05-19-2007, 04:07 AM
Francois G at Rediff on Mayawati
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Every political columnist wants to make UP a study case. But is it a good case?
Firstly, UP is the worst example of how an Indian state can be mismanaged year after year and how the most populous state of India is also the poorest, the most unlawful -- bar Bihar, maybe.
Second, UP has shown India and the world how caste and religion can be manipulated to the maximum cynical extent to get elected -- as Mayawati just did.
But then, she only borrowed from the Congress book of politics and only improved upon it.
It is true that the Congress in turn only took over from the British the art of divisive politics -- to polarise India on castes and religions: 'I am a Muslim first and then an Indian'; 'I am a Dalit first and then an Indian'; 'I am a Christian first and then and Indian.'
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Every political columnist wants to make UP a study case. But is it a good case?
Firstly, UP is the worst example of how an Indian state can be mismanaged year after year and how the most populous state of India is also the poorest, the most unlawful -- bar Bihar, maybe.
Second, UP has shown India and the world how caste and religion can be manipulated to the maximum cynical extent to get elected -- as Mayawati just did.
But then, she only borrowed from the Congress book of politics and only improved upon it.
It is true that the Congress in turn only took over from the British the art of divisive politics -- to polarise India on castes and religions: 'I am a Muslim first and then an Indian'; 'I am a Dalit first and then an Indian'; 'I am a Christian first and then and Indian.'
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->