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Correspondent

23 August 2024 at 4:29:04 pm

Street Circus

The NEET-UG paper leak was a genuine grievance. Millions of students who spent years preparing for one of India’s toughest examinations deserved answers, accountability and justice. But what unfolded at Jantar Mantar was no movement for educational reform. It was a spectacle of rage, abuse and performative rebellion that often appeared more interested in viral clips than viable solutions. The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which claimed to represent the anger of students, ended up exposing...

Street Circus

The NEET-UG paper leak was a genuine grievance. Millions of students who spent years preparing for one of India’s toughest examinations deserved answers, accountability and justice. But what unfolded at Jantar Mantar was no movement for educational reform. It was a spectacle of rage, abuse and performative rebellion that often appeared more interested in viral clips than viable solutions. The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which claimed to represent the anger of students, ended up exposing itself, revealing itself to promote a culture of outrage without responsibility and more troubling, have aspersions cast on its funding sources. Besides the fact that just how many of those gathered were afflicted NEET students, the ugliest part of the protest was the language. Videos from Jantar Mantar showed protesters hurling the most obscene and personal abuses at Prime Minister Narendra Modi. One can dislike the PM or oppose his policies, reducing political disagreement to filthy personal abuse against an elected Prime Minister is gross cowardice and at the basic level, a sheer failure of basic civic etiquette. No entity cannot claim to be fighting for the dignity of students while abandoning all standards of dignity in public discourse. The irony was impossible to miss. A section of this self-proclaimed progressive generation speaks constantly about equality, feminism, tolerance and justice. Yet the very same voices displayed extraordinary intolerance towards anyone they decided was an enemy. Journalists were targeted, political opponents were dehumanised and anyone carrying a different opinion was casually branded with labels designed to silence rather than debate. Social media has created a dangerous illusion among many young activists that a viral video is a victory, and that shouting louder is the same as achieving something. A few Instagram reels, borrowed revolutionary imagery and slogans can create the appearance of rebellion. But governing a country and reforming institutions and fixing broken systems require far more than theatrical anger. The government, however, cannot escape responsibility either. The crisis was allowed to grow because of delayed communication and inadequate political management. A prompt response, transparent investigation and early intervention could have prevented a limited controversy from becoming a national embarrassment. Instead, the government was forced into damage control, and Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, a capable minister, became the political casualty. For the citizens, it was a colossal waste of time. After weeks of noise, confrontation and disruption, the students gained little. The examination system remains under scrutiny and larger problems remain unresolved. The only visible outcome is the removal of a minister. A protest that begins with a genuine grievance but ends as a contest of abuse and attention-seeking has not strengthened democracy. It has weakened the very standards it claims to defend.

Congress-Left Rift Exposes Power Games

New Delhi: Cracks widen in I.N.D.I.A. alliance as Congress and Left clash in Kerala/West Bengal polls, prioritizing state power over ideology. History of flip-flops fuels accusations of cynical opportunism, eroding public trust amid national unity facade.

 

Ahead of the Kerala and West Bengal assembly elections, cracks have emerged between the Congress and Left parties, with both gearing up to clash head-on in the electoral arena. The echoes of this rift reverberated in a recent meeting of the I.N.D.I.A. alliance's parliamentary parties. The Marxist Communist Party (CPI(M)) openly targeted Congress's biggest leader, Leader of opposition in Parliament Rahul Gandhi, exposing deep tensions. Whether it's the Congress-led I.N.D.I.A. alliance or the earlier United Progressive Alliance (UPA), history shows Congress has always fought elections against CPI(M) in Kerala and West Bengal assembly polls. What kind of political ideology is this, where parties unite for Lok Sabha elections but turn adversaries in state assembly contests?

 

This naturally begs the question that in this game of alliances, are Congress, the Left, and other I.N.D.I.A. bloc constituents indulging in opportunistic politics driven by a thirst for power? Are they playing tricks on the public just to grab the throne? If their alliances were rooted in ideology, they would stick together from Lok Sabha to assembly elections, united by principle.

 

Flash point

The flashpoint came during an I.N.D.I.A. bloc parliamentary meeting in Kerala, originally called to strategize for the Parliament session and forge a united opposition front against the central government. But the discussion swiftly pivoted to escalating differences between Congress and the Left. CPI(M) MPs took strong exception to Rahul Gandhi's recent statement during a Kerala visit, where he accused central agencies like the Enforcement Directorate (ED) of targeting opposition leaders but sparing Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

 

In West Bengal, a senior Congress leader revealed the central leadership's calculus that with little to lose, going solo is the smarter play. Post-alliance breakup with the Left, focus shifts to bolstering vote share, not seat-sharing math. TMC and BJP are expected to dominate anyway. After days of silence, CPI(M) general secretary MA Baby accused Congress of drifting from a broad anti-communal unity, insisting his party favors collaboration with like-minded forces but slamming Congress's stance as isolationist.

 

The analysis

Political analysts warn this split could fragment opposition votes, benefiting TMC. Yet they don't rule out informal grassroots understandings between left and congress. In both states, ditching the alliance lets Congress and the Left campaign comfortably, dodging awkward questions from voters. In Kerala, the Left has held power for two straight terms since 2021, breaking a decades-old pattern of alternating every five years between Left and Congress. Riding an anti-incumbency wave, Congress and Rahul Gandhi now eye a comeback, launching direct attacks on CPI(M). This has irked the Left, whose survival hinges solely on Kerala.

 

If we look at the political background, the I.N.D.I.A. alliance was formed mainly to create a united strategy against the BJP-led NDA. In several states, opposition parties are trying to contest elections together. Electoral processes, unemployment, inflation, and concerns over constitutional institutions are part of the opposition's shared agenda.

 

Watching this alliance charade ahead of Lok Sabha and assembly polls, the public is baffled that What's the real basis of these tie-ups? Do parties form and break them for keeping in mind the interests of leaders and parties, or based on ideology? Do they consider the welfare of the people and the nation's interests in doing so? Is coalition politics just opportunism masquerading as strategy? Voters deserve answers-will I.N.D.I.A.'s flip-flops erode trust, or can they justify this as pragmatic realism? Until then, the stench of power hunger lingers.


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