BJP wins decisively in Indian elections

[aupmanyav]

Wonder if BJP will introduce Astrology in the science curriculum. Also the voting share was only 31% for BJP ; Congress much worse only 19%. the rest was nibbled away by numerous regional parties. Is it time to stamp down on very small parties whose share is less than 2%?

Thankfully, MMJoshi is not slated for Education ministry. He might be getting Agriculture. The chance of GM crops to be introduced is now better. You are giving the percentage of the total eligible voters. Of the votes polled, the BJP percentage is some 51%. Some 33% people did not vote.

 

[hinduwoman]

Wonder if BJP will introduce Astrology in the science curriculum.

I know almost nothing about Indian politics, so I have no idea how accurate all of hinduwoman's sniping comments are. But they certainly encourage me to regard the new leader in a favourable light. All these comments tell me is that is she really really doesn't like this shift in power, and has nothing substantial to say about it.

That is because there is nothing substantial as yet.
I don't object to this shift in power because the alternative is a complacent dynasty headed by an idiot. Modi is known to be efficient and smart leader who has brought propesrity to his state. His motto is -- 'less government, more governance'.

However what I am worried about is the extent religious creeds will be allowed to shape policy.
The last time BJP was in power they did introduce astrology as an university subject.

 

[aupmanyav]

Hopefully if MMJoshi becomes the agriculture minister, we will see a campaign to plant Banyan trees. Did not Krishna say that among trees, he is the Banyan? Strangely, the man has a doctorate in Physics.

BG 10.26: "Of all trees I am the banyan tree, and of the sages among the demigods I am Nārada. Of the Gandharvas I am Citraratha, and among perfected beings I am the sage Kapila."

 

[aupmanyav]

Can this man go wrong? I do not think he can. He values his dharma.

Modi touching the feet of his mother, Colonel Nizamuddin of Azad Hind Fauj of Subhas Chandra Bose, his mentors MMJoshi and LKAdvani, and the steps of Indian parliament on his first entry.

 

[Sarpedon]

Most of us in this forum have learned that ostentatious displays of religious piety are easy and not to be trusted.

 

[aupmanyav]

Well, India reposed its faith in the leadership of Narendra Modi decesively.

 

[Derec]

Modi touching the feet of his mother, Colonel Nizamuddin of Azad Hind Fauj of Subhas Chandra Bose, his mentors MMJoshi and LKAdvani, and the steps of Indian parliament on his first entry.

Ripping off Obama:

 

[Tom Sawyer]

Most of us in this forum have learned that ostentatious displays of religious piety are easy and not to be trusted.

Ya, those are pictures of a politician posturing for the camera to sell a narrative to the voters. They are not pictures of a legitimate act of faith.

 

[Derec]

I don't object to this shift in power because the alternative is a complacent dynasty headed by an idiot.

Why do you think he is an idiot exactly? His bio indicates he went to Harvard and Cambridge, so he can't be that dumb.

His motto is -- 'less government, more governance'.

I thought it was "toilets before temples". I hope he follows through on it.

However what I am worried about is the extent religious creeds will be allowed to shape policy.
The last time BJP was in power they did introduce astrology as an university subject.

That is indeed silly.

 

[Tom Sawyer]

However what I am worried about is the extent religious creeds will be allowed to shape policy.
The last time BJP was in power they did introduce astrology as an university subject.

That is indeed silly.

Especially because they did it while Jupiter was in ascension. You don't need a university degree to know that that is a poor time to make major curriculum changes.

 

[hinduwoman]

Most of us in this forum have learned that ostentatious displays of religious piety are easy and not to be trusted.

Oh he is devout; no reason to think that his piety to his mother and India as Mother-Goddess (that is what Rastirya Sevak Sangh to which he belongs teaches from a very young age) is fake.
But what it means in terms of actual governance is something else. However he is very pragmatic and hardworking.

 

[hinduwoman]

Why do you think he is an idiot exactly? His bio indicates he went to Harvard and Cambridge, so he can't be that dumb.

I am speaking of Rahul Gandhi, the prince in waiting of Congress party.
The Prime Minister Monomohan Singh in the last five years might as well have been a dummy for all the non-action he carried out.

 

[aupmanyav]

Ya, those are pictures of a politician posturing for the camera to sell a narrative to the voters. They are not pictures of a legitimate act of faith.

I think you do not fully understand the Hindu psyche.

 

[aupmanyav]

Why do you think he is an idiot exactly? His bio indicates he went to Harvard and Cambridge, so he can't be that dumb.

I do not know from where the idiot gene came into Gandhis. But it is like Phillip and Charles; Rajiv was an idiot and so is Rahul. Good riddance. If idiots have money or political connections, they can go to any university in the world (and achieve nothing).

 

[Sarpedon]

I think you do not fully understand the Hindu psyche.

It amuses me when members of one religion pretend to be different or better than others. Religions are the products of natural faults in the human brain and in the way we interact with others. The particulars don't matter. Religion has been a ladder to power everywhere in the world, regardless of the particular religion. Every religion pretends its better than the others...they have to, because all religions can't be true. Therefore, other religions are silly, and their followers stupid chumps, and the followers of the 'true' religion are wise, moral, and different.

 

[aupmanyav]

That is why I am an atheist, of course, a Hindu. You can say culturally so. Modi's victory is not about religion, it is about honesty and good governance. RSS and BJP condition their people to care about the country and its people. It is about an ideology, which Indian National Congress totally lacked; like a person without any 'samskaras'. It only had descent like that of some brahmins.

 

[Tom Sawyer]

Ya, those are pictures of a politician posturing for the camera to sell a narrative to the voters. They are not pictures of a legitimate act of faith.

I think you do not fully understand the Hindu psyche.

I understand the political psyche. There's a big difference between a man touching the feet of his mother as an act of dharma or whatever the specifics are and a man who makes a point of doing that with a group of photographers in tow so that he can be seen to be doing that. This is the latter. I have no idea how faithful he actually is, but this event is clearly political posturing and not an act of faith on his part.

 

[hinduwoman]

The posturing is working anyway, just the right mix to integrate into traditional Hindu culture.

On a more cheerful note, Modi has resigned from post of Chief Minister of Gujarat and appointed his trusted henchwoman Anandibhen Patel, one of the ministers in his cabinet, as the next CM.
A woman CM from this conservative party hopefully signals more interest towards woman empowerment.

 

[aupmanyav]

Why? There would be others in the Cabinet. Sushma Swaraj is a certainty. Vasundhara Raje, Smriti Irani, Meenakshi Lekhi, and Menaka Gandhi are possibilities. Delhi Chief Ministership might go to Kiran Bedi.

 

[Tom Sawyer]

The posturing is working anyway, just the right mix to integrate into traditional Hindu culture.

Posturing generally works due to people liking it when others suck up to them. That's why politicians spend so much time doing it.