Opinion View From The Right: Beyond Koregaon
Organiser says that “on January 1, when SC groups started assembling to commemorate the battle, some local miscreants made a pre-planned stone-pelting to thwart the occasion.
Protesters block traffic on Western Express Highway near Goregaon in Mumbai on Wednesday. (Express Photo: Amit Chakravarty) 
Protesters block traffic on Western Express Highway near Goregaon in Mumbai on Wednesday. (Express Photo: Amit Chakravarty)
The editorial in Organiser, ‘Executing the Pakistani plot’, says “the sequence of events and violence subsequent to Bhima-Koregaon incident in Maharashtra have again unravelled the dangerous designs of the anti-Bharat brigade”. It adds that “the stone-pelting and violent clashes marred an event on January 1, 2018 to mark the 200th anniversary of the Bhima-Koregaon Battle near Pune in 1818 between the British Army and the Peshwas”. In the incident, as well as the reactions to it, Organiser smells a plot. It says that “on January 1, when SC groups started assembling to commemorate the battle, some local miscreants made a pre-planned stone-pelting to thwart the occasion. In a way, it was a localised incident.” The editorial then claims that “continuing with the British tradition, the Congress and its allies are building a plot all over Bharat on the basis of distorted history and caste divisions.” It then brings in youth leaders to make its point: “The Bharat Tere-Tukde-Honge fame Umar Khalid shared the stage with the newly-found divisionist of Gujarat, Jignesh Mewani, who openly aligned with Naxals and accepted funding from the notorious group, Popular Front of India (PFI), during his election campaign, spitting venom on caste lines in Pune… The Congress, instead of opposing such sinister plot to divide the society, decided to harvest votes for the future elections by supporting the dangerous design. This design is not for the rights of depressed or downtrodden but aimed at destabilising Bharat. This is just a ploy for dividing the Hindu society.” “The Congress”, Organiser conjectures, “may gain a few votes by aligning with Jihadists and Naxals but will have to answer many questions for indirectly executing the Pakistani agenda for which Bharat will have to pay the price.”
Rajini’s reel record
Both Organiser and Panchjanya have given wide coverage to actor Rajinikanth’s announcement that he will enter politics. The cover story in Organiser asserts that “his off-screen persona, his acts of kindness, his spiritual outlook have all added to the status he enjoys today. However, the most important factor remains the characters he played in his films over the years which appealed to the common man who catapulted him from a superstar to ‘Thalaivar’ (Leader).” The article claims that “it was his films that indicated his penchant for assuming a role in public life”. It then looks at a few of Rajinikanth’s most memorable roles which “raised hope among his supporters and suggested his entry into politics”. The article talks about Baba in which Rajinikanth is a “hot-blooded but a good Samaritan who stands up to powerful and corrupt politicians who commit atrocities on poor people” and Baba in which the gesture used by Rajini’s character in the movie “became a rage and a patent of Rajinikanth and his fans. The same hand sign was used by Rajinikanth at the event marking his political entry”.
River politics
An article in Organiser says that the Mahadayi river issue “is a classic example of how the simplest of the river-water sharing issues can be blown out of proportion in India due to politics.” The article says that “most people outside south India would not have paid much attention till now. But since the 2018 Karnataka election is probably the biggest fight between BJP and Congress before the 2019 Parliamentary Election, this issue will keep hitting the headlines.” The article informs its readers that “2/3rds of the Mahadayi river flows in Goa and Karnataka wants to divert a portion of it to the Kalasa-Banduri Canal for drinking water purposes and Goa opposed the diversion and requested for a tribunal to address the dispute.” Maharashtra is also a party to the dispute as a small portion flows through the state. The article says that “a couple of weeks ago, Amit Shah (BJP national president) convened a meeting of Manohar Parrikar and B.S. Yeddyurappa to find some solution from BJP’s side. But sensing a big political benefit for BJP, Karnataka Congress quickly indulged in politics and thwarted any progress. To make things worse, Goa Congress sensed an opportunity to unseat Parrikar himself!” It goes on to blame the Congress’s politicking over rivers and says that “unless you see a miracle happen in the next 4 months like even 1 per cent of the river’s water being allocated for drinking project, expect this to be hitting headlines frequently during the Karnataka elections season.”
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