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DR OSCAR REBELLO 14th May 2023

BREATHING THE KARNATAKA AIR

There is this strange phenomenon about the historic and tectonic Karnataka verdict. 

Apart from folk like us, regularly vilified left-liberals, who are over the moon that Hubris, Arrogance and Corruption have taken a sound thrashing, 

it is the reaction of the staunch BJP supporter that is even more surprising.

They are equally over the moon….

So, here are my observations and lessons to be learnt, especially for the victorious Congress, who admittedly did the heavy lifting, to thrash the unbearable Arrogance of the BJP.

And a few lessons for the BJP as well .

 

*HINDU REPUDIATION*

What this election unequivocally shows us is that despite the BJP/RSS efforts to convert Hindu society into a monolith and mirror image of the didactic Abrahamic faiths, the Hindus of Karnataka 

at least have said enough is enough! 

Taming the Islamic fundamentalist is perhaps a necessary thing, but the unbridled bullying of Muslims as played out in Karnataka, has made the regular Hindu vomit with revulsion.

And especially the bullying of innocent Muslim girls wanting to pursue an education surely crossed the Rubicon of common sense completely.

I reiterate this again and again.

This country remains democratic and plural because the regular Hindu is democratic and plural in his/her faith.

And no force on earth can change that.

The BJP learnt it the hard way. 

You can fool some of the Hindus some of the time, but never all of the Hindus all of the time.

Hard landing for Misters Modi and Shah.

But then C'est La Vie.

 

*CORRUPTION*

Always the elephant in the room.

But as all reports came in, the levels of corruption under the BJP in Karnataka were staggering, by any standards.

Do not expect the incoming Congress government to be any better of course.

Corruption is the life-line of politics but when it becomes all- consuming, all-pervasive and the only currency for survival of the common man, there has to be a price to pay.

 

*MUSLIM FUNDAMENTALISM*

The victory in Karnataka may permit a huge sigh of relief for the beleaguered minorities of the state.

But if the mullahs and pastors indulging in conversions think they are going to get a free run under the new Congress dispensation to propagate their anti-democratic and we- are-the-superior-religion narrative, they have another thing coming.

As much as the Congress and other "secular” parties call out the violent hard-core right-wing Hindutva ideology, they must call out toxic Islamic fundamentalist ideology and sanctimonious Christian missionaries — as well as any nonsense that passes off for 'freedom of religion'.

What is good for the goose must be good for the gander! 

 

*THE FUTURE*

Despite this exhilarating Karnataka victory, 

these facts must be clear: 

Modi is going nowhere. 

He still retains his cult-like status, dented alright, but with his huge bag of tricks to be able to bounce back to pole position. 

Rahul may be a nice guy, with his heart in the right place, but he has miles(or yatras) to go and promises to keep.

Indian politics requires a level of ruthlessness and cunning and Rahul falls way short in that department.

The only needless ruthlessness Rahul displays is against poor Savarkar.

Fight the Savarkar ideology by all means.

But mocking Savarkar’s incarceration under the British is not just uncool and sickening.  

It's plain unpatriotic. 

Much like the BJP thrashing of Nehru’s sacrifices.

If, as a people, we are not grateful to the individuals who sacrificed their all, ideologies notwithstanding, for our freedoms, then 

 we are as relevant to society as Urfi Javed’s outfits.

In sum, if the opposition cannot get united with a Congress ready for adjustment, compromise and large heartedness, one can kiss 2024 goodbye. 

 

*THE GOA EFFECT*

Many have asked me why can't something like Karnataka ever happen in Goa?

Considering the high levels of corruption and political chicanery out here, the short answer is that 

Goa is ruled by satraps: 

The Monserrates , The Ranes, The Lobos etc. 

Party labels are to fool the gullible. For they are in complete transactional mode with the corrupt Goan voter.

Tomorrow, if BJP loses 24 by a quirk of fate and Congress comes to power, all 37 of the current legislators (except the AAP and RG guys) will scramble to the gates to cross over.

So to the Goan voter my sincere advise is to suspend all belief in democracy. 

Accept the fate you have brought upon yourselves. 

Get high on drugs somewhere, and just fall by the wayside and Die. 

You simply have no hope! 

Simply because you, yourself, sold Hope to the highest bidder.

 

*FINAL LESSONS*

in sum then,

The takeaways from Karnataka: 

1. The Hindu is not an idiot to be led by giant ads and melodramatic road shows onto the path of perdition.

 

2. The Muslim clergy should stop talking redundant anti- democratic Sharia and learn to speak democracy and liberal values.

 

3. Corruption once it reaches herculean proportions will be punished. 

 

4. The Amit Shah playbook of converting every agency of the government into an instrument of war against the opposition will backfire after a time.  

 

Moral: For a while you can take an Indian out of Democracy, but you will realise at the end of it all you can never take Democracy out of an Indian forever! 

 

*DR OSCAR REBELLO GOA*

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