Conducting the Dasara festival is no doubt a daunting task where services of many talented and committed people are required.

One of the many tasks to be handled is undoubtedly printing and distribution of Dasara invitation cards. I do not know how many thousands of formal cards are printed, but I know for sure that primarily, cards are printed for reasons of protocol. After all, the festival is conducted by the State government and protocol requires invitations be delivered in a formal manner to VVIPs beginning with those in the government of the State and all those who matter at the Centre including judiciary.

Any lapse in this duty is sure to bring the wrath of the VVIPs upon those officials who are at the helm of conducting the Dasara. This year, like last year, there were some lapses in this exercise of distributing the invitation. I have received an e-mail from a public sector senior officer stating that a Gold Card to visit Dasara festivities was delivered to him on the Vijayadashami Day (28. 09. 2009) at 1 pm by which time, all the cultural and entertainment programmes of the past nine days had already become past and even on the day it was delivered, it was good enough only for the torch light parade.

Doubts arise, if the left - over cards were delivered to please the recipients. I pity P. Manivannan, the DC who is also the Special Officer for Dasara. Well, he also deserves our praise for 'managing the show' smoothly despite problems at every level, including from my professional fraternity. Certainly it was no easy task to put in place 380 Dasara programmes and monitor them. How could he do it? He could do it because of the “speed” with which he resonated to every unfolding event and did not hesitate to say sorry or apologies whenever he or his team members faulted. In retrospect, District in - Charge Minister Shobha Karandlaje trusted him and he did not let her down. Congrats.

The opposition Congress party has taunted the Chief Minister alleging that invitations for the Mysore Dasara were not extended to them which, however, was denied by the CM saying as per protocol invitations were indeed extended and in any case, this being a Nada Habba even those who have not received the invitations (not coming under the purview of protocol) could always attend the festival as it is for everybody.

The conduct of the Congress party in Karnataka, Vis – a - Vis the ruling BJP party seems to be unnecessarily vicious, vindictive, and cantankerous like that of a child from whose hands the lollipop has been snatched away. In this case the BJP has snatched away the lollipop called Power. Thanks to JD(S) perfidy regarding 20 - month power-sharing with BJP. Now, Congress and JD(S) seem to be impatient with BJP which has been in power hardly for 16 months now.

It is wise for Congress to exercise some restraint in its present premature and also immature attack on BJP on imaginary grounds like corruption, poverty, unemployment, poor housing etc., which were standard issues even when BJP was in the opposition.

For BJP, fortunately there is a CM in B. S. Yeddyurappa who is capable of taking on the Congress bull on a rampage by its horns. This is very clear from the CM’s retort at Gundlupet on September 27, 2009 to the Congress opposition leader Siddharamaiah’s accusation that the BJP Government is a “rascal” government.

If only the CM’s rebuttal, which was widely reported in news - papers, is read by the State Congress leaders and some introspection done, it will be good for the people of Karnataka — at least for now.

The Congress seems to be in a hurry to topple the BJP government. Like a lawyer who has neither law nor facts on his side bangs the table to confuse or intimidate the judge, the Congress has decided to intensify and widen the area of its protest, after the failed siege of Vidhana Soudha on 26th September, taking the protest down to districts and taluks.

Congress and JD (S) seem to forget that they too, while they were ruling us not long ago, were guilty of the same kind of allegation that they are accusing the BJP of now.

Hear this. The JD (S) spokesperson Y. S. V. Datta says, "How long can we keep quiet when the State's economy is in shambles and people are fed up with Chief Minister B. S. Yeddyurappa's misgovernance? So JD (S) has organised a protest on October 12."

How long? JD (S) ruled in partnership with BJP for 20 months. Can’t Datta allow BJP to complete at least 20 months before organizing the protest?

I am told by a wag that politicians who have tasted power once become like man - eater tigers. Once a tiger tastes the human blood, it develops a taste for human blood and becomes a man - eater. Hence it is good for the politicians to temper their craving for power by respecting the democratically elected government.

Could it be that the KPCC is trying to repeat what Congress did in Kerala when Nehru was the Prime Minister and his daughter was the Congress President, E. M. S. Namboodiripad became the Chief Minister of the Kerala Communist Government in 1957. The only non - Congress government in the country for those days. But it was toppled by launching State - wide protests, laying siege to the Assembly etc., etc.

At least Congress then had two strong grounds — Land Reforms ordinance and the controversial Education Bill. What has the KPCC and JD (S) got now to launch the planned State - wide agitation? Frivolous and untenable grounds I mentioned above. Then why disturb peace? Allow the BJP to govern the State in peace. Let the fight of the opposition be confined to the Assembly and the Council, the Constitutional forums, unless the BJP does something really anti - people or unconstitutional.

Sir, Democracy also means patience. Patience pays.

Jai Karnataka!