Does the Deve Gowda family have divine protection?
Veteran journalist from Mysore K B Ganapathy wonders in " Star of Mysore " the English daily he edits, "Sometimes I wonder if H.D. Deve Gowda's success, despite an unstable weak political party, is due to the grace of Gods and Goddesses which he worships with vermilion and sandal paste smeared prominently on his broad forehead or on the bridge of his big nose ".
The editor is n't alone. Everyone I know in Karnataka is appalled at Gowda's ways, and can't fathom how he gets away with the political equivalent of murder.
The moment Congress led Central government decided to end the yearlong trauma of Five and a half crore people in Karnataka by dissolving the Assembly, I sighed in relief. But I sighed too soon. Gowda still had many tricks up his sleeves. Gowda has made me ashamed of being a Kannadaiga(a practising Kannadiga!). The Nataka in Karnataka scripted and staged by ' humble ' farmer H D Deve Gowda and company is undoubtedly a blot on the whole state of Karnataka, which has a vast talent pool, resources, eternally vigilant civil society and cultured people. I agree that the politicians don't represent the general public. Their acts and decisions don't represent the views of majority people.
The way Gowda and his ' son ' parivar held the entire state to ransom for the last 41 months have made me wonder if some ' evil ' powers above us indulgently blessed them while they tormented common people.
Perhaps they wanted to have some fun by bestowing power on the people like Gowda!
People who voted him out of sympathy (S M Krishna's Bangalore centric rule also largely helped Gowda to hold keys to power) in 2004 Assembly polls had wedged themselves among three rocks: -(JD(S), BJP & Congress).
I was flooded with SMSes from across the globe abusing Gowda and sons (some call them ' sins'!) sent by the people of Karnataka. The message was always the same.
' Kick Gowda out and save Karnataka '. Some of the SMSes were in atrocious, horrid, nasty, nauseating language. But it shows the level of anger among the people against the ' first family ' of state politics.
This unsophisticated, so called peasant family which suffers from a siege mentality has committed a series of political and moral crimes just to retain its supremacy over the state in the last 41 months.
Till last October, the world seemed divided diametrically between two kinds of people: those who love H.D. Deve Gowda, and those who love to loathe H.D. Deve Gowda. I doubt the first group exists anymore! Even his staunch followers from his own stronghold are now distancing themselves from ' son of the soil '.
There doesn't seem to be anyone left he has n't betrayed:
Whether it is sleeping with Ramakrishna Hegde just to stab in the back to achieve his chief mnisterial and prime ministerial ambitions, filing CBI cases against Lalu Yadav (he now describes him as a black cobra!), ditching Sitaram Kesri, hassling many industrialists and IT czar N R Narayanamurthy (whose integrity he had the temerity to question) on various issues, sleeping with the BJP to install his son H.D. Kumaraswamy as chief minister and ' betraying ' them twice in just 50 days, or cosying up to the Congress to become ' secular ' once again, always putting his mega family above state and its people, Deve Gowda proved beyond all doubts that he is the one and only who can stoop to such a low level in public life.
I would not be wrong, if I say that Gowda is somebody for whom only the end matters, the means be damned? Unfortunately, the ' ring master ' is now at the receiving end. Future looks bleak for both him and his party.
The BJP, which departed before its arrival in the south, is also equally responsible for the political mess and the new low in Indian politics. Their 7 day government imposed on the people has severely dented the image and credibility of saffron brigade. People are convinced that it is just another party, willing to stoop to any level for power.
As I have said in the beginning Gowda and his sons always attribute their success to Gowda's strong star powers and gods. It is now time for the gods and goddesses to disown Gowda and Co in the larger interest of the state! Hope the Almighty hears the Kannadigas prayers!
URBANEYE
Total Comments: 116
Read Comment | Post Comment
Gowda has in fact played a very clever political game . After first ditching the BJP , it produced a huge wave of moral sympathy for them . To counter this he offered to support the BJP . If the BJP had declined the support he could have harped that the BJP was responsible and therefore negating the sympathy wave . Since the BJP did not fall for his game he kept some unaccetable conditions . If the BJP had accepted the conditions he would have been the de facto chief minister and the BJP would have lost face in public (thankfully it did not). Since the BJP did not accept the conditions the BJP has egg on its face after parading its M.L.A in front of the president and is being dubbed power hungry . Thus the initial sympathy wave has been negated . Now proably Kumaraswamy and Gowda will part and Kumaraswamy will be chief minister in alliance with BJP or Congress after the elections . The only way foward is absolute majority for the BJP in the state . What a Politician , he is the modern Chanakya and despite all the flak he is getting ,in the rural areas he still has support . Though i dont like him cant help admiring his political skills ...Reply
on the funnier side - this whole episode has given us a word 'gowdagiri'. we know what that means. ...Reply
HATS OFF to the writer for picturing the state of our Karnataka politics.
Being a born in bangalore i feel ashamed looking at the developments happening presently.
The blame should go equally to JD(S), BJP and Congress for such havoc they have created in the Indian History of politics.
I do agree with many of the bloggers about their views, but mind that even we the people are also responsible for whats happening, its we who have elected them.
I feel, the entire election system has to be changed, no matter which ever party gets elected the hunger for power remains the same. So why cant we bring in a new system where after the elections(lets say ABC party has got the majority), a group of experts, jounalists, NGO or any resposible people should interview the elected candidate whether he is suitable or not. For any post in the Government cabinet this should be made cumpulsory.
Even for a clerk post in Gov office there are rounds or interview, why cant we interview the person who will head the state.
As the great leader said, Democracy is for the people, to the people and by the people.
...Reply
Was wondering -what was the Congress so called Supremo thinking when they asked Mr. SM Krishna to step down and put Mr. Dharamsingh in his place after which Karnataka never saw any good days -we went downwards steadily but surely.
All one can request ALL THE PEOPLE OF KARNATAKA -please please please do not vote for the JDS -it is a selfish, self oriented party -and all the Gowda's can think of is themselves. To quote their own party members -father is bad but the sons are worse. ...Reply
We are talking about Karnataka here; where does Gujarat come in? Having said that I hope you realise it is ecnomically and industrially light years ahead of yours and most states in India. ...Reply
Read More Comments
The views/ideas/opinions expressed in this section of the website www.ibnlive.com / www.ibnpolitics.com are solely those of the writer/author and not of Web18 Software Services Limited (Web18) or of IBN18 Broadcast Limited (IBN18). The statements made by the writer/author have not been verified in any manner by Web18 and/or IBN18. Web18 and/or IBN18 shall not be responsible for or liable in any manner whatsoever for the views/ideas/opinions expressed by the writer/author of this section.