Tags:
Journalism of Courage
Of all the things that the Bharatiya Janata Party could be concerned about at its chintan baithak,1000-page works of history would,one expects,be low on the list. The party has,
after all,lost consecutive general elections. Its leader is unlikely to spearhead another general election campaign; and it has no reasonable succession plan in place. One of its largest state units has openly raised the banner of revolt. Its statements on major issues the economy,Indias foreign policy orientation are guilty of equivocation and muddle. But fear not,India! Your major opposition party can unite for as long as it takes to throw out someone whos written about Jinnah with a bit of nuance.
Where will politics go,said Singh after he was expelled,if soch,vichar and chintan is devalued,if thoughtfulness is replaced with Stalinist-style party-line cant?
Reading,writing and publishing is entering a dark alley, he added. These are all valid concerns though Singh himself cannot be absolved of guilt in abetting the BJPs unwillingness to take an intellectual stand. Where was his principled opposition when the BJP betrayed its foundational ideology to take an opportunistic stand against the Indo-US nuclear deal? Then,as now: the BJP will suffer as long as it makes a big deal of tiny issues,while being lazy,intellectually and politically,about the big questions of our times.
