A STORY OF BUDDHADEB, KARUNADEB AND “SECULAR”DEBs.

A STORY OF BUDDHADEB, KARUNADEB AND “SECULAR”DEBs.

Sometimes in 1995 I had read a book naming “IN THE WONDERLAND OF INDIAN MANAGERS” written by Management Consultant Sri Sharu Rangnekar. I was so impressed by the book that I had written down some portions of the book in my note book for my future reference. Today after 12 years when I stumbled upon that old note book and read through those copied lines I was tempted to write a new blog correlating those lines with present Indian political scenario.

Now I reproduce something from that book for benefit of my friends who have not read that book. Of course the book is written purely on Indian context. Here goes a portion of first chapter of that book.

HOW TO AVOID MAKING DECISIONS

In India, it is as important to learn ways of avoiding decisions as it is to learn ways of decision-making in America. The first decision-rule of Indian Management is: If you can avoid it, don’t take it.

PROBLEM-1: CYCLE-STAND FOR WORKERS.

Though many solutions were given in that book on how to avoid a decision on the cycle-stand problem, I was particularly impressed by Tantrum Method. Here is what the book says about Tantrum Method.

Tantrum Method: This is a somewhat ancient method, but is still effective. When the initiator comes with his proposal, you should throw a tantrum, e.g.: “Cycle-stand for workers! Oh, what a proposal and what a time to bring it up! The bearing on the starting machine has broken down, the compound wall has cracked due to the last earthquake and my ulcers are bothering me again! Can you not think of anything more significant than a cycle-stand?

Now let us come to the context on which I want write this blog.My Indian friends must have read news article on Comrade Buddhadeb Bhattacharya, Chief Minister of state of West Bengal, India. Though I have no regards for communist parties of India or for that matter the concept of communisms as a whole, I aver secret appreciation for Sri Bhattacharya for his progressive thinking amongst the regressive thinking communist comrades.

But in recent times Sri Bhattacharya's popularity has also taken beating. It started with murder of Rizwanur Rahman, a Muslim boy who married a Hindu girl and it continued to the massacre of Nandigram where a large numbers of Muslims were affected. In both the cases West Bengal police acted as villain. And in case of Nandigram along with police the brutal and ugly face of communist cadre was also in forefront.

Those who want to know about the brutality of Communist cadre in Nandigram may see these two videos.

All these happenings were too much for Comrade Bhattacharya. His secular credentials were also at a stake. So Comrade Bhattacharya wanted to distract people’s attention from Nandigram. First he aimed his gun towards controversial Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen who after her Anti-Muslim writing had taken shelter in west Bengal. But, perhaps, it was not enough. He played typical Indian politician's secular game. What is that? Simple. Tell something against the majority religion of the country, Hinduism, you are assumed/declared as SECULAR!

So going by Sri Sharu Rangnekar’s style I must say that when all over the world the meaning of being secular is “to assert the freedom of religion, and freedom from religion, within a state that is neutral on matters of belief, and gives no state privileges or subsidies to religions”, but for Indian politician it is “to humiliate the Hinduism, the majority religion of the country”.

So Buddhadeb played a “Kruna”deb and declared,” "Rama was born in the imagination of poets and Rama Setu is a natural formation under the sea,"

Oh my Lord Rama, please tell these “Secular”debs that YOU may not exist for them but Rama Setu does exist. Why can not they carry out scientific study and establish who made it? I know these “Secular”debs do not respect my sentiments and for that matter they do not respect the sentiments of majority of Indian. They do not understand that for the majority of this country “LORD”,”RAMA” and “NATURE” are synonymous.