They’ve got Feroze Varun all wrong

Anyone who thinks Varun Gandhi’s speech in Pilibhit/Barkhera makes him something of a Hindutva posterboy all of his own doing, has it all wrong. If you watch his speech with any measure of detachment — and I know that’s difficult — you’d see just how put-on and out-of-character it all appears. His thuggish, dimwitted personality does not have the finesse to latch onto the finer contours of electoral politics. If anyone even remotely believes that the idea of for his speech was his own, they would have totally misread both Varun Gandhi and his state of being. He’s a string-puppet, and was put up to the job by someone far more clever, far sharper and higher up in the saffron establishment. As was made clear by his bumbling, obtuse statement to the media later, Varun does not have the intellectual follow-through to stick with something he isn’t obviously convinced about, politically or otherwise.

Because let’s be absolutely clear about one thing. Feroze’s (that’s his given name, not Varun) violent, peurile adventurism is the result of carefully modulated instructions. I say this now because there are several reasons why I don’t think he believes in the things he said, beyond maybe for the ludicrously cheap political gains. But again, let’s not play down the gains. Because Varun Gandhi has, overnight, gone from being the underdog Gandhi, paranoid, insecure and with nothing to call his own, directly into the harsh glare of the public eye where he’s assured himself the wilful permanence that the media has in the past dealt to folks like Uma Bharti and that jackass from the VHP. Varun Gandhi is now a star for the deeply offensive things he said in those speeches. Let’s not kid ourselves. In all likelihood, he will win from Pilibhit and even campaign for the BJP in other constituencies.

Varun’s mentor (whoever that is) found in him an adequately dim-witted yet sophisticated young man, with all the energy and passion of a comfortable life, coupled with an instant detachment from the obvious dust of politics. I remember his popular column in RSS newspaper Organiser. I remember how Varun wrote flagrantly unedited copy, rich with inaccuracies and factual boo-boos about defence and national security. I remember wondering how someone with an obvious brain could write such drivel. Obviously I know very little about politics and perception, because in the span of a year of writing those deeply misinformed columns, Varun automatically became something of an authority on the security of akhand Bharat, even if he couldn’t expand SLBM if a gun was held to his forehead.

Varun was a year senior to me in a boarding school in South India for two years. We didn’t know each other in any real sense, but I of course knew who he was — in Class 5, I remember it being immeasurably smooth that a Gandhi studied at the same school I did. In a sense I thought I must be doing something right! Well, as it turns out, for whatever reason, I hated the school, and after two years, threatened my parents with desertion if they did not immediately get me out and back home. I don’t know if Varun went on to graduate from that school, but I imagine he did. I faintly remember a conversation with him outside his dormitory block (I was waiting for another friend), where we talked about Nintendo videogames and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles — it’s hard to remember or imagine what a phenomenon the Turtles were back then. But I digress.

I just think Varun Gandhi’s getting too much credit (I mean that in the neutral sense of course) for something that isn’t really his brainchild. His adventurism — such as it is — will almost certainly crank up his political position (it already, indubitably, has). I know people who know Varun Gandhi well — people who’ve been his friends for years, and remain friends. He used to a date someone who was half-Muslim. If anyone took his diatribe against sardars seriously, that would be laughable. Varun, as everyone knows, is half-Sikh by birth. But again, that’s besides the point.

There are only two points here that matter, and they’re the only ones that matter. One, Varun Gandhi has consolidated perceptions of him and his political position in equal measure — something that has assured him a berth in the wagon of dirty democracy. Two, he will have people to thank for it.

50 thoughts on “They’ve got Feroze Varun all wrong”

  1. stop posting such nonsense you fool. It is you who writes drivel not Varun G. That man had the gumption to speak out the truth & actually stand for the Hindus. It is a rare sight these days to see anyone come forward in the defence of the Hindus. But, what does that matter to you. Go lick the ar$e of Rahul Baba & the italian mafia, you traitor. All the problems in this country are because of traitors ike you.

  2. I really feel pity for BJP and Varun.
    They are the victims of pseudo secularists and self proclaimed intellectuals of this country who want everyone to talk like Mr Prakash Karat and Co.BJP bashing is the favorite pastime for all and sundry and Shiv you are not different.You have tried your best to sound unbiased in your analysis but your words fail you.
    Have you ever heard so much of hue and cry when a Mufti passes fatwa to vote in favour of a particular party.
    Election time dear,you also make hay till sun shines.

  3. shiv have told you hundred times. why do you feel forced to respond to morons? ignore anons who are still wiping their arses with leaves. you write what you want.

  4. I support NDA because I don’t like Congress & its policies. You can mean to say I support BJP out of compulsion. There are many thing good in BJP except Anti-Muslim feeling, & anyone in BJP raising Pro-Hindu sentiments creates uneasiness in me.
    When you raised this issue I thought you are going to say something new, we all know what is going behind the scene. At least you should have some confidence in your readers.
    I don’t know much about Varun. Even if he has gained immediate publicity, but his achievement would be short lived. If he nurtures Prime ministerial ambition (being a brother of Rahul Gandhi), this statement would cost him dearly in the long run. Until & unless something remarkable happens.

  5. Varun’s anti-muslim sentiments mirror frustrations about muslims’ intolerance in our country.But,I wouldn’t articulate it quite that way. In places where Muslims gain in numbers, they completely turn the tables on normal people and their “silent majority” looks on in denial and blame Jews and America or BJP.
    I am from Kerala and there use to be pro-Bin Laden marches openly in streets soon after 9/11 and their scum leader Abdul Nasser Madani who have recently being named by a LeT militants is some sort of hero out here..You ppl might have noticed recently quite a number of people involved in bomb blasts in all across india by SIMI and some terrorists recently killed in Kashmir were all from Kerala. No wonder Colonel Purohits are sprouting in Army and taking matters into their hands.

  6. You could intellectually think of your future at class 5 and convinced your parents what is good for you. great !!

    I am unfortunate I never heard your name. Such a waste of calibre.

    you fool…….

  7. why are you writing about Varun Gandhi on this blog you jack ass. Want to prove that you are on the side of the congress, is it? Keep the blog controversy free.

  8. Shiv,
    Can you keep this blog focussed on what you started it for?
    Or are we changing it into a political blog?

  9. Hey bigots, it’s Shiv’s blog. He can write whatever he wants to and you all can bark whenever and at whatever you want to as well.
    Hindu defence, what a laugh! Instead of blaming your laziness and ineptitude, these hindu bigots blame the minorities. Sindhu (Indus), HinduKush, Hindu, India, etc. are geographical terms and not some religion cooked up over centuries. My parents are Hindu and Sikh, and I am firstly Human and then Indian. And, you bigots are a crusty brown stain on BJP/RSS lungi !!

  10. Awesome article Shiv! “Dirty Democracy” doesn’t even begin to describe our current political complex.

    And please ignore all the bums posting here. This is an excellent article and a breath of fresh air.
    Kudos!

  11. hey Shiv..good article, but as a regular reader of your blog, here’s a suggestion..stick to the interesting stuff man..I mean who wants to read about some spoilt little brat who sounds like he’s going through late puberty? Invariably you will be accused of being partisan, a traitor etc, by the many many retards..

    @the various anons: too lazy to use your names?

  12. why are you writing about Varun , shiv? you have a personal grudge against him? or u ran out of defence stories? or some BJP men bullied you recently?

  13. Good, we have a Rishi Valley intellectual, who has understood and got Feroze Varun correctly, even if the entire country has got him wrong.

    Thanks Shiv for informing us, what is Varun’s full and actual name, what he actually meant, and the ramifications of his fiery speech. Good, we needed a blog and a Shiv to inform and educate us.

  14. Shiv,
    I or others may or may not agree with you on a particular point of view. But, this is your blog, openly in your name. That makes you braver than the misguided cowards cowering in the shadows whilst slinging their barbs.
    No point in lowering yourself into the slime and muck of the pig sty that these "anonymous" loudmouths call home.
    You're classy. Stay that way & keep up the good work!

  15. Shiv,

    How about doing an article on the dangerous rise Mulim fundamentalism in India. From West Bengal to Kerela there is a much more dangerous trend that is emerging but Indians have their head in their arse wishing that their problems will just go away. Talibani forces are here and knocking at our gate, we better be aware about it rather than give publicity to a good for nothing politician.

  16. Shiv,

    This is your blog, your piece – go for it.

    My take on Varun when I saw it being run ad infinitum really was a kid trying to impress the “crowd” and I thought he was playing more to the gallery than anything else.

    Feroze Gandhi .. now that is an interesting history .. 🙂

  17. Shiv,

    Thanks for great write-up. This is a different perspective and you sort of know the motherf***. I think it does fit this blog/topic because it is about national security and secular india in general. Any personparty that’s dividing creedreligion for ideology and power grabbing or whatever should be stopped and rectified right away. This is our enemy within that will do more harm then terrorists, pakistan, china or others. F*** the BJP and its supporters, all they want is divide and rule. The enemy is within people. We are a secular nation not hindu nation.

    Keep the harmony, bitches!

  18. Shiv

    this is one comment attributed to Varun that I keep coming across (there may be more):~

    >> 'If somebody lifts a hand against Hindus, or thinks they are weak, there is nobody behind them, then I swear on the (Bhagvad) Gita that I will cut off that hand'

    Its a violent comment, but in the face of Hindu grievances and the failure of the Indian state to protect Hindus from the Jihadi onslaught, its entirely understandable. Even more so in that part of UP with its Mulla Mulayam Gundaraj.

    I think you are way off on this one.

  19. Now 80% Indians are Terrorists if they call themselves Hindus. Manmohan said he is reminded of the Babri Masjid when he thinks of Advani. When I think of the Congress I think of the 170 temples razed in J&K and the Congress orchestrated Massacre of Sikhs just because one of their leaders was killed. Imagine if a Muslim had assasinated Indira Gandhi?. They would have done the same to Muslims. The BJP has never resorted this Politics of Hate. So why tag the BJP of being secular. Who is the true fundamental fanatic. Dynasty rule is also a form of Fanatism. Keeping a puppet like Manmohan till the next adulterated Gandhi scion is of age is also fanatic power play. Selling the security of the Armed forces by demoralising and degrading the Armed forces, fudging 50000 Crores from Govt. coffers, selling out the Nations Nucler facilities to the US is fanatical subversion to regain power.
    SO, who are the real zealous Non secular Fanatics. In China there was the Yaun Dynasty which was similar to the Congress Dynasty.

    Yuan Dynasty The Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty (1271–1368) ruled before the establishment of the Ming Dynasty. Alongside institutionalized ethnic discrimination against Han Chinese (in our case read this as Hindus) that stirred resentment and rebellion, other explanations for the Yuan’s demise included overtaxing areas hard-hit by inflation, and massive flooding of the Yellow River as a result of the abandonment of irrigation projects (so similar to the Congress failures). Consequently, agriculture and the economy (history! and even the money siphoned for agriculture has not been put to use for what it ws granted) were in shambles and rebellion broke out among the hundreds of thousands of peasants called upon to work on repairing the dykes of the Yellow River.

  20. Well written shiv! This piece you wrote means much more to me than all those articles you’ve written over the years. Keep it up, I’m with you!

  21. Shiv
    Whenever any hardcore BJP supporter trying to justify the demolition of Babri Masjid, claims that many Temples were razed in Independent India, I wonder whether the claims made by these people are true. Can you please shed some light, whether it is true? You are a journalist & in a better position to answer.

  22. Good work, Shiv. Jackasses like Feroze Gandhi are a threat to national security and the topic falls well within the purview of this blog.

  23. I am surely gonna vote for BJP!! Otherwise the existence of general category middle class hindu will become difficult! No more F***ing quotas for christ’s sakes!! I was a staunch supporter of congress as my whole family supported it, but now due to ‘quota according to caste’ politics played by congress, i have become an ardent supporter of BJP!!

  24. c’mon shiv ,go ahead and write an article on the rise of muslim fundamentalism in India ,especially in southern states …and how those fundamentalist muslims organisations are patronised by the major political parties for the sake of votes! ..and also how kerala has become a hub for recruitment of kashmir-bound terrorists…or how about a article on the deoband school in UP ,which has been churning out extremists (=brainwashed muslims ,ready to kill kafirs ) by hundreds every year.I bet ,you won’t do it….yeah,like pakis say, majority of hindus are simply gandoos..so you don’t have to fear about a backlash if you criticize them…but write one thing about muslim fundamentalists and you know whats gonna happen next.
    Jai Hind.

  25. ALLAH and the HAWAN – – – – – – –
    I was sitting in the second row amused at what was going on in front.
    It was a ‘Hawan’ org at the Unit ‘Mandir’ to ward off bad luck which had made its presence felt in the form of a few Road accidents, and Fire incidents etc in quick succession. ‘Pandit Ji’ had stated that a ‘Hawan’ would do the trick and there we were all sitting and fighting the ‘Evil’
    It helps. This belief in allmighty, this faith, actually helps. There are situations which a ‘Fauzi’ faces which at times are so impossible, that faith in the almighty is the only anchor.
    This situation was not all that impossible though, but there was no harm in taking precautions and enlisting the help of almighty by doing a ‘Hawan’. The Unit’s ‘Second in Command’, officiating as Commanding Officer was doing the ‘Hawan’ on behalf of the Unit. He was chanting ‘Swaha’ with Pandit Ji and doing the ‘Aahuti of Desi Ghee’ in the ‘Hawan Kund’ with utmost sincerity.
    Nothing unusual one would say but there is one little detail required to be added here. The 2IC happened to be a devout Muslim and a five times a day ‘Namazi’, — doing Hawan ? !!! I tried my level best to spot some discomfort but not once did I notice any thing in his actions, nor any self doubt. And on our part too, not once did I or others sitting around; (‘Hindus,Sikhs by faith) feel any thing wrong or unusual about a Muslim leading the ‘Yagya’. What is it about Army life that makes one so ‘Secular’ in practice that the religious concerns never interfere with human relations. I don’t remember ever having been told any thing during my training to practice or not practice any particular way of life. So how does it happen that a ‘Muslim’ never feels any discomfort in doing a ‘Hawan’ and Hindus sitting around have no problems with it .
    I was much junior in service and rank, but I and the 2IC, had very good relations and hence I could afford to take some liberties with him. After the ‘Hawan’ I told him, ” Sir, Don’t you feel you have taken a major ‘Panga’ with ‘Allah’ by doing ‘Hawan’. You better have a good explanation ready when you meet ‘Him’ on ‘Kayamat ke Din’. He laughed and said “I am sure one of your Millions of ‘Hindu Gods’ will stand up for me and put in a word. They all ( The Gods) stay together you see and will honor each others recommendations. . There is only one thing I am worried about. I hope I don’t meet ‘Him’ in the presence of ‘Pandits’ and ‘Maulvis. Otherwise they will give such a twist that I will be deprived of ‘Jannat’ and the ‘Hoors’ which are there waiting for me, and I will be destined to burn in the fires of Hell for centuries”
    No way Sir,
    I must assure you that you and the likes of you have your place reserved in our hearts. This is the ‘Jannat’ you will always get to live in.
    As regards ‘Hoors’ though, I may not be that gracious to a Muslim, ……..

  26. Seeing its eroding credibility among the masses, BJP now wants one Gandhi (poor Mahatma Gandhi must be turning in his grave because those Indiras and Rajivs made a mockery of his name.) on its side as well. And Varun has done it well, in keeping with the hate politics being played by the obscurantist BJP, the party of cave-men whom civilization hasn’t touched a wee bit.


  27. posted by anon @ 12:10 PM
    Shiv
    Whenever any hardcore BJP supporter trying to justify the demolition of Babri Masjid, claims that many Temples were razed in Independent India, I wonder whether the claims made by these people are true. Can you please shed some light, whether it is true? You are a journalist & in a better position to answer.

    forget about razed temples, cos u would not find much being written about it in popular media, as the govt suppressed media during kashmir terrorist up rise(after 1989).

    Visit any old temple in south INDIA u would see the ears of Nandi’s being cut off, do u know who did it????

    did u ever wonder why there was never a temple of the grandness of Tirupathi in Ayodhya for Lord Sri Ram???

    shiv how is it that you have concluded that varun has actually spoken those words even before the court says so???

    as per latest news there are 17 cuts in the audio submitted to EC.

    The whole game was planned by congress to crush varuns political career in the start just to quench some personal grudge that italian madam has on her sister in law.

    -Raj

  28. BTW why is it that njo media is shouting on the top of their voices about the 50,000 crores of rupees that congress has unable to account for as per CAG report.

    had this been BJP govt, we would have had this info on TV 24 X 7
    -Raj

  29. Why is it that no media asks as to why only Hindu Temples are govt controlled(revenue eaten by govt rather than used to develop temples orphanages and old age homes e.t.c for Hindu’s, in AP even lands of temples are sold by govt)
    where as mosques are run by a autonomous body(wakf board) and christian churches remote controlled by vatican(except some kerela churches)??

    W H Y ? ? ? ?

    -Raj

  30. Why is it that whenever a controversy arises over Hindu communalism, the right wing gets into a lather about Muslim communalism? Both are dangerous, my friends!

    By the same logic, every time a controversy arises over some fatwa by a crazy Mullah, perhaps the Hindutva folks should quickly bring up Sadhvi Rithambara’s speeches or the Gujarat riots for “balance”.

    Amazing double standard.

  31. Why is it that the Congress and the panderer Indian TV and print media publicises the BJP as the Saffron Brigade. Why don’t they call the Muslim League or the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimen as the Green Brigade? Is this to tell that Nation that 80% of them as Hindus are terrorists. Even Lt Cols Purohit who attended a few meetings with Hindu religious leaders was branded as a terrorist. In the Army it a tradition where people of all religions attend all functions at the Sarva Dharm sthal. It may be Eid or Janamashtami, no one absents. Yet there is no problem there. But the Congress is trying to sow the seeds of discord by trying to even make the Military politically and religiously biased. 80% of Indians are being branded as Militants by a Party that has a Foreigner to lead it and a non-elected representative as the PM.
    The Congress keeps reminding Indians of the Babri Masjid where no genocide was carried out but they conveniently forget the 1984 Sikh massacre when Sardars were hacked to death on the orders of Congress Political leaders. The Congress party presided over the massacre of 2,733 people in the first week of November. In East Delhi, H K L Bhagat’s constituency, 1,234 people were killed, half of them on November 1. On that day the police arrested 26 people, all of them Sikh. Rajiv Gandhi promoted Bhagat to cabinet minister. Sajjan Kumar, the man named in the most number of affidavits as leading the mob that was murdering and raping, got 8.5 lakh votes as he won his seat from outer Delhi as a Congressman in the last election. Policemen who did their duty in 1984 were punished by the Congress.

    At Sabzi Mandi police station, Assistant Commissioner Kewal Singh and Inspector Gurmail Singh arrested 90 rioters and established peace. When they asked for permission to enforce a curfew, they were relieved of duty by Additional Commissioner Hukam Singh Jatav. They two men, both Sikhs, were the only two officers punished for action during the riots. Two years later, a commission of inquiry found that they were “guilty of absconding their positions of duty”. In an Indian riot, the state disappears as an obstruction to the mob because police officers do not want to get into trouble. Haven’t we recently seen it during 26/11. Had Indira Gandhi been assassinated by a Muslim then the Congress goons would have vented their ire on the Muslims and buried the episode with a “Sorry, we did it, so what?”
    Secularism means respect for all faiths, including Hinduism. When will the Congress learn and when will the Hindus of India be able to walk tall without being branded a militant for going to the Temple?

    THE INDIAN ARMED FORCES SHOULD PASS AN UNWRITTEN CODE TO BE PATRIOTIC AND THROW OUT THE ITALIAN MAFIA WHICH HAS DEBASED THEM. Vote them o u t and get at least five more people alongwith each serving/ex service man to vote against Little Italy. No slimy pastas here. Daal chawal is better

  32. tut tut don’t you talk of hindus and muslims. you jackass why did u not write a f****** article when raj thackrey (and/or agents) was not just make speeches but also killing people/ vandalising public property. woh teri g**** mar deta H*****.

  33. shiv, you suck big time…it seems you are intent on settling your class 5 scores ,when you were ignorant of nintendos and mutant ninjas…I challenge you to publish an article on muslim fundamentalism …..C’mon do it ,man!
    -V.Agnihotri

  34. sanjay tripathi

    hello shiv, You seem to have a very good vocabulary….even after speaking english for so many years, I didn’t knew about existence of words like drivel,cretin….dipshit..etc. I am planning to send my kid to school this year..I would like my kid to have such additions to his spoken english…can you please send me the details of the school where you studied? do they charge extra fees for the same?

  35. absolute crap by shiv -his journalism-VA is actually RAHUL.THEY are one family-BJP is bad.
    Journalistic biass and hypocracy.fooling public with the living/ proffession of jour…

  36. Instead of writting this bakwa.. I suggest, your effort in….u would be doing great svc as a journalist/writter to the NATION.
    that is :-
    These jokers like Rahul G, Varun G,Raj tha,Udh tha,Rahul Mahajan,Sanjay dutt,Stalin karu,Goudas son,Mulayam son…….etc (long list).They f… around fooling public with public wealth m.. by the pa.they are projected as leaders for this country of billion popu..and they get into shoes of leaders without basics of life and living of ordi Indian.
    I,sugg u write on …they should all work and live the life of living for some time(about 3 yrs) as ordinary citizen as Kisan,Jawan,Industrial worker,labourer,nurse,babu,teacher….etc for 2 to 3 months in each of these for 3 yrs ,(not NECESSARLY at a stretch )and then come into the role of this leadership activity.THEN WE WILL NOT SEE ALL THESE ILLS AND EVILS IN LEADERSHIP.
    /LEADERS.
    IN FACT AN ORDINARY CITIZEN WITHOUT POLITIAL AFFINITY WILL BE BETTER GOVERNORS/PRESIDENTS,THAN MANY OF PRESENT LOT WHO DANCE TO THE TUNES OF HIGH COMMAND.even several military pers will do better than most of these aulad.

    hof these

  37. ALL ARMED FORCES PERSONNEL SHOULD VOTE THIS ITALIAN MISTRESS LED GOVT. AND HER WIMP COTERIE OUT OF POWER. SPREAD THE WORD AROUND – IF YOU FEEL FOR THE COUNTRY – NO MORE RULE BY THE ITALIAN MAFIA WHO HAS DISGRACED THE ARMED FORCES. THE ARMED FORCES MUST VOTE AND THROW THESE WIMPS OUT. IF WE HAVE TO DEFEND OUR BORDERS FROM THE PAKIS AND THE CHINESE AND THE BANGLADESHI LET US ALSO DEFEND OUR COUNTRY FROM ITALIAN INVASION

  38. Nice conspiracy theory, Shiv. So Varun was instructed by someone but you do not have evidence for it. This is how personal grudges become conspiracy theories

    There is one point you do not understand about Indian politics – Muslims do get preferential treatment. There is another point you do not understand about politics in general – a person who can rake up a controversy is smart, not dumb. Anyone who thinks otherwise is dumb.

    I am not a BJP supporter, I am just being objective here. It is Varun who is smart because he took the fact about Muslims being favored and packaged it in a manner to get attention. You do not understand this but have come up with some bizarre conspiracy theory.

    Indian journalism is of low quality and Indian journalists are susceptible to conspiracy theories – remember the conspiracy theory about Godhra train exploding all by itself and ZERO Hindus and 4000 Muslims being killed in the riots that followed? Only journalists with low intelligence believed all that. Smart people who are objective know that Hindus too were killed in riots.

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