Bulldozing with Road Rollers & Shoes protests.

A small village in Pulwaria in Bihar. Yes that is where the earthy Lalu Prasad Yadav originated from. Oozing oodles of charisma propelled the mass leader’s ascent to the higher echelons of Indian politics.

That’s the Lalu we know who has endeared the Indian electorate for a near 3 plus decades. Lalu’s championing of a secular India is well chronicled. That a greater section of the political circle wields the secular stance to the political vantage across the nation is also amply evident in the annals of India’s 6- years of democracy.

Yadav’s penchant for accentuating the effectiveness of his people connects both at the election rally or on the floors of the parliament using sharp humor is legendary. Who can forget the “Agar tum hame na chaho to koi shikayat nahi hai , magar tum kisi aur ko chao to muskil hoga” quip at parliament aimed at the Left comrades during the high tension nuclear debate last year.

But the season that it seems is shaping into a season of hara-kiri as leader after leader has been caught on camera delivering hate speeches.

Kishangunj may well turn out to be Lalu’s waterloo.A wrong wicket for sure for the Yadav. We are all glad that the veteran is the Union Railway Minister and not the Home Minister. Lest he would have flattened young Varun for his “Cut the hands which raises its hand on Hindus” and the Osama likening of his opposition candidate at Pilibhit.

The 17 crore Muslims for whom Lalu spoke sure will not identify themselves with the road roller strategy nor will the billions of Hindu’s with the Varun speech. Elsewhere at Andhra Pradesh the AICC President D Srinivas too threaten to cut the hand of people pointing fingers on Muslims.

My fellow citizens, lets understand that Anti Muslim or Pro Muslim or Pro any minority isn’t or Pro Hindus aren’t ingredients of Secular platform. The platform simplistically emanates from a large hearted mindset of understanding and empathy of the other. A secular platform built on tolerance toward one another. Appreciation of the good essence of each religious caste or community.

Now what I outlined is not new nor is it alien to the every day life of Hindu, Muslim, Christians and Sikhs. Each day at Lucknow, Hyderabad it is a way of life. Be it Bandra, Shivaji Nagar, Charminar in the by lanes of Chandi Chouk or at the Lake City of Nainital.

Then why do we continue to allow opportunistic politicians like Raj Thackeray, Bal Thackeray, Advani, and now Lalu & Varun to sway our public opinion. Its time we put an end to yielding to such divisive forces and elect the ones focused on combating terror, recession and failing healthcare systems.

Today is also a day when we were glad that Lalu isn’t the Home Minister and a soft-spoken present Home Minister Chidambram took on the sick Sikh aggressors shoe fling protest. Chidambram reveled in the tight spot with a graceful presence of mind. Not allowing the situation to highjack the moment and requesting his personal security officers to be gentle on the Sardar.

Not pressing charges on the Jarnail Singh if viewed in isolation of the event is also an act of a mighty heart. Yet the politics of politics is such an opportunist that BJP and SP quickly swung into action scoring political brownie points.

Jarnail Singh might well have succeeded today in upping the ante on the 1984 Sikh riots case and the cause of Sikhs to be peeved with the reprieve handed to Mr.Piolt. Whether Congress persists and fields Mr.Piolt is another matter. The method of hate exhibition and displeasure by insulting the Union Minister and bringing disrepute to the journalists of the country is a damage done in greater proposition.

Imagine the plight of journalists who will be advised to leave their footwear outside when they enter a press conference. We are a nation whose freedom was won by a universally acknowledged form of protest. Non Violence! Non Cooperation!

The media is one of the important vehicle which brings instances bereft of tolerance and understanding. If people like Jarnail Singh act mindlessly and take a short cut to fame their credibility of being a messenger of tolerance takes a severe toll.

Bulldozing with a Shoe gate controversy or suggesting using a Road Roller to suppress another hate speech perpetrator with a hate speech of a different kind is a walk treaded down the wrong path.