09 December 2013, 10:40 PM IST
The Lucknow Mail slides out of platform No. 1, Charbagh, at 10pm sharp. Decades ago, when there was enough leisure and time for "tehzeeb", one would notice two nawabs in front of a first AC compartment, each one telling the other to board first. A condescending guard would then come, politely tell them the time was up, but would still give them five extra minutes to sort out the ritual, as the train could not be held any longer. That doesn't happen any more. But what happens is that the train once in a while is held for around 10 mins, without the cause being revealed. Mostly, it is because a netaji got delayed in his meeting, and comes rushing in with his "shadows". The non-verbal message is more like, "Pehle hum", which is more in tune with finding your space subsequent to berth, on his onward political, as well as journey through life. With the locomotives running faster now, and the travel duration being the same, the arrival at New Delhi is still punctual.
It is again "pehle hum" at New Delhi, netaji, accompanied by his two shadows, is the first to step out. All other passengers are quite used to the preference given to one of the many who run this country. There is also no "ladies first' these days. That phrase may have some application when netaji checks into his five star hotel at night. Obviously, businessmen make sure that netaji is looked after well. It is dark, so the shadows are also subsequently eased out.
The election results just being out, there being no clear majority in Delhi, with the BJP and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), being close in numbers, seem to have taken us back in the decades to the old ritual. Whereas the body language is quite plainly "pehle hum", it is quite a pain that new set of ethics as defined by each of them says that they would not take each other's support. Damn it, with so much of time, money, government resources spent, do they not have the responsibility to form a government with whatever be their alliance, and start cleaning up the streets of the capital, an important symbolic part of a party's agenda!
Such feigned animosity has no place in a democracy, or is it that both know that they can't do the job like the previous government. It is better therefore to lodge excuses upfront. I am not an admirer of any, but politicians wasting weeks to enunciate their ethics again at the eleventh hour is too much even if one was to woo someone else's lady love. This is not professional politics. This is melodrama at the nation's expense. I really haven't understood the argument of AAP, that since they got a mandate to push out the corrupt Congress and BJP, they can't let down their voters for the promises given by giving in to unholy alliances.
Well how sure is anyone that they were voted for honesty? That can only be proved when one has enough power and money! Isn't it ridiculous that people can self-compliment themselves as "honest" because they have transformed themselves into skull heads and covered them up with a cap. That the total audited expense for the election was just Rs 20 crore is neither a proof of honesty, and much less of the efficiency to run the city-state. If rival parties be so untouchable, better have your headquarters on the farther bank of the Ganges and contribute by preaching spirituality to those whom you brand as corrupt. Not to miss that the yogi Ramdev has become a national interlocutor, and each time he appeared, a product of his "Patanjali" pharmacy was advertised!
The respectable BJP chief ministerial candidate (that's because he is a doctor, you can fire me for such a comment) candidate who so smartly pushed out another more likely candidate of his party who had been two times MP from Delhi now states that he of his own shall not invite anyone for support. He in fact in one of the interviews was asking the anchor to suggest what should he do. The question was also posed before the audience. Are we appointing staff for an NGO? Make no mistake, that pre-election nuptials have already been tied! But can only be revealed reluctantly to avoid suspicions.
Are these the selected leaders of parties who fought for an election in the capital of the world's largest democracy? Forget leaders, are they even reasonable politicians. The nation does not need their soul searching exercises. What the country wants, is for them to come together and show a better job that was promised. Can't it be discerned that out of the many promises, the more important is to govern and fulfill the agenda promised to the people. This new flock seems to be having the mindset of those who fight college elections. Do we have the time, even the stamina to stand headaches that their intransigence generates, and why should the country spare this unthinkable fuss. The clear signal all the youngsters and the citizens would soon give is, to fall in line, or pack your bags.
Again, without any leanings towards any party, the outgoing Chief Minister was pretty graceful in handing in her papers, and what was a fittingly shrewd stand, just walked out. She had done her job, resigned, complemented her rival, all within one minute. There was no need to entertain any questions from the press. That's called class.The first day's event shows that perhaps we are not in for the sort of firm administrators, people with maturity to handle power, or people with a vision, and integrity to get a job well done. The dynamism and diplomatic stance to take all along is seems to be lacking. Victory in an election is no proof of virtue. Dynamic leadership is. The concept of a sweep should not influence the mindset into similar occupations and pre-occupations.
In corruption, India is somewhere on the 100th rank, in a descending order, starting with the least corrupt, and to make is easy, the list has close to 200 countries! So what is all this hullaballoo about? Minds in today's world, who can only draw attention through fasts, have already used coercive tactics before. None of what has been so gloriously displayed as a simple lifestyle has anything to reveal the sagacity and guile to carry on today's politics. Are we reverting to a medieval format to judge calibre and guts to govern? Is this a selection process for ordainment of a new batch of priests?
Equally disturbing were remarks that young people just 25 yrs of age won their seats. The question before us is not how a particular party won due to pent-up animosity of circumstances towards an incumbent. The question quite plainly is, is the new flock mature enough to carry the show with much better governance and speed? Politicians know well enough how to get along with each other. They better not put up a farce in public.
There is no place to show huddled meetings, sending divergent messages every now and then. How long shall we have to wait to see the holy white smoke?
But I have doubts, hopefully false, that his is not the crop the country is looking for. But if this be true, then arrange for better administrative fertilizers, tilling every now and then by the public and a watchful look at the skies, that God doesn't fail us!
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