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Can Sanskrit be revived

Kalimpong Calling

It all began with three great women belonging to three different schools of political thought. The battle was taken up by other women, belonging to other political schools of thought. The net result, the 55-year-old Indian democracy produced more distinguished women leaders in the political arena than any other country of the world. In the context of the forthcoming elections in several States this year, all political parties will have to contend with the strong gender factor. In simple words, woman-power will demonstrate itself in full force.

The Indian National Congress, led by perhaps the most powerful woman in India today, Sonia Gandhi, is also reported to be thinking of woman-to-woman political battles. At least in the case of Rajasthan, many Congress leaders would like their 'tough woman,' Girija Vyas, to contest against the BJP princess. Whether the Congress can find a 'Jhansi-ki-Rani' to match Uma Bharati in Madhya Pradesh, or whether it would join hands with Mamta Bannerjee in West Bengal to bring down the Marxists, is yet to be seen.

Speculation, postures and preparation for the elections to various States Assemblies, beginning with the Himachal Pradesh Assembly, have started warming up the otherwise freezing winter. There are those who ardently dream that the BJP and allies will repeat Gujarat in other States too, and there are those who see the National Democrat Alliance coalition at the Centre breaking up under the newer stresses and strains. BJP protagonists dismiss the misgivings about the future of the BJP and its allies as mere figment of Congress imagination. The Congress protagonists, on their part, dismiss the BJP win in Gujarat as an aberration and say that the party will not be able to play the Hindutva card again. There is a third voice --anti-BJP and anti-Congress at the same time--the secular parties minus the Congress. They see the regional parties fighting the Congress bitterly at the State level and the BJP and whatever is left of its allies at the Central arena. They see the non-Hindutva allies of the BJP realising with understandable fear and panic that past permutations and combinations apart, they would have a bleak future if they continued to hold on to the apron strings of the BJP, or the political Big B. The third force protagonists like S. D. Deve Gowda, see a bright future for India, but none so bright for those secular parties that have forgotten their ideologies and have made a deal with the BJP purely to stay in power on the strength of a minimum needs programme for maximum political advantage to those who join the coalition.

Why is the BJP under attack from those elements which, well-known for their own strong anti-Congress politics, should be the natural supporters and sympathisers of the BJP? Because, as one of their leaders said, the alliance with the BJP had finally turned into advantage BJP and a deadly curse for the allies. The fact is that the Indian electorate is mature enough. You cannot take it for granted for all times.

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