05-30-2008, 10:03 AM
some commie-xitian fora
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->I happen to be originally from Karnataka so I have been keeping track of developments there. I used to tour the State, particularly its tribal areas regularly till I came to the Northeast. So I have some understanding of the situation there though I do not consider myself an expert there.
What one could notice even in the 1990s is the effort the BJP was making to build a base at the grassroots level when the Congress was depending on the leaders. Its grassroots base was getting very weak. The BJP base took two forms. One was the VHP-Bajrang Dal and other alliance. One found both good and bad elements in it, including some criminal ones. This section was linked closely and openly to the party. The second was the number of NGOs particularly in the tribal areas. In fact, <b>I was instrumental in putting some of them in touch with church-related funding agencies before I came to know about their RSS-BJP links. </b>Some of them did sincere work and others were there for party purposes alone and for Hindusing the tribals. In fact, a couple of them came to the Northeast and got in touch with me here. These two groups together and a few others, built up a strong base for the party. So I am not surprised that the BJP has won so many seats in the tribal areas.
One cannot deny that what has happened in Karnataka is an anti-incumbency vote but one has also to admit the combination of other factors such as building a strong grassrots level base through the VHP and other groups and by using development as a tool. So there are both good and bad elements among them. I have not kept in touch with them for a few years. So I would not be able to say today how they will behave. I can only speak of the manner in which a grassroots level base was built and that from first hand experience of frequent journeys and discussing these issues with the people in their own language.
Walter<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->I happen to be originally from Karnataka so I have been keeping track of developments there. I used to tour the State, particularly its tribal areas regularly till I came to the Northeast. So I have some understanding of the situation there though I do not consider myself an expert there.
What one could notice even in the 1990s is the effort the BJP was making to build a base at the grassroots level when the Congress was depending on the leaders. Its grassroots base was getting very weak. The BJP base took two forms. One was the VHP-Bajrang Dal and other alliance. One found both good and bad elements in it, including some criminal ones. This section was linked closely and openly to the party. The second was the number of NGOs particularly in the tribal areas. In fact, <b>I was instrumental in putting some of them in touch with church-related funding agencies before I came to know about their RSS-BJP links. </b>Some of them did sincere work and others were there for party purposes alone and for Hindusing the tribals. In fact, a couple of them came to the Northeast and got in touch with me here. These two groups together and a few others, built up a strong base for the party. So I am not surprised that the BJP has won so many seats in the tribal areas.
One cannot deny that what has happened in Karnataka is an anti-incumbency vote but one has also to admit the combination of other factors such as building a strong grassrots level base through the VHP and other groups and by using development as a tool. So there are both good and bad elements among them. I have not kept in touch with them for a few years. So I would not be able to say today how they will behave. I can only speak of the manner in which a grassroots level base was built and that from first hand experience of frequent journeys and discussing these issues with the people in their own language.
Walter<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->