by Punyatma Sharan
Political Consultant, PatnaDaily.Com

Politics; is Thy Name Opportunism?
July 6, 2008

The Indian public, in a state of daze, is watching the political drama going on in the country. After flirting with the United Progressive Alliance government - led by the de jure Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and controlled by the de facto Prime Minister Mrs. Sonia Gandhi for 48 months, the Left led by the CPM leader Mr. Prakash Karat and the CPI leader Mr. A. B. Bardhan have finally decided to call it quits over their disagreement regarding the Indo-US Nuclear deal.

The Congress party with its 153 members in the Lok Sabha has been ruling the country with the active participation of its allies based on the Common Minimum Program for 48 months and of course, with the outside support of the left with 60 MPs. The moment the Left gave the impression that it would withdraw its support to the Government; the accelerated affair began between the Congress and the Samajwadi party. These two parties until very recently were totally untouchable to each other. Samajwadi Party with its 39 MPs is an important constituent of United National Progressive Alliance which has among other parties - INLD led by Mr. Om Prakash Chautala, AGP led by Mr. Brindaban Goswami and the TDP led by Mr. Chandrababu Naidu.

Needless to say, all the UNPA constituents were shocked over the decision taken by the Samajwadi party to support the government. Mr. Chautala of INLD made a statement saying that the Congress has insulted the Samajwadi party in the past and it will happen again. Mr. Goswami of AGP said that the Samajwadi party should have consulted the UNPA constituents before taking a decision to support the Government. He even went further and said that the party would take a collective decision on whether to retain the Mulayam Singh Yadav-led party in it or not. Mr. R. Chandrasekhara, the TDP spokesperson, said that the Samajwadi Party's departure from the UNPA would have no effect at all. Obviously, UNPA constituents feel betrayed.

There was a voice of dissent in the Samajwadi party, when the MP from Muzaffarnagar, Mr. Munawar Hassan told reporters that he would defy the party whip and vote against the Congress led government. It remains to be seen if he is allowed by his party bosses to vote his conscience. He probably disapproves of this unholy alliance between the Congress and the Samajwadi Party which can be aptly described as "Chat Mangni, Pat Vyah."

It is not a secret why Congress Party led by Mrs. Sonia Gandhi decided to join hands with Mulayam Singh Yadav and Amar Singh - her nemesis until the time the Left parties gave an indication to withdraw their support. It is simply a way to maintain the status quo and continue the government. Mrs. Sonia Gandhi knows that with the inflation rate at 11.63%, they can hardly go for new elections and ask the people for their votes. She is just trying to buy time until the next elections. She leads a party where inner party democracy and dissent has no place. It is a well known fact that she rewards people for their loyalty and not for their talent. It would not be an exaggeration to say that -

Agar congress ki rajniti karni hai to Sonia Gandhi ke taal par naachne ki kshamata aur Sonia Gandhi ke dhun par gaane ki kshamata honi chahiye!

Furthermore, yeh kehna bhi shhayad koi atishyokti nahi hogi that every time Dr. Manmohan Singh thinks of Mrs. Sonia Gandhi, he thinks of the song from Safar -

Jo tumko ho pasand wohi baat kahenge,
Tum din ko agar raat kaho raat kahenge!

It can only happen in India which has a population of 1.3 billion and yet we cannot find one person to lead the country that can proudly say - MADE IN INDIA. Every time I see Mrs. Sonia Gandhi calling the political shots in India, I wonder what Mahatma Gandhi and other leaders and thousands of other people who fought and sacrificed their lives for India's independence must be thinking. They fought for India's independence from the British but every time I see Mrs. Sonia Gandhi calling the shots, I feel that the governance of India has been outsourced to a foreign country.

Samajwadi Party's support to the Congress party has come with a big question mark. It is definitely not based on Indo-US nuclear agreement, it is definitely not based on any principles, and it is definitely not based on Amar Singh's meeting with former President Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam.

Samajwadi party owes an explanation to the Indian public. Amar Singh's explanation that they are supporting the Congress because of secularism and to keep the BJP from coming to power might be a welcome sign for the BJP, but is just too lame of an excuse and impossible for the Indian public to digest. Mrs. Sonia Gandhi, Mr. Mulayam Singh Yadav and Mr. Amar Singh have to realize that the EARTH IS ROUND but the WORLD IS FLAT. News travels faster than anything else. Transparency in politics is a requirement, not an option.

Let us hope that someday, we, the Indian people, would know the truth behind this support. Until then, we have no other option but to watch with disdain the political orgy being played out on the national stage.

P.S. My writing in no way supports or opposes the Indo-US Nuclear deal. It is for the scientists and other experts to decide.

About the author:

Punyatma Sharan is a native of Rajendra Nagar, Patna. He is the Founder/CEO of PRIME INTERNATIONAL INC., a United States based company. He has a BA (Political Science) from Patna College and an MBA (Finance) from St. John's University, New York. He was also an elected member of Patna University Student's Union.