INDIAN DEMOCRACY IN PERIL…?

Are you ashamed of our politicians? I am sure most of us are. At the same time we the “common man” or the Aam Admi (in plural) are in a sense fools. We are eager to exercise our franchise in all elections knowing for sure, that we are going to be taken for granted. The immediate drama about to be enacted in the aftermath of all elections are nothing but a ‘game’ of horse-trading to cobble together a hotch-potch alliance or a shameless master game to canvass the ones who are sitting on the fence with eagle eyes for an approach from millionaires- nowadays billionaire politicians - for a chance to taste power and pelf. All in front of us, the ones who catapult them to the Assemblies or Parliament. We had witnessed it, we are witnessing it, and we will witness it. That is our lot. But we won’t learn. Those who are aware of it most are the politicians themselves. Sure, we should be ashamed of ourselves.

Recently three elections to three States were held in our country. Each of them crucial in its own way. Maharashtra, Haryana and Arunachal Pradesh. The result of Arunachal was a foregone conclusion, even then that State being a bone of contention between India and China dating back to years is a cynosure of all eyes now. That is another matter.

In Maharashtra, though Congress-NCP alliance could muster a thin majority with the support of one or two independents for the third consecutive term, believe it or not, it took almost fifteen days to reach a somewhat amicable settlement between the two mainstream parties to reach a solution in the matter of allocation of key portfolios between them. NCP fought it out atlast and the former Sena man Chagan Bhujbhal was anointed the Deputy. Ashok Chavan was already confirmed as the CM. What for was the hullabaloo simply for the post of Deputy Chief Minister? Was it a show of arrogance, a shameless ugly challenge to the millions who in their earnest desire for a legitimate solid-rock government to be formed in an atmosphere of solidarity and peace queued up before the polling booths for hours to choose their leaders? Are these politicians not ashamed of themselves? How is it possible for them to present a good governance to the people at large? They can’t and they couldn’t either. But they can take the common man – Aam Admi- for granted, in future also. If an obliging media with a money package to the best bidder – a recent ugly trend in modern journalism – is offered by a candidate’s side (most of the contestants are millionaires and billionaires) who else is to be taken care of?

Now Haryana, another State where also money flowed like a river in spate. Bhupinder Singh Hooda, the incumbent Chief Minister armed with complacency recommended dissolution of the Assembly before the elections were due a few months ahead of schedule. He was sitting pretty in the saddle with a comfortable majority and his on the spur of the moment decision proved (turned) a damp squib. After all the chips were down, to his and party’s shock, the result was a hung assembly seven short of majority. Om Prakash Chautala’s Indian National Lok Dal alliance which was badly mauled in the previous election came almost neck to neck with Hooda’s party and it was everybody’s game then. Both plunged into the game of horse-trading and both staked claim to form the government. In the end, Chautala lost the race and Hooda being a more strong man presently with the support of a few independents and a part of Haryana Janhit Congress headed by Bhajan Lal, Hooda’s bete’ noire ( former AayaRam GayaRam  ‘fame’) crossed over to Hooda’s camp and now he has managed to sit comfortably with a thin majority. Hooda happy, High Command happy, who else is unhappy? Except Chautala, BJP, Bhajan Lal, we the Indian electorate are all happy.

Money is power and it has proved its might again.

In the Indian political scene presently except the Leftists (aberrations of course have surfaced here and there, agree) those with capitalist bent of ideology are mostly concerned with money spinning business, their pro-poor Garibi Hatao slogans notwithstanding.