(Editor-in-Chief)
Editorial: Fifty years back the importance of hotel was very limited. Hotels were used by the tourists, domestic or foreign. That part is still alive. But with the change of time, change of political games for power, situations are changing fast. Now political games are changing fast, activated by the new values of career politics by the career politicians. To remain in power they tend to use different subterfuges. After independence from the yoke of British colonial governance, Congress party ruled the country with their own styles and methods. Amazingly, one of the congress presidents, declared India to be Indira and vice versa. People rejected them from power. Congress party split to smithereens with the change of time. For a brief period the Janata Dal ruled the country. Janata Dal rule was also a coalition government. At one point of time the congress party came to be identified as Congress (I) – ‘I’ for Indira. Out of that Trinamool Congress, led by Mamata Banerjee, was also born. Out of that NCP {National Congress Party] led by Sharad Pawar charted its own way. Even going earlier, we found Jagjivan Ram going for CFD (Congress for Democracy) in protest against Indira Gandhi`s style of functioning. Thus, congress party has been divided into number of times for career building exercises by the ambitious politicians.
Today, Maharashtra politics, once led by Bal Thackeray, the strongest man of Maharashtra, was a veritable challenge to the congress government in Maharashtra. Have we forgotten the names of congress stalwarts like Y.B. Chavan, Sharad Pawar, Antulay and others? Even during the freedom struggle, the role of Maharashtra was quite commendable. In course of time, Bal Thackeray became a threat to all the parties by forming the political party, Shiv Sena. His son, Uddhav Thackeray has been working as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, first with BJP support, and subsequently with NCP and Congress support. This political arithmetic is also under threat factored by infighting within the ruling Shiv Sena. It is also interesting to note that Shiv Sena with its Hinduism-based politics has not been able to win more legislative seats beyond 56 only, and the situation has necessitated the urgency for coalition politics. Interestingly, in Maharashtra the coalition politics is under threat from infighting within the Shiv Sena.
As many as 40 legislators, the combined number of Shiv Sena and other small political parties, including the independent ones, have come to Guwahati, and are assembling in Hotel Radison. It is obviously not for tourism intent, although the same can be classed as political tourism.
Why Assam is chosen by the infighters of Shiv Sena in opposition to Uddhav Thackeray? Thackeray is stated to have willed for resignation from Chief Ministership for the satisfaction of the infighters of Shiv Sena MLAs. There are many conflicting reports from the media. We will have to wait and see what happens next. Let us see what hotel politics from Assam does to Maharashtra.
Also Read: Flood In Assam: An Incurable Malady