Maharashtra Turmoil: Another Political Opportunism

Since morning today, we have been coming across a news that astonished everyone including the so called omniscient media and the political pundits. The visuals of Mr. Fadnavis taking oath as the CM of Maharashtra jolted many especially the Shiv Sena, hitherto ally of BJP,  including the NCP and INC.

It does not require much intelligence to understand that politics in India has been marked by opportunists throughout the history. For example, consider the post-poll alliance between Shiv Sena, NCP and INC. Here there is another level of opportunism that brought the nephew of Sharad Pawar to support BJP in formation of the government. Mind-blowing!

Now, there remains twist in the story because the number-game is going to be more intense now. Press conference followed after the oath taking ceremony showed us the parade of the MLAs "coming back" to the OLD deus ex machina of NCP. What will Ajit Pawar do remains to be seen.

However, it reminds us of Mulayam Singh Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav feud that ended up in the fragmentation of the Samajwadi Party in UP. Will the same happen to NCP? Let us wait and watch.

This political drama is to continue for some time now making the political scenario of Maharastra unstable and bereft of any hope of recovery from this continuing political opportunism in the country!

Songs of Kabir- I

Kabir-granthavali 29

Everyone keeps saying 

But no one knows where is Paradise.

Who do not know one perimeter, they describe paradise in their talks. 

When hope for paradise ignites, God's refuge respites. 

How will you know paradise through hearsay, until you check out the place yourself. 

Paradise, says Kabir, be sought in good company. 

KG 29 (my translation)

          Kabir's expression of the mythic Paradise catches attention. His mocking tone is reminscent of the bhakti movement which propelled the tradition of the poet-saint. The mockery of the belief in paradise (बैकुंठ) and the intense desire to secure entry to the unknown, unseen, unmapped paradise tickles thoughts of cynicism. Religion, irrespective of the kind or type, always create a dream surrounding the positives and blissfulness of the Paradise. 

Those who talk or release a discourse of paradise are themselves logically lame to comment on paradise. Why there is this want of a life after life? Let the life on earth be made peaceful, joyful and meaningful. Again, those who are agnostic they could understand the above poem or else will doubt the poet himself.

However, Kabir does refer to hari (God) and His refuge that can lead to paradise. But he emphasizes on possessing a good company which can furnish heaven, or make a "hell of a heaven" to borrow Miltonic tagline. 

Now, the question rests on how many of us look for a good company? Whether it requires further philosophising? 

Tivari, Parasnath, editor. Kabir-granthavali, Allahabad, 1961.

Mehrotra, A.K. Songs of Kabir. Translated by A. K. Mehrotra. Hachette India, 2011.