Surgical strikes by the Indian army are set to affect the assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh.
Military operations, in or outside the country, are armed expressions of political intent. Against Pakistan, they also symbolise political will, celebrated and applauded all around. This template boosted Lal Bahadur Shastri’s stature after 1965, transformed Indira Gandhi into a ‘Durga re-incarnate’ in 1971 and gave Atal Behari Vajpayee five more years in power after Kargil.
Against this backdrop, the surgical strikes of September 29 can’t but be political in nature. BJP leaders have hailed the strikes, claiming that Pakistan has been taught a lesson. And posters lavishing praise on Prime Minister Narendra Modi have sprung up all over in no time in poll-bound UP. In some of them, he is shown holding a bow and an arrow.
The matter has become all the more politicised following Modi’s Dussehra address at Aishbagh in Lucknow. The PM exhorted all Indians to “watch every move of terrorists”, then punctured the claims of the Congress that it had been tough on terror. Referring to the 26/11 Mumbai terrorist attacks, which took place during the UPA regime, he said, “It is only after 26/11 that the world understood how horrific the terrorism we faced was.”
On the same day, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat referred to India’s military might in his Dussehra address in Nagpur, in which he also backed the controversial gauraksha dals, or cow protection groups, which have of late become active in many villages of north India.
Denne historien er fra October 24, 2016-utgaven av Outlook.
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Denne historien er fra October 24, 2016-utgaven av Outlook.
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Layers Of Lear
Director Rajat Kapoor and actor Vinay Pathak's ode to Shakespeare is an experience to behold
Loss and Longing
Memories can be painful, but they also make life more meaningful
Suprabhatham Sub Judice
M.S. Subbulakshmi decided the fate of her memorials a long time ago
Fortress of Desire
A performance titled 'A Streetcart Named Desire', featuring Indian and international artists and performers, explored different desires through an unusual act on a full moon night at the Gwalior Fort
Of Hope and Hopelessness
The body appears as light in Payal Kapadia's film
Ruptured Lives
A visit to Bangladesh in 2010 shaped the author's novel, a sensitively sketched tale of migrants' struggles
The Big Book
The Big Book of Odia Literature is a groundbreaking work that provides readers with a comprehensive introduction to the rich and varied literary traditions of Odisha
How to Refuse the Generous Thief
The poet uses all the available arsenal in English to write the most anti-colonial poetry
The Freedom Compartment
#traindiaries is a photo journal shot in the ladies coaches of Mumbai locals. It explores how women engage and familiarise themselves with spaces by building relationships with complete strangers
Love, Up in the Clouds
Manikbabur Megh is an unusual love story about a man falling for a cloud. Amborish Roychoudhury discusses the process of Manikbabu's creation with actor Chandan Sen and director Abhinandan Banerjee
