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Journalism of Courage
Dishabhool, a Marathi word, in politspeak means an attempt by the Government to mislead the public. Much used by Bal Thackeray, Manohar Joshi and Gopinath Munde when they were not ruling the State, the word is the Congress weapon this time.
The Congress is hardselling `failed promises’ of the Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party alliance, it is hitting the front where it hurts the most as local issues dominate the elections to the Lok Sabha in Maharashtra.
With polling a week away, the Congress is banking on the anti-incumbency factor to swing at least two dozen of the 48 seats its way. In fact, the campaign of almost every Congress leader in Maharashtra is centred on the alleged failure of the Sena-BJP alliance to follow up on its populist promises to the people in 1995.
Small wonder, then, that Sena supremo Bal Thackeray last month decided against publishing a manifesto for the 1998 polls. Soon, however, the party changed its mind. Now the Sena and the BJP, in addition to the BJP’s nationalmanifesto, have another one at the State level. And there are many areas that are uncommon to this common manifesto. The common manifesto says that Vidarbha state, which the BJP had promised, will happen only over Thackeray’s dead body.
The manifesto tries to push the blame for the non-starter status of its other policies, including the promise of free housing to slum dwellers, on to the Centre. Obviously, that is the only option left to the Sena-BJP alliance to counter the anti-incumbency factor in the State.
Expectedly, the Congress has cried foul. It had earlier published a `Black Paper’ on the Government’s failures. And received a rok-thok (straight) reply in return. The reply skipped many questions, says Congress spokesperson Vsant Chavan. “And the State manifesto misleads.”
One issue for which the Centre cannot be indicted, however, is the State Government’s position on the Rent Control Act. Caught napping, the Government failed to make adequate representation of the tenants’ case before theSupreme Court whose ruling in November has been largely favourable to landlords. As a result, Thackeray could do little but pledge to bring a morcha to Mantralaya against his own Government if they failed to adequately protect tenants’ rights after the elections.
Neither Murli Deora, the Congress candidate from Mumbai South, where the electoral verdict will be determined by tenants, nor the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee is amused. This is clearly once again an attempt at dishabhool, says MPCC general secretary Arun Mehta. But it is Congress candidate from Mumbai South Murli Deora who seems to have found the ultimate local issue to propel him to the Lok Sabha. “I have my own personal manifesto specific to the problems of my constituency. And today, after 30 years of public life, I am staking my political career on the tenants’ issue. I will bring them justice or I will go home.” Tenants outnumber landlords in his constituency.
Since it is not on a strong wicket when it comes to localissues, the Sena, a more local party than the others, has shifted its focus from tirades against Sharad Pawar and brought a touch of national colour to Thackeray’s campaigns. All his speeches are focused on Sonia Gandhi, the `phoren’ gudiya in desi garb who angers him so much that he enacts on stage how she walks by draping his shawl as a ghoonghat covering his face.
Dishabhool? He doesn’t think so.
