In good faith

 A storm is raging in India. No, not the physical one. This year it has managed to devastate many parts of india, most recently Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Better hence not to even remember it, now that the monsoon has chosen to behave rather normal.

Many chatterati in India do not, however, seem to follow the sensible nature, if the raging storm over the P.M. visiting the CJI's house during the Ganeshotsav, performing the 'aarti' there wearing a Marathi topi, the typical headgear worn during any puja, is any proof.

Well, the Chief Justice of India, the CJI, happens to be a Marathi. Like most Marathi households, at his place, too, there seems to be the celebration of the  Gauri-Ganapati festival. The P.M. visited his residence, and performed an aarti there. As a result, a huge fire, figuratively luckily, is raging on the social media, and on the TV debates.

There are a series of salvos being fired at both the P.M. and the CJI, given this event. Some questions are regarding the PM's headgear. The implication is that he wore it to woo the Marathi voters. Well, I thought the Indian, especially the Marathi, voter is tremendously discerning, even astute! Would she/he be swayed thus?

But the doubting Thomas's are worried about how he got the cap, did he bring it along, who gave it to him, and so on! Yet another, and a rather forever, query is why the President was not invited. I would not know. May be, she had a prior commitment, and may visit the CJI's house some other day before the immersion.

Yet another element in this sound and fury is the PM and the CJI, two heads of the two arms of  the polity, the executive and the legislative coming together  at all. Good neighbours need good fences, to quote Robert Frost! 

Well, the P.M. invites Christians of many denominations to his official residence, visits many churches during the Christmas. Such videos do happy rounds of the social media circa December 26. They do the channels proud, too. So have forever the iftar ceremonies of all possible political parties. The P.M. wears a Sikh headgear when he visits the Gurudwara, right?

Moreover, at least in Maharashtra, there is this tradition to not to let professional rivalry/hatreds/bitterness-es cross in to the personal space. Often, quite comically, leaders, who tore each other apart during the day, are the best buddies as the twilight,  the dusk sets in!

Has it rattled sympathisers that the CJI did not favour the non-Shinde ShivSena or took suo motto cognizance of the Bengal tragedy? Indira Jaysingh, who first raised objections to this get-together, has been unhappy with the Home Ministry since 2019 for its objection to her NGO, right? As for the forever smiling Sibbalji, did he resent the CJI's pertinent pointed queries during his recent representation of the Bengal government? Such counter queries are sure to emerge, My Lord!

In other words, is the entire fracas in good faith? Or is it the 'gottcha' feel? Well, the CJI has often been anti-BJP, too! Moreover, it is always a bench, never an individual judge who delivers any verdict!

Cannot people meet beyond their  public roles? What exactly is the need to read motives that may not even exist? The current CJI is well-known for his integrity. Why tarnish an individual, and the two major posts, the P.M. and the CJI?

 As for the conveniently quoted 'secular' tag, people forget that it was not there in the original version of the Constitution. It is a much later addition! Discussing who/why/when added it would merely muddy the entire discourse.  Sad scenario, in brief, is the fracas of pure partisan politicking!

Pratima@ Our actions and reactions should be in good faith, I ardently believe.