Will AAP’s Delhi effect be felt in Jammu & Kashmir? …/Rashmi Talwar

Will AAP’s Delhi effect be felt in Jammu & Kashmir?

Rashmi Talwar

The Aam Aadmi Party

Spectacular victory and occupying the throne of Delhi on their own terms, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) sent ripples across the nation. By challenging the top powers in Delhi, AAP has taken the proverbial bull by its horns and is ready to make forays in other corners of the country. How it functions under Arvind Kejriwal’s leadership is yet to be seen, but in the first instance of a solid solution to a problem, Delhi’s new Chief Minister’s call to the public- ‘to set-up the briber’ ..Call a helpline number, help to catch briber red-handed and also get your work done’- has elevated his score amongst people smothered by corruption in government and public enterprises. Surely, the uprising and eventual victory of AAP has raised the imagination of the public in Jammu & Kashmir too, who face the frostbite of corruption in every nook and corner of daily life .

Towards the tail end of the year past, expectations have risen amongst Kashmiris, as the citadel of Congress – National Conference combine, is shaken to its core, by the AAP’s Delhi effect. It is not so much about which party comes tops in J&K in the forthcoming assembly elections 2014, but about the cleansing that has been necessitated in each party by the rise of the AAP’s popularity and its people friendly agenda. Also, it’s no more about just the roads, water supply, power cuts, human right issues and jobs in Kashmir, the public is now ready to follow the new formula – “If corruption is uprooted, all amenities and other redressals would conveniently and rightfully fall in public domain without begging”. Chiefly, because this is the basic right of the public, which has long been usurped by the ruling MLAs and MPs. It was as if the ruling echelon had turned into Gods and us into ‘lesser beings’, is the take of Kashmiri political leader.

At the time when Kashmir gears up for assembly polls, the mood is upbeat, the public is ready to showdown those who have misused powers, extended false promises, accumulated wealth, accused in various scams and such others, with a renewed vengeance. In other words, the choice would clearly be to root out corruption that eats into the vitals of each beneficiary of the state. Demands about transparency, accountability, good and fair governance, is ready to turn into a shout, if the Delhi-like unity and faith is propounded amongst voters of J&K, is the strongly feeling of the AAP brigade.

The Aam Aadmi Party

Each of the parties is rethinking their strategies, eventhough politics in Kashmir is known to be different from Delhi. It is also true that Delhi has hardly played fair with the Kashmiris- whether Kashmiri Muslims or Kashmiri Pandits and Hindus, the charge has been loud from both communities.

There has never been a better time for general acceptance of a good candidate compared to a more popular name or party, than now. This time the traditional political players may have to either drastically change or make place for new entrants, emboldened by the victory of AAP in Delhi. It is predicted that like Sheila Dixit, many bigwigs may bite dust in the 2014 polls. The “Yes we can” slogan, has come to rule in Indian politics too and the public has found its handles with vast possibilities of actually cleansing the system step by step. Even if 10 percent of change is seen in Delhi, AAP’s Kejriwal would be seen as a valued leader. Kejriwal’s out-of-the-box ideas, solutions and planning are inspiring, imaginative and practical, yet there are vital corners that need drastic cutting, measures and mind-set changes like ‘fake proofs’, ‘fake documentation’ scams wherein computer applications will be tapped to become a mouthpiece for transparency and hearing-aids for public health and discourse.

Similarly, alternatives mentioned already, may find a place in J&K as well. Clearly new entrants would be seen to benefit from this fresh wave. AAP is already tapping the Kashmiri populace through mass sms urging them to innumerate their problems and quote real-time incidents besides goading them to approach the Party. Since these mobile messages are being floated by in-house Kashmiris and Jammu wallas, aware of core issues, there is no reason why they would not find favor with the disgruntled public, who primarily wants to live a life of dignity. In the past many years most promises to the people of the state have fallen flat, stuck in the snows of distrust; it is hoped that year 2014 may bring in cheer. The mood is upbeat and political slogans may be more careful than careless.

It is hoped this time, that the bottled up ‘Yes we can’ may shoot forth into a sky-high fountain and burst into a rainbow, across the frozen mountain peaks of Jammu and Kashmir spreading colors and cheer all around, come election-2014.

00–00

FIRST PUBLISHED IN RISING KASHMIR ON January 2, 2014
url :http://epaper.risingkashmir.com/EPaper.aspx?9JzcJiP1d_bs8t0mjN1Oln6A_ep_ep

ND Tiwari ‘Sower’ ? or a Vicky ‘Donor’? ………By Rashmi Talwar

AMRITSAR:

Naughty Tiwari !

Days have turned hot in Capital Delhi, and clammy hot for a veteran congress leader, having nightmarish dreams, breaking out in cold sweat, for having being strained to part with a single phial of his precious blood or face its forceful parting !

It is by the order of Delhi High Court that the grand old man with a ‘glad’ eye is feeling the heat of the needle, readied for his DNA blood sample, in a widely publicized paternity suit filed by one Rohit Shekhar.
The court ruled that if N D Tiwari did not willing give, police personnel would force him to provide the requisite blood sample for DNA-testing.

Come May-26 and it will be a catch- 22/ D-(Daddy)Day , situation for the 86-year old congress leader Tiwari, facing this legal paternity suit.

After all, it could be that crucial moment that maybe nothing less than being proved as an ‘un’-proud and reluctant father of Shekhar.

Complying to the terms of the HC order, Tiwari could be persuaded to turn his face and let the DNA needle ‘shoot-and-scoot’ in record 2–seconds, but that would be a lame or tame way for a politician !

Another choice is, being bodily lifted, with wild flailing arms, kicking legs and body twists, being pinned on a bed, face turned away and the blood-sucking needle to do the needful, in the presence of an audience of police personnel watchful of the unfolding drama.

Of course ‘Drama’ is the favorite recourse of a sagging politician, a sure-shot strategy for a meteoric rise in TRP standing on TV channels, that could tilt the scale in its favor and maybe a few years later a best-seller book crafted to that effect, may bring in more ‘moolah’ albeit in this case -due to age-factor, only for his progeny.

No! this is not the story of the latest Bollywood flick ‘Vicky Donor’, having sired 53 kids, only of one Rohit Shekhar who has arisen to make the claim of being the wild-oat phenomena by ‘one’ Tiwari, that infected his biological mother, Ujjwala Sharma, once the General Secretary of the All-India Young Women Congress, a charge denied vociferously and evaded consistently by the veteran Tiwari in legal tangle by prodigal Rohit baba, in 2007.

Going back to history , veteranTiwari is known to have had a fabulous three-time stint as a chief minister of the highest populated state of the country –‘Uttar Pradesh’ between the 70s and 80s- However, the population graph is not his doing ! O Please reign in your horses of speculation!

Tiwari’s rise has been owing to his singular quality of not only being brilliant but being a secularist. Hence, he has never differentiated between peoples of north, south, east or west polarizations.

However, he is known to have averred in the case of sexes, but that is tag passé as many in the political circles are known for their ‘amorous escapades’ and age ‘should’ never been a cause for discrimination, has been the veteran’s favorite slogan over the years.

‘Actions speak louder than words’ is one way to prove the age adage and ‘he has done marvelously well for his age’, whisper his gleeful friends on the sly.

Hence, to his credit, goes the fact, that many a speculative wild sowing both domestic and foreign, have so far preferred to remain anonymous and under wraps and only one ‘wretched weed’ has emerged to make a ‘Teewr’- sharp-, attack and claim on his paternity, amongst the progeny emerging out of what his close watchers call, his colorful and lively ‘donor’ status.

Deepak Garg the HC joint registrar while asking the leader to appear in person at noon for the litmus test ..oops ! – the DNA test, has strongly added that “the court shouldn’t rush to take police assistance” and that “Veteran Tiwari should be given an opportunity to willingly comply with the court orders”. Clearly, his belief and compassion has won over, after all a man over 80, too has a right to throw tantrums or play hide-n-seek !

Tiwari’s sketchered graph shows his inglorious ouster as Andhra Pradesh Governor, for being the sole architect of Raj Bhawan’s ‘night of fantasy’- A three is to one- thereafter many of his friends rang him to find the secret of their friend’s eternal youth and vitality.

A seasoned journalist once had a host of tales about Tiwari’s covert anonymous flights during his ruling stints. But Tiwari, a sharp politician, has promptly tossed the blame of these and of the infamous MMS clip showing someone who looks like him in the sex scandal video, onto the ‘wicked’ Telangana lobby.

However, his detractors firmly believe it could only be his chequered ‘fly’-ing trousers that land him in a sweet-n- sour soup, everytime, sometimes as a ‘Donor’ or ‘Sower’ of wild-oat spice variety…eom

Who needs ‘GPS Tags’!—- By Rashmi Talwar

Who needs ‘GPS Tags’!—-

By Rashmi Talwar

An enthusiastic new teacher came to a rowdy class. From the gist of the animated discussion she gathered the students’ fraternity taking umbrage to the recent ‘Radio (GPS) tagging’ of Indian students in USA. This ignited the idea of evoking ‘creative thinking’ in students.

Teacher remarked that being thus ‘collared’ was humiliating and worse were the remarks by Juliet Wur, at US Consulate, Hyderabad, who called tagging ‘Hip and Happening’ . Quickly side-Stepping the ignominy of the tags, she shot a question to the class, ‘How can we have other uses of ‘Radio Tags’?
The class pounced on the keywords and Pat came a reply by Mini,-‘Convicts’! ‘
We all know that’. The students booed !
Another said, ‘dogs and cats!’
‘Good!’ Commented, the teacher, lifting the spirit quotient.
‘Come on Smarties! Use your grey cells!’, she prodded.
‘Mountaineers !’ One shouted. ‘Hey! That’s a good one!’
‘Miners’!
‘Great Anuj ’
‘Deep sea Explorers and ones who go for Antarctic Exploration ’
‘Yea’! ‘Alright’ …’Give me more’
Mini got up, scratching her head and blurted out ‘Accused!’.
The class broke into guffaws.
Her bench-mate pulled her down. ‘Sit, you already said that and we all know it’.
But Mini stood her ground. ‘There is a difference between a ‘convict’ and an ‘accused’, she stated.
And continued …’the tags could come handy for ‘accused’ ‘A Raja- the (2G Scamster)’.
The class turned ‘super-attentive’ and seemed to be rubbing their hands in glee and thinking, ‘Abb Maza Ayega !’ .
Though wanting to keep politics and dirty issues out of classrooms, the teacher was in sync with the student’s interest. ‘Ok!’…Her next ‘More’ – did the trick.
‘Kalmadi- The CWG’s shame!’
‘Quattrochi’! – Bofor’s kickback!’
‘R Raju ! – dirt guy of Satyam Computers’
‘Laloo – the chara ghotala king !’
‘Telgi-duplicate stamp papers badshah !’
‘Lalit Modi , Shashi Tharoor- IPL fiasco’
‘Madhu Gupta-Spy Thriller !’
‘Ashok Chavan- martyr housing ‘Adarsh’ Scam’
‘Mayavati –Statuesque queen !’
‘Sharad Pawar—Onion hoarder !’
‘Nira Radia- The fixer lobby’
‘Badal and Son Pvt Ltd!’
‘Hasan Ali Khan -salting away $8.5bn in Swiss Banks !
There was no stopping them now – ‘radio tag’ for Rahul Gandhi –don’t know where he sleeps most nights , kalavati’s Hut or 10, Janpath ? ND Tiwari turning 90, but still can’t be found at home.
With these bombastic names came a squeak-‘Maids and servants’ !. They laughed. The topic took a new turn ..What if the tags were more aesthetic? The teacher asked.
Students jumped –‘They should be like little colored buttons!’. They could be fitted in bracelets with a crust of sarvoskis crystals that a BF can gift to his GF to keep track of her. Pendants, hair clips, rings and encrusted in boyish symbols of skull for wrist bands. New models of I-pods, mobiles, tablets..the list went on and on .
Till one boy pointed out …Government should issue a new Rs 10 lakh note with a GPS chip to track where the money went …Afterall it is the money we need to track to make the ‘accused’ into a ‘convict’.