India – Myth Demystified

 Padmini Arhant

The Indian political affirmation on the so-called strong aka Takatvar leadership or candidacy myth demystified in the details below.

India’s incumbent Prime Minister touted strong  leadership since assuming power in 2014 until now despite track record reflecting otherwise.

Any powerful leadership and formidable candidacy as propagated especially prior, during and post election would not unlawfully disqualify an ex-army personnel Tej Bahadur Yadav from the campaign trail in Varanasi poll in 2019.

Unlike the State reason falsely quoting application clerical error for Tej Bahadur Yadav elimination from 2019 national election, the actual factor behind removal of contestant Tej Bahadur Yadav from election were for three main reasons.

1. Tej Bahadur Yadav was far ahead in the poll in Varanasi in 2019 national election against incumbent Prime Minister.

2. Tej Bahadur Yadav was a whistleblower on corruption and paid a price with the government and state media making the ex-serviceman’s life miserable forcing his only child and then 20-year-old son commit suicide from the unbearable harassment and threats faced by his family.

Tej Bahadur’s fault according to the government was sharing his concerns on corruption in the defense administration where he was posted in the Himalayan border.

Nonetheless, Tej Bahadur Yadav’s corruption issue during his service as national security border personnel resonated with ordinary people experiencing the same and even worse in daily life. The Varanasi voters favorably considered Tej Bahadur Yadav’s candidacy against incumbent Indian Prime Minister.

3. Tej Bahadur Yadav was committed towards anti-corruption government antithesis to status quo.

The incumbent Indian Prime Minister deploying all resources and power to cancel Tej Bahadur Yadav’s candidacy for above reasons describe the Prime Minister’s insecurity and weakness not strength as disseminated by Indian ruling and opposition alike besides government run corporate media and various recruits in the propaganda machinery.

The political system immune to rampant corruption scandals and scams shared among political establishment with some having more skeletons in their cupboard than others used against them by the ruling power is disposed to homogenous corrupt environment serving various devious agenda.

Naturally anti-corruption and drain the swamp motto is persona non grata – unwelcome by incumbency.

It is clear election as formality is comfortable for the incumbent Indian Prime minister against candidacy in agreement to lose the race. In other words unopposed election is designed by choice.

Samajwadi Party (SP)’s leader Akilesh Yadav’s role in 2019 General Election in Varanasi delivered Indian Prime Minister pre-poll managed victory.

Case in point is – the ex-army personnel Tej Bahadur Yadav candidacy initially as an independent candidate against incumbent Prime Minister in Varanasi in 2019 had significant momentum reflected in pre-poll.

BJP’s central government with Prime Minister, Home Minister and state government Uttar Pradesh CM intervention prodding U.P.’s regional party pretty much sidelined in successive election defeats – Samajwadi Party (SP)’s leader Akilesh Yadav to offer independent candidate Tej Bahadur Yadav political platform knowing the party had dismal prospects against BJP successfully evicted Tej Bahadur Yadav’s candidacy before election aided by Samajwadi Party led by Chief Akilesh Yadav.

Upon removal of strong independent candidate Tej Bahadur Yadav in the trap to represent Akilesh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party, BJP managed to have Samajwadi Party field a female candidate in consensus to lose against Indian Prime Minister in the managed election event in Varanasi in 2019 national election.

Samajwadi Party (SP) in Uttar Pradesh headed by Akilesh Yadav facilitated Indian Prime Minister candidacy win in Varanasi in 2019 via the process of elimination of serious candidate Tej Bahadur Yadav substituting with pseudo female contender against the PM in 2019.

As such Samajwadi Party (SP)’s leader Akilesh Yadav’s late father and former CM of U.P. Mulayam Singh Yadav open statement in Parliament expressing the current Indian PM long extended term in office as Prime Minister was fulfilled by his son Akilesh Yadav in Varanasi general election in 2019.

It is least surprising to see BJP using Akilesh Yadav of Samajwadi Party and Trinamool Congress Chief Mamata Banerjee to assist in the forthcoming national election in 2024.

Indian Prime Minister often patted himself on own back in self-adulation on event and poll management his forte by whatever ways and means available.

The regional political parties in India are BJP’s secondary and subordinates having been in alliance with BJP as coalition partners in national politics as NDA government.

The movie is ready to be replayed in Indian national election in 2024 with incumbent Indian Prime Minister against chosen opponent as consensual loser in the bid to highest office in government.

The format is similar to match fixing prior to the game in international sports relevantly in cricket with key players in team bribed for lack luster performance to suit set agenda favoring the bidders and those betting with a windfall from the outcome.

Regardless the incumbent head in New Delhi is adept at horse trading with members of Parliament and state assembly from opposition bought for a price in the political bargain. The practice is the trend in the last nine years in Indian politics.

With election commission silenced like many other institutions not barring judiciary undermined and challenged contemporarily, the political trading of the elected members lured using black money and / or threatened through income tax raids by enforcement directorate (ED) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) enabling shifting of elected members from opposition to PM’s party BJP is the only strategy to remain in power.

That explains the free and fair election appropriately auction together with democracy on free fall.

Takatvar or Strong leadership of incumbent PM promoted as Avatar – the supposedly divine incarnate fearing own life accused human rights female activist helping Adivasis – the indigenous groups in land confiscation case against PM’s oligarchy Adani groups as potential assassin endangering PM’s life and so on.

In other instance, Indian farmers enduring agrarian crisis were also accused as existential threat to purported divine incarnate PM’s life flanked with security in armored vehicle fleeing for life.

That’s extraordinary courage from entity propagated as Avatar or divine incarnate who is fearful of own life let alone protecting others seeking rescue.

Above all, any so-called strong leadership aka Takatvar (Hindi) surrendering nation with people to oligarchy in economic sector and large swath of land and national territory to adversary China in the prolonged occupation and invasion has to be magnanimous to extend such generosity to oligarchs for exploitation and invader to rein control on national sovereignty.

The above mentioned facts demystify the myth and debunk the fictional narrative on  incumbent Indian Prime Minister as super-strong leadership aka Takatvar,. Avatar etc.

Takatvar and Avatar never sell nor subjugate economy to oligarchy and landmass to China. Importantly never afraid of strong opponent and welcome open free dialogue.

Additionally Takatvar i.e. strong leadership and Avatar would not avoid national press conference to alleviate citizens’ concerns and accept responsibility for actions and inactions during term in office.

The powerful and strong leadership demands courage and integrity from within not borrowed stolen or bought from anywhere.

NB. The evasion of identity since birth burdened with Karmas to be settled cannot be transposed with fake fraudulent photoshopped photo shots waving or victory pose in self and mass deception running away from original self in cliched duplicity. 

Padmini Arhant