The surprising victory of the Congress, India's ruling party, in three major states including capital Delhi, has many things to say about the Indian voters. The heavily politicized campaign of the BJP on terrorism and security has not worked with the voters. The vibrations coming out of India in recent weeks were extremely disturbing, and this for one was a pleasant news that the extremist Hindutva party of India was outright rejected, at least in three major states. There are some extreme similarities about BJP politics and those of the Bush administration. The Bush administration ruled America with what they call ‘Fear Politics.' Bush scared Americans with threats of terrorism and security and ruled the nation for eight years while destroying the country within and destroying the world without. The BJP played exactly the same card. The Hindu nationalist party said the Indian Congress was “soft on terror” and was quick to create panic among the common people of India. While Americans fell for Bush's trap, Indians, at least for now, don't seem to have fallen for BJP's ruse. But anything conclusive cannot be said until the parliamentary elections due next year. The fuel of success that BJP feeds on are attacks and more attacks to terrorize India into voting for the Hindutua party. Hardline groups who share BJP's ideology have been linked to terror strikes including the recent Malegaon blasts near Mumbai. Though the BJP has condemned these blasts, it is the same communal and militant ideology that has instigated many attacks in India. Indians seem to have responded maturely, they seem to have understood that terror attacks need to be handled intelligently and with sanity. They need leaders who can take India, and Indians towards development and progress. While security is an important issue for them, they seem to have rejected the polarizing and divisive policies of the BJP. Divide and rule was a policy that worked for British when they ruled India, but it won't work for the majority of Indians today. __
