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By:

Rajendra Joshi

3 December 2024 at 3:50:26 am

Has politics of convenience caused ideology to collapse in Maharashtra?

In the political churn that followed the Emergency (1975–77), one of Maharashtra’s most defining moments came in 1978 when the joint government of the Reddy Congress and the Indira Congress collapsed. A young Sharad Pawar, then just 38, walked out with 40 MLAs and brought down the government. He soon returned to power via the ‘Pulod’ alliance, only to move back into the Congress fold in 1986 — and then break away again in 1999 to float the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) over the issue of...

Has politics of convenience caused ideology to collapse in Maharashtra?

In the political churn that followed the Emergency (1975–77), one of Maharashtra’s most defining moments came in 1978 when the joint government of the Reddy Congress and the Indira Congress collapsed. A young Sharad Pawar, then just 38, walked out with 40 MLAs and brought down the government. He soon returned to power via the ‘Pulod’ alliance, only to move back into the Congress fold in 1986 — and then break away again in 1999 to float the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) over the issue of Sonia Gandhi’s foreign origins.   Ironically, the same Pawar later partnered with the Congress for a decade at the Centre, switching between Left allies and the erstwhile Jan Sangh with equal ease to retain power. Yet the questions remain: Where were ideology and loyalty in this long trajectory? His admirers and political commentators routinely called it statesmanship, but for Maharashtra, it marked the beginning of a political culture where ideology and party loyalty became dispensable. That seed has now grown into a full-fledged tree: in today’s politics, ideology is optional, loyalty negotiable.   Shiv Sena, founded in 1966 by Balasaheb Thackeray to assert Marathi identity, was first split in 1991 — a move widely attributed to Pawar, who backed Chhagan Bhujbal’s exit. Years later, the same Pawar shared power with the Sena in the state and even installed Uddhav Thackeray as Chief Minister. The Sena later splintered again, this time under Narayan Rane, and most dramatically under Eknath Shinde. Meanwhile, Raj Thackeray’s MNS took shape as a revolt against his uncle’s party.   More recently, the Baramati family feud saw Ajit Pawar walk into the BJP camp. Now talk of a rapprochement between Uddhav and Raj Thackeray, and between Sharad and Ajit Pawar, is gaining momentum. The churn has spread. Across districts and talukas, defections and homecomings are routine. Ideology and loyalty are honoured more in rhetoric than reality.   But it is the workers who bear the brunt. While leaders exchange sweet words and political comfort, it is party cadres who crack heads on the street, face police cases by the hundreds, and wage bitter battles in the name of leaders who may reunite the next day. The real question haunting Maharashtra today is: Who is fighting for whom — and against whom?   Power, as they say, is honey on the finger. Compromises existed earlier too, but there was once some hesitation in abandoning ideology and loyalty. Party-switching was an exception; today it is a norm.   Kolhapur has witnessed some of the most dramatic political rivalries — none more iconic than the decades-long clash between Sadashivrao Mandlik and Vikramsinh Ghatge. Their workers were so fiercely loyal that even inter-family social ties were avoided. After nearly 30 years of conflict, the two leaders reconciled — leaving party cadres bewildered.   The pattern repeats in Kagal today. Hasan Mushrif, once Mandlik’s trusted lieutenant and later his fiercest rival, and Samarsinh Ghatge, son of Vikramsinh, have come together. For years, Mushrif and Samarsinh fought pitched electoral and street battles. The BJP backed Samarsinh to unseat Mushrif. When power equations shifted, the BJP embraced Mushrif, leaving Samarsinh isolated. He crossed over to the NCP but continued to be uneasy under Devendra Fadnavis’s influence. Now rumours of reconciliation are again in the air — and once more, it is the workers who are left directionless.   Political battles in Maharashtra have always been fierce. In the 1970s, the Peasants and Workers  Party of India produced workers so committed that some vowed never to remove their red caps even in death. Congress stalwart Shripat Rao Bondre carried a Gandhi cap discreetly in his pocket in ShKP strongholds, but never abandoned the Congress ideology after winning municipal power.   Over the decades, thousands of workers have suffered fractured skulls, broken homes, lost generations, children dragged into police cases, and families ruined in local rivalries. Leaders switched parties, but workers continued visiting courts.   Which brings us back to the central question: In progressive Maharashtra, who exactly is fighting for whom — and against whom?

Brave border residents brace Pakistani attack

  • PTI
  • May 10
  • 4 min read
People show the debris of an unidentified projectile at Jallupur Kheda near Amritsar on Saturday. Pic: PTI
People show the debris of an unidentified projectile at Jallupur Kheda near Amritsar on Saturday. Pic: PTI

Jammu: “We woke up to sound of sirens blaring... moments later, a massive blast rocked our house,” recalled a resident of Rehari Colony in Jammu city that was among the worst-hit in the region by intense mortar shelling and drone strikes by Pakistan early Saturday.


The morning assault came hours after multiple drones were intercepted overnight by Indian armed forces.


The attacks struck six locations in Jammu, the winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir, waking residents from their sleep with deafening explosions.


Among the worst-hit was the densely populated Rehari Colony, where a bomb tore through the home of Gulshan Dutta, leaving the structure and several nearby vehicles in ruins.


One person was injured, but the family narrowly escaped.


“We stepped out onto the balcony after waking up to the sound of sirens and rushed to the ground floor. Moments later, a massive blast rocked our house,” Dutta's wife recalled.


“The sirens saved our lives,” she said. “If we hadn't moved, we would have been dead. Mata Rani protected us.”


Scenes of devastation in Rehari Colony resembled a war zone -- splintered concrete, twisted metal, shattered windows and fragments embedded in walls and vehicles.


Around 5:15 am today, Dutta heard the blast that shook his home to its foundation.


“Our entire house trembled. We thought it was the end,” he said.


Another bomb reportedly targeted the revered Aap Shambhu temple but landed near an isolated house instead, averting what could have been mass casualties.


“We had come for our morning prayers when a loud explosion shattered the silence. Debris flew everywhere,” said Sudesh Kumar, a devotee.


“Had it happened later, dozens could have been killed,” he said.


'Widespread damage

In Janipur, a shell tore through the roof of a home, causing widespread damage in the vicinity. However, the family had locked the house and moved to another place due to fear.


Several neighbourhoods reported panic and sleepless nights following the explosions and overnight drone activity.


“We were up all night due to the drone alerts. Then came the blasts. There is fear now… people feel unsafe even in their homes,” said Omkar Singh, a resident of Jainpur.


Shakuntala Devi from Hazuribagh echoed the concern. “They are targeting civilians now. When they can't fight our army, they try to break us by hitting innocents,” she said.


Despite the fear, some residents voiced defiance. Kartar Chand, who works in a warehouse near a business hub, witnessed a shell explode nearby early today.


“We are not afraid, but Pakistan must be made to pay for this. They must not be allowed to continue sponsoring terror in Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.


  • Srinagar was rocked by massive blasts hours after similar explosions shook Jammu. Two massive explosions were heard near the Srinagar airport around 11.45 am. The blasts caused panic among the people as electricity was snapped in the city and other parts of the valley. Sirens were also heard in some areas.

  • A missile-like object landed deep inside the Dal Lake -- a major tourist attraction in Srinagar -- after loud explosions rocked the city on Saturday morning, officials said. Smoke bellowed from the surface of the lake when the object landed. The debris of the object, which has been fished out by the security forces, is being analysed.

  • A drone was shot down by the air-defence system at the old airfield in Srinagar on Saturday as the city was rocked by massive blasts, officials said.

  • Pakistani troops violated ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) in Uri and Gurez sectors of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday. There were no reports of any loss of life so far.

  • After a night of bristling tension, people woke up to explosion-like sounds in Punjab's Pathankot and Jalandhar districts, while air sirens rang out in Hoshiarpur, Amritsar and Ferozepur districts. An unidentified projectile landed in a residential area at Kanganiwal village in Punjab's Jalandhar district early Saturday.

  • Air raid sirens were sounded in Hoshiarpur, Amritsar and Jalandhar on Saturday morning, officials said. The Amritsar district administration at 7:54 am asked people to remain indoors and stay away from windows. There were reports of explosion-like sounds being heard early Saturday in Amritsar and Goindwal Sahib in Tarn Taran district.

  • Debris of unidentified objects were found at some places at Beas in Amritsar, Jalandhar and Tarn Taran districts.

  • According to officials, the security forces thwarted multiple drone attacks launched by Pakistan in Punjab's Ferozepur, Pathankot, Fazilka and Amritsar districts.

  • In Ferozepur, three members of a family were injured on Friday night after a crashing projectile from a Pakistani drone destroyed by the Indian air defence system landed at their house at Khai Pheme Ke village, setting the structure and a car on fire.

  • A suspicious metal object resembling parts of a missile was found at a village near the Chintpurni temple in Himachal Pradesh's Una district, officials said. The area at Behad village, located around 10 km from the famous Chintpurni temple, reverberated with the sound of an explosion at 1.30 am on Saturday amid a complete blackout in the region, they said.

  • An unidentified object fell in a field between Khalyan and Sahni villages in Phagwara district early Saturday, officials said. Locals said an explosion-like sound was heard at 2.40 am from the fields of Major Singh at Khalyan village towards Sahni. The impact of the unidentified object created a crater about 7-8 feet deep and 12-14 feet wide in the field, the officials said.

  • Some parts of the unidentified object were found lying scattered in the field. Some wheat straw also caught fire after the projectile fell, which was put out by firemen, locals said. No loss of life was reported in the incident.

  • Pathankot in Punjab went into alert mode on Saturday after explosion-like sounds were heard in the border district, with the local authorities ordering closure of markets in the region as a precautionary measure.

  • Indian Army's Air Defence units early Saturday morning shot down multiple Kamikaze drones launched by Pakistan after they crossed the International Border in Punjab's Amritsar, defence sources said. The drones, identified as Byker YIHA III models, were launched around 5 am and were headed toward densely populated civilian areas, they said.

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