NIT Srinagar shows why Bharat Mata, not azadi wins
NIT Srinagar’s patriotic students, zindabad! They have shown the Afzal-apologists that it’s the patriotic fervour and power of the tiranga - the tricolour - that wins and not naysayers who hide behind divisive anti-national tactics. No Indian can celebrate India’s defeat against any team - Pakistan or West Indies.
We may be angry with our team, crack jokes about them, or make silly comments - but all that remains within the ambit of the anguish that victory was not brought back home.
But to cheer for the opponent and rejoice at our defeat is unacceptable, whatever be the pretext. If you don't treat such insidious bites with a repellant, you don’t prove you have an Indian heart.
NIT’s patriotic students showed they have a heart and a tiranga. Kudos to them. The entire nation stands with you dear friends. Be firm, concentrate on your studies and excel in your exams. The Jihadis of Kashmir are cowards of the third order who take pride in assaulting unarmed students and citizens for being loyal to their motherland. We must thank the Centre as well as the J&K government, especially IG Syed Javaid Mujtaba Gillani, who supervised the situation and pacified students.
But NIT certainly has emerged as a centre of the tiranga amidst the swarm of separatism. We must all stand with those students who held tiranga high and salute them. It’s the duty of the government to see to it that such students are not harassed and their safety ensured. Though an order was issued to some students to vacate the hostel, I am told that it was meant to make the agitating students behave and has since been revoked.
Hopefully, classes would resume by April 4.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is keeping pace with the future by working relentlessly to bring power, energy, and prosperity through a corruption-free regime. His foreign tours too are amazingly proving beneficial to the masses, especially the farmers for whom he has taken initiatives in technology and invested in new employment opportunities.
But his detractors are not happy about his achievements and are trying to deflect the nation's attention to divisive issues. Shouldn’t we ignore those who mourn at the sunrise and try to divert the focus of nation-builders from the path of economic empowerment?
There are three news developments this week that might invite strong reactions - one is the foolish Deoband fatwa - as if the Mullahs have nothing else to do, the second is the celebration of India's defeat in the T20 match in Pilibhit and a few other places.
Look at the newspapers: they are either full of reports about the Kolkata flyover political slugfest or the Uttarakhand rebellion. The significant tour of the prime minister to Belgium, US and Saudi Arabia has been relegated to the inner pages as if the nation doesn't have any interest in issues pertaining to security, energy and employment.
The touchstone of judging media prejudice and the Deoband mullah's blind hatred for anything that glorifies India is a question: "Who feels happy when India falls and mourns at seeing a new India rise?"
The answer to this question gives you the idea as to who the mourners are, adding spokes to the moving wheels of a progressive India.
A small and ignorant section of the Muslims who celebrate India's defeat or refuse to chant Bharat Mata ki jai, must be told how Islamic extremism is killing thousands of Muslims in Islamic countries. The Saudi King too is facing threats from ISIS and hence India's cooperation with him on security is a good sign. It's the united front of Indians that will bring happiness and progress to all, not petty minds and stone pelters.
They are definitely small in number. Even the communities they belong to do not support them. Deobandis have become the butt of jokes among the elite, educated Muslims. Why should we give them any credence by reacting wildly as if their writ runs and all Muslims obey them? There are millions of Muslims who take great pride in slogans like Vande Mataram and Bharat Mata ki jai. Don't make these sacred, nationalist slogans a matter of controversy and blame game amongst Indians.
Those who feel ashamed of such slogans, which have inspired our revolutionaries and freedom fighters, must be left alone to rot.
Modi in Saudi Arabia should have been the top news today and thoroughly analysed on the edit pages. Saudi Arabia is not just a centre of Wahabbism, it faces direct threats from extremist organisations like ISIS. It also houses three million Indians who send billions back home annually.
The House of Saud can’t be viewed as black or white, or as a centre of all Islamic extremist evil. The US is trying to work with them to benefit from their anti-terror activities and economic gains. Why should India be delaying its initiative to have the Saudis on its side to further its diplomatic goals?
According to an IANS news report, "With Saudi Arabia upping the ante against terrorism and the rise of the Islamic State terror outfit, security cooperation also has become an important cornerstone of the relationship. In recent times, Riyadh handed over to New Delhi key terror operatives like Abu Jundal and Abdul Aziz alias Gidda."
Back home, Modi is transforming India.
Investmentsin the employment-intensive sectors have increased manifold - 316 percent increase in FDI inflow was reported in the construction sector, 285 per cent in the computer and hardware sectors and 71 per cent in the automobile sector.
Are these investments going to help only the Hindus and not others? Ask those who are outraging about issues like slogans and posters.
The Bihari youth, as well as the Gujarati, the Punjabi and the Tamil will benefit with India's progress. Those who celebrate India's defeat are mere sadists. If India on fast-forward mode doesn't thrill them, so be it.