Good and evil are found everywhere, there is no person or party which can claim to be the embodiment of all human virtues. There are wrong leaders in the right parties and right leaders in the wrong parties. The leaders from the opposition parties have mostly found themselves at the receiving end of our ire, but today for a change we will name 5 leaders from non-BJP parties who made a difference this year.
1.) Naveen Patnaik
Naveen Patnaik tops this list with his Malkangiri heroics. Last month a pleasant development took place in Odisha. In Malkangiri district of Odisha, 151 villages were connected to mainstream after almost 50 years.
On the other side of a large reservoir in Chutrakonda Forest area lay 151 villages which were completely cut off from the mainstream India. Even Basic facilities like education, electricity, and healthcare remained a distant dream for the residents of these 151 isolated villages. It is a water locked area. The area was cut off after the construction of irrigation projects at Machhkund and Balimela in the 1960s and 80s, respectively.
Topographical Isolation of these villages provided the Maoists a safe haven. The Maoists found perfect refuge in these 151 villages. They, in fact, declared it as an independent territory.
Naveen Patnaik government itself started working on the bridge in 2014. The 910-meter long Gurupriya bridge is constructed at the cost Rs 187 crores. It is no less than giving a new life to 35,000 villagers of the cut-off area. Great job CM Patnaik
Click to read more about the bridge and its history
2.) Capt. Amarinder Singh
Congress stalwart and Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has been a vocal and a fierce critic of the Khalistan Movement. Captain has claimed on numerous occasions that concerted efforts are being made to revive Khalistani elements with backing from Pakistan’s spy agency ISI. Amarinder Singh also presented a strong case for incorporating tough laws such as the Punjab Control of Organized Crime Act (PCOCA) to contain such forces.
Captain Amarinder Singh openly said that five Sikh ministers of the Justin Trudeau government in Canada were Khalistani sympathizers, and that he would not meet their defense minister, Harjit Sajjan, when he visits India.
When Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau was on his visit to India, he refused to meet Punjab CM in order to appease his pro-Khalistani sympathizers in Canada but later on after PM Modi’s cold shoulder to Trudeau which was widely covered in International media, Trudeau buckled under pressure as he met Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh.
Not the one to leave an opportunity, Punjab CM Amarinder Singh raised the “Khalistan issue” with Trudeau and has been assured that Canada does not and will not support any separatist movement in India or elsewhere. Captain Amarinder Singh gave Trudeau a list of nine Category ‘A’ Canada-based operatives alleged to be involved in hate crimes, terrorist activities and trying to radicalize young people and children in Punjab.
Captain Amarinder Singh is a man of character and strong will, he is one of the very few good men left in the Congress party. The fierce nationalist that Captain is, he won’t allow Khalistani separatists to sow seeds of discord, till the time he is the CM of Punjab.
Read more about the incident here
3.) Edappadi K. Palaniswami
The state of Tamil Nadu is witnessing an extremely difficult period. Death of Jayalalitha created a political vacuum in the state and recently the death of DMK patriarch Karunanidhi will only widen the political vacuum. Anti-social elements and foreign funded NGOs are trying their level best to exploit this political vacuum.
Foreign-funded NGOs and Environmentalists’ dislike for India’s development is not a hidden secret anymore. Big MNCs and other self-interest groups directly or indirectly fund these NGOs and Environmentalists to halt development projects in India. They were completely exposed during the anti-Sterlite protest. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Edappadi K. Palaniswami learned his lesson and launched a crackdown against these anti-development forces of the state. Earlier he clamped down heavily on the cadres of Naam Tamilar Party, who were allegedly behind instigating the violence during the anti-Sterlite protest. And after that he had initiated a strong case against those who were opposing the expansion of Salem airport and proposed a plan for eight-lane Chennai-Salem expressway. Tamil Nadu CM Edappadi K. Palaniswami left no stone unturned to ensure things go smoothly this time. Tamil Nadu Police arrested environmental activist Piyush Manush and actor Mansoor Ali Khan who had been going to the villages inciting the villagers to stand against the developmental projects like the expressway.
Read more about the incident here
4) Dwipen Pathak
Assam TMC President had hit the headlines when he resigned from his post after her party chief Mamata Banerjee’s stand over NRC issue. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is vehemently opposing NRC for her political interest. Her stand backfired. Assam TMC chief as an ordinary citizen of India welcomed the idea of NRC which will drive out illegal Bangladeshis from the country. Pathak criticized Mamata for her squinted stand. Seeing his party chief sacrificing the security of the nation at the altar of secular politics, Pathak resigned from the party
5.) Kamalnath
Last name in the list is of non BJP leaders who made a difference this year is senior Congress leader Kamalnath. Congress stalwart from Madhya Pradesh, Kamalnath, refused to be the part of the desperate no-confidence motion that was moved by the former BJP ally TDP. He abstained from attending the no-confidence motion despite the whip being issued. He told, “For me the priority is Madhya Pradesh. I have seen many such no-confidence-motions in the last 38 years. I have experience of such debates”.
#WATCH Bhopal: 9 time Lok Sabha Congress MP Kamal Nath skips #NoConfidenceMotion proceedings, says, “For me MP is priority, seen a number of No confidence motions in last 38 years.” pic.twitter.com/YvLZ0QaAPa
— ANI (@ANI) July 20, 2018
Basically, he meant to say that he has no interest in being the part of a futile exercise and has many other important and productive things to do. He respects the mandate of the people which is in favor of the BJP and does no believe in wasting the precious time of the parliament. It requires guts and courage to defy a party in which culture of boot licking is rampant and leaders are not allowed to have free-independent thinking. Such a leader deserves respect.
Kamal Nath is the MP from Chhindwara constituency of Madhya Pradesh and has done a commendable job for his constituency and enjoys the image of progressive leader across party lines. In 2007, Kamal Nath was named the FDI Personality of the Year by the FDI magazine and the Financial Times Business for his active efforts to attract foreign businesses to India, boost exports, and promote trade and investment. The Economic Times in the year 2008 honored him with the title “Business Reformer of the year”.