Congress! Where is it now?

"Does the Congress Party exist?" comes a query from an educated Bengali middle-class man in his twenties. As I look for answers to quench his thirst, I end up on a disappointing note. Well, there's one Sonia Gandhi who still flouts her power as the president of the age-old party and then there's one Rahul Gandhi, her son, who promises to turn things around.

For Rahul, there's a one-point-agenda i.e to castigate India's Prime Minister, Narendra Modi at every step. Short of logic but not short of rhetorics, he is on a mission to corner our PM be it on the latter's bonhomie with industrialists or his nonchalance towards farmers. For a change, the Gandhi family scion has some good things to say about Modi over the surgical strikes across the LoC on September 29. Well, Rahul has no other choice because if he vilifies the Gujarati strongman now, he himself will end up as an anti-Indian.

But, let's not put the blame solely on Rahul Baba. His own party men are so busy playing politics over the Modi government's aggressive attitude towards Pakistan. Take it: "This kind of strikes have taken place earlier also. The only difference is this chest-thumping and media sort of going overboard. This never happened before because the earlier Prime Minister thought these issues are best left to be dealt with by the security forces,” said a senior Congress member by the name of Digvijaya Singh as quoted by IANS.

At a time, when the Congress party has almost been decimated all over the country (the Arunachal Pradesh fiasco, losing its bastions in West Bengal and the party-run-government in Karnataka facing a heavy weather over the Cauvery dispute), a party that has given PMs like Jawaharlal Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, PV Narasimha Rao and Manmohan Singh to the country, is in a state of shambles.

Lack of vision and leadership will only cut it a sorry figure in national politics. Be it in Uttar Pradesh or Punjab, two states going to the polls next year, Congress hasn't made too many inroads into the voters' minds despite the 27 Saal, Up Behaal campaign looking at the UP polls. Its Chief Ministerial (CM) candidate in UP, also a former Delhi CM, Sheila Dixit is unlikely to garner the upper-caste and Brahmin votes as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has its eyes set on them.

In Punjab, the party's Chief Ministerial candidate Amarinder Singh is facing the heat as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has sent summons to his son Raninder Singh for gross violations of Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA). With former cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu floating his own outfit breaking away from BJP and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) trying to gain some ground, Congress might not find itself on a benign track in the Land of Five Rivers.

The biggest mistake that the Congress party has done is that it has tried to politicise an issue of grave concern related to the security of the country. By going overboard over its lack of ecstasy on surgical strikes during the reign of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) in New Delhi, the party sends the wrong message across. Rahul Gandhi may praise Modi on the retaliation post Uri, but some of the senior leaders of the former's party have only spoiled the party by taking jibes at the Union Government at a time when the whole country should speak in one voice.

The problem with Congress is that it still is paranoid to look beyond the Gandhi family. As if, it's just one family that personifies leadership. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval has blamed Congress for compromising on national security by putting defence spendings on the back burner since Independence. Yes scams after scams have jolted the image of the party over the years. But what is the party looking at now?

With no constructive criticism to challenge the BJP-led-National Democratic Alliance (NDA), Congress is busy zeroing in on digging loopholes from the grave to malign the central government not with any success though. Poll strategist Prashant Kishor would be a worried man as being the man in charge of steering the party to a position of reverence in UP and Punjab, juvenile actions on the part of Congress leaders is only queering the pitch for the party.

Too much of confusion as the party isn't sure of when Priyanka Gandhi will step in to boost up the sagging morale of the ordinary UP Congress supporter. Similarly, in Punjab, there's a lot to be done. In West Bengal, the state party chief, Adhir Chowdhury is facing the flak for failing to tackle defection to the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC).

In other states like Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Assam, Odisha, Haryana and some others, Congress hardly is a force to reckon with. Even in Haryana, allegations of extra favours given to some businessmen by the previous Congress government led by Bhupinder Singh Hooda is giving goose bumps to a grass root Congress loyalist.

Utter frustration for staying out of power is throwing the party into oblivion. Hence, we have to deal with archaic statements that have little relevance in the current context emanating from some Congress leaders.

Forget leadership, Congress lacks a well-thought-out strategy to earn back the people's confidence. And don't blame its opponents if they have a big laugh over Congress' misery.

Lot to ponder over, Soniaji and Rahulji! The going will get tougher in the days to come.

Pakistani actress Saba isn't making her Bollywood debut with Ajay Devgn's Shivaay

Amid the tension escalating between India and Pakistan over Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) and Uri and the threat by the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) to Pakistani artistes to leave India, a story started floating around that Ajay Devgn's Shivaay marks the Bollywood debut of popular Pakistani actress Saba Qamar.

However, the publicity team of Shivaay has strongly denied it. "There are media reports doing the rounds that Pakistani actress Saba Qamar is making her debut with Shivaay. However, as the official publicists of the film we would like to clarify that actress Saba Qamar or any other Pakistani actor/ actress is not a part of Shivaay," the statement read. Directed by Devgn, Shivaay slated for a Diwali release stars apart from the actor-director, Sayyeshaa Saigal and Polish actress Erika Kaar.

MNS and your disoriented passion for India

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has passed an order. Creative Pakistani people should leave India within 48 hours (perhaps the deadline is over by now). Now the question is: Who or what is MNS? Nobody has an answer. Well, it's led by Raj Thackeray who parted ways with his illustrious uncle and former Shiv Sena Chief, the late Bal Thackeray.

Fair enough! Ask an average Indian film buff and he/she will pour praises on Fawad Khan and Mahira Khan. Because they are fabulous actors and beyond that, they are icons. When Uri was attacked, they were probably busy shooting. When 26/11 happened, neither of them deep down approved of the killing of innocent souls. So, where does this ultimatum work? It falls flat because Bollywood or the Hindi film industry protests against it. When Shah Rukh Khan appoints Wasim Akram as a key force in his Indian Premier League (IPL) team, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), he gives a damn to Akram's nationality. Rahul Dholakia who directs Raees, with Shah Rukh and Mahira, closes in on the script and conceives a leading lady who is apt for the film. Atif Aslam sings Tere sang yaara from the film Rustom, and we are hooked on to it. Rest assured, even some or many from MNS have fallen in love with the number.

On one hand, activists display their love for the country by shunning creativity filtering from across the border, but on the other hand, a little bit of snooping will reveal that, it's the very same people who alleviate their boredom by watching a Khoobsurat (starring Fawad) or shedding their tiredness over a Rahat Fateh Ali Khan or an Atif Aslam number in a Bollywood film.

It's a given that the Pakistani government surrenders before the Army. It's a given that Pakistan's Army is obsessed with India. But does Fawad or Mahira or Rahat have any hand in it? Now a message for the so-called-self-proclaimed patriots, look within and spare a moment for the rampant atrocities on Dalits, minorities, women and kids. Where is MNS when a 90-year-old woman, also a cancer patient is raped in Kerala? Where are you when a mentally-challenged woman is forced to eat on the floor of a hospital in Ranchi? Where are you when a woman is stabbed in the National Capital?

Please leave it to the authorities to deal with Pakistan. What our neighbours are indulging in, isn't sacrosanct. But instead of looking at a solution, stop making headlines by victimising actors and singers from Pakistan who have nothing to do with the troublesome period the two countries are going through.

MNS, you are not true patriots. The whole aim is to get some mileage, so that in the polls coming up in Maharashtra, you gain in terms of numbers. The Maratha Manoosh plank and attacks on North Indians have paid you almost no dividend, and now the desperation to woo voters emboldens you to resort to an exaggerated form of activism.

It's time to take the bull by its horns. The Narendra Modi-led government is busy mulling over options to retaliate post Uri. But, parties like MNS which thrive on fabricated patriotism should be ignored. Because their intentions are not noble enough.  

The Sharifs and a mockery of democracy

http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/full-text-of-nawaz-sharif-s-speech-at-un-general-assembly/story-bdlcijC6NbfJgnjYupBBhN.html

Courtesy Hindustan Times, a full text of Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's speech at the the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) is now at your doorstep. As a Pakistani, you would now look at him with reverance. The Orgasanisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) would further eulogise him for 'exposing' India on Jammu & Kashmir (J&K).

Well done Mr. Sharif. But not just in the capacity of an Indian, but as a human being, any individual with a sense of logic would only laugh at you. Your speech only vindicates the fact that the Government of Pakistan only dances to the whims and fancies of its Army currently led by Raheel Sharif. Well, he shares your surname. Not only does he share your surname, he also makes it sure that you are kept on your toes and you abide by the instructions coming from Rawalpindi.

For your armed men, India is an obsession despite the fact that every time, your Generals tried to foment trouble in India, you were given a befitting reply. Mr. PM, you pretend to be a custodian of peace in the sub-continent, but to be fair and honest, it's sad there was no mention of the killing of Indian soldiers at Uri. Yes, you endorsed terrorism by once again hailing a terrorist like Hizbul Mujahideen Commander Burhan Wani (who was killed by our forces on July 8) as a martyr. Now, you yourself know that your nation does give protection to the likes of Masood Azhar, Hafeez Saeed and others whose one-point agenda is to destabilise India.

But let me not implicate you. It's not your fault. Even if you intend to make a difference and offer a hand of friendship to India, your Army chief would react, even if his days on the job are numbered. But, being the Prime Minister of a country that boasts its democratic credentials, you would have done a better job by asserting your views based on democratic norms. But Sir, you are scared because your country has a history of being a witness to coups (you being a victim of two of them).

The Panama Paper leaks (some of your kins' names have been mentioned), a loss to the Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) in the Karachi Mayoral elections, allegations of rigging in the elections in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK), honour killings, atrocities on minorities and so on have only made you a lame-duck PM. Even your Supreme Court passes a ruling that the actually limits the say of the Prime Minister in financial matters. To add to it, the Chief Justice of Pakistan, Anwar Zaheer Jamal alleges that some political parties in Pakistan pamper terrorists. Never before, if memory doesn't betray, any Chief Justice in any other country has been so candid. 

But we pity you. Even if you are a good person with noble intentions, you have no choice except surrendering to the might of the Armed forces. The reason is simple: Pakistan makes a mockery of democracy. The lawmakers only speak but do not mean what they say because the Generals are watching. 

Sorry Mr. Prime Minister, you are helpless. Despite being elected by the people, your hands are tied. Watching you speaking at the UNGA, one would not envy you because you don't have the most enviable job in the world. Being Pakistan's Prime Minister is the toughest responsibility one could imagine. 

God bless Pakistan! God bless Pakistanis! The road will only get tougher with time and even China and Turkey would turn their backs on Pakistan. After all, economy matters and in terms of trade and business, India marches way ahead of its neighbour.