In a debate moderated by TIMES NOW's Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami, panelists -- Nirmala Sitharaman, Natl Spokesperson, BJP; Sanjay Bapna, Meber & Gen Secy, AICC; Sunil Kumar Jakhar, Leader of Oppn, Punjab Assembly; Asifa Khan, Member, BJP; Dr Manoj Jha, Spokesperson, RJD; Hartosh Singh Bal, Political Editor, Open Magazine; and Shazia Ilmi, Member, Aam Admi Party -- discuss the issue whether political parties should come together at the time of a national disaster of this scale as happened in Uttarakhand.
Days after the flash flood tragedy struck Uttarakhand, the death toll could be in thousands. And, more than 10000 people are still stranded. The forces are at all odds to bring people to safety. Some still await news from their loved ones, but the politicians, who remain unaffected and untouched by the massive loss in the Uttarakahnd floods, are indulging in petty politics over relief work now. And, the political fight has begun. And political parties are worried about who will walk away with the credit and the photo-ops. Jawans of the army paramilitary and airforce are working day and night in the massive rescue effort on the one hand, and on the other carefully planned photo-ops are being organised where cameras are startegically placed to ensure that there is no anonymity to the relief. Why on earth they cannot choose to be anonymous and help, while they run away from our cameras when we ask them about their disastrous track records, they are so keen to position themselves as saviours of the distraught people trapped in Uttarakhand, why they want to milk the occasion of this great tragedy to market themselves as do gooders and why instead of showing unity at this hour now even now they want to indulge in petty finger pointing. The question is people should decide who wins this ridiculous fight for appearing like the saviours of Uttarakhand. The brave jawan, the indefatigable pilot, and the committed soldier who regardless of whether they are given credit or not are doing everything possible to make amends for the incompetence of our politicians and bureaucrats.
