There is a crossfire of challenges over the gnawing claws of the Citizenship Amendment (Act) and an unnerved nation quietly transits into a phase that may usher in a kind of cold war if the impasse lingers.
Dare not oppose the CAA , that was the clarion call given by the home minister Amit Shah by implication. That was rebutted by the Congress when Kapil Sibal daring the HM for a one-to-one debate at a place and time of Shah’s choice.
It is a conundrum of sort in which the citizen finds itself caught breathless.
Even there are calls of sanity and balance when few plead that, it is time the nation looks for a truce and the government must keep people first.
One cannot brand one who voice dissent to go packing to Pakistan. Whether Jamia or JNU or in Uttar Pradesh or in Meerut, the essence is same and that is, please listen to the voices in whatever form they want to be heard. Just listen.
When almost the entire country is on the boil, agitated by which ever sentiment, the government must have the option to play a bagpiper role rather than painting all in one brush, and calling them ‘tukde tukde’ gangs and apoloigists for a certain section.
Coming from none other than a man like the home minister, who has the control remote in his hands to switch things back to a table for discussion, was not expected to go so emotional over a thing that is already enacted. The hurry can be condoned but not the loss of cool.
Talk to people, not to Rahul or Akhilesh
He must give a call for a talk with the people (and not Rahul Gandhi or Akhilesh Yadav) or any other being he deems fit to be talked.
Undisputedly, many protests have remained peaceful and free of political footsie being brought to practice.
What bugs is the dividing line and that is disguised by a thing called ego, may be. But that line can be thinned or erased by a single stroke of reconciliation which lies at the doors of the government .
One doesn’t have to go back far. It was under Atal Behari Vajpayee, in 2003, the CAA was brought under few changes in that of 1955 Act, and certain terms were removed and some introduced. And, interestingly, known for his calm, Vajpayee threw open the bill for discussion and suggestions and, notably, a parliamentary committee on this was headed by none other than Pranab Mukherjee.
Vajpayee found a conciliator in Mukherjee and so was Dr.Manmohan Singh and it was all about a dialogue.
But, in today’s politics, cutting across parties, dialogue or discussion is viewed as a sign of surrender or defeat. That has become the biggest impediment.
There should be a dialogue and minus that, politicians may find it convenient to fuel the fires further where a situation might lead to a nightmare of cold-war climate in India.
