HIMACHAL ELECTION RESULTS -2

 

A hard earned electoral victory for Congress, nothing short of a miracle in the face of all out fierce campaign and propganda carried out by the  ruling party , that  lays claim to  being the largest political Party worldwide, and admittedly also the financially the strongest party, thanks to the Corporate funding upto the neck should be construed as a lifeline  keeping the dire straits the Congress is in throughout. Notwithstanding the miniscule difference in votes secured by the Congress and the BJP, which is being touted as a mitigating circumstance to draw some consolation, the Congress have a rare opportunity to serve people keeping alive the ethos, they are known for.

There are voices being heard about non - sharing of top slot by Old Himachal to  the neglect of Kangra district in giving the top post inspite of giving maximum seats. Though not wholly unjustified, the Party's supporters should  cooperate and allow the Government to run smoothly and efficiently.

Hopefully, the new Government will make all efforts to meet the aspirations of all Himachal people, shedding the misconception of Old  & New or Upper, Lower or Middle Himachal.

On a personal note, I am happy that the Candidate I voted for has been able to make it by no mean margin.

HIMACHAL ELECTION RESULTS

The cat is out of the bag and anxious moments are over. Though I hold no brief for any Party,the Congress having come out victorious to form the Government have reason enough to be happy though not any reason to feel elated.  This has been an inequal fight, the BJP being more resourceful be it money power,an army of dedicated workers, backing of Corporate owned Media etc. etc. The Congress has had not one adversary but many.

I am amused with the idea of star campaigners comprising the Prime Minister,the Union Home Minister, other Cabinet Ministers and CMs of BJP ruled states descending upon the tiny Hill state  with  the all too familiar narrative of purported achievements,with the backing of a supportive media, more often than not sounding ludirous especially in the context of a State assembly election. Quite naturally, this did not go down entirely well with the educated and well informed electorate of the State.

The narrative of double engine so brazenly touted by the ruling dispensation  was in fact a mockery of the federal system prevailing in the Country and was rightly rejected by the people. Moreover the aspirations and expectations differ  from state to state. The mention of a Bhavya Mandir or Jai Shriram ki dahaad may appeal more to UP than Himachal which otherwise has a host of magnificent Temples as also a very large number of Temples of local deities. A clear vision or perspective for Himachal was found missing in speeches and rallies.

As for the winners and losers, while most of the results are on expected lines, the shock has come with the defeat of Kaul SinghThakur, Asha Kumari, Rakesh Singha & Gangu Ram Musafir. Among winners,Mr. Jagat Singh Negi from Kinnaur makes a hat trick !!

 It maybe naive to think that OPS was the only core issue. Besides,issue of rising prices and growing unemployment was not addressed.Apple growers have had their own grievances.

The new  government have an onerous task of fulfilling promises.

Hope they do not fail the electorate !!

चुनावी चर्चा -2

 आए दिन हिमाचल के विभिन्न विधानसभा क्षेत्रों में हिमाचल के अपने नेताओं के अलावा केंद्रीय  सरकार के मंत्रीगण और  बीजेपी शासित राज्यों के मुख्यमंत्री भी  चुनाव सभाएं कर रहे  हैँ और अपने अपने तरीके से मतदाताओं  को लुभाने का प्रयास कर रहे  हैँ. हिमाचल के लिए  भविष्य में क्या रोडमैप है  इसका खुलासा  करने की बजाये  अधिकतर  केंद्र सरकार का महिमा मंडन और  मोदीजी का यशोगान ही सुनने में  आ रहा  है. रक्षा मंत्री राजनाथ सिंह ने ज़रूर  वर्तमान मुख्यमंत्री जय राम ठाकुर  की तारीफ़  की है. योगी जी, आशा के अनुरूप  केवल  भव्य मंदिर तक ही सीमित  रह  गए हैँ जिसका हिमाचल राज्य अथवा यहाँ की जनता से सीधा  कोई सम्बन्ध  नहीं है.वैसे चुनाव के लिए यह मुद्दा  है ही नहीं.

शिमला ग्रामीण विधान सभा  क्षेत्र में बीजेपी ने एक नये चेहरे  के रूप में रवि मेहता को उतारा है, जो काफ़ी आशावान हो कर चुनावी सभाएं कर  रहे हैँ.एक चुनावी सभा  स्मृति ईरानी भी उनके पक्ष  में  कर  चुकी  हैँ.

पहले कई वर्ष सुन्नी क्षेत्र कुमारसेन विधानसभा के अंतर्गत रहा पर राजनीतिक  दृष्टि से इस इलाके की पूछ पूर्व मुख्यमंत्री स्व. श्री वीरभद्र के यहाँ से चुने जाने के बाद शुरू  हुई. कांग्रेस से विधायक विक्रमादित्य सिँह अब दूसरी  बार मैदान में हैँ और  जनसभाएं कर रहे  है .

यह  देखना  दिलचस्प  है  कि बीजेपी शिमला ग्रामीण में तो धरतीपुत्र का नारा दे रही है  पर यही  नारा कसुम्पटी पहुँचते पहुँचते हवा  हो जाता है  कारण, इस विधान सभा क्षेत्र में बीजेपी के प्रत्याशी सुरेश भारद्वाज को छोड़ कर उन के  विरुद्ध खड़े दोनों प्रत्याशी ही धरतीपुत्र हैँ .

मुक़ाबला रोचक और  कड़ा रहने वाला है, no cake walk for anyone. यहाँ का वोटिंग पैटर्न  अलग  किस्म का है. लोग चाहें तो स्वतंत्र प्रत्याशी को जिता दें, पर ऐसा  होगा नहीं .

चुनाव चर्चा

विभिन्न मार्गो / साधनों से स्टार प्रचारक  देव भूमि  में  पदार्पण  कर इसे और  पवित्र  कर रहे  हैँ, विशेष तौर पर केंद्रिय नेतृत्व और सरकार के प्रतिनिधि समाचार पत्रों के लिए  भी  आकर्षण का केंद्र बने  हुए हैँ और चुने हुए शब्दों से सज्जित सुर्खियां अपने आप  में बहुत  कुछ  बयान  कर रही  हैँ. कल  गृह मंत्री  अमित शाह  ने तीन  विधानसभा  क्षेत्रों में आ कर  भाषण  दिया.कुछ  विशेष कारण से कसुम्पटी को चुना गया. तथापि ऐसा  लग रहा  था कि चुनाव  हिमाचल विधान सभा का न हो कर  लोकसभा का है. ख़ैर  समर्थक तो तालियाँ  पीटेंगे  ही.

इस विधान सभा क्षेत्र के लिए  बीजेपी प्रत्याशी सुरेश भारद्वाज नये  हैँ  पूर्व में मंत्री और  सांसद  रह चुके  है . कथित  तौर पर उन्हें जिताने की ज़िम्मेदारी केंद्रीय नेतृत्व ले चुका है.

कांग्रेस प्रत्याशी अनिरुद्ध सिँह  मिलनसार  हैँ और लोगों की सहायता के लिए  सदैव  तत्पर  दीखने  के कारण  अपने क्षेत्र में बहुत  लोकप्रिय हैँ.

सीपीआई एम प्रत्याशी पूर्व में भारतीय वन सेवा अधिकारी रह चुके  हैँ और  ईमानदारी, कर्तव्य परायणता और  कार्यकुशलता  के लिए  जाने जाते  हैँ .

कुल मिला कर मुक़ाबला रोचक  रहने  वाला है.

शिमला  शहरी  विधानसभा क्षेत्र में मुक़ाबला त्रिकोणीय ही रहने वाला है.  बीजेपी प्रत्याशी संजय सूद  मीडिया में करोड़ पति  चायवाला के रूप में प्रचारित  हो चुके  हैँ. चाय वाला सन्दर्भ का कितना जादू  चल  पाएगा, देखना  बाक़ी है . मेरे विचार  में सूद  बिरादरी  उन्हें en bloc समर्थन देने वाली है  और  काफ़ी  संख्या  में व्यापारी वर्ग भी . कांग्रेस प्रत्याशी हरीश  जनार्था  का अपना वोट बैंक है और  आकर्षक व्यक्तित्व के चलते समर्थकों की भी कोई कमी नहीं . ऊपरी शिमला के लोग कमोबेश  उन्हें ही वोट करने वाले हैँ .

सीपीआई एम प्रत्याशी टिकेंद्र पंवर  बुद्धिजीवी लोगों में लोकप्रिय हैँ  और  पूर्व में  शिमला नगर निगम में बतौर   उप महापौर  अच्छा कार्य अंजाम  दे चुके  हैँ . शिमला में कार्य रत  कर्मचारी  केवल  शिमला  शहरी  को ही नहीं  बल्कि शिमला ग्रामीण और  कसुम्पटी को भी  प्रभावित  करने  वाले हैँ .

मुक़ाबला दिलचस्प  रहने  वाला है और  पेचीदा  भी.

गत दो चुनावों  में यह सीट  उस समय  की प्रचलित धारणा के विपरीत  by default बीजेपी की झोली  में गयी थी.

अभी के लिए  इतना ही.....!

ॐ साईं राम

 ॐ साईं राम !

A visit to the  Shirdi temple yesterday is the fulfilment of a cherished dream especially for my better half. The 400km or thereabout  two way journey was a bit tiresome but worth it. The mobiles and other elecronic gadgets are not allowed inside understandably so, but to our surprise the prasad and other offerings in kind are also not allowed though the shops do a good business of selling various things. We had left our shoes and mobiles in the car. Parking however was not an issue. We were lucky to be told that there was comparatively less crowd of devotees.The zigzag passage with steel railings on both sides was full of devotees and visitors but there was no need felt to sit and rest on the steel benches fixed all along on one side due to less gathering .

One more interesting thing,  along the way  on the roadside the shops display attractive  big sign boards of  'चाह ' but we the North Indian tea enthusiasts  are in for a surprise when tea  / coffee is offered in ultra small disposable cups, roughly one fourth the size of cups we are used to. But both tea & coffee are very tasty.

Madhubala

 The very beautiful and talented Bollywood actress Madhubala, who was the heart throb of millions in her life time left this world this day fifty three years ago aged 36 only.

Much has been said and written about her films, acting, initial struggles, unhappy life and her illness. Lately I came across one of the lesser known facts of her life that increased my admiration for her all the more.

It is said that though a practising Muslim, she had great respect and reverence for Guru Nanak Dev ji and Sikhism  in general. She always carried in her bag or purse a copy of the book of hymns called Gutka in Persian script.

She made sure that every year she was present at the Gurudwara  at Andheri in Mumbai on the occasion of Gurpurab. She would sit engrossed in Prayers for hours at the said Gurudwara and perhaps contributed in cash or kind out of devotion. 

She would ask her Producers and Directors to fix her shooting schedule accordingly so as not to miss the occasion.After her death, her father Ataullah Khan continued to be a part of the occasion.

It is said that every year on the occasion of Gurpurab, Ardas is done for her in the Andheri Gurudwara, Mumbai.

Such was her devotion.

Our humble tributes !!

Lata Mangeshkar

 With the passing away of Bharat Ratan Lata Mangeshkar, the legendary Playback singer today , an era of Hindi film music in female voice has come to an end. Hers has been a saga of struggles and success, with periods of highs and lows thrown in.Besides singing outstanding solos in all genres, she came up with wonderful duets sung with all the well known popular male singers of the times , with speaks volumes for the versatile singing and  quality of her voice. The void left by her death is difficult to fill. Yet, there is consolation enough in the fact that she lived till ripe old age of 92, other example being of Manna Dey. Unfortunately great male singers like Muhammad Rafi, Mukesh and Kishore Kumar couldn't reach even sixty.

Humble tributes to the legend who's voice will for ever remain with us !!

SNOW - A MIXED BLESSING

 While this snowy season, friends are busy clicking and posting pictures of snow laden trees & snow covered roads & roofs thus indulging in an orgy of photography, and still others waxing poetic about snow and romancing about the whole thing, I am transported to my school days and the immortal Ballad 'Lucy Gray' penned so beautifully by Wordsworth. I am still moved by the sad incident of the three year old losing her way and herself in the snow, never to be found again. I am equally moved by the sad incidents of soldiers and civilians getting buried under the avalanches, caught unawares.

I am also reminded of a real life incident narrated to me by elders during my growing years about a Forest Ranger, popularly known as Mushu Miyan, who lost his life in heavy snow, and his body was found frozen,he being found in a standing posture, with a gun on the back of his shoulder and a hand holding the leash of a pet dog accompanying him.

Every time it snows I am reminded of the incident.

Snow is a mixed blessing, a life giver and a life taker.