Power politics and a not-so-sure media

Politics is always about power. But Indian politics is also about power at any cost. That is the message the common people receive always. This time around, it was more vivid than ever. Indian politicians – well, most of them – are concerned about power and only about power and nothing else. They do not seem to be concerned whether people are killed or cities and towns are being burned down by militants.
Take a few examples of recent past: there was a clear case of booking Raj Thakre under the National Security Act. He has already over 80 cases registered against him. This time, though, he went about fearlessly inciting violence and challenging the government to arrest him at its own cost. But the Vilasrao government was not interested in acting tough. Arrest him they did. But we knew it was a token arrest. The reason is obvious. The Congress party does not want Raj Thakre to stop his pranks, as he is a threat not so much to the ruling coalition as the Shiv Sena itself. It is just trying to use Raj Thakre as a weapon to wipe out Shiv Sena from Maharashtra, as they drove away the left parties using Bal Thakre in the seventies. However, it has not been an easy task for them, as the North Indians form a major part of their vote bank. Raj Thakre for them seems a greater choice than North Indians.
Another clear example is the recent Assam blasts and how political parties tried to cash in on them. No sooner was the State rocked by terror attacks than opposition party leader L. K. Advani began the blame game, holding Bangladeshi militants responsible for the blasts. Our politicians, it seems, have an unimaginable sixth sense which can get to know the cause of incidents even before they can be investigated. While it is true that the UPA government is slow on terror, taking into consideration the possible alienation of a community (their vote bank), it is also unfair on the part of the BJP to terrorise a community, holding it responsible for all the terror in the country.
Unfortunately for the BJP, it had to face the turn of events. And it was a very embarrassing situation as well, to see one of the hardcore VHP leaders being arrested in connection with the Malegaon blasts. It is interesting to see how BJP leaders are trying to hold their nerves together and putting up a brave face. “Let the law deliver justice; but let us not try and accuse someone when investigations are underway,” they say. But the Rudys, the Ravi Shankar Prasads and their ilk have no problem delivering ‘justice’ to those arrested from other communities, even before they being convicted by court.
Media, especially the English press, have given quite good coverage to Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur. However, media are in a piquant situation. Till now they used the terminology ‘Islamic terrorists’ or ‘suspected Islamic terrorist’, almost associating terrorism with Islam. But they have been slow to use the phrase ‘Hindu terrorist’ or not even ‘suspecting’ Hindu terrorists. Terrorists are terrorists, irrespective of their religion. Media seem not to be sure as regards Hindu terrorists and are waiting for the court to decide it. This only means that media are being very partisan as regards terrorists.