HVK Archives: Vindictive politics
Vindictive politics - The Observer
The Editorial
()
April 23, 1998
Title: Vindictive politics
Author: The Editorial
Publication: The Observer
Date: April 23, 1998
F you are not with us, you are against us' used to be the
attitude of American secretary of state John Foster Dulles, the
architect of the Cold War politics, when dealing with neutral,
Third World countries. This holier-than-thou attitude symbolised
the irrationality and sheer arrogance of the United States. But,
is it just history to talk now about the Cold War in the so-
called post-Cold War era? Alas! it is not. The country-cousins
of Dulles are a legion now and some of them are very much with
us. Consider, for example, how the fairy tale of secular brethren
working in unison turned into a tragicomedy. Incensed by the
'betrayal' of TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu who found it in his
as well as his state's interest to support the Vajpayee
government, his erstwhile allies have turned into bitter enemies.
And that enmity is being carried to ridiculous lengths.
Mr Naidu's support to the BJP government at the Centre is
consistent with the Telugu Desam's anti-Congress plank - the
raison desire of the party. It has demonstrated how strongly Mr
Naidu despises Congress: and not his love for BJP. In expecting
him to facilitate a Congress government at the Centre, the UF was
asking him to commit political hara-kiri. The UF persisted with
this illogic even after many Andhra Congress leaders declared
that the 'new' Congress central government would dismiss Mr
Naidu's government!
Suddenly, the CPI(M) and CPI - the two dominant members of the UF
- are finding the 'misrule' and the 'anti-people' policies of the
TDP government unbearable. That they have been pillion-riding
with TDP for 15 years is of no consequence. Now the politics of
vengeance is going to take the shape of state-wide bandhs,
forming 'peasant' coordination committees and what have you.
Look, who's smiling! Smelling Mr Naidu's blood and seeing the
prospects of new friends, Congress is planning to introduce a no-
confidence motion in the state assembly to bring down the TDP
government. As numbers are with Mr Naidu, the crusade is likely
to be taken to the streets. Who says Cold War is over and Dulles
is an aberration of the past?
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