Stage is all set for the groundbreaking ceremony of  statue of Sardar Patel. This Statue of Unity is a grand 182 metres (597 ft, double the height of Statue of Liberty) monument of which will be constructed in Gujarat, on the banks of Narmada river. As we know, Sardar Patel who was known as the Iron Man of India, belonged to the Congress party played a important role in uniting our nation. But he was never given the due importance he deserved. Congress is always accused of showcasing only Nehru and Gandhi family, conveniently ignoring other prominent leaders in the party.

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Modi himself is a big threat to Congress. When he picks up such issues, Congress finds itself in an uncomfortable position. Now that Modi has invited many Congress leaders too for this function, it has become a catch-22 situation. Whether to own Sardar Patel and attend the function or not attend the function and cite some reasons is the real headache they are facing. Whatever may be their choice, the work on construction of this monument is not going to stop. 

One of the reasons given by Congress for not attending the function is that "Modi is trying usurp the legacy of Sardar Patel and using it for political gains".

• If Modi is trying to usurp the legacy, why would he invite you? 
• If you think Modi is usurping the legacy, then you also usurp, no?
• If you can't usurp the legacy by attending the function why criticize him saying he is usurping it?
• Just for a moment thinking that he is usurping, is there any rule that just because if someone can't do it, others should also not do it?

Anand Sharma in his letter declining the invitation, stated that Sardar Patel wanted to ban RSS. 

• If Patel was really against the RSS, then it would be Modi who had to think about constructing his statue, no? 
• One can't understand how this be a reason for in not attending the function, unless of course Sharma likes RSS more than Modi. 

(Source)

Citing some trivial reasons for not attending this function is easier. Just they could blame Modi as communal and that's all, after all Congress has a specialization in this.

But attending a function which is aims at respecting a national leader, thereby creating national unity is definitely respectful. When politics reduces to a tool in grabbing votes it looses it's charm. Leaders who rise above such things are the persons who earns the respect of people. The Statue of Unity, whether unites the political leaders or not, but when it unites the people it serves its purpose.

Loudest and most lauded news show is Arnab's noisehour, err.. I mean newshour. Not only does he top the TRP rankings, he tops the decibel chart too. I am not sure whether he tops the chart or he topples it.

One thing that is sure, he is very popular. People love to view his show day after day. Even the K-serials can learn few things. How to retain interest daily in-spite the never ending episodes.

What makes him so different then?

• No nonsense

Straight forward questions. In his words "direct questions". "10 direct questions to UPA", "5 questions that govt must answer" something on this line. Though his questions are direct, usually not lesser than half a dozen.

• Adds emotions

​He is good at this. He adds emotions in his questions and also while delivering them. He tries to connect with the middle class. Usually he is angry, unless the topic is Pakistan. When it comes to Pakistan, revenge and rashtraprema gets mixed into his ever angry mood, thereby resulting in a deadly combination. Though his Pakistani panelists usually leave the discussion mid-air, they promptly return for the next discussion to face Arnab's missiles again.

• Blasts the usual political rhetoric

The interrupting "​No, no no no ....." usually ends the political blame game of the defending panelist. Many times it irks the panelists but much to the viewers delight. We all love others to get blasted while we have cold tea. Sometimes we even love Arnab getting blasted for a change.

• Well researched

​Those papers he holds while conducting the discussion, I guess are filled with panelist-wise questionnaire. To have so many questions day after day he needs a good research team. A research team which comes up with never ending list of questions, which gains the form of well directed West Indian bouncers through Arnab's mouth. 

• Audience feel relieved when he attacks the cause

When he criticizes the cause of the day or rather grills viewers are relived. The issue may be that of rising onion prices or sexist remarks of the kind dented & painted, Arnab takes the side of common man. During this process, while the aam admi gets relief, Arnab Goswami gets TRP.

• Credible compared to his counterparts

​Rajdeep & Barkha don't enjoy the credibility he enjoys. He neither has the cash for vote scam fame nor does he have the entry through Radia gates.

Though you might have changed the channel many times, when the noise on his show reached the unbearable level, you might have also came back to check whether everyone is okay? Whether Arnab has all his panelists under control? Whether Arnab is under control?

In this era, there are no auras. Perception has arrived in it's place. Through our perception only we judge a person when we see them. Effectively, how we perceive someone creates their aura. 

How we think of someone is dependent on the information we have, which in turn depends on the information we have been provided. Providing information lies with media, so indirectly aura is created by the forth pillar, i.e. the media. 

Lets have a look at the auras of politicians one by one.  He has been saying that he wants to put nation first, Let's put him first here. 

Modi's aura created by our media is more of a stagnant one. After 2002 it's constant. In our media,without uttering words like 2002, malnutrition & fake encounters, no debate on Modi can be ever complete. What is surprising is despite media's negative & selective targeting against Modi, his popularity is increasing. May be days have come when public outsmarts the media & its bias.

PM's aura is full of respect. Mostly ending with g's. 2G, CWG etc. Though he is not the custodian files, invariably he will be blamed. Buck stops with him every-time when there is a scam. How about Rahul?

Instead of Amethi and it's poverty, Rahul's aura is remarkably positive in our media. After all he is the game changer, no?

Madam Sonia has an audacious aura. In news presented by our media, she will be either unhappy or promised strictest action. Furthermore she is the brain behind all the schemes and bills err...except that ordinance. 

In conclusion, this pic summarizes the media behaviour.

"My mother told me that words I used were wrong"

"Father warns the CM son against complacency"

These kinds of family drama headings you will be reading always. 

Father warned the son in public, mother criticized him, blah blah and so on. 

After reading such headlines, you can be sure of one thing: Their son committed some blunders, again.

Well In India, dynasty and politics go hand in hand. Sometimes sons of the dynasty and blunders go hand in hand. Real problem is when the son himself is the blunder.

Never mind, coming back to the core issue of family drama, why such theatrics machan, that too in public?

If they really want to give advice to their son,

·         Why wouldn't they tell him before committing the blunder?

·         And why are they not telling their son personally. Why in public?

·         Why so much of media coverage?

So the real question is "why are they expressing it in public?".

According to my very sharp brain answer is:

·            Son’s image building (Ho Raha Puttar Nirmaan)

·            Restoring the lost credibility (see, my son is on right path, again)

·            Vote gimmicks, nothing else machan.

If your razor sharp brain gives any other answers, do comment.

Politics is all about appeasing people.

Yes, this is a universal truth, applicable all over the globe. In India, as we believe in modifications and Indianisation before accepting anything, we changed politics as appeasing certain section of people. Here it is a well-known fact that every political party has its own vote bank. That's my vote bank bro! Don't touch it. Consequently, we have so many vote banks here, even that may overtake the real banks. While one party appeases its vote bank, others are busy with theirs.  In the end, all are happy, I mean political parties.

History: Banking on vote bank politics

For specific appeasement politicians divide the public. And then they focus on the section which is of their interest. Just like the targeting in marketing terms. With effective targeting, over time they turn it into vote bank. Stronger the vote bank higher the probability of retaining the power.

Chemistry: Bondage between votes and banks

In order to keep winning two things are needed:

• Keeping the vote bank intact (=separated from others)
• Constant appeasement of that vote bank (=nurturing)

Once the vote bank is formed, efforts are needed to keep them separated from the rest. Focus will be on maintaining higher homogeneity within section and higher heterogeneity among sections. Else vote bank will be diluted.

Mathematics: Differentiation of appeasement

The only problem with this type of politics is that by appeasing one section, other sections wont vote for them.

E.g. Look at the following hypothetical graph. Two communities. One is minority and the other is majority. Party X tries to appease the minorities. Higher the appeasement, higher the votes they get from minorities, lesser from majority.

Calculations based on author's overnight research

This graph says appeasement is useless, because total votes are not increasing. Amount votes they get by appeasing minorities is lesser than that they lose from majority. 

But why do political parties do vote bank politics?

• All vote for those who appease them, exclusively
• If a politician appeases none but works for all, in the en no one will vote for him
• Politicians can target many vote banks, thereby by developing a combo pack.

But when will this appeasement politics end?

Yes. 

• When the common problems such as
• Development, Inflation
• Job
• Electricity
• infrastructure become the core issue in elections.
• Leaders who do not appease actually win elections. Then others may follow him.
• People put nation first.

In the end, one question is left unanswered: Is this appeasement politics is wrong?

Yes. Absolutely it is wrong, undemocratic and immoral unless  err..  they are appeasing my section.

Rahul Gandhi is the darling on Twitter. Nobody can dare to question this statement. In Congress there may be some who may question his promotion to the top post, but nobody can negate this statement. Without him Twitter is boring. No fun at all. He is almost indispensable. How much the Congress party needs him, much more than that Twitter loves him.

We all are following someone or the other on Twitter, but he? He makes Twitter to follow him. With his carefully written and even carefully delivered heart-touching speeches. Yes. What speeches da! Ehh.. wonderful. Full of ideas, thoughts, fresh logic and what not. In other words, he is the ideal person. Ideal person to tweet about. Whether he makes it to the headlines or not, but he trends on twitter all the time: before, during and after his speeches. Looking at him I feel pity for those paid trends which pay heavily for a temporary attention. You rich advertising fellows learn from Rahul. 

Sometimes Rahul wants to make headline for some specific thing. Remember the #Ordinance? But somehow he trends for something else. Never mind, haar jeet to hoti rehti hai. What ultimately matters is popularity no? Say yes. 

His escape velocity analogy was phenomenal. It caught tweeple’s imagination. It trended on top of Twitter for 2 straight days. I was wondering whether escape velocity itself wanted to escape out of Twitter. May be Rahul didn't mention what velocity it needed to escape, it just stayed there only. By the time he gave another speech it slowly disappeared. Before answering any questions related to escape velocity, Physics students would laugh first. No chance of them making any mistake while answering Jupiter's escape velocity from now onwards.

This time his speech was in Rampur. In Rampur, he went one step further. He asked the crowd: “Arey bhai tali to baja do. Tali ke bina maza nahi ata” (I need you to clap to keep me going). (Check it here).

I just wish he keeps on giving us speeches, at the similar speed (or rather velocity). At least one speech a day. That would keep all of us happy and engaged.