Saleem Khalifa|| Jeddah: Lakhimpur Kheri incident has given Priyanka Gandhi an opportunity to showcase her pragmatic leadership skills, really it is a political gift for congress party and congressmen. Women are said to be the real heroes to tackle the crisis and it is proved by Priyank Gandhi. We appreciate the boldness, courage, daring, and bravery shown by the General Secretary of Congress – Priyanka Gandhi. She is leading from the front and handled the situation very efficiently and did all her best to fight the Yogiji government and his administration in reaching to meet the families of deceased farmers. Her fights proved a way to motivate the grass root workers across India. This fearless approach of Priyanka Gandhi has politically motivated the Congress Party workers and charged them to gather their strength and come on the ground to fight the UP election with energy, enthusiasm, and strategy. Priyanka Gandhi is a charismatic figure and people wanted she should be declaring the CM face of UP. She is capable to shape the future politics of India.

The video of Priyanka ji arguing with the police personnel showing her natural leadership capacity, gives a kind of confidence to the congress workers and leaders that she is very much in the struggle to get the justice for the farmers. Her fights with the BJP have appreciated by most of the people in and outside of India and political pandit are saying, tremendous energy is growing after this incident among Congress workers, leaders and public, Congress is now looking alive in the UP polls. What is needed now is well defined line of action plan to win more seats. A lot depends upon how she is going to shape the alliances with secular parties. Her announcement of giving 40% ticket to female and smartphone to college girls and electric scotty to graduate girls are going to attract a large number of women and young girls towards Congress party in UP. Now Congress party should pick up top talents from each city and groom them for future leadership role.

No one was expecting that Priyanka will impressed in such a way to nation. Not only Congress workers, but she impressed BJP also. It was a master stroke. She gave a very clear message to the nation that she is very much with the farmers in their lawful and legitimate demands and struggle. A very loud and clear message has gone across the board that Priyanka and entire Congress party is standing arm in arm with farmers and asking justice for them.  Farmers are agitating from last 11 months, they are protesting against the bills, because they understood that 3 laws are not benefited to them, whatever is told by the government and concerned minister is just meaningless promises, sadly, their democratic demands are fallen on deaf ears of PM and his team. Perhaps it is not right to say but a perception is taking place in the minds of Indians that BJP government has not done their duty properly to India and they are working for the interest of their businessmen friends. Due to incompetency of government currently India is facing political and economic crises. Please remember that the people respect and believe in those politicians who discharge their duties and responsibilities honestly and fulfil their promises. In current public survey, politicians got the -57 points.

Now we NRIs community has started to worry, we are equally concerned about the country, because even after 11 month, PM Modiji and his cabinet ministers are   failed to address the issue and find the solution. The priority of the government should be the well-being of the farmer, but the present government is not taking seriously farmers demand regarding the 3 agriculture laws and repealing them. Government is trying to suppress them. When farmers are not happy and do not want them, then there is no sense in democracy to impose forcefully on them. When Farmers are making statements, it is heard around the country as well as around the world. I am feeling, Modiji and BJP is completely misreading the farmer’s peaceful agitation. People are taking side of Farmers and angry with BJP attitude, the way they are handling the farmers issue. Now an ordinary citizen of India and BJP voters who voted BJP in 2019 are looking upset the way Modiji and Amit Shahji are handling this issue carelessly.  BJP Government both at the Center and at the state level is looking incompetent. Approximately 70% Indians do not trust the government and looking unhappy with current political, social, economic situation in India.

Modiji and his team is looking uninterested to understand the suffering of Farmers, they are on the roads, away from their families from last many months. Farmers are becoming upset day after day and asking voters not to vote for BJP and I am sure BJP will loosen UP election. There are other serious issues in front of the voters like mis handling of Covid-19 2^nd wave, high inflation of edible items, prices of petrol, diesel, gas is climbing every day now petrol is Rs 110 per litter, has made holes in purses and incomes. Economy is in bad shape, and unemployment is very high in the last 50 years. All his dream schemes on the ground are poorly executed. Several things are going against BJP and united opposition can defeat BJP, if votes are not divided between and among other secular parties. A kind of angriness is growing among people of India, against BJP, if not controlled on time, then BJP is looking in trouble not only in UP but also in other states and even in the General Election in 2024.

I want to say to Mr Modi that Modiji, a large section of society impressed with your 2013 and 2014 impressive speeches and heart touching & popular slogans. “Sab ka Saath sab ka Vikas”, “Acche Din Aane Wale Hai” “minimum government maximum governance”, were a few slogans which attracted not only Aam admi but also attracted congress leaders and a few senior leaders left congress and joined BJP, but Modiji you failed in almost all the fronts in last 7 years. Muslims are pushed back to the corner, politically marginalized, demoralized and very much disappointed, with your decision that Muslims will not be given ticket neither in the Parliament nor in the assembly election. Your decision left me and many Muslims feeling that Muslims have no place in BJP, and we are excluded. Modiji we are disheartened with your decision; your all promises are looking meaningless. We need political stake and political empowerment, now we are realizing that your promises were superficial, now we understood political empowerment we can get only in Congress, SP, BSP and TMC, not in BJP.  We had put our faith on the promises made by you sir but got total disappointment. We Muslims are again going back to Congress we found with it’s all faults, Congress is one of the best secular parties, which is committed democratic principles, Congress party is inclusive and diverse, is for all, not just the select few, we realized that Muslims have a special room in the party.  Now slowly an opinion is emerging not only among Muslim, but also among OBC, Dalit, Christians, and upper caste that we must vote and bring back Congress into power with an immediate motive to save India, its constitution, democracy and institutions and bring back the economy on the track.

We appreciate how Priyanka ji surprised India by showing her remarkable leadership skills. It is the larger opinion of the people that Congress should immediately declare Priyanka as the CM candidate of UP, her candidature will help to garner votes for Congress from all sections of society. She and her entire team of UP should go with ambitious agenda and pro public manifestos so that once again people should come forward and vote for Congress. Congress must have seat adjustment or seat understanding/ friendly fight with the SP / BSP and other smaller parties. This is a game changer for Congress and Congress should be wiser and can repeat the 2009 performance in UP.

We have been living in diversity, peaceful co-existence and in a mixed culture for more than 800 years and we Muslims adopted and promoted the mixed culture of Ganga – Jimni Tehzeeb, our culture has gained high respect across the world, unfortunately from 2014 BJP leaders are giving hate speeches and using communal or Hindutva sword to divide the country on religious lines. Very painful and horrible.  All things are going against the slogans and promises, made by Modiji in 2013 and 2014. Now irrespective of religion and caste, people are feeling that Congress period was good, life was peaceful, unafraid during entire Congress rule.  UPA I & UPA II, India lifted 271 million people out of poverty in 10 Years, reported by UNO.

We were happy with his speeches and slogans in 2013/2014 that Modiji is going to build a society that does not discriminate anyone, based on his/her religion, gender, or caste, but sadly society is more divided than earlier. What is most needed today is Communal Harmony and Peaceful coexistence in India. Jai Hind

Mohammed Saleem Khaleefa is an NRI Sociol activist and commentator. He has done M.A. Political Science and has been one of the senior intellectual persons representing Gulbarga on the expat scene. He is office bearer and member of many social & charitable organizations especially the ones working in the Indian Community in Gulf countries. 

Disclaimer: “The views Expressed in this article are author’s own. DeccanDigest may or may not agree with him”