Today's happenings at the Jantar Mantar in Delhi were sad. It showed clearly as to what the nation thinks about its armed forces.
The ex-servicemen, who've been staging a sit-in since 15 Jun, got a rude shock when the police along with the officials of the New Delhi Municipal Corporation tried to forcefully evict them, leading to a scuffle. The police also tried to remove the marquee and other paraphernalia of the protesters. On being questioned, the police's explanation was that the protesting ex-servicemen were a threat to the Independence Day celebrations! Can you beat that? The veterans who'd toiled to keep the country secure from external aggression and had been of substantial help while rendering service in the aid of civil power - during their heydays - have sadly become a 'threat' to the very same country that they love and would die for!!
I shall have the TV grab of a tearful veteran, helplessly watching the fracas, in my mind for a long time to come.
I was watching the 9 PM news on the Times Now channel and was aghast to see an immature guy, by the name of Jagdish Shergill of the Congress party, asking a veteran in the panel discussions - who gave a detailed account of the happenings on the ground - and I quote, "Are you the messiah of the entire lot of veterans?", simply because he was rattled by the veteran's statement that the protesters had asked Rahul Gandhi to leave the spot and not to politicise their grievances.
As criticism of the forcible eviction mounted, the team of Delhi Police and the NDMC guys made a quick 'U' turn and disappeared.
My take.
The ugly situation could have been avoided and I'm sure it's the handiwork of certain mischievous element which wants to show the government in poor light. Let me explain:-
(a) The eviction could only have been carried out by a bureaucratic order.
(b) Since the ex-servicemen posed no security threat by virtue of their background and their
protest had the necessary approvals, they couldn't be evicted.
(c) In every case of an eviction, the affected lot is warned well in advance about the proposed
action which was not done in this case.
(d) So, was it the case of an overzealous bureaucrat who wanted to show his masters that he was
loyal to them, still?
The remedial measures, by the various players in the game, are listed below:-
The Government.
- Must expose and bring to book the bureaucrat, who's the author of this embarrassment.
- Must implement the OROP, getting their 'arithmetic translation' through.
- Should be able to see through the games that the bureaucrats play.
The Opposition.
- Must pressurise the government in the implementation of OROP.
Tailpiece.
To Rahul Gandhi, here's some advice from a well wisher of yours:-
(a) If you think that by using disruptive tactics, you can emerge as a key personality in the
running of the country, you're mistaken. Parliamentary democracy is much above all these.
It shows you as a leader with no draught.
(b) Accept the good points of your opponents with magnanimity, it shows your strength and
convinces the people that you really stand for their welfare.
(c) Agree that you've quite a lot of turf to cover in gaining loyalty within your party by virtue
of your disappearing act of almost two months but this is not the way you claw back to
all round acceptance.
(d) If your antics have been to acquire the mantle of leadership of the Congress party, think
again, for, there might be many colleagues of yours who do not agree with your street
smart tactics as it's putting the party down.
The ex-servicemen, who've been staging a sit-in since 15 Jun, got a rude shock when the police along with the officials of the New Delhi Municipal Corporation tried to forcefully evict them, leading to a scuffle. The police also tried to remove the marquee and other paraphernalia of the protesters. On being questioned, the police's explanation was that the protesting ex-servicemen were a threat to the Independence Day celebrations! Can you beat that? The veterans who'd toiled to keep the country secure from external aggression and had been of substantial help while rendering service in the aid of civil power - during their heydays - have sadly become a 'threat' to the very same country that they love and would die for!!
I shall have the TV grab of a tearful veteran, helplessly watching the fracas, in my mind for a long time to come.
I was watching the 9 PM news on the Times Now channel and was aghast to see an immature guy, by the name of Jagdish Shergill of the Congress party, asking a veteran in the panel discussions - who gave a detailed account of the happenings on the ground - and I quote, "Are you the messiah of the entire lot of veterans?", simply because he was rattled by the veteran's statement that the protesters had asked Rahul Gandhi to leave the spot and not to politicise their grievances.
As criticism of the forcible eviction mounted, the team of Delhi Police and the NDMC guys made a quick 'U' turn and disappeared.
My take.
The ugly situation could have been avoided and I'm sure it's the handiwork of certain mischievous element which wants to show the government in poor light. Let me explain:-
(a) The eviction could only have been carried out by a bureaucratic order.
(b) Since the ex-servicemen posed no security threat by virtue of their background and their
protest had the necessary approvals, they couldn't be evicted.
(c) In every case of an eviction, the affected lot is warned well in advance about the proposed
action which was not done in this case.
(d) So, was it the case of an overzealous bureaucrat who wanted to show his masters that he was
loyal to them, still?
The remedial measures, by the various players in the game, are listed below:-
The Government.
- Must expose and bring to book the bureaucrat, who's the author of this embarrassment.
- Must implement the OROP, getting their 'arithmetic translation' through.
- Should be able to see through the games that the bureaucrats play.
The Opposition.
- Must pressurise the government in the implementation of OROP.
Tailpiece.
To Rahul Gandhi, here's some advice from a well wisher of yours:-
(a) If you think that by using disruptive tactics, you can emerge as a key personality in the
running of the country, you're mistaken. Parliamentary democracy is much above all these.
It shows you as a leader with no draught.
(b) Accept the good points of your opponents with magnanimity, it shows your strength and
convinces the people that you really stand for their welfare.
(c) Agree that you've quite a lot of turf to cover in gaining loyalty within your party by virtue
of your disappearing act of almost two months but this is not the way you claw back to
all round acceptance.
(d) If your antics have been to acquire the mantle of leadership of the Congress party, think
again, for, there might be many colleagues of yours who do not agree with your street
smart tactics as it's putting the party down.
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