To say the least, the recent decision of the Central Government not to have a NSG Command Center in Bangalore, similar to the ones sanctioned for other metro cities, is deplorable. It appears that the Congress is hell bent upon playing politics even over issues concerning National security. It is these poltics which led to the recent Mumbai terror attacks & the delayed response from the Government. It is noteworthy that despite the multiple terror attacks in other parts of the country, the former Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil was not shown the door for his lack of strong action. He was finally removed only when it got to the worst terror attack on the Indian Union. To say the least, these repeated terrorist attacks are threatening the very foundations of the unity on which the idea of The Union of India was conceived. To add insult to injury, our own National party is playing politics over issues of National security. For heaven's sake, let us remember that Bangalore is home to some of the most important institutions of National importance & also the technology hub of the country.
To name a few, Bangalore is home to - Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Jawaharlal Nehru Center for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Central Power Research Institute (CPRI), Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), National Institute of Mental Health And Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL), Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), and, most of the top Indian and multi national IT & Technology organisations. Some of the global organisations have set up their R&D hub in Bangalore, which happens to be one of the largest outside their home countries. GE's Jack Welch Technology Center is a case in point, so also is Texas Instruments' R&D center. Bangalore is also home to some of the Defence establishments and R&D centers. It is shameful that the Central Government is playing politics over the security of such Nationally important institutions & industries. The reason why the Central Government is playing politics is simply because the local State Government is non-Congress, in fact, it is led by the leading opposition party at the Center, the BJP.
Bangalore has been at the center of terrorist activities since the days of LTTE cadre taking shelter here after the assassination of our former Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi. There was a terror attack a couple of years ago in Indian Institute of Science, where a senior professor was shot dead. Only last year, in 2008, there were multiple bomb blasts in Bangalore. Some suspected terrorists owing allegiance to banned terror outfits were apprehended in various parts of Karnataka including Mysore, which is just about 2 hours drive from Bangalore. As if these were not enough, terror outfits have been highly vocal about Bangalore being one of their prime targets of their future attacks. Will the Congress ever learn from it's grave blunders it committed in the past & try to correct them? It appears that Congress "leaders" think that safeguarding the interests of the party is superior to the interests of the Nation. How much lower can a party stoop to with its characterless politics, especially for a party which prides itself as being at the forefront of India's freedom struggle?
It is interesting to note the circumstances in which Central Government has rejected the Karnataka Government's request for a NSG command center. Very recently, the BJP came to power winning 110 of the 224 Assembly seats. It was just 3 seats away from a simple majority. In the just concluded bypolls, the ruling BJP won 5 of the 8 seats & now has 115 seats in the Assembly, thus consolidating its power. The remaining 3 seats were won by the BJP's & Congress's former partner, the JD(S). Interestingly, although Congress is the main opposition party in Karnataka, it could not manage to win a single seat in the bypolls. With Lok Sabha elections just a few months away, the Congress did not want to face a white wash in Karnataka. The local Congress felt that if the Center gave permission to a NSG command center, the BJP would showcase this as its own achievement & use it in its electioneering, which could help it win the majority of Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka. Fearing such a political fallout, the Central Government rejected the request for a NSG command in Bangalore. In contrast, it hurried to accommodate Tamilnadu's NSG command center. Why? Because, in Tamilnadu, the ruling DMK is one of the major constituents of the UPA Government. Also, Tamilnadu is going for both Lok Sabha & Assembly elections shortly. The Congress did not want to invite the wrath of its coalation partner, the DMK. Hence it sanctioned the NSG command center based out of Chennai. This clearly exposes the politics of divide & rule and favouritism being practiced by Congress, which it has been doing repeatedly since the days of independence. This also clearly shows the characterlessness & lackadaisical approach of the Congress party on issues of National security. Is winning a few more Assembly & Lok Sabha seats more important than safeguarding institutions & industries of National importance? As much as Congress was at the forefront of our freedom struggle, so much so, the same Congress is driving a wedge among people & creating divide in our society by setting different standards for different people & States. Simply put, Congress is indulging in dividing the Nation. The only motive driving the Congress appears to be holding on to power at any cost - even dividing the people & Nation, and pushing its own selfish agenda.
Clearly, this is a pointer to the urgent changes required within our political establishment in general & more particularly within Congress because it happens to be a National party. Since national parties play a bigger role at the National level, they need urgent changes in their thought processes & ideas and in their choice of policy makers. In the same manner, regional parties also have to change. This is especially important because we are in the age of coalation politics where regional parties have a big say at the National level.
The average Indian citizen cannot be taken for a ride any further. Before there is an outbreak of chaos on the streets, the Central Government better act in the best interests of the Nation & not be swayed by short term, myopic, & prejudiced decisions aimed at safeguarding its own selfish interests. Anything that is in the National interest, is indeed going to bear long term political gains for any political party. The sooner all political parties realise this, the better it will augur for India & its future.
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