By Kulsum Mustafa, TwoCircles.net
Lucknow, October 28: 2009: Subhasani Ali, the firebrand CPI (M) leader is not known for mincing words. She talks direct and forcefully with a certain conviction that is both appealing and stimulating and display signs of a leader. True to her party ideals, the lady makes sure that her public addresses generate a mass appeal. She has over the years brought out the common man’s point of view strongly. She did the same at Hindustan Samagam-2009 -UP-Dasha aur Disha ‘(UP’s present situation and its future.) on October 27 in Lucknow.
Asserting that reforms are always public-driven, Ali said that it makes her both angry and sad that people in Uttar Pradesh have lost their will to fight back, assert, agitate and demand their due from the politicians. She said in the absence of any semblance of solidarity and purpose, the people are bound to be taken for a ride by the shrewd politicians. These politicians ride on public shoulders but fail to shoulder any public responsibility once they are elected to power.
Subhashini Ali [Photo by Nasiruddin Haider Khan]
If Ms Ali is to be believed the people of Uttar Pradesh are the most exploited of the lot in India. The most glaring example of political apathy is the grossly inadequate below poverty line (BPL) cards issued in the state.
“At present there are only 75,000 cards issued when there should be two cores,” she said adding that the exploitation is not just by the state but also the Central government.
“It is the clouded perception of things by the UPites and their lack of will to stand up for a cause that makes them vulnerable and subjects of exploitation by the political leaders.
“Casteism and communalism are twin banes of UP,” she said.
She said that the fact that there have been no land reforms in UP has really affected the man standing at the end of line. No public interest work has been done for the past six decades of freedom. She said no major investments made in power sector, health, education and all this has taken its toll.
Taking a dig at Uttar Pradesh Chief minister Mayawati’s great passion for setting up her own statues in the state Ms Ali said that those who do not have children have to ensure that they set up their own memorials in their life time.
Ms Ali did not even spare the media and called reporting biased and prejudiced and always tilted towards one side. She said the media is selective in their choice of news and news of development is left out.
The CPML leader said that the media likes to focus on good practice of development. It does not show the stark reality that is always more shocking.
What troubled Ms Ali greatly was that in the worst living conditions, when people had nothing to eat as they cannot access subsidized rations due to lack of ration cards the common man is not ready to stand up and fight for his right.
She urged the common man to do their little bit for changing the state of affairs and that included getting your dear ones taken to the electric crematorium in order to save thousands of trees from being cut down and environment poised through air pollution..
Ms Ali reiterated that the development of UP possible only through public driven reforms.
She quoted an instance when a journalist asked people at a rally the number of people present. “The first person, who said it was 15,000, was a Brahmin. The second who quoted the number as 50,000 was a supporter lower caste and the last person who was sitting on a tree branch and said “there were thousands was a Muslim and did not wish the BJP should come to power,” said Ms Ali adding that the trouble with UP is that everyone is watching things with his own pair of spectacles – he has his own interest and not the interest of the state and that is why there is chaos.