Which party you follow

  How many of us are aware of the ideologies the parties we follow carry? How many of us even follow a party based on ideologies for that matter? Majority of the youth now is unaware of the ideologies of parties as they are least bothered about what's happening around and are not even ready to vote. Politics has become untouchable these days. There was a time people knew well the idieologies and for that very reason followed the parties.

  I'm not sure how many of the educated people even know about the different parties that exist in Indian politics nation-wise or state-wise. Of course even I'm not aware of the number of parties because every now and then a new party is formed. I would like to share my knowledge about few mainstream parties in the current scenario.

  Most part of India after Independence was ruled by the Congress party. So let me start with them. It's a party that started off with the best of ideologies as far as I know. It was a party that upheld non-violence which is the basic essence of our great nation. The party seems to be good diplomatically too. India has indeed got a respectable place in the world under their leadership. 

  Another good thing I find in the party is their efforts to bring the voiceless and downtrodden. Anyone who has a compassionate heart would appreciate it. The opportunities they created for the SC/ST, minorities, etc. are exemplary, though it has become more of a nuisance these days.

  But all their good deeds are wiped off with corruption and in-fights. Maybe because most of them are capable of becoming leaders, everyone wants to become one. It's evident in the breakups and the groups that has been formed in itself. In Kerala, one of the states where Congress survived for long has groups ranging from A to Z I guess. Everyone has his own group. Though they have the same ideology they stand separate. Corruption has overtaken all other developments, in figures that we might need a supercomputer to count.

  In the regional level the party is in shatters in Karnataka. Though they have many efficient leaders it's a divided lot who will only concentrate on pulling each others' legs if given a chance. I doubt if they will sustain even for a month no matter they emerge as majority. They doesn't seem to learn any lessons from their loss. Selfishness rule over the party very badly.

  Now, coming to BJP, the second largest party, that shot into limelight with communal passion, it's a party who claims to be a party with difference. True, so far the difference I could notice are in terms of creating hatred and dividing the country and fooling and bringing bad name to its own people. The ideology it proclaims is of Hindutva and they fight for a Hindu nation. It's a dangerous dream they sell to their cadres who blindly believe in their leaders.

  Their leaders very well took them for a ride and got what they need. Now that they have achieved it, they are slowly getting into business. The reason why I say they have taken it's own people for a ride is because inciting religious passion was the only way the leadership could think of to bring down the supremacy of Congress. Maybe because most of their leaders jumped out of Congress they still carry the traces of Congress nature, though not of non-violence. For this reason I feel the policies are more or less the same as that of Congress. I believe top leaders like Vajpayee and Adwani knows better how the whole system works. Their diplomacy is evident in the way they handled Kandhahar hijacking as well as Babri-Masjid dispute when they were in power with absolute majority. Their cadre still dream of waging a war with Pakistan and building a Temple at Ayodhya. But their leadership has long forgotten the dream that they sold. The stance of Narendra Modi, the CM of Gujarat, on minorities is just an example.

  It's a party that can instill more youth into it because youth is always active and it can very well be tapped by the violent nature of the party. It instills lot of energy while at the same time insecurity feeling as well as hatred in young minds. It has taken its toll to such an extend that they term their own brothers and sisters who doesn't follow their ideologies as foreigners.  

  Though it's a party that holds communalism at its helm minorities are more safe under them. They enjoy more benefits and security under their rule. There were attacks against minorities under Congress rule but no actions were taken. But when BJP is in power you can't even toss a stone at a church or a mosque. That's what I've learned from their rule in Karnataka.

  And now a new party has risen promising some hope, the Aam Aadmi party by Kejariwal. It was the need of the hour. But can we survive just by fighting against corruption? I haven't come across him speaking anything about what he can do for our nation other than eradicating corruption. He should know that there are other problems too that we are facing. Does he have any agenda to build our nation along with eradicating corruption? And even if he succeeds to build a party his own people will become corrupted soon just as any other party is. In this world where no one follows anything that is ethical will he be able to make any difference? Maybe he will be able to stand tall, but what about others who will join him? Almost every party is against corruption, but it's the party people who gives it a bad name. So his party will only eat into the already confused electorate. 

  Coming to other small yet significant parties, SP seems to fair well against others. Though more of a regional party it plays a very important role in the national arena often with their surprise twists and turns. Akhilesh Yadav, who is the CM of UP now, seemed to do a good job considering his education and youthfulness. The party seems to have a violent past. Hope it'll change for better. They themselves are not aware of their ideologies just as they proved in the case of FDI. I'm not sure of their ideologies either. I hope they'll do something good in UP. In the national level they doesn't seem to have any idea how to run it.

  BSP under Mayavati was looked up at to have taken UP out of the clutches of SP who used to rule with their power. But she proved everyone wrong by her lust for self portrayal and pride. Being a woman who came from the lower caste, she was expected to do something for the poor. But she went on taking everything from the poor to fulfill her fancies. She had to eat the humble pie and is sidelined very badly. Yet she still plays a key role in the national politics since numbers play a vital role in politics. Not sure about their ideologies either. 

  Trinamool Congress under Mamata Banerjee, often takes the country for ransom in the name of poor. Not sure if she's trying to fool herself or if she doesn't know the reality of how a nation moves. It was a shock for the mighty Communists who held Bengalis under its fist for such a long time to bite the dust. But for Mamata pride soon took the toll as in the case of Mayavati. Time has to prove how long she will survive if this is the way she's going to continue. Few of her policies are against the nation at large. If her policies are to be taken into account everyone will starve one day.

  Communists, one of the dangerous party, maybe the only party that can take BJP head on in terms of muscle power. Their ideology is great sans violence as it stands for equality. If everyone follows it willingly life can't be better than that. But as a matter of fact it's utopian, considering majority of us being selfish. Their own leaders live a lavish life preaching about equality when their cadres die in the streets. They'll neither live nor let others live. Kerala is the best example of how backward it can take us. Communists are totally against development. They will take us back to stone age. Kerala would have been the top most in India considering the educated people and hard work they do anywhere else other than in Kerala. 

  Long back most of their cadres knew what they follow. Most of them used to read books of great revolutionaries and followed it at the cost of their lives. They were ready to kill as well as to die. They take it to the street every now and then and bloodshed is all that'll be left. Ironically it's the poor whom they fight for that has to bear the brunt, other than the cops. Their revolution and muscle power is good in places where there is no freedom, but in a modern society it's a disaster.  

  Janata Dal was once a competitor before BJP took centrestage. Though this party has lost its sheen they still is in the loop. They too, coming out from the Congress party seems to have the same ideologies from where they came from. Being a party of farmers they fail to understand the need of other sections of society in regional level. In national level they have some good leaders. I believe that this is another party that upholds non-violence because I haven't come across any violent behavior in general. 

  Regionally, in Karnataka, based on the current scenario, JDS under Kumaraswamy  seems to be the best bet since Congress is busy fighting against each other even before elections and BJP too following the same and also deep neck in corruption. JDS so far had been under one leadership and the followers seems to have no in fights like the other parties. 

  These are my views based on my observations. It need not hold good with everyone. Everyone has a belief. I believe I am rationale and never let emotions take over realities. So if you feel I'm wrong you may let me know with reasons and surely I'll change myself if I'm wrong.