BJP’s victory is an eye-opener
Kudos to India’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for its thumping victory in the Uttar Pradesh (UP) elections, which is being branded as a precursor to the 2019 general elections (“After win, Modi touts transformation”, Gulf News, March 13). Hats off to BJP workers, especially India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah, who have once again proved that caste, creed and religion are not the only factors to win elections in India now. What young voters expect is development and prompt action. In fact, it was foolish of Akhilesh Yadav, the President of the Samajwadi Party, to ignore his father’s advice against taking Congress as an ally. Everyone knew that the Congress party was sinking, due to a history of scams, and it lost its identity a long time ago.
Now, Congress is keen to tie up with state parties to get a foothold in every state, just to save face. Anyway, this massacre in UP should be an eye-opener for groups like the Samajwadi Party to pay more heed to the wisdom of seniors and experienced leaders, and to not get carried away with false accolades!
From Mr N. Mahadevan
Chennai, India
Rise in communalism?
Brace for some tough and testing times ahead. For the likes of me, questions and doubts on our ‘Indian-ness’ will reach new heights, basic rights to food and education will be compromised (such as what to eat and what to learn), media will further grow to become the mental programming platform to promote the hatred of everything, except that which is approved by those in power. We may lose our ‘Indian-ness’ for the time being. Pseudo-nationalism and widespread communalism in all matters, are now expected!
From Mr Tanveer Ahmad
Dubai
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Identity politics
The BJP’s sweeping victory in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand by 309 and 56 seats respectively, in the parliamentary elections, is proof that political analysts were wrong about the prospect of a public backlash after Modi’s demonetisation policy. The new narrative further confirms the failure of the Congress party, which has lost relevance, after being overthrown in this election, despite the party’s move to form an alliance with the Samajwadi Party. It is an undeniable fact that communal votes played a major role towards BJP winning past elections in several states. But it would have been difficult for them to replicate such success in the current elections, using similar tactics, following the sporadic communal unrest that emerged after the BJP assumed power.
In fact, the BJP has succeeded in institutionalising a certain kind of identity politics that have appealed to mainstream Hindus, unlike in the past. With new developments unfolding, Congress is slowly beginning to lose it status as a crucial political party and it has only itself to blame for its current failure.
From Mr Esmail Mohammad
UAE
There’s no stopping BJP now
The BJP’s unprecedented victory in Uttar Pradesh is an emphatic reiteration of faith in Modi and his policies. The results of the elections only prove that Modi’s popularity has increased. Opposition parties and many political analysts thought and believed demonetisation would prove disastrous for Modi. On the contrary, people have, by overwhelmingly voting for Modi and his party, taught a lesson to those who criticised, ridiculed and demonised the demonetisation policy. On the other hand, Rahul Gandhi has been very successful in ensuring the defeat of Congress in election after election. Congress’ win in Punjab can be attributed to the sole effort of Amrinder Singh and the failure of Parkash Singh Badal to keep a check on the drug menace in the state. Therefore, giving credit to Gandhi for Congress’ win in Punjab is only a face-saving measure and far from reality.
Omar Abdullah, former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, advised the opposition to plan and get ready for 2024 – this is perhaps the most sensible reaction to the poll’s outcome.
From Mr Ganeshan Srinivasan
Dubai
Millennials want more
I believe an emphasis on work-life balance needs to be the next big push by the UAE government (“Residents spend less than five hours a week with family”, Gulf News, March 13). With rising inflation and upcoming value added taxes (VAT), we need to find new reasons to attract and retain talent. Lifestyle alone will not be enough for people in the future, especially with the advent of a millennial workforce.
From Mr Jonathan Botha
Dubai
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Shorter work week
Most private companies have a six-day work week, so what do you expect? This is not normal. Some Scandinavian countries even have four-day work weeks.
From Mr Cam McDonald
Dubai
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Region-wide issue
There are some companies that are International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) certified, and still make people work for more than 12 hours, without any compensation. Even weekends are not spared. In fact, in some of the companies, the criteria for salary increments and promotion depends on how long they are present in the office.
From Mr Sajan Philip Puthoor
Muscat, Oman
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No room for innovation
What most people don’t realise is that by encouraging a lifestyle that puts greater focus on work-life balance, you are creating a healthier, happier society. If employees are well rested and are content with the amount of time they spend with their families, they are able to give a 100 per cent of their focus and talent to their work. There is no point having exhausted employees, with their nose to the grindstone six days a week. It leaves absolutely no room for innovation and brainstorming. Most employees would just be counting down to when they can get home!
From Ms Amal Obaid
Abu Dhabi
Game changer
This is a game changer in the world of real estate in the UAE (“Low-income housing policy approved for Dubai”, Gulf News, March 13).
From Ms Roan Flores
Dubai
Facebook comment
Specifics, please
I think this is an excellent idea. It would be great to be more specific regarding the amount that is regarded as low income, though.
From Ms Wendy Anne Spencer
Dubai
Facebook comment
Back to the basics
Look at us, talking about the next new technology… it’s all garbage (“Apple’s Siri learns Shanghainese as voice assistants race to cover languages”, Gulf News, March 11). Why don’t people go and talk to a person on the street or go play football with their next-door neighbours? Try do things manually, use your body and be active.
From Mr Kaikobad Hassan Khan
Abu Dhabi
Facebook comment
Smarter, safer
There’s nothing wrong with using technology to do what we can, Mr Kaikobad Hassan Khan. What’s wrong with making life easier, through innovation and inventions? Google Maps, for instance, has completely transformed how people navigate. It’s why people find it easier to travel when they are in foreign lands and are unable to speak the country’s language. As a woman, I definitely feel safer in India, when I hail a cab and switch on my Maps app to make sure the taxi driver is taking the right route. Just because it’s easier to use technology, doesn’t mean it’s wrong.
From Ms Ananya Seth
Dubai
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