The Ghost of Jinnah

Mr. Jaswant singh has been expelled from the BJP for his ideological peccadilloes. His interpretation of Jinnah's magnanimity and belittling of Sardar Patel proved to be his undoing.

Needless to say , with one stroke the BJP has made a fool of itself. In today's era, silencing voices is not what is expected of a political party-especially when it profeessess commitment to parliamentary democracy. Voicing an opinion on an issue is every idnividual's right. Right to dissent and freedom of expression is the bedrock of a civilized democracy. Everyone has a right to hold an opinion at varaince with the whole world and one doesn't crucify people just for having a difference of opinion.

BJP professess that Mr. Singh's expulsion is a consequence of ideological deviation . Come to think of it, politcally speaking he is blaming Nehru and the Congress for Partition - that's what the BJP has been claiming since donkey's years. The book could have been used as a perfect political tool to beat the Congress with and buttress BJP's argument of minority appeasement. The persecution complex that Muslims have today is a consequence of Partition for which Nehru and Congress were responsible. Therefore, it can be argued that the Congress is the enemy of the Muslims and not the BJP. Brilliant.

I don't understand who to pity more- the BJP for its stupidity or the Congress for its shortsightedness. By expelling Mr. Singh, the BJP is contradciting what it has been professing since its inception (Congress responsible for india's partition).

Apart from the issues of real-politik, we are losing sight of the fact that we are increasingly encouraging and creating an intolerant society where difference of opinion and dissent brings retribution. If this is being done by a leading political party , am worried about the state and health of our democarcy . You cannot expel people just for writing a book and expressing an opinion. the essence of democracy and and civislised society is the maxim- "I detest your views but will fight to death for your right to voice them".

When will we as a nation understand this ??