मामला है, आप रक्षा सचिव से मिलिए, उनसे ये सन्देश लिखवा लीजिये।”
पिताजी ने दो टूक कह दिया कि सन्देश तो प्रधानमन्त्री जी से ही चाहिए। बड़े बाबू ने कंप्यूटर पर सॉलिटेयर(ताश) का नया गेम शुरू करते हुए कहा – “कम से कम एक दस्तखत ले आईये रक्षा विभाग से, काम जल्दी आगे बढ़ेगा।”
यादव जी को बात ठीक लगी सो वो रक्षा मंत्रालय पहुँचे। पर कुछ ख़ास फायदा नहीं हुआ। वहाँ तो दरबानों ने ही अंदर नहीं जाने दिया, कहा -“चचा, आपका बेटा इंसान था न?”
यादव जो को बात समझ नहीं आयी।
“हाँ, तो मान लेते हैं आपका बेटा इंसान था, उस हिसाब से आपको तो मानव संसाधन विकास मंत्रालय जाना चाहिये। यहाँ आपकी दाल नहीं गलेगी ।”

यादव जी को बात ठीक ही लगी। मानव संसाधन विकास मंत्रालय को पहुँचे। वहाँ कुछ पढ़े लिखे लोगों का जमावड़ा था। दरवाज़े पर दो चौकीदार एन.सी. ई .आर.टी की किताबों पर अपनी अपनी राय रख रहे थे। हाल ही में निकली इतिहास की किताबों में प्रधानमन्त्री जी को बजरंगबली का अवतार बताया गया था और पहला हवाई जहाज़ हमारे देश में बना, इसके प्रमाण में बजरंगबली के गदे को चित्रित किया गया था। कंधे पर रक्खें और उड़ जाएँ। अध्याय के अंत में ये साबित कर दिया गया था कि आज भी हमारे प्रधानमन्त्री जहाज़ में इतना इसलिए उड़ते हैं क्योंकि वो कभी बजरंगबली हुआ करते थे। दोनों चौकीदार वामपंथी लग रहे थे, बार बार मार्क्स को हवाई जहाज़ का निर्माता-पिता बताते। यादव जी से और नहीं रहा गया। दखल देते हुए बोले कि उन्हें मंत्री जी से दस्तखत लेनी है। दोनों चौकीदार हँसने लगे, यादव जी से भाग निकलने को कहा। दरअसल ये दोनों आई.आई.टी. से प्रोफेसर पद से रिटायर्ड होकर कोई नौकरी की खोज में आये थे। मंत्री मैडम जी ने चौकीदार बना दिया।

यादव जी ने भागना ही उचित समझा। वापस प्रधान मंत्री कार्यालय गए। जैसे ही ये दरवाज़े से अंदर गए कि गृह मंत्री बाहर की ओर आये। दोनों की नज़रें मिलीं और गृह मंत्री ने कहा – “आप यादव जी हैं न ! हाँ, मैं था वहाँ जब सलामी दी जा रही थी। आपके बेटे की शहादत हम कभी नहीं भूल सकते। और प्रधानमंत्री जी ने हमले की कड़ी निंदा भी कर दी है। कहिये क्या सेवा कर सकते हैं आपकी ?”
यादव जी की आस जगी। उन्होंने चिट्ठी मंत्री जी को पढ़ाई। मंत्री जी ने कहा कि ये काम तो वो भी कर सकते हैं। जब से ओप्पोसिशन से सरकार में आये हैं, यही काम तो कर रहे हैं। कड़ी निंदा सन्देश खूब लिखना जानते हैं। तुरंत हूबहू कड़ी निंदा सन्देश लिखकर यादव जी के हाथ में थमा दी। यादव जी ने कहा कि ये मेरे बेटे की मौत और ज़िन्दगी का सवाल है। चिट्ठी तो प्रधानमन्त्री जी से लेनी पड़ेगी। गृह मंत्री ने अपने मंत्रालय के नंबर दो मंत्रालय होने का हवाला दिया और कहा कि ऐसे काम प्रधानमंत्री वापस उनके पास ही भेजते हैं। हम सालों से ऐसे कड़ी निंदा वाले सन्देश देशवासियों के लिए लिखते रहे हैं।
“वो क्या है न प्रधानमंत्री जी तो व्यस्त रहते हैं, सो पोस्टल विभाग हमें ही दे दिया है। फिर भी आप पूछताछ कर लीजिये। ये नोट लेकर जाइए, प्रधानमंत्री ऑफिस में दाखिला मिल जाएगा ।” यादव जी की जान में जान आयी। गृह मंत्री की पैरवी वाली नोट लेकर दाखिला मिल गया। प्रधान-सचिव के पास दरख्वास्त भेजी गयी। कुछ एक-आध घंटे बाद, चिट्ठी आ गयी।
प्रधानमंत्री जी की मेज़ से –

आज हमारे कुछ जवान देश की सेवा में शहीद हो गए हैं। हमारा देश उनके बलिदान को कभी नहीं भुला पायेगा। मित्रों, इसी केसाथ मैं इस हमले की कड़ी निंदा भी करना चाहूंगा और हमारे पड़ोसी मुल्क को ये चेतावनी देता हूँ कि आतंकवाद का समर्थन बंदकरे वरना चूहे मारने की दवा हमारे पास है। लांस नायक यादव को मेरी कोटि कोटि श्रद्धांजलि ।

यादव जी ने चिठ्ठी को सहेज कर एक डिबिया में बंद किया और वापस अपने घर पहुंचे। ये सब होते होते करीब एक महीना निकल गया था । बेटे का शव बर्फ में रखा था। पत्नी ने चिट्टी निकाली और नायक यादव के कानों में सुनाया। सभी नायक यादव के उठने का इंतज़ार करने लगे।
मेहमानखाने में टीवी पर समाचार बुलेटिन चल रहा था – भारतीय प्रधानमंत्री ने अमरीका में अपना लोहा मनवाया। अमरीका ने भी माना हमारे प्रधानमंत्री को बजरंगबली का अवतार।

यादव जी कमरे में गए। वहाँ टीवी में भारत के प्रधानमंत्री को अमरीका के राष्ट्रपति गदा देकर सम्मानित कर रहे थे।
सभी कमरे में आए। अभी तक लगभग सभी ने चिट्ठी नायक यादव की कान में पढ़ दी थी। नायक यादव नहीं उठे ।
यादव जी ने चिट्ठी मंगवाई। उस पर प्रधानमंत्री जी के हस्ताक्षर नहीं थे, हाँ हस्ताक्षर का रबर स्टाम्प था। यमलोक में बिना असली हस्ताक्षर के चिट्ठी मान्य नहीं की गयी। प्रधानमंत्री जी अमरीका में थे। नायक यादव यमलोक में। सांत्वना सन्देश मिला, कड़ी निंदा भी हुई, पर नायक वापस नहीं आ सके।
यादव जी सर पर हाथ धरकर बेटे की अंतिम संस्कार की तैयारी में लग गए।
बात को करीब दो साल बीत गए। समाचार आया कि कश्मीर के बारामुला में सत्रह जवानों को आतंकवादियों ने ढेर कर दिया। प्रधानमंत्री अब की बार सरप्राइज दौरे पर पाकिस्तान में थे। आतंकियों ने उनको सरप्राइज कर दिया। प्रधान सचिव ने होशियारी दिखाई। कड़ी निंदा वाली प्रेस विज्ञप्ति चैनलों को थमा दी। अगले पाँच दिनों तक यादव जी की चिट्ठी एक संशोधन के साथ सभी चैनलों पर चलती रही –

आज हमारे कुछ जवान देश की सेवा में शहीद हो गए हैं। हमारा देश उनके बलिदान को कभी नहीं भुला पायेगा। मित्रों, इसी के साथ मैं इस हमलेकी कड़ी निंदा भी करना चाहूंगा और हमारे पड़ोसी मुल्क को ये चेतावनी देता हूँ कि आतंकवाद का समर्थन बंद करे वरना चूहे मारने की दवा हमारेपास है। ~~लांस~~ ~~नायक~~ ~~यादव~~ शहीदों को मेरी कोटि कोटि श्रद्धांजलि ।

प्रधानमंत्री हस्ताक्षर (रबर स्टाम्प)
भारत सरकार

Picture Credits – Indian Express(Only for illustrative purposes.)