Art About Mann Ki Baat

On Sunday, May 14, Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid a visit to the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) to see an exhibition by several top artists on themes outlined in his monthly radio broadcast Mann ki Baat. The exhibits held the attention of visitors as they connected everyday issues in a unique manner, making art speak about popular concerns. The artists interacted with Modi, explaining their vision and he, in turn, spoke about how art could be made accessible to people by reflecting their lives and concerns. The exhibition included different art forms like paintings, sculptures, photographs, and new media. Curated by Alka Pande and inaugurated by Anjolie Ela Menon, the themes covered cleanliness and sanitation, agriculture, the Northeast, space, and water conservation.

Yogi’s Muslim Card

BJP’s rout in Karnataka deflected attention from the party’s dominance in the Uttar Pradesh local body elections but the victories are a crucial stepping stone for the saffron outfit’s bid to retain its bastion in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. BJP’s decision to field close to 400 Muslim candidates resulted in 60-odd of them winning, mostly as councillors and some as nagar panchayat chairpersons. The opposition was quick to dismiss the wins as “tokenism” but BJP functionaries are satisfied that the move has yielded results. Some of the candidates won with razor-thin margins and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath campaigned in areas with a strong minority presence. It is obviously a stretch to claim that BJP has breached the Muslim vote bank but its success in finding winning candidates is certainly a development. In some contests, BJP’s Muslim nominees came second with party officials saying the Samajwadi Party was pushed to the third slot. Adityanath has insisted that, as with Central welfare schemes, the state government’s programmes do not discriminate between communities and that his tough approach on law and order has curbed the mafia and reduced communal violence which in turn has resulted in all sections of society feeling more secure.

CBI To The Rescue

The appointment of Karnataka police chief Praveen Sood as the new CBI director is an interesting development. Sood was at the receiving end of Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar’s ire over cases against various party leaders. Shivakumar had vowed to act against the officer if voted to office. But before Shivakumar or anyone else can act, Sood will be out of the state and taking charge of CBI in New Delhi. CBI’s tasks include anti-corruption investigations and counter-terrorism, apart from other areas like economic crimes. The cases that caused Shivakumar to throw a fit include investigations by the Enforcement Directorate. Many of these are in CBI’s domain as well, such as a disproportionate assets case. It could well be that the last word in the tussle between the police officer and the Congress heavyweight has not been heard just yet.

Hot South China Sea

While attention has been focused on the Taiwan Strait as a potential flashpoint, a retired PLA officer has written an article stating that the South China Sea might be a more dangerous place. Air and sea confrontations are on the rise, with sharp differences arising between the Philippines and China recently. An India-ASEAN ocean exercise attracted the unwanted company of Chinese fishing fleets, often described as an unofficial militia, with some of the vessels having advanced equipment to track and observe other ships, besides listening to conversations. The US has also sent vessels from its Pacific Fleet to the region to enforce rights of passage and adherence to what it says is a rules-based order. The challenge to China’s claims and its view that the area is its pond has not been taken lightly. An accident or flare-up in the increasingly militarised region is more likely to spark a crisis, the ex-PLA officer has said. It may be a case of bluster and anger—not an unusual tactic on China’s part—but the possibility of a clash cannot be ruled out.

The Boss is Listening

Cribbing about the boss may hardly raise eyebrows but it runs the risk of coming to the notice of the object of criticism at some point of time. Former Tamil Nadu Finance Minister PT Rajan found this out the hard way when two tapes of a person criticising the DMK ruling family and the party’s organisational structure were leaked. The minister has said the tapes are fabricated but the embarrassment caused to the party and government saw him being moved out to a less significant portfolio. The punishment might have been harsher but the DMK leadership may have considered the possibility that removal from the cabinet would be seen as not only vindictive but evidence that the allegations have a kernel of truth to them. Regional parties are often family-controlled outfits with one boss and any infraction invites a swift reprimand. To be fair, DMK has had, despite the towering presence of M Karunanidhi in the past, a council of seniors that deliberated on political and party matters unlike AIADMK which under J Jayalalithaa had no such pretences at all.

Karnataka Effect

Amid fresh efforts by Congress in Kerala to woo Kerala Congress (M), or KC(M), the party is looking to target CPM over its alleged role as a ‘spoiler’ in a clutch of Assembly seats in Karnataka. Congress leaders in Kerala are attacking CPM for having ‘helped’ BJP’s cause in these seats—a pitch aimed at eroding the Left’s standing among Christian voters who back KC(M). While these and other moves can be considered sideshows and part of politics-as-usual, they demonstrate that opposition unity is not easy to come by. On the larger stage, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has offered Congress a “no war” pact, saying that the latter must not work against the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal in return for support elsewhere. The suggestion could imply that Trinamool will not come in Congress’ way in the Northeast and elsewhere. But this would mean strengthening Trinamool’s advantage among Muslim voters in West Bengal to the detriment of the Left. That would work well for Mamata, but it also would mean Congress exiting the state, which is not an easy call.

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