Tags:
Journalism of Courage
SURENDRANAGAR, Aug 23: Bharatiya Janata Party tour managers need to learn a few lessons from Atal Behari Vajpayee’s first public meeting here on Monday. First, never organise a meeting in the afternoon, particularly in Saurashtra, and second not to hold important meetings when the Indian cricket team is playing.
The poor response at Vajpayee’s first meeting in Gujarat on Monday at Surendranagar’s Jawahar Chowk was something the BJP leaders would not have dreamt of. Especially since of the seven assembly segments in the Surendranagar Lok Sabha constituency, six have BJP MLAs and only one is a Congress MLA.
The Prime Minister failed to make an impression on the crowd, which in any case was not more than 25,000. Vajpayee tried to touch on local issues like water, but the people seemed fed up of promises that were never kept.
He even paid homage to martyr Dilipsingh Chauhan from Surendranagar district. However, except for one round of applause for the reference to the martyr, there was silence. Even when he promised a water project with Central Government assistance, there was no response.
Vajpayee arrived sharp at 12 and began his speech at 12.40. Though the meeting was scheduled to end at 1.30 pm, he had to bid the voters goodbye in Gujarati a couple of minutes before one as people started walking out. Even his call to the voters in Gujarati — “Avjo ane BJP ne mat aapjo” — failed to impress.
The Prime Minister, in his speech, sought to distinguish between the Indian armed forces’ action in Sri Lanka and in Kargil, saying the Kargil war was fought to defend the motherland from an aggressive neighbour, while several Indian soldiers died in Sri Lanka fighting to save a nation which was just a neighbour.
Reiterating that the country wanted peace in the subcontinent, the Prime Minister said despite facing a defeat in Kargil, Pakistan was still trying to create problems in other parts along the border.
He also said that frequent elections were not good for the economy of the State as it levys heavy expenditure on the exchequer.
Referring to the toppling of his government, he said one vote could make the difference. He pointed out that the Orissa Chief Minister’s one vote had brought down the government and asked people to vote as one vote could again make the difference.
Vajpayee said that in the BJP’s 13-month rule, the government had been able to solve various problems of the country. The economy had been brought back on track and inflation was also under control, he added.
Vajpayee said his government had also given the farmers worthy prices for wheat and rice and relaunched the crop insurance scheme covering all crops.
