2009/6/22 lukhman_khan <lukhman_k...@yahoo.com> > > I don't think the BJP lost because of the "hindutva-RSS > > cancer", but rather due to bad campaign and worse candidates. > > Your thoughts contradict those within the (lack of) BJP leadership itself. > > > The more educated and liberal voters (usually in urban centres) > > Why do ppl have such a dim view of the rural folks?
If you can rally such undim people behind caste, how much more difficult is it to rally them behind religion? Again, the assumption that urban voters are not worried about "more > important things" doesnt convince me at all. > > Could you also enlighten me on the "more important things" plz. > > Anyway to me nothing is more important than freedom of thought. > You mean - if someone destroys the country from within, it is allright (for > the 80% of the rural folks) as long as more important things are taken care > of. Maslow's hierarchy of needs comes to mind. Do you really think that somebody below the poverty line who is worrying about how to earn enough to feed his family just for the next day, has to trudge a few kilometers just to get drinking water, <insert any other suitable example of wretchedness> is worried about the possible plight of minorities, and that too a many years into the future? > It is surprising that many think that the Congress victory > > is a mandate against hardline Hinduism (and therefore the BJP). > > Congress ran a more grassroots campaign, better candidates, > > and overall was the party the masses could identify with. > > It could be more complex than that. I'm sure it is. And obviously this is my POV, but some of the efforts of Rahul Gandhi (there is an article in Newsweek about this) look to me to have very significant and I am not aware of any similar efforts by those in the BJP. Add to that significant infighting within the BJP leadership. > What is sad (at least for me) is that because of the problems > > with/in the BJP (and if it sinks like many predict), > > India is deprived of a good Right-wing party. > > OTOH, if they sink/drown (which i dont think likely), Indians will be > ridding themselves of an internal enemy far more potent than any other. I would be interested to hear what you think the BJP will do to Muslims/other religions if they come to power. I would actually look forward to a uniform civil code, reservations based on economic status rather than caste/religion (though I doubt this will ever come to pass, even if the BJP comes to power). In the same breath. Amazing. > > Why **not** Advani? Perhaps a look at their respective resumes would help you understand it. Besides that, I like the fact that Singh's skills lie in economics rather than politics. You could also look at the structure which has evolved in the Congress Party - Singh as the PM, Sonia Gandhi as the party manager, and Rahul Gandhi as the grassroots worker looking to grow the party. And sorry for the late response, somehow missed your post. Kiran
