|
Mumbai: Leader of Opposition L.K. Advani has said the biggest factor weakening the country's integrity was vote bank politics - whether it was a communal, casteist or linguist one.
His statement made during the release of his book My Country, My Life at the Crossword Bookstore here assumes significance since his reference to linguist vote bank clearly disapproves of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray once again emphasising that he will renew his campaign for the rights of the non-Marathi people in Mumbai and Maharashtra. Yet on a communally divided Gujarat he praised the Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled state for its development, which was endorsed by everyone including the Planning Commission, he said.
However, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who heads the Commission has not acknowledged this development, he added.
Sense of fulfilment
"We can strengthen the unity of the country by avoiding taking decisions on the basis of vote banks," said the BJP leader speaking to the media as well as a gathering of admirers, who had bought his book and were waiting to get his signature on the books.
The book itself has given him a sense of fulfilment he admitted. He had decided to write on constant persuasion by his wife Kamala and daughter Pratibha.
It all happened in last August 15 after watching newspapers and TV programmes showing the country's important events since independence.
"I had the good fortune of either participating in those defining moments or stood as a ringside viewer right from 1947 when the trauma of partition took place." It seemed like an appropriate time, he said, to write since he turned 80 in November 2007. His wife is 75 and his daughter 40.
And to top it all, this was the 60th year of India's independence. According to him, his most memorable period is the 59-day Rath Yatra or the journey he undertook in 1997 on the occasion of India's golden jubilee to tell the people of the sacrifices the patriots had made for the country.
When a member of the audience asked for his comments on the future of India, he answered "I don't regard the future of the country as being dark even though I may criticise the present situation. I do not have the slightest doubt that this will be India's century." He hoped the young people would read his book for "they are the future".
|
