Political Diary
New
Delhi, 22 August 2017
Muscle
+ Money = Mass Appeal
JO JEETA AT ALL COST WOH SIKANDER!
By
Poonam I Kaushish
Rajnetik
virodhi ya jaani dushman? Tragically, the lines between a political opponent and a
sworn enemy have got blurred wherein winning at all cost is the new normal of
political morality to the exclusion of ethical considerations in elections
interspersed with trash talk, torrent of vitriolic abuse and double and triple
crossing. All reveling in their baser characteristics swaying to the heady
tinkle of money, cheap thrills and seetees
with the devil taking the hindmost!
This was brutally underscored by Election
Commissioner O P Rawat, who lamented the decline, “poaching of legislators is
extolled as smart political management; strategic introduction of money for
allurement, tough-minded use of state machinery for intimidation etc. are all
commended as resourcefulness. The winner can commit no sin; a defector crossing
over to the ruling camp stands cleansed of all the guilt as also possible
criminality”, he added last week.
Of course, his outburst was against the
backdrop of the political shenanigans witnessed during the prestigious battle
royale by BJP President Amit Shah to ensure defeat of Sonia Gandhi’s Political
Secretary Ahmed Patel in the Rajya Sabha polls in Gujarat recently. Whereby the
Commission was forced to use its special powers under Article 324 to revoke the
decision of its Returning Officer in the State and declare invalid votes cast
by two rebel Congress MLAs. Primarily, as they had violated secrecy norms by
disclosing their choice to unauthorised persons, other than the Party’s
election agent.
It all started with six Congress MLAs resigning
ahead of polls and joining the BJP leaving Patel little leeway but to herd 44
of the remaining 51 legislators to a Karnataka luxury resort to prevent further
defections. Within days, the Income Tax searched 60 premises linked to
Karnataka Energy Minister Shivakumar who was overseeing the MLAs stay. Leading
to the Congress accusing BJP of misusing its resources as it sought the EC’s
protection.
At the outset, I am least surprised and
really don’t understand what the brouhaha is about as come elections our netagan are past masters at showing
their girgit true colours throwing
all public decency and decorum to the winds! With the stakes for India’s Raj gaddi skyrocketing, polls are all about badla and protecting personal and Party izzat wherein immunity acts as an
implicit sanction for more of the same.
Alongside, our leaders have perfected the art
of making alliances into the most luscious mistress to be measured through the
prism of power-glass politics as rajniti is
all about ruthlessly grabbing power sans ideology, rearranging its friends and
negotiating with enemies.
Worse, once you start peeling off our netagan’s
mask one comes face to face with the naked truth. Wherein every Party and
its leaders have perfected the art of beguiling its hum zulfs and dushmans with
aplomb. More incredible is the whopping monies being spent on this dazzling
razzmatazz.
This is not all. The friends and enemies are
all rolled into one to fulfil their lust for power. With clinical precision
devoid of any pretensions of ‘meeting of minds’, ideology or principles.
Exposing that power is the glue that makes incongruent Parties come together.
Take Bihar. Chief Minister and JD(U) head Nitish
Kumar last month walked out of the “secular” RJD-Congress Mahagadbandhan switched across to the “communal” BJP and was
promptly dubbed Hindutva. How does someone who was secular yesterday become
communal today?
Ditto vis-a-vis
MPs or MLAs. The less said the
better of mafia dons-turned politicos. Who are paraded as prized bulls and portrayed
as safedi ki chamkan compared to
their chor brethren who are unfit to
rule, leave alone provide good and honest governance. Consequently, the State
has become a battleground of caste senas, armed brigades and ideologically
indoctrinated lumpens. Big deal if political goons have emerged as the biggest
threat to society and the nation.
Sadly, no Party and its netas talk about their
vision and plans to propel the country forward. Neither are they worried about selecting the right
candidates on the basis of their character, integrity, honesty et al. It is all
about making the best of a bad bargain. Wherein caste, class, creed, criminal
and communal paradigms will decide how votes are cast. Along with loud and
abusive procrastination that catch the eyeballs. Win-ability not acceptance
holds the key. All want the Taj or to
be Kingmaker. Whatever the means.
The tragedy of it all is that in this winner
take-all-fight, the polity has usurped the legislatures and virtually turned
them into a free-for-all. Parliament and Assemblies are now the new akharas where legislators throw paper
missiles and files, hurl mikes, shout slogans, clash and exchange blows with
rivals even climb on the Speaker's desk and wrench the microphone off its base
as Marshals helplessly look on. Standing testimony to the contempt our netagan hold for these temples of
democracy.
Clearly, the blame for this descent of
political discourse into the depth of subjective skullduggery and vulgarity
lies squarely with Parties. Quick to crack the whip and complain post haste to
the Election Commission they have shied away from demanding the same discipline
for such crude and repulsive swipes at rivals.
Alas, gone are the days of politicians
enunciating their ideology and policies in measured tone and tenor of how they
plan to take the country forward on a growth trajectory. Today, polls have been
reduced to a slugfest of personal insinuations and character assassinations
against opponents which brings out the worst in everyone. Along-with monetary
inducement to defectors, flexing muscle power to steal a stubborn leader,
bluntly paisa pekhe tamasha dekh.
Thereby, vitiating the very idea of
democracy. Never mind, the aam aadmi’s
distaste for vulgarity, gender insensitivity, sexist thinking and speeches
spewing communal hatred. Additionally, with Parties refusing to act against
hate-laden speeches the case for allowing the EC to disqualify candidates with
legal safeguards gains currency.
What next? Where do we go from here? No
longer can we merely shrug our shoulders and dismiss it as political kalyug. Undeniably, our leaders need to
tone down personal attacks, divisive politricking and force and instead take on
each other on issues that their constituents and the nation face. Those who
reduce the level of discourse to such depths only do so at the cost of exposing
their lack of civility to the electorate and the country at large.
Importantly, India is today at the moral
crossroads. Specially against the backdrop of our politicians having perfected
the art of cultivating low morality and high greed, donning different party
robes, according to their whims and fancies --- and the need of the hour.
Leaving India dangerously communal, but the Parties and their leaders
hypocritically secular.
Our polity needs to dump its ongoing
political nautanki and remember one
age-old truth, if you point one slanderous finger at another, four other
slanderous fingers will point back at you! Nor can we allow small men to
continue to cast big shadows.
The EC has exposed India’s political nadir.
Questionably, can a nation be bare and bereft of all sense of shame and
morality? And, for how long? Time our
polity desist from employing their individual meanness in the name of public
good. They need to re-think their priorities and desist from destructive
mindlessness. And remember the adage: Nothing costs a nation more than cheap
politicians! ---- INFA
(Copyright, India
News & Feature Alliance)
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