गुजरात विधानसभा चुनाव - २०१७ -हारेगा जातिवाद जीतेगा राष्ट्रवाद

(मेरा यह लेख पांचजन्य के २६-११-१७ के अंक में प्रकाशित हुआ)

कर्णावती से जयवंत पंड्या,  साथ में दिल्ली ब्यूरो

गुजरात में चुनावी सरगर्मी जोरों पर है। दोनों ही मुख्य दलों (भाजपा और कांग्रेस) के दिग्गज चुनाव प्रचार में लगे हैं। जहां भाजपा अपनी सरकार के विकास कार्यों और गुजराती अस्मिता के  नाम पर वोट मांग रही है, वहीं कांगे्रस जाति के नाम पर लोगोें को अपने साथ जोड़ने की कोशिश कर रही है और हिंदुओं को यह संदेश देने की कोशिश कर रही है कि अब वह मुस्लिम तुष्टीकरण की राह पर नहीं है। इस सोच को पुख्ता करने के लिए राहुल गांधी आश्रमों, मठों और मंदिरों के चक्कर लगा रहे हैं। लेकिन गुजरात के लोगों का मानना है कि इन सबसे कांग्रेस के पाप नहीं धुलेंगे। उसने पूरे देश में तुष्टीकरण की राजनीति करके अनगिनत पाप किए हैं। गुजरात के लोग कांग्रेस के इन पापों से कई दशक तक परेशान रहे हैं। कर्णावती के मयंक व्यास कहते हैं, ‘‘एक समय कांग्रेस ने तुष्टीकरण की राजनीति करके गुजरात को कर्फ्यू प्रदेश बना दिया था। आए दिन कहीं न कहीं कर्फ्यू लगता था। भाजपा ने इस प्रदेश को कर्फ्यू से बाहर निकालकर विकास के पथ पर आगे बढ़ाया है।’’ 

ऐसी सोच रखने वालों की कोई कमी नहीं है। गांधीनगर के सुरेश पटेल कहते हैं, ‘‘कांग्रेस ने गुजरात को पीछे धकेलने में कोई कसर नहीं छोड़ी थी। यही नहीं, जब नरेंद्र मोदी मुख्यमंत्री थे तब कांग्रेस ने गुजरात के विकास में रोड़ा अटकाने में कोई हिचक नहीं दिखाई थी। उसने बड़ी बेशर्मी के साथ विकास योजनाओं को रोकने का काम  किया था। इसका ज्वलंत उदाहरण है नर्मदा योजना।’’ उल्लेखनीय है कि तत्कालीन केंद्रीय जल संसाधन मंत्री सैफुद्दीन सोज ने अनुचित हस्तक्षेप कर नर्मदा नदी पर बनने वाले सरदार सरोवर बांध की ऊंचाई बढ़ाने का काम अटका दिया था। इस मामले में कांग्रेस के नेता अभी भी झूठ बोल रहे हैं। अभी कुछ दिन पहले पूर्व प्रधानमंत्री मनमोहन सिंह गुजरात में थे। उन्होंने खुलेआम कहा कि तत्कालीन मुख्यमंत्री नरेंद्र मोदी नर्मदा के मुद्दे पर कभी उनसे मिले ही नहीं। इस झूठ से भी गुजरात के लोग नाराज हैं, क्योंकि इस बात के साक्ष्य हैं कि मोदी ने 2006 और 2013 में नर्मदा मुद्दे पर मनमोहन सिंह से बातचीत की थी। लेकिन केंद्र सरकार ने उनकी एक नहीं सुनी। जब मोदी खुद प्रधानमंत्री बने तब उन्होंने नर्मदा बांध की ऊंचाई को बढ़ाने की अनुमति दी थी। आज उस बांध के पानी से गुजरात में विकास के नए अध्याय लिखे जा रहे हैं। मोदी ने महाराष्टÑ और दिल्ली के बराबर गुजरात को गैस के दाम न देने के लिए भी मनमोहन सिंह के समक्ष अपना विरोध जताया था। उस समय महाराष्ट्र और दिल्ली दोनों जगहों पर कॉंग्रेस की सरकारें थीं। 

तत्कालीन केंद्र सरकार के विरोध और बाधाओं के बावजूद गुजरात सरकार ने राज्य के विकास के लिए अनेक काम किए हैं। जनता भी इस बात को महसूस करती है। सौराष्ट्र-कच्छ में नर्मदा का पानी पहुंचाया गया, दाहोद में एशिया का सबसे बड़ा पेट्रोकेमिकल्स संयंत्र लगाया गया, भरुच के पास भारत का सबसे बड़ा केबल ब्रिज बना, घोघा-दाहोद के बीच रॉ-रॉ फेरी सेवा शुरू की गई, लोगों को 24 घंटे बिजली मिल रही है, गांवों से लेकर शहर तक अच्छी सड़कें बनी हैं, और सबसे बड़ी बात है गुजरात में कानून-व्यवस्था का अच्छा होना। अपराधी तत्वों और आतंकवादियों के विरुद्ध सख्त कार्रवाई की गई है। वडोदरा में रहने वाले 60 वर्षीय जीतू भाई कहते हैं, ‘‘कांग्रेस के काल में माफिया और तस्कर पुलिस पर भारी पड़ते थे। उन तत्वों की पहुंच मुख्यमंत्री आवास तक होती थी। ये तत्व व्यापारियों को निशाना बनाते थे। इसलिए उन दिनों सैकड़ों व्यापारी गुजरात छोड़कर मुंबई चले गए थे। भाजपा सरकार ने इन तत्वों को खत्म किया है। इसलिए गुजरात में शांति है।’’ 

गुजरात के लोगों को 2002 के दंगों से पहले के दंगे भी अच्छी तरह याद हैं। कांग्रेस के मुस्लिम तुष्टीकरण ने राज्य को पूरी तरह अशांत बना दिया था। साल के 365 दिन में से लगभग 200 दिन कहीं न कहीं कर्फ्यू लगा रहता था। यह भी कहा जाता था कि गुजरात के बच्चे ‘मां’ बोलना सीखने से पहले ‘कर्फ्यू’ बोलना सीख जाते थे। यहां छबीलदास महेता की सरकार (जो कि गुजरात में कांग्रेस की अंतिम सरकार थी) के समय की एक घटना का उल्लेख करना जरूरी है। चर्चित पुलिस अधिकारी डी. जी. वणझारा ने उस समय के कुख्यात तस्कर इभला शेठ को पकड़ा था। लेकिन गांधीनगर के आदेश के बाद उसे छोड़ दिया गया था और बतौर सजा वणझारा का स्थानांतरण कर दिया गया था। महेता सरकार के तत्कालीन गृह मंत्री नरेश रावल ने सार्वजनिक रूप से कहा था, ‘‘यह सरकार असामाजिक तत्वों द्वारा चलाई जा रही है।’’

गुजरात की जनता काफी चतुर और समाधानवादी मानी जाती है। लेकिन अगर कोई उसे छेड़ता है तो वह उसे छोड़ती भी नहीं है। 2002 में गोधरा नरसंहार के बाद भड़के दंगों को लेकर गुजरातियों को पूरी दुनिया में बदनाम कर दिया गया। ऐसा कहा गया कि दंगों में केवल और केवल मुसलमान मारे गए, जबकि मरने वालों में हिंदू भी थे। कुछ तथाकथित समाजसेवियों ने दुनिया के अनेक देशों में घूम-घूमकर गुजरात के हिंदुओं को ‘मानवभक्षी’ तक कहा था। गोधरा में जिंदा जलाए गए हिंदुओं के बारे में तो पूरी तरह चुप्पी साध ली गई थी। उसी तरह 2007 में अपराधी सोहराबुद्दीन की मुठभेड़ में हुई हत्या को लेकर भी गुजरात को बदनाम किया गया। उसे ‘बेचारा’ बताकर सर्वोच्च न्यायालय तक लड़ाई लड़ी गई। किसी ने उसके आतंक को जानने की कोशिश नहीं की। आतंकी इशरत जहां के मामले में भी गुजरात को बदनाम किया गया। खुफिया एजेंसियों की रपटों को दरकिनार कर उसे ‘निर्दोष’ बताया गया। 

इन सबसे गुजरात के लोगों में गुस्सा बढ़ा और उन्होंने बदनाम करने वालों को पंचायत से लेकर विधानसभा चुनावों तक में पटखनी दी। गुजरातियों की एकता को तोड़ने के लिए ही कांग्रेस ने इस बार जातिवाद की राजनीति शुरू की है। इसी के तहत उसने पाटीदार नेता हार्दिक पटेल, पिछड़े वर्ग के नेता अल्पेश ठाकोर और वंचित समाज से आने वाले और सोच से वामपंथी जिग्नेश मेवाणी को अपने साथ लिया है। लोगों का मानना है कि ये तीनों कांगे्रस की शह पर ही पिछले कुछ साल से गुजरात की भाजपा सरकार के विरुद्ध आंदोलन कर रहे हैं। अब यह स्पष्ट दिखने भी लगा है। इसलिए गुजरातियों को सब कुछ समझ में आने लगा है। तूफानी चुनावी प्रचार के साथ ही गुजरातियों की यह समझ और परिपक्व होती जा रही है। इसलिए लोग कहने लगे हैं कि जातिवाद हारेगा और राष्टÑवाद जीतेगा।    

Gujarat tourism: Spread culture with tourism

(This article was published in Organiser Magazine dt. 03 December 2017).

Gujarat and Gujarati loves tourism. I mean to say Gujarat is great center of tourism and Gujaratis are great tourists who visit from Char Dham to Kanyakumari and from US to Thailand. But until Narendra Modi became chief minister and he decided to promote Gujarat tourism in big way, Gujarat was lesser known for tourism. People from out of Gujarat used to visit Dwarika, Ambaji, Somnath and Palitana temples. Who had imagined that dry desert can be also a great spot for tourism? It can be only visionary person like Narendrabhai who can imagine and develop Kutch desert as tourism place.

Actually Kutch was devastated after major earth quake of 2001. But due to BJP government’s pro active efforts and religious NGOs help Kutch was developed like never before. At this time, Narendra Modi was doing great work overall in Gujarat regarding road connectivity. And Kutch was also included. In 2005 Narendrabhai decided to host Rann Utsav. He knows importance of marketing and promoting. So his government promoted this festival in a big way. This festival provides glimpses of Kutch as well as Gujarat culture. Be it paintings or dance, dresses, handicraft things or any other culture programme hosted during the festival, everything echoes Gujarati culture.

Narendrabhai also ropped mega star Amitabh in to promoting Gujarat tourism. Well written slogans like Gujarat naheen dekha to kutch naheen dekha, Kuchh din to guzariye Gujarat mein and Khushboo Gujarat Kee, script,  locations, direction and presence of Amitabh Bachchan made ads very popular. It helped in promoting Gujarat tourism very well. Even seven years after this campaign, state still manages to hold on to impressive growth rates in tourist footfalls. It has accomplished a 16.94 per cent growth in tourist arrivals in FY17 over the previous year.

Moreover, Narendra Modi promoted Navratri festival in big way by hosting Vibrant Navratri programme since 2004. This programme projects not only Gujarati culture but national and international culture too. Many national and international stars come here for performing arts. This festival also helped to promote Gujarat tourism.

This year present chief minister Vijay Rupani government took it to next level by promoting ‘Selfie With Cow’! Seculars only love chicken and hate cows. Due to constant vicious propaganda, new generation also start to love chicken and hate cows. But in this Vibrant Navratri, four month old calf Saraswati was key attraction. Saraswati adorned in green Navratri dress wearing silver anklets and earings. BJP leader and chairman of state Gauseva Ayog and Gauchar Vikas Board Vallabh Kathiria said, “Selfie with Saraswati' is the cow board's initiative to attract youth towards cow and inculcate love and respect towards gaumata”.

International Kite festival is also big opportunity to attract not only national tourists but international tourists in a big way.

Efforts started by Narendrabhai way back in 2010 to get Ahmedabad declared as world heritage city saw result this year when UNESCO made this announcement. This will help to boost Gujarat tourism and Gujarat culture.

CM Vijaybhai Rupani also launched Seema Darshan programme at zero point of Nadabet border in Banaskantha district. It is a concept of border tourism which helps tourists to realize how our Jawans live and fight at border and boosts not only tourism but patriotism in our countrymen too. Exhibition of arms, border view, film about BSF, retreat of Jawans, BSF fusion band, camel show and bird show are main attractions of this border tourism. Added attraction is darshan of Nadeshwari Mata.

And now Gujarat Tourism Corporation has added a new tourism package! It is named ‘Modi tourism’! Tourists taking this package will get visit of Vadnagar and places around it. It is well known fact that Vadnagar is birth place of Narendra Modi. Gujarat can launch this type of tourism because Vadnagar is well developed during Modi government period and then afterwards Anandiben-Vijaybhai governments. Can there be Amethi or Raibareli tourism?

Today Sabarmati River front has become one of major tourist point. Before Narendra Modi took over as CM, Sabarmati used to be dry bed and youth used to play cricket there. But Modi government brought Narmada water into Sabarmati. And he also developed River front. Now there is water sports adventure in Sabarmati. Even, when Rahul Gandhi, vice president of Indian National Congress decided to hold Samvaad programme to raise unemployment and non development issues in Gujarat recently, he choose Sabarmati River front as location!

Last month Vijaybhai inaugurated lion safari park at Ambardi in Amreli district.  The park has been developed by carving out around 400 hectare or four square Km area out of Ambardi reserved forest.

Recently Gujarat tourism baged ‘Hall Of Fame’ award for being the Best State in comprehensive development of tourism category at the National Tourism Awards.

But there are more things that can be done to attract more tourists in Gujarat. There are many places that can be developed and promoted through advertise campaigns. Here are some:

1.       Kranti Teerth

Mandavi is a city based in Kachchh district. It has beautiful seashore. There is Vijay Vilas Palace which is historic. Many films like Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam are shot here. And more over there is Kranti Teerth a memorical of Shyamji Krushna Varma who was great freedom fighter. Nobody thought to bring back his ashes from Geneva but Narendrabhai and then birth place was developed as Kranti Teerth where one can know about freedom fighters. 

2.       Gopnath

Located 70 km away from Bhavnagar, the beach is on the Gulf of Khambat. It is rich in biodiversity and natural beauty. This beach is famous for the Gopinath Temple where famous Krushna Bhakta and ‘Adya Kavi’ Narsimha Mehta pleased Bhagwan Shiv. Shiv gave him Darshan. There are many beach places in this strip like Hathab, Kuda and Mahuva.

3.   Nishkalank Mahadev

Nishkalank Mahadev temple is located in Koliyak village at Bhavnagar District. This temple is unique in a way. Bhagvan Shiv here is well-known as Nishkalan Mahadev. There an idol of Shivjee was situated in an island, over the sea about 2 km to the east part of Koliyak village. That is very holly place. Sea itself performs Jalabhishek on Shiv Ling. It is said that Pandavs got all sins washed away here as they established Nishkalank Mahadev.

4.  Blackbuck National Park

 One remember well black buck as it is alleged that Salman Khan killed blackbuck in Rajasthan. But this blackbuck national park is situated in the Bhavnagar district. It was established in 1976. Population of the park mainly includes blackbucks, wolves, Macqueen's bustards, hyenas and lesser floricans, with foxes, jackals and jungle cats as the main carnivores. Other species include wild pigs, hares and rodents typical of the savannah type grasslands and thorn scrubs.

5.   Pirotan Island

Pirotan Island is an Arabian Sea island. It is known for Marine National Park, Jamnagar District of Gujarat state, India. It is located 12 nautical miles (22 km) off the coast (Bedi Port), consists of mangroves and low-tide beaches. Here tourist can see various marine life forms that include various types of Crabs,  Neptune, hermit crab, sea scorpion, wiper iscoceles, sea horse, octopus etc.

Gujarat Elections: Impregnable

(This article is published in Organiser magazine 12-11-17 issue)

Finally election commission set ball rolling on last 25^th October. Gujarat is going to have elections in two phases. First phase on 9^th December will see Saurashtra, Kutch and South Gujarat voting on 89 seats. It will cover 19 out of 33 districts. Second phase on 14^th December will be for North Gujarat and Central Gujarat voting on 93 seats in remaining 14 districts. Results will be out on 18^th December 2017.

While it was seen one sided game till Rajya Sabha elections. Congress was facing revolt by its opposition leader in assembly, Shankarsinh Vaghela. His supporters were demanding to declare him CM candidate. Shankarsinhjee was also demanding to declare candidates early so that they could get enough time for campaigning. He sought to implement report prepared by ex defense minister A. K. Antony on wake of debacle in Lok Sabha elections. Posters war began in Congress. Some posters were saying: Bapu aave chhe. (Shankarsinh Vaghela a.k.a. Bapu will be next CM) Some were saying: Bharatsinh Solanki aave chhe.  But Congress high command didn’t succumb to Shankarsinh Vaghela group’s demand. And after one meeting of his supporters on 24^th June, Shankarsinhjee announced he would quit congress on his birthday 21^st July.

Congress mlas who were seemed to be Shankarsinhjee supporter began to defect one by one. 14 mlas resigned from Congress before rajyasabha elections. BJP gave Balwantsinh Rajput, congress mla who defected to BJP ticket of Rajya sabha. He was seen candidate against Congress stalwart Ahmed Patel. Suddenly Congress woke up and hijacked their mlas to Bengaluru five star resort. Agnet of Ahmed Patel and veteran Congress leader Shaktisinh Gohil allegedly played tactics in which Shankarsinh Vaghela group mla Raghavjee Patel and Bholabhai Gohil got trapped. Their two votes were cancelled after a long suspense that continued till mid night involving election commission at Delhi and Gandhinagar. And finally result was out with Ahmed Patel victory by just half vote which is challenged in court by Balwantsinh Rajput.

Dubious Victory

This victory has boosted up Congress moral. North Gujarat was facing flood and heavy rain. While Gujarat CM Vijaybhai Rupani and health minister Shankarbhai Chaudhary were in North Gujarat for five days to help flood victims, while Congress’s 44 mlas were enjoying in Bengaluru hi fi resort. Even though, after victory ‘Vikas Gando thayo chhe’ (Development has gone mad) messages got circulated and anti BJP campaign was peaking up. Rise in Petrol-Diesel prices, loan for Bullet train, very poor condition of roads, GST were being opposed and many people also joined in this campaign allegedly run by Congress I.T. Cell.

Even though, roads are subject of municipalities (which are BJP controlled), BJP national president Amitbhai Shah had to promise roads would be fine till October which showed Congress campaign success. Picture was good for Congress till 21^st October. But it has started changing from the same day. On this day, Alpesh Thakor, who agitated for OBC and SC-ST went to meet Rahul Gandhi at Delhi and declared he would join Congress. Dalit leader Jignesh Mewani also declared he would support Congress. Hardik Patel also gave indications of supporting Congress on same day.

Split support

Thus it was clear that all three agitations were supporting Congress. Hardik Patel who fought for reservation to Patel community in OBC quota suddenly changed his stand and publically told: “No problem, if Congress doesn’t give reservation to Patel, but we will see BJP would not come to power.” He also talked he was ready to see any Dalit or Muslim leader becoming CM but BJP mustn’t come to power.

Similarly, Alpesh Thakor fought for strict implementation of liquor prohibition. But Mohansinh Rathva who became opposition leader in assembly after Shankarsinh Vaghela quit Congress appealed thakor community members to drink liquor if offered by BJP and vote to Congress. It was in presence of Rahul Gandhi and Alpesh Thakor! It was clearly violation of law. Alpesh Thakor didn’t oppose this at that time and even after that rally.

Media showed Hardik Patel secretly meeting allegedly Rahul Gandhi and coming out with begs. BJP alleged that Hardik Patel had secret deal with Congress. Two big PAAS (Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti) leader Varun Patel and Reshma Patel also changed their hearts and joined BJP!

After this sudden change, it seems these agitation have divided Patel and OBC community, specifically Patel community. Before agitation there were two sub castes- Leuva and Kadva. But after Hardik Patel support to Congress, it seems there are two more divisions- PAAS (Pro PAAS) and NaaPAAS (Naapaas means failed but in this case it is anti PASS). Opposition to Hardik Patel and Alpesh Thakor by their respective communities show that wise members have realized that these leaders, be it Hardik, Varun, Reshma, Alpesh or Jignesh have befooled them on name of communities.

Flimsy Ploys

Allegations by Narendra Patel, PAAS leader that BJP tried to buy him with one crore rupee and after then one audio clip telecasted by media heard Narendra Patel speaking to unknown person about entry of Rs. 25 lakh in his name though he didn’t receive any money. He was telling that Rs25 lakh was described in a diary as a part of the grant received by Mehsana District Panchayat, which was given to PAAS Committee of Mehsana and North Gujarat. He quoted one Pahlaj bhai who told him that he had given the money to three people on receiving a call from the State Congress. Patel was even heard saying that he would speak with state Congress president Bharatsinh Solanki and ask him about who was given the money. Later in the clip, Patel said that he received a call from Patel reservation stir leader Hardik Patel, who asked him not to talk about the matter to anyone, and also asked him not to make an issue of the same.

These events have created bad image for agitators and Congress. Congress is again alleged to play same caste politics. In 1980s, Congress leader Madhavsinh Solanki played KHAM (Kshatriy, Harijan i.e. dalit, Adivasi i.e. tribal and muslim) theory successfully. This time Congress is applying POD theory where P stands for Patidar, O for OBC and D for Dalit.

Chinks In Congress

But taking support of these three young leaders will not be easy task for Congress. After Alpesh Thakor joined Congress, it is said that Congress had to rethink for candidate on 60-70 seats. It was said that Alpesh had a meeting with BJP president Amitbhai Shah where he demanded deputy CM post for his father and 16-18 seats but Amitbhai rejected his offer. So it is clear if Alpesh has joined Congress, Congress must have accepted his demands. And it will create dissatisfaction among Congress leaders. Congress is known for factionalism at times of election and it is one big reason behind its successive four defeats. Two suspected ISIS terrorists were arrested from Surat. BJP alleged that one of the terrorist, Kasim Stimberwala was working as laboratory technician at Sardar Hospital In Ankleshwar. Ahmed Patel was trustee in this hospital. BJP demanding Ahmedbhai’s resignation.

BJP's game

On other hand BJP is also highlighting development work done at center in leadership of PM Narendra Modi and at Gujarat in leadership of ex CM Anandiben Patel and current CM Vijaybhai Rupani. This includes completion of Narmada yojana, Sauni Yojana, Mukhyamantri Yuva Svavalamban Yojana, electricity, irrigation, actions in favour of farmers and tribals, better road connectivity, R0-Ro ferry service between Ghogha-Dahej, bullet train etc.

Election rallies have just started. Model code of conduct is in force since 25^th. Rallies may change whole campaign. Congress is raising same issues like past four elections- i.e. unemployment, poor education facilities, injustice to farmers-dalits-tribals-women, undue favour to 4-5 industrialists. However Rahul Gandhi is adopting new strategy. In past, he/Sonia Gandhi used to come, address rally and then leave. Now Rahul is staying here for three days. He is travelling to villages, talking to farmers, tribals, women, youths. He has accepted he is not good speaker as Narendra Modi is. So he has adopted this strategy.

As this article is being written, Rahul has arrived in south Gujarat. He has visited Saurashtra region and central Gujarat. Narendra Modi has been visiting Gujarat since last one year. He has been here for all development work inauguration or commencement.

It will have to be seen which strategy wins.