Taking stock

About 30 months ago, Rajeev adopted the policy of deleting our comments outright. We started the rajeev-2006-critique blog to counter the censorship. Within weeks our blog brought about some desirable changes. Post the critique blog, Rajeev's blog has fewer obscene posts about women, much less bashing of Hindu icons, and much greater focus. At one point in time, we thought that the critique blog was being counterproductive, so we closed the blog.

We reopened the critique blog as rajeev-2008-critique simply because the policy of summary deletions continued and nobody objected to it. As expected the shoot-the-messenger type of censorship that Rajeev adopts has resulted in the blog post often going comment-less. People have realised it is futile to post comments that have a different perspective and have abstained from posting. Thankfully, the virulent original posts have also reduced.

Earlier this year, there were new entrants to the blogosphere. Both Kanchan Gupta and Swapan Dasgupta started their own blogs with an open comments policy. The debate is much more lively and inclusive. There is now a better platform for any debate about BJP. Rajeev's blog is irrelevant from that angle.

It is still important to promote democracy on Rajeev's blog. I cannot do it alone. I will wait for someone else to take this up. We will be looking for a suitable opportunity for that. Let us hope Rajeev's blog does not suffer the fate Advani is suffering. Advani squashed intra-party opposition with a heavy hand. He lost the elections and he is likely to lose his status forever. He never delivered any results for Hindus or India but bloggers like Rajeev never allowed anyone to publish such views. Public has learnt the truth too late.

In the meantime, BJP is realising it cannot combine Marxism, Hinduttva, and personal ambitions of the members of the geriatric club and their sidekicks in one single offering to India. Let us hope that the vigorous debate generated by election results strengthens both Congress and BJP, and India in the process.