This morning, I got a surprise WhatsApp message about Tejasvi Surya, the 28-year-old advocate and the surprise candidate from BJP to contest the Bengaluru South Parliamentary Constituency. The WhatsApp was a pictorial news item published in the Indian Express dated 21.7.1988 from Belgaum. The news item is produced here at the 5th column bottom and self-speaking.
The message attached to it from the sender read: “20 years ago a little boy, studying in the 4th standard, raised money for the Kargil victims by selling his paintings. Today, he is one of the youngest Lok Sabha candidates fielded by the BJP from Bangalore — Advocate Tejasvi Surya.”
This WhatsApp message reminded me of my own effort in Pune along with my friends to collect money from the small crowd that had gathered to listen to, if my memory serves me right, young Subramanian Swamy and other local leaders during Emergency. I think it is in times of war, an Internal Emergency like that of 1975, natural calamities, famine and civil war that we tend to realise the importance of the feeling of patriotism and idea of Nationalism — My Country, My Land and My Identity.
Surely, it is this spirit of Nationalism that must have motivated this young boy of 9-year-old to somehow contribute his mite for the cause of the nation which was in war with its enemy. I did not know this boy, who hit a political jackpot by getting nominated to contest the Bengaluru South Parliamentary Constituency, was a painter of some merit that people really bought his paintings for its value as an artwork or in admiration of the young boy’s spirit of patriotism. Let it be.
I wonder if he is still pursuing this creative fineart which comes like a grace from the Lord to only a few among the teeming millions of people. After all, no matter what profession one is in, he or she will pursue as a vocation or as an offering to the Almighty, what creative talent one is born with — art, music, dance, drama, literature etc. No wonder, it is said that what man is born as is the gift of God to Mankind. But what this man becomes in life is that man’s gift to God. Whatever it be, for now, I wish Tejasvi Surya a great victory in the election he has just contested so that it could be a great gift to Mother India, our Nation.
It is most unfortunate, after the first five years of Nehru’s Left-ideology-based rule of 16 years, there was a steady decline of political and moral values in the administration of the country. Elections were rigged, violence was common during elections and corruptions at different levels, beginning with the Defence purchases, began to surface. Remember the Jeep Scandal when V.K. Krishna Menon was the Defence Minister in Nehru’s Cabinet? Thereafter, corruption and maladministration continued unabated when Indira Gandhi gave it a sort of official stamp of acceptance by declaring, “corruption is a universal phenomenon,” thereby implying what is universal cannot escape India also and, therefore, accept it as a necessary evil. But it was Nehru who had said in great flourish, “Hang the corrupt man by the nearest lamp post.” Sadly, this evil of corruption spread like a canker, debilitating the political and economic health of the country so much so our rulers, politicians and bureaucrats ceased to be patriots. This went on unabated during the one-party rule of the Congress and later by the political leaders of the regional parties as well.
Take for example, the recent ones relating to the Nehru family involving National Herald case, AgustaWestland and the tax appeals. In fact, Rahul and Sonia are on bail. Similarly, Robert Vadra, the son-in-law of Sonia Gandhi. There are cases filed against P. Chidambaram, former Home and Finance Minister and also his son Karti Chidambaram.
It is curious and a testimony to the extraordinary capability of their advocates that none of them could be made available for interrogation in the way most others under such situations are dealt with by law. There was Om Prakash Chautala, son of Devi Lal, a former Deputy Prime Minister of India, who was charged in connection with the appointment of 3,206 junior basic teachers in the State of Haryana.
In January 2013, a New Delhi Court sentenced Chautala and his son to 10 years imprisonment under Prevention of Corruption Act and the case was upheld by the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court. Then we have the most irrepressible man of hubris Lalu Prasad Yadav, the former Chief Minister of Bihar. The nemesis caught up with him in what is known as 1996 Fodder Scam and so many cases ending with conviction for looting the treasury of crores of rupees. He is said to be in jail, I think, unable to get bail. There are other cases also against him and his son — Patna Zoo Soil Scam or Benami Disproportionate Assets case.
Likewise, there are other cases too that happened during the dark days of UPA Government from 2004 to 2014 where we had a very rich harvest of scams that ran into many lakhs of crores of rupees — 2G Spectrum Scam, Indian Coal Allocation Scam, Commonwealth Games Scam, Wakf Board Land Scam, Telgi Scam, etc. Surprisingly, though these cases are making news for more than five years, the common man of India has not heard of any one being given justice or jail. Nor did I see anyone hanging by the nearest Nehruvian lamp post! That speaks about efficiency and quality of our legal administration.
Let me not forget here the case of Sukh Ram, who was the Telecommunications Minister in P.V. Narasimha Rao’s Cabinet (1996). The CBI officials seized from his official residence Rs. 3.6 crore in cash concealed in bags and suitcases. Altogether, he was convicted and sentenced in three cases. I learn that the case is pending in the Supreme Court where he has gone on an appeal — 23 years and the case is still going on…
With this kind of politicians ruling us, we don’t need a Nostradamus to tell us that this country has a bleak future, unless new generation of youngsters like Tejasvi Surya come to occupy political offices, charged with the sense and spirit of patriotism and nationalism.
It is these young leaders of the new generation, who would follow the advice given to Americans by its late President John F. Kennedy — “Ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country.”
Jai Hind
e-mail: [email protected]
Good article. More and more youngsters who care for the country should contest elections no matter what the outcome. This will start a trend and one fine day only good people will get elected and opportunists will be vanished.
Remember the Jeep Scandal when V.K. Krishna Menon was the Defence Minister in Nehru’s Cabinet? Thereafter, corruption and maladministration continued unabated when Indira Gandhi gave it a sort of official stamp of acceptance by declaring, “corruption is a universal phenomenon,” thereby implying what is universal cannot escape India..”
A decade before the “jeep scandal”, in early 1950s, the Congress leaders- Congress was elected to power in almost all states in India then, started seriously thinking about: “”payback”, for their sacrifice in the freedom movement. Kengal then CM in Mysore state, was mired in corruption process in awarding contracts for the construction of Vidhana Soudha. When the journalists questioned Kengal about the massive escalation of costs, I read then that he arrogantly brushed those concerns aside saying that he was the elected CM and hence should be left to him to deal with it. After the completion of the building the inquiry committee appointed simply whitewashed the concerns, and exonerated Kengal from any wrong-doing which also included the contractors. Kengal and these contractors made massive income. Nehru quietly advised him to resign timing it before the Karnataka unification. I still remember, claiming on radio, his innocence of all wrong-doing citing the whitewashed inquiry
But then, Kengal was considered to be relatively clean even measuring with the standards of financial machinations of other political leaders!!
The multi-dimensional corruption-the hydra encompassing politics, institutions and society is so embedded that mere election of a few young politicians can hardly remove this hydra; anyway, as the saying goes: ” if wishes were horses….”
Please correct the date its not be 1988 but 1998. Tejaswi is born in the year 90/91.
What reminds me at the fag end of life today is. What is said by one of my friends in his own language at youth, while discussing on the subject of country building .
” No use worrying : What What time what what Thing Happening is That That time that Thing Happenninge Happening ”
That is what I derive today and carry on with positive mindset !
While I have no doubt about the credentials of Tejaswi, the author needs to fact check . Kargil war happened in 1999 and how can somebody collect funds in 1988 ?
I agree for a fact that we need more young people to take the country forward, but, I am confident people like T.Surya will bring more harm than good to the fabric of our Indian society and as a EXTREME far right candidate for the BJP, I think he is an awful example for the future generation.
India is awesomely secular, no other county in the world can boast the diversity we have , and that is what makes up India for what it is today and what we want it to be for future, no one in their right mind wants to live a all Hindu people lyching, minority killing, hatred fueled country( its half way there). He is completely lost in his journey from when he sold his paintings for Kargil to today calling his opposition anti-national . Every single campaign, interview, social media posts have targeted opposing ideas as anti-national,anti-hindu. He is just feeding off the populous marketing the whole political establishment has adapted around the world . He needs to stop being a kiss ass to his mestro Mr.Modi and try to think what the people of his constituents need, not a single agenda for blore south has been released and all he can campaign on is being anti-religious and taking extremist anti-democratic stance . I am not sure why the editor in chief is endorsing a candidate who has all signs of becoming an authoritarian.
Yes, people like Modi and Surya are a threat to our perverted definition of secularism! Our neighbor Srilanka Muslim community refused to accept the bodies of the terrorists that they are inhuman and against their Islamic values! On the contrary , funeral of the Yakub Memon the convicted terrorist , who was given full and fair trial was attended by 20000 people consisting of Hindus and Muslims and shouted slogans “Yaakub bhai hum Sharminda hi, teren Katil zinda hai! Just for your knowlegde, the khatil.. The murderer was Supreme Court! To rescue this brand of secularism. We can shout Anti India slogans, but Bharath mata ki jai is considered communal!Media too is taking its share of Lies by spreading fake stories about lynching, beef, Rss terrorism to save this version of secularism! They are calling Modi a thief too!
Good luck with your campaign! Long live “Sickularism”
haha, I tried to read and understand what you meant to convey but barely could understand amidst al that anger and attempts at sarcasm. Also, most of the mentions in your comments are of muslims, but I don’t have a single reference or I never mentioned one religion , this is what happens when you are neck deep in hatred which is then fueled by the talks of your favorite “leaders” , I mean, you have to be a good human first, then whatever institution you wanna follow is your damn fate! I just meant none of these guys are working towards real policies or real world issues. Why so much hate!
@Vkris, Well said Mate!
Well said!
Why ‘Secularism’? They say, “We need to be a tolerant society with no discrimination on grounds of religion. State should not interfere in the affairs of religion! Religion and state are separate! “.
All right, have a look at the list please
Bharat Mata painted nude by M.F. Hussain,
Ethnic cleansing of around 500000 ‘Kashmiri’ pundits from the valley,
Article 370 of our constitution,
Reservations to minorities (All are equal but some are more equal than others),
No common civil code,
Government’s control and interference in only temple affairs (not mosque or church),
Ram is a Myth but not Allah and Jesus,
an attempt to erase ‘Ram Sethu’.
Hold On! By the by, did you know that Undivided ‘Bharat’ was partitioned into ‘Islamic’ Pakistan but only ‘Secular’ India?
Yes, India is awesomely secular!
Today, ‘Secular’ India has 160 Million Muslims next only to Indonesia (200) and Pak (170). Some may interrupt here to say that Jinnah created politics and that Indian Muslims are good by nature. Bet you put on an Indo-Pak cricket match and start blaming Pakistan openly in front of the ‘Good’ Indian Muslim.
The ‘Good’ Indian Muslim will not accept a uniform civil code, will ask subsidies to Haj yatra, will make all the possible hurdles in ‘Amarnath yatra’ or ‘Ganesh Chaturthi’ processions every year will ask the president or PM to speedily implement the ‘Sachaar’ committee report.
Poor Hindus do they know what in the world that report is?
In layman’s terms it says that only Muslims are the poor and need help though you may find countless Hindu beggars outside temples and on railway platforms. Remember our ex PM roaring like a lion, “Muslims have the first right in the country’s resources.”
Does the Indian Muslim identify himself with Gori, Ghazini, Sultans and Mughals? Yes or No? I fear they do
Well ‘Ram Mandir’ at Ayodhya is still pending because of Babur’s Babri.
Indian Muslims protest when Israel attacks Palestine and not when there is a ‘Hamas’ missile strike on Israel.
An exhibition on ‘Aurangazeb and his atrocities’ conducted at Chennai (2008) had to be withdrawn because of some local Muslim Goons who found noble virtues in him.
Cricketer Mohd. Azharuddin on the match fixing issue said that he was targeted because he is a Muslim. What about Ajay Jadeja then?
We might have heard to Shabana Azmi or Omar Abdullah. Judge yourself. No need to mention the separatists.
In a nut shell – Is ‘Haj’ holier than ‘India’ to an Indian Muslim?
Is India becoming Christian nation (if not Islamic!) with the mask of ‘Secularism’?
Even ‘Secular’ Gandhiji talked only on Hindu Muslim unity. He even had a constant suspicion in the motives of the Christian missionaries. Today, though Christians claim to be only 2-3 % of the Indian population, one suspects the figures.
Many of my own Christian friends write their religion as ‘Hindu’ while applying for public sector jobs. Someone said he does it so as to claim the SC/ST benefits like application free of cost.
A Cross had replaced ‘Bharat’ Mata in the Two rupee coin minted in 2005. This was withdrawn later but today seems to take its place in the proposed Ten rupee coin!
No need to repeat that though minorities Christians have an immense authority in governance viz, Ambika Soni, A.K. Antony, Antonia Maino (Sonia) “ the Italian empress of India & Late Andhra CM Samuel Reddy.
There is Mourning in India after the demise of the former Pope of Vatican.A foreign Pope would interfere in India’s affairs in the name of protecting Christians
Is ‘Jerusalem’ holier than ‘India’ to an Indian Christian?
If this cannot be precisely answered then there is a pinprick somewhere.
Be it Godhra or Kandhammal the root cause of ‘Communalism’ is ‘Secularism’.
 ‘Secularism’ is so elastic that we have today a list of poster boys of ‘Secularism’ viz.
Manmohan Singh, Sonia, Laloo, Mulayam Singh, Amar Singh, Azharuddin, Deve Gowda, Ram Vilas Paswan, Somnath Chaterjee, Naveen Patnaik, Chiranjeevi & Vijayakanth. The list is endless. Even Afzal Guru and Kasab are becoming Secular in the eyes of public, thanks to Human rights activists and ‘Secularism’.
Naturally the other side RSS, VHP and BJP are called communal by the ‘Secular’ English media. Is there any connection between ‘Secularism’ and ecosystem?
News reads that cows are illegally carried from India to the slaughterhouses of Pakistan and Bangladesh in the late night through the borders. The ‘Secular’ media would focus day and night on whether the terrorist Kasab has been fed with Basmati rice at Jail. It won’t care about a cow being slaughtered. What a pity?
This makes sense and justice only when people know the real face of ‘Secularism’ that they dismiss the ‘Secularists’ as ‘Sickularists’ and find a solution to the problems ‘Bharat’ is facing.
Mr.Ravi, you need to chill out man! Initially I thought it was a campaign bot copy pasting some kind of agenda, but man you really did type it all and have asked me questions for every single sentence I wrote, haha! OMG I cant believe how much hate is being propagated among everyday citizens! just another instance for the current state of affairs! damn, why are people so angry all the time! I hope there was as much passion as there is anger in India right now. Also, you need to find peace or help.
Yes, like most of Hindus me too should chill out, get a life because when I point out the truth, I am accused of being a hate monger., intolerant. Unsecular and all kind of names! What I listed was the factual reports from various media reports, many are sympathetic to congress over a decade! We can understand your irritation! Tukde Tukde gang too has the same feeling! I sincerely apologize for hurting your feelings by stating the facts in a Raw fashion
@Manava, Rome wasn’t built in a day! You are saying to the young aspirants “don’t bother trying, you can’t change the corrupt system!”. Typical fatalistic thinking!
Remember Mohamed Ghouri? Did he give up trying to invade India after the first failure?
India had 70 years after independence to build a clean country! You are just a deluded Indian,who does not recognise the rampant corruption in the society,in institutions and in politics.
When the pond is filthy, no good fish can emerge. That is the reason,the pond is cleansed. But India has passed this stage.
Have you visited Rome?I have,and the quote you give is a misinformed quote.
Too many demented people in politics today lust for power, money no ethics and down right fools building a dynasty of politics we need to shun these idiots, hoarders of black money and infuse new and young people into politics with patriotism and need to be united as 🇮🇳. Get rid of the 70-80 year olds who are a obstacle to india making progress in economic growth as a nation however building their personal fortunes by corrupt means and worsening the situation for hard working people reducing their financial status to poverty. Bring the change and make india a better country to live one person at a time soon it can only get better and flourish while the old cahoots degenerate and die. Jai Hind
@manava: FYI!
The earliest known version of the expression, “Rome wasn’t built in a day”, is found in the collection of mediaeval French poems Li Proverbe au Vilain, which was published around 1190:
Rome ne fu[t] pas faite toute en un jour
The expression is first found in English in Richard Taverner’s translation from the Latin of Erasmus’s Prouerbes, 1545:
Ye may use this prouerbe when ye wol signifie that one daye… is not ynoughe for… acheuinge… a great matter… Rome was not buylt in one day.
Ok! You have visited Rome, I haven’t. BFD! You are an egotistical SOB!!!