It’s surprising that a shrewd politician like Sharad Pawar was oblivious of what his nephew was up to.
There was a time when Maharashtra was a very influential state. As I write this the political fluidity being enacted on TV is breathtaking. Before going to sleep last night I thought that a government led by the Shiv Sena, with the NCP and Congress as junior partners would be sworn in. Sharad Pawar had announced Uddhav Thackeray would be Chief Minister.
When I put on the TV this morning I was not prepared for what I saw and heard. The Shiv Sena, the NCP and the Congress had been left in the cold. Out of the political trapdoor, the Governor produced Devendra Fadnavis and Sharad Pawar’s nephew, Ajit Pawar. He ditched his uncle and joined Fadnavis.
How could the Shiv Sena, NCP and the Congress be so cocksure of forming government? The Congress has egg on its face. Fancy Sonia Gandhi agreeing to join a government headed by the Shiv Sena. The views of the Shiv Sena of the Gandhi family are not a secret. Shiv Sainiks look at them with contempt. In Kerala, Sonia Gandhi supports a secular government. In Maharashtra she agrees to work with the Shiv Sena.
Who is the loser? It is Indian democracy, which has been seriously damaged. Ethics, morality, uprightness, political decency have been thrown out of the window. Yet there is no escaping the fact that individuals matter. At the moment the advantage is with the BJP and Ajit Pawar. For Sharad Pawar it is the battle of his life. He first became Chief Minister of Maharashtra at the age of 38—40 years ago. He is not a pushover, but at the moment he is playing with a weak hand. What is surprising is that so experienced and shrewd a politician was oblivious of what his nephew, Ajit Pawar, was up to.
Will the Fadnavis-Ajit Pawar government last? It may. The BJP rules the Centre and now Maharashtra. That is indeed a formidable combination. There is no love lost between Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar. In politics there are no permanent enemies and no permanent friends. In today’s India ideological flexibility is a common sight.
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Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya’s Muslim friends included Maulana Azad, Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan and Rafi Ahmed Kidwai, among others. Mrinal Pande, the other day, quoted Malviyaji, which does immense credit to the founder of Banaras Hindu University. “India belongs to the Hindus, the Mohammedans, the Sikhs, the Parsis and others. No single community can run over the rest. One day’s fight brings permanent loss to the country. It brings disgrace upon us.” This he said at the Congress session in 1933.
A handful of bigoted Hindu students at the Banaras Hindu University objected to the appointment of Feroz Khan, a fully qualified Sanskrit scholar, as assistant professor. He had been selected for the job after he was interviewed by a panel of experts. He had the required qualifications. Such a deplorable incident would not have occurred even ten years ago. Hindutva is no longer a creeping phenomenon. It is a galloping one. The matter could have been handled better by the University authorities and nipped it in the bud. Not a word was uttered by Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh against this outrage. Fortunately, Feroz Khan’s appointment stands and he is getting his salary. But he is not yet teaching. He has gone to his hometown, Jaipur. However the RSS has spoken in favour of Feroz Khan. This is most welcome.
There is no ban in our Constitution from Muslims becoming Sanskrit scholars or taking up professorial jobs at the Banaras Hindu University. The student leader of the agitation against Professor Khan should have been expelled, instead of being allowed to carry on with his agitation for a fortnight.
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On the day the Winter Session of Parliament began, I switched on my TV to watch the proceedings in the Rajya Sabha. What did I see? Two men, who were dressed like band masters of a third rate band, standing next to the Chairman. They also resembled drivers of cars of corporate bosses. Which genius in the Rajya Sabha secretariat had thought of this absurd and laughable sartorial horror? It is reassuring to note that the Vice-President has instructed the concerned officials to come up with a better alternative. In my judgement, the wise thing would be to go back to the original uniforms, in use for decades.
In the House of Commons, the US Senate and the House of Representatives no one stands next to the Speaker of the Commons or the Speaker of the House of Representatives. The same is true of the US Senate.