BJP

MAHARASHTRIAN IMPLOSION

June 24, 2022

In the practical art of war, the best thing of all is to take the enemy’s country whole and intact; to shatter and destroy it is not so good. So, too, it is better to recapture an army entire than to destroy it, to capture a regiment, a detachment or a company entire than to destroy them.

Sun Tzu – Art of War

In recent times if one had to call out one of the better student and follower of the Chinese Philosopher & Military Strategist – Sun Tzu then I have no doubt it has to be Shri Eknath Shinde.

The suddenness of the move, without an iota of leak in the media is something that still baffles most of us. I mean to only hear about this after more than thirty legislatures reached Surat, is mind boggling. On the one hand it shows their level of disenchantment with the state leadership and on the other hand the play of ‘A Third Party’ in bankrolling such a dissent. Chaperoning the disgruntled / managed legislators from one BJP ruled state to another.

However much the leader of the break-away section of the Shiv Sena espouse the cause of Hindutva for this implosion, I believe it was made possible by the application of the right amount of lubrication to make this friction bearable & possible.

However if one has to look back, this isn’t a one off case. There have been previous examples too where a political party has been broken away from its founding members. Two major such events have been:

National Conference:

Sheikh Abdullah founded this party in the state of Jammu Kashmir. His son Farooq Abdullah succeeded him as the Chief Minister of the state after his death in 1982 and further went on to win the 1983 Assembly Elections with comfortable majority. A majority that was short lived as in 1984 his brother-in-law Ghulam Mohammad Shah split the party to become the Chief Minister. As of today the party very much remains firmly in control of the Abdullah’s and a major political force in the state and the country. While Ghulam Mohammad Shah after his short tenure remains in the margins of Jammu Kashmir politics

Telgu Desham Party:

The Telugu Desham Party was founded by actor turned politician N. T. Rama Rao in 1982 in the erstwhile unified state of Andhra Pradesh. He was thrice elected as the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh. The last election he fought was in 1994 wining 269 seats in the 294 seat Assembly. This huge majority and his tenure were cut short by his Son-In-Law Chandra Babu Naidu led revolt in the party. Chandra Babu Naidu replaced NTR to become the CM in 1995 till 2004 and once again from 2014-2019. NTR died in 1986. The reigns of the party firmly remains in the hands of Chandra Babu Naidu

The question is whether the revolt by Shri Eknath Shinde will be a short lived like that one of Ghulam Mohammad Shah or whether he will be able to hold on to his ground like Chandra Babu Naidu.

I have a feeling the answer to this question can only be answered by the third party involved in this whole implosion.

Rajya Sabha

June 14, 2022

Last week Rajya Sabha elections were held across various states in India. While the whole process of camping, voting and delayed counting was going on, a dear friend remarked, “What a waste of taxpayers’ money!! Why this whole process of complicated counting of votes? Why not just have one House where the law makers are directly elected by We The People of India.”

I went whole hog and tried explaining him the process but I guess I wasn’t still able to convince him. So this one is for you my dear friend and like they say – शुरू से शुर शुरू करते हैं !!

On 3rd January 1949, the Constituent Assembly took up Article 66 of the Draft Constitution (Article 79 of the Final Constitution) for debate & deliberate to constitute a Parliament for India that was to comprise of The President and two houses – Council of States (Rajya Sabha/Upper House) and the House of People (Lok Sabha/Lower House).

Constituent Assembly member from Odisha Shri Lokanath Mishra moved an amendment to remove the term ‘Council of States’ from the Draft Article – he did not want an upper house. Since the Draft Constitution did not provide for such upper house, he saw no need for an upper house at all – “it was a waste of public money and time.” (Just the kind of point my friend put forth)

MA Ayyangar – A Constituent Assembly member from now Tamil Nadu and who later went on to become the Speaker of The Lok Sabha defended the need of The Rajya Sabha. He argued that parliament needed an upper house for the following reasons:

First, that politics must be a space for a range of people to take part; the upper house would be space ‘where the genius of the people may have full play’.
Second, the upper house would act as a check on any hasty legislation that lower house may pass.
Third, the upper house, unlike the lower house, would be permanently elected.

And the motion was accepted and lo and behold we have had the Upper House ever since.

It’s the way our Constitution provides adequate Checks and Balances. The no. of seats that each state is allocated is according to its population. Its members are always there to deliberate, discuss and approve/disapprove various important matters, case in point being to validate the Emergency under Article 352 for a limited period when the Lok Sabha remains dissolved.

A brute majority in Lok Sabha of one party does not end up becoming tyrannical and thus its actions are to be checked by the Upper House whose members are elected by the state legislature and have different considerations to look into.

Now let us look at the tables below. This data shows the number of seats and the share in the respective houses of the various political parties. For better understanding I have just taken the top 6.

LOK SABHA

Top 6	Details	Seats	Percentage
1	BJP	301	55.7%
2	INC	53	9.8%
3	DMK	24	4.4%
4	Trinamol Congress	23	4.3%
5	YSR Congress	22	4.1%
6	Shiv Sena	19	3.5%

RAJYA SABHA

Top 6	Details	Seats	Percentage
1	BJP	95	38.8%
2	INC	29	11.8%
3	Trinamol Congress	13	5.3%
4	DMK	10	4.1%
5	BJD	9	3.7%
6	AAP	8	3.3%

While the top 4 parties remain the same in both the houses the next two are different. Even in terms of percentage points how different it is. While BJP on its own have around 55.7% Lok Sabha seats in the Rajya Sabha is way lower at 38.8%.

Ironically none of the other 4 parties besides the Congress are the allies of the BJP at least officially.

In the 8 years of the NDA rule we have seen various controversial and questionable laws that it wanted to pass had to be put on hold due to its inability to garner nos. in the Upper House. Bills related to Land Acquisition and the Lok Pal / Lok Ayukta which sailed thru the Lok Sabha were suitably amended by the Rajya Sabha.

Thus our constituent members had the foresight to envisage such a situation which necessitated the creation of Upper House.

One of the Sanskrit Shloka from The Mahabharat has been inscribed in the Parliament building:

” न सा सभा यत्र न सन्ति वृध्दा:, वृध्दा न ते ये न वदन्ति धर्मम्।

धर्म स नो यत्र न सत्यमस्ति , सत्यं न तत् यत् छलमभ्युपैति॥ “

Which means –

That’s not an Assembly where there are no wise persons,

Those are not wise, who do not speak with righteousness,

That’s no righteousness where there is no truth,

That’s not the truth which leads one to deceit.

So let the people of our country be benefitted from the counsel and wisdom of the members of both the houses.

I hope my friend, I am able to convince you now.

Jyotiraditya Scindia

March 11, 2020

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Dear Maharaj,

I am shocked and disheartened by your exit from my party. A party that you joined on 18.12.2001, after the demise of your father Late Madhvrao ji Scindia and pledged to uphold the “secular, liberal and social justice values”.

We Congress workers had always looked up to you for your forthrightness, energy and sincerity that you offered. I had the privilege in meeting you once when you had come to campaign for Girija ji Vyas during the 2018 Rajasthan Assembly Elections.

I was hoping against hope that all the drama of the past 2-3 days was about creating pressure on the Congress Central Leadership to pay heed to your demands. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that you would leave Congress to join some other party.

You were a member of my party for 19 years now, out of which you were MP for 18 years, a Central Minister and always had a say in the functioning of the party. पार्टी ने आपको बहुत कुछ दिया और आप का भी योगदान कभी कम नहीं रहा !!

हम जानना चाहते हैं की ऐसा क्या हुआ की आपको यह कदम लेना पड़ा, क्योंकि मीडिया में बताये तथ्य स्वीकार करने लायक नहीं है. I refuse to believe that the top leadership didn’t grant you an appointment nor did they hear you out. I agree my party has suffered debacles one after another in the recent past but this is the time you were needed the most but यह हो न सका!!

Ever since your exit people have been telling me to explore other options but how can I leave the party that has given me and my family so much and similarly couldn’t you have been a little more patient.

But like they say politics is the art of possibilities, you have chosen your new path and we congress workers will walk our own long arduous path as long as it takes to uphold the “secular, liberal and social justice values”.

All the best for your future and I wouldn’t get into mud-slinging and just end with the following couplet :

“तुम्हारा मुँह फेर लेना मेरे लिए काफ़ी था

रिश्तों को इल्ज़ाम की दहलीज़ तक ना लाओ “

Regards,

Deepak Sukhadia

DELHI 2020

February 11, 2020

2020-02-11

Today’s resounding verdict in favour of Aam Aadmi Party is victory of good governance, smart social media outreach/public connect and consistent delivery over the past five years.

I am not a citizen of Delhi (I doubt being a Son-In-Law would count) and the deliverable’s are gauged only from the media reports and the people I speak to and they have spoken like how !!

It is a victory of Arvind Kejriwal and his brand of politics and governance. People of Delhi have refused to fall for the name calling of Mr. Kejriwal – from being called as an Anarchist and a Terrorist, they have reposed their faith in him. But can he replicate this model across the country is something that I doubt.

BJP is now facing the law of diminishing returns, they have consistently lost state after state inspite of the abrogation of Arictle 370, Ram Mandir Verdict, Triple Talaq, divisive politics and the hatred that was peddled around. In the end it always boils down to रोटी, कपड़ा और मकान. You can’t fake it to make people believe that they have money in their pockets. Either they have it or they don’t and with the way they have messed up economy, most people certainly don’t have it.

Congress i.e. my party needs to do something ASAP. From governing the state for 15 straight years we have been getting out on zero in the previous two elections. This is just not done. Time for introspection is over. We have had that now for over 6 years now in Delhi !!

My few suggestions :

Time the leaders in-charge made to stay in the district headquarters mandatorily for atleast a week in a month. Have an open house, get to know local congressman and not get surrounded by select few.
Have a more pro-active social media team that caters to the party and not to any specific group.
Involve youth, give them a share in organisation, again those who have individual standing and identity in society.
Stop playing second fiddle to any party, for whenever we have done that we have never recovered in those states.
We are the oldest party with office-bearers across the length and breadth of the country; people are sick and tired of politics of hatred we have to offer them the alternative that they so badly crave.

Last but not the least – BRAVO AAP & MR. KEJRIWAL !!!

Enron & Political Corruption

April 12, 2019

Deep inside one of today’s newspaper pages was a small report about the closure of corruption case of Enron’s Dabhol Power Project. As per the report the case has been closed on an application moved by the BJP-Shiv Sena led Maharashtra State Government. What an Irony!! https://epaper.bhaskar.com/detail/300915/04120254190935/0/12042019/18/image/

I remember this controversy vividly as it was during that time I had moved to Mumbai in 1993 for my further studies. NCP Supremo Sharad Pawar who was then in the Congress had just been moved from the Defence Ministry to take over as the Maharashtra CM to control volatile situation post the Babri Masjid demolition riots and the Mumbai bomb blasts.

Indian Economy was then just opening up and the Government had got a major FDI for a Power Project in Dabhol, Maharashtra which was to be set up by Enron Corporation. Reports started coming out about opacity and underhand dealings in this project. The opposition led by Shiv Sena Supremo Balasaheb Thackeray went hammer and tongs about this alleged corruption and his newspaper ‘SAAMNA’ was filled with stories about it. He went so far to say that if his party was elected to power he would throw the project in the Arabian Sea.

Balasaheb Thackeray with Enron’s Kenneth Lay and Rebecaa Mark at his residence ‘Matoshree’ in Mumbai.

Riding high on this above point besides the Hinduvta card the SS-BJP combined formed the government for the first time in the State and guess what nothing like promised ever happened to Enron’s Power project. Balasaheb went on the entertain Enron Chief Kenneth Lay and the alleged face of everything wrong with Enron deal – Ms. Rebecaa Mark at his residence. The controversy was soon put in the back burner and twenty years later it has died its natural death.

Our political discourse is filled with narratives like these that the political leaders use as a stepping stone to power. Hearsay, without sound legal backup, playing the emotional card, blaming the other side and playing holier than thou!!

From The 2G Scandal’s absurd loss figures that were dismissed by the Special Courts, to tall claims of putting the entire Congress Leadership in jail in 2014 election rallies the list is endless.

The current NDA government is once again asking for mandate on these very alleged cases without acting out on its claims in the last 5 years or managing to get even a single conviction by the courts. For they know it makes out for an excellent vote catcher but a really bad legal case.

Till we have people who are constantly fed on propaganda and are ready to lap it up, we shall have cases like ENRON whose initial wildfire quickly turns in cold ash and helping bring political gains without ever managing to jail a single alleged culprit.

ADVANI JI

March 23, 2019

भारतीय जनता पार्टी ने आगामी लोक सभा के लिए अपने उम्मीदवार हाल ही में घोषित किये, चर्चा टिकेट मिलने से ज्यादा जिनको नहीं मिला उनकी थी, मुख्यतः आदरणीय लाल कृष्ण आडवाणी जी की!!

उनके बारे में आज कल कम ही सुनने और पढ़ने में आता है जब से उनके शिष्य और हमारे देश के प्रधानमंत्री मोदी जी ने उनको मार्ग दर्शक मंडल में डाल दिया है. कभी कभार आप श्री के हाथ जोड़े वाले विडियो ज़रोर वायरल हो जाते हैं.

लेकिन पिछले दो दिन से अडवानी जी सुर्ख़ियों में नज़र आ रहे हैं जब से उनकी पारंपरिक सीट पर मोटा भाई को लड़ाने का निर्णय लिया है. कारण कोई भी चाहे उनको टिकेट नहीं दिया या उन्होनें स्वयं मना कर दिया , एक बात तो पक्की है की वाजपेयी जी के युग के नेताओं का युग का समापन. वह युग जहाँ राजनेताओं में थोड़ी बहुत आँख की शर्म और आपसी सामंजस था और अब की तरह विषैला, संकीर्ण और कटुता भरा नहीं था.

एक बात कुछ दिनों से ज़रोर सुनने को आ रही है की उन्होनें अपनी पुत्री प्रतिभा जी को अपनी जगह टिकेट देने से मना कर दिया क्यूंकि वह वंशवाद नहीं फैलना चाहते. आशा करता हूँ की इस सिधांत पर उन के परिवार जन हमेशा द्रढ़ संकल्पित रहे क्यूंकि यह भले ही सुनने में अच्छा लगा लेकिन सत्ता के मीठे फल को छोड़ने का मन आज तक इतनी आसानी से आगामी पीढीयों में देखने को नहीं मिला.

इतिहास उन के राजनीतिज्ञ के रूप का आकलन कैसा करेगा? एक ऐसे नेता के रूप में जिसने १९८४ की 2 सीटों वाली पार्टी को श्रीराम के सहारे मात्र एक दशक में सत्ता के करीब ले आने वाले या एक लौह पुरुष के रूप में जिसने कंधार में आतंकियों को छोड़ा था ??

या उस व्यक्ति को याद रखेगा जिसने भारत को धर्म के नाम के दो हिस्सों में बंटवारा किया और जिनके मकबरे पर आपने उनको सबसे बड़ा धर्मनिरपेक्ष व्यक्ति कहा, मैं बात कर रहा हूँ क़ैद-ऐ-आज़म मोहम्मद अली जिन्नाह की.

मेरे लिए अडवानी जी हमेशा वोह व्यक्ति रहेंगे जिनकी सोची-समझी रणनीति के तहत निकाली रथ यात्रा जहाँ जहाँ से निकली दंगे और समाज में अविश्वास फैलाते चलती गयी. ऐसी रथ यात्रा जो शरू तो हुई थी १९९० में लेकिन जिसके पहिये ना जाने कितने घर दबाये आज तक हमारे दिलो में एक दुसरे के खिलाफ शक और पूर्वाग्रह लिए निरंतर घुमती जा रही है. मैं उनको हमेशा याद रखूँगा जिनके कारण मैंने पहली बार मेरे शहर में कर्फ्यू लगते हुए देखा 6 दिसम्बर की घटना के बाद. जहाँ तक मुझे याद है तब शायद ही मेरे शहर में कोई दंगा हुआ था, शुक्र है उस समय व्हात्साप नहीं था वरना ना जाने मात्र अफवाहों से कितनों की जानें और चली जाती.

आशा है की अब सार्वजनिक जीवन से अलविदा ले अपने सगे-सम्बन्धी और शुभ चिंतकों के बीच सुख-समर्धि से रहे.

UNDERMINING INSTITUTIONS

October 24, 2018

There is a famous Latin phrase “Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?” which means “Who will guard the guards themselves?”

The last few days are nothing but playing out of this above phrase in the premium investigation agency of India i.e. The CBI. As the CBI files FIR against its own and the head of the Bureau asked to go on leave. All this is as some leaders like to say ‘happening for the first time in 70 years’.

The moot question that needs to be asked is it just this one off case or there is a pattern in all of this. Is there a pattern to undermine Institutions, to scuttle divergent idea or for that matter to push an agenda through their own man??

Some examples over the tenure of the current dispensation of the BJP led Central Government happen to reinforce the above view:

RBI – The post of RBI Governor is usually overboard and beyond politicking however in the case of Raghuram Rajan with an increase personal attack by the maverick BJP MP Subramanium Swamy, he choose to vacate the post rather than face the usual Mr. Swamy’s unsubstantiated charges. The Central Government didn’t come out in support of him or reign in their MP to undermine the office of the Governor of Reserve Bank India.

Niti Aayog – One of the most vociferous supporter of Shri Narendra Modi ji before he became the PM in 2014 was Mr. Arvind Pangaria – Economist and Professor at University of Colombia. He was well rewarded and aptly appointed as the Vice-Chairman of Niti Aayog in 2015. A tenure that is usually concurrent with the Central Government. However in just two years he chooses to resign from this post to go back to teaching. A person of his stature and knowledge could have been put to better use to drive the engine of Indian Economic Growth but the nation lost out on that due to as some reports are to be believed due to differences with the Finance Minister.

Supreme Court – Never before in the history of Independent India have the sitting senior most Judges of the Supreme Court of India has held a press conference to air their dissatisfaction with the functioning and interference in the working of the courts. To quote Justice Chelameswar “The administration of the Supreme Court is not in order. Many things that are less than desirable have happened in the last few months. Unless this institution is preserved, democracy will not survive in this country.”

FTII – The premier institute in India for film and Television was saddled with a Chairman whose minor claim to fame was being part of the Epic Mahabharat TV Serial and major claim was that he is card carrying member of BJP. The students went on strike, film fraternity objected to his appointment but again who can protest against a brute majoritanism?

These are just few examples for I am sure there are more that quietly die down never surfacing on the forefront. Are these the promised ‘अच्छे दिन’ that the people of India voted for in 2014 ?

General Elections 2019

July 17, 2018

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Immediately after the stupendous success of the BJP led coalition in the 2014 Lok Sabha Elections and the dismail performance of Congress, I happened to be at a social gathering. Knowing perfectly well where my political loyalties lay a dear friend walked up to me and said “अब तो हिंदूं की सरकार आ गयी, अब अपने हिसाब से सब कर सकेंगे!”

What left me surprised was not that there was a Hindu Sarkar in place but the latter part of his statement. I did ask him what he was it that the previous governments had prevented him from doing?? He was definitely at a loss of words but was so sure that NDA was all set to empower the Hindus to take on the might of others!! BTW I was having this discussion with a professionally qualified supposedly well read individual.

4 years hence I have come to realise this supposedly well read group of people so vehemently putting across their point of views are PHD holders from the ‘Whatsapp University’; as Ravish Kumar so aptly defines it. Most news channels and newspaper are also feeding such phobia and false ideas about supposedly appeasement of minorities by the opposition parties.

What is the minority appeasement that they talk about?? Facts disprove any beneficial treatment meted out to the Muslims as has been pointed out by the Sachar Committee. Muslims were around 13.4% of the total population as per 2001 Census. However there were only 1.3% of them in the total number of students in all the IIM courses and only 3.3% in IITs. The presence of Muslims was found to be only 3% in the IAS, 1.8% in the IFS and 4% in the IPS. Share of Muslims in employment in various departments is abysmally low at all levels. In no state does the representation of Muslims in the government departments match their population share.

However one thing is for certain they is a mass who now represent a major vote bank that no political party wants to offend. So we have parties playing the supposedly ‘Soft Hinduvta’ and prefer not to be seen to close to the minorities especially the Muslims. We have the Prime Minister of our Country wearing all sorts of headgear but not The Skull Cap. I agree this is just symbolism but why this avoidance with symbols of Islam only??

India is sixth largest economy in the world and having a second largest population of Muslim after Indonesia. No party can afford to be just catering to one section of society and not be the voice of its minorities and in this case the Muslims of India.

The run up to 2019 we are once again seeing the rise of Hindu Identity well I too am proud of my Hindu Identity but my religion teaches me inclusion and not exclusion. There is no either-or for me but rather cohabitation with all the religion that make up India.

We can speculate on the results of 2019 Lok Sabha however what is non-negotiable in this mad rush in the ‘first past the post’ system is our duty to stand up and be the one for its weakest members and that is what the President of Indian National Congress Shri Rahul Gandhi recently said during one of his interactions.

Speak Up

April 16, 2018

I concede that it is a little late in the day to vent my anger and disgust against the recent rape incidents that has rocked our nation, but the recent polarization and crazy messages floating across the social media questioning this very angst and that also from the so called educated mass is surprising.

These people are questioning this angst and asking where were we when some previous incident happened?? Why such hue and cry now?? Just to answer them, we were there showing our angst then also!! It is just that you are so blinded by the communal hatred and in love with your so called emancipator, to not notice this and yes even if we didn’t protest earlier that doesn’t take away our right to protest now, does it??

It took months and the media scrutiny before The Supreme Leader, the state governments (incidentally both are governed by the party that is in Centre) for some action to happen. They were supposed to be a proactive / decisive and the deliverer from injustice weren’t they??

Action speaks louder than words and it takes a statement full of platitudes by The Supreme Leader for these state governments to take action. Words that should have been spoken much earlier like the birthday greetings that he is so prompt in making to the world leaders on Twitter. Yes he has been elected to power and we expect him to make a statement on such a heinous crime, that’s his job. He does us no favour !!

And yes this issue is about religion and how the nations treats its minorities, be it religious or otherwise and how a party that claims to be the voice of majority has failed them by inaction and delayed response. As a father of eight year olds, my heart bleeds making me want to throw up each time I hear the gruesome and chilling facts that are in the charge sheet. Despite this some of them have the audacity to take my Lord’s name and shout to protect the accused or defend themselves.

Yes I am a member of Congress and yes I will demand action from the Prime Minster as he is answerable to all Indians whether we voted for him or not, despite the name calling by his disciples. What pains is the fanaticism of the educated and the hatred for the minorities that was heard in private conversations which can be seen in not so subtle ways in the social media.

What have we become?? Is this the kind of hatred that we want to pass on to the next generation ??

It is time for all of us to ponder, make informed choices and question what we is being fed to our brains day in and day out.

ये दाग़ दाग़ उजाला, ये शब-गज़ीदा सहर,

(This stained tainted light, this night bitten dawn)

वो इन्तज़ार था जिस का, ये वो सहर तो नहीं

(That we were waiting for, this is not that morning)

एक युग का समापन

February 24, 2018

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आज सुबह जैसे ही उठा और अपना मोबाइल देखा तो एक मेसेज पड़ा और ज्ञात हुआ की आज भानु का तेज और प्रकाश हमारे जीवन से हमेशा हमेशा के लिए चला गया .

हृषिकेश भैया का यह मेसेज अपने साथ न सिर्फ आदरणीय भानु कुमार जी शास्त्री जी के निधन और उनकी सफल और प्रेरणादायक जीवन यात्रा का अंत लाया था और शायद उसी के साथ उनके और मेरे दादा स्व. मोहनलाल जी सुखाड़िया के ज़माने के उसूलवादी , सहजता अवं आत्मीयता वाली राजनीती अवं राजनीतिज्ञों पर पूर्णविराम था. आदरणीय भानु जी ऐसे युग का नेतृत्व किया जहाँ द्वेष, बदले और प्रतिद्वंदी के प्रति असम्मान की कोई जगह नहीं थी. वोह उस दौर के नेता था जहाँ राजनीती सेवा थी ना की रोज़गार का एक और साधन.

मेरा सबसे पहले उनसे वाकिफ मेरी दादी स्व. इन्दुबाला जी सुखाड़िया के लोकसभा चुनाव के दौरान हुआ जो वह भानु कुमार जी के सामने लड़ रहीं थी. मैं लगभग ६-७ साल का था और ऐसे ही हम सब घर के बच्चे बे-सर-पैर के नारे लगा रहे थे भानु जी के खिलाफ. मुझे आज भी याद है की दादी ने मुझे डआंट लगायी और कहा की ऐसे नहीं करते. यह था प्रतिद्वंदी की प्रति सम्मान. समय बीतता गया और साथ ही जानने के मौका मिला की हमारे परिवार का कोई भी शुभ काम उनके पूछे बगैर नहीं होता, यह था दोनों परिवार के बीच के सम्बन्ध. भानु जी दादा-दादी दोनों के सामने चुनाव लड़े लेकिन हमारे पारिवारिक संबंधों में कभी नाम मात्र भी कटुता नहीं आई.

हमारे परिवार की सारी जन्म कुंडलियाँ उनके द्वारा ही बनायीं गयी है. कुछ वर्षों पहले मैंने एक चुनाव लड़ने का मानस बनाया. सबसे पहले पापा – मम्मी उन्हीं के पास मेरी पत्री ले कर गए, देखते ही उन्होनें चुनाव ना लड़ने की हिदायत दी. लेकिन मेरी जिद और कुछ नासमझी में वोह चुनाव मैं लड़ा और हारा. बात को स्पष्ट कहना उनकी आदत थी चाहे तब कही या कहीं मिल जाते और मेरा वज़न बड़ा होता तो वहीँ टोक देते थे. ऐसे थे भानु जी ….

कई बार उनसे मिलने के लिए सोचना पड़ता था क्योंकि बाउजी के पास किस्सों का पिटारा था और उनसे मिलना मतलब पूरा समय देना क्योंकि उन किस्सों में समय का मालूम ही नहीं चलता. बीते कुछ वर्षों से उनका फेसबुक पर दिखना एक सुखद अनुभव था. उदयपुर और राजस्थान में उन्होंने जनसंघ और बाद में भारतीय जनता पार्टी का ऐसा बीज बोया जिसके फलों का फायदा आज उनकी पार्टी को मिल रहा.

आखरी बार उन्हीं के घर पर उनके ९२ वें जन्मदिन के मौके पर मिलना हुआ और उम्र के उस पड़ाव में भी उनकी कभी न कम होने वाली उर्जा और बुलंद आवाज़ अब हमेशा कानों में गूंजती रहेगी ……