On one side are a set of people who are worried about saving their family, on the other are people who are desperate to get into power, and on the third side are us, and we are only worried about the progress of UP.
Forget the Hillary-Trump dump, on a quiet Monday evening Mahoba awoke to the roar.
With UP state elections just round the corner and the season of stitching alliances firmly set in, we had our revered Prime Minister Narendra Modi campaigning for BJP in Mahoba (Bundelkhand), Uttar Pradesh pitching for his party’s prospects of forming the next government with a unanimous mandate.
Taking time off from his busy schedule, he started his speech with chants of Bharat Mata Ki Jai, in a ‘full house’ Bundelkhand Parivartan Rally. The address began by him paying tribute to the supreme sacrifice made by the martyred Soldier Naresh Kumar Pal, and the need for Indians to remember the Jawans who were responsible for the ‘dia’ they lit at their houses. From the sacrifices of Jawans to the linking of rivers and the potential which Bundelkhand possessed, to reach unprecedented heights, he touched upon all, until….
The speech seemed like a perfect pitch and for any rational thinking person, it looked like, it couldn’t get any better. But then again in such tumultuous times, you cannot expect Modi to finish his speech with emphasis and stress only on economic and infrastructural progress (Vikas).
PM Modi spoke on something none of his supporters nor had his detractors thought of. Yes, he spoke on the issue of ‘Triple Talaq’. In a stroke of genius he took a straight aim at the AIMPLB, opponents of UCC and Samajwadi Party (SP), all together. What followed next involved various tough statements coming directly from the PM.
The address towards the end, also focused on the issue of female foeticide, where PM Modi said that irrespective of religion, if a person tried to kill a baby girl while the mother was still pregnant, the stringiest of the punishments would be awarded to that person and in the same way any Muslim who divorced his wife via phone was also liable to such stringent punishments without any exceptions. The pain and the agony in the PM’s voice cried for justice for the victims of this orthodox obnoxious practice.
Talking about the rights of Muslim women, PM Modi said that the issue of Triple Talaq should not be politicized.
He further urged both politicians and journalists not to make women rights a Hindu- Muslim Issue thereafter emphasizing that the Constitution had rights enshrined in it, which guaranteed equal fundamental rights to its citizens irrespective of their gender, religion or caste. The PM expressed his solidarity with the Muslim women who are today prejudiced by the regressive age old laws which are forced upon them by the Maulana’s, who in turn feel that any amendment to their anachronistic practices would be an infringement of Fundamental Rights. His stress on not allowing the lives of Muslim women being ruined by ‘Triple Talaq’ stole the show.
In-terms of getting a vote share:
With congress decimated, BSP in shambles and SP trying to keep its house in order (rather keeping its house together), this enigmatic speech by PM Modi has definitely turn the tables in favour of BJP and the possibility of it (finally) getting a chunk of Muslim votes, seems like a reality within reach.
Conclusion:
It were his fierce and brave speeches which won him the 2014 elections and it will be these speeches which will give BJP a unanimous mandate in the coming state elections too. The time for UP has finally come, to see and feel what freedom really feels like. Since 1947, the state has produced some fabulous Prime Ministers who did wonders for the nation, but none could do anything for the State, with parties like SP, BSP and Congress eating away at the public exchequer’s expense, but finally, UP sees hope, India sees hope for a better tomorrow with a stable BJP government in the state and the centre managing affairs in the interest of the nation and the state in parallelism. Freedom from this Jingoism and Gunda Raj although would not be so straight forward as it seems, but with the firm leadership of PM Modi and Amit Shah, there is still a glimmer of hope for UP.
I for one, am waiting to see the light of freedom and justice being lit in the state. But as is a famous saying in Law-Justice is never granted, it is won for.
Penultimate moment for UPites to stand in unison to fight for their freedom from the shackles of Poverty, Casteism, Gunda Raj and Corruption.