The cesspool that defines national politics

The recent statement by Masood the congress candidate from Saharanpur is reflective of the major malaise facing the political system of the country. While Masood indeed crossed all limits of social behavior, there have been similar incidents covering other political parties as well, though on a relatively lower scale in the politically volatile state of Uttar Pradesh. Is this reflective of the fact that goondaism has emerged as the core of the political system in our country I wonder?

How refined the language that the masses use is indicative of the state of development of the nation and if the recent statements that emerged during the ongoing Mahabharata are any indication, we have indeed come many notches down in so far as social values and behavior are concerned. The mere thought that people like Masood have a fair chance to sit in the hallowed portals of the parliament gives shivers to ordinary mortals like us. This thought also makes us hang our heads in shame as the parliament of the nation would stand disgraced by the presence of people like him as compared to people of the stature of Nehru, Shastri, Atalji, Piloo Mody and many others who raised the prestige of the august house by their presence and their words. Indeed the hallowed portals are meant for knowledgeable debates, not for flaunting muscle power or the ability to start or perpetuate goonda raj.  

And that leads me to wonder why all the leaders are not adequately vocal about the biggest malaise afflicting the nation at present – corruption. Why has no big leader ever expressed his resolve to root out this malaise from the face of the nation. Even none of our great and not so great prime ministers could find the courage or the resolve or perhaps the moral authority to announce the beginning of the battle against corruption while addressing the nation every independence day.

The answer is simple. The political as well as the bureaucratic system of the country is mired deep into corrupt practices and expecting one of them to announce the beginning of the battle would therefore be asking for too much. And it is not as if the menace is so big that it cannot be brought under control or eradicated. It merely requires the resolve and the morality of those in power who have the authority of the pen.

Perhaps the cesspool that the nation appears to have entered into is so deep and so thick that getting out of it is going to be difficult. Being a part of the system I appreciate the deep rooted spread of the mess, yet I wish that the leader who emerges would take this issue head on for only then the nation would have any chance of moving forward in the real sense.

If only wishes were horses!

Victorious Democracy - Hope Lives

Who would have ever thought that Kejriwal, the national icon of defiance and honesty would be taking oath as the Chief Minister of Delhi after participating in a battle, the results of which defied all odds. His victory brings to fore the greatest strength of the indian democratic system, a system where governments regularly pass the baton of change without rancour and where even an ordinary citizen can aspire to reach the top through ballot, not bullet.  

The recent elections have once again displayed that the nation has sufficiently matured to endure the pangs of democracy. Despite the ills plaguing the nation, rampant corruption being the most visible amongst them, democracy has taken deep roots in this country unlike many other nations of similar elk. Thankfully hope is not yet dead!

The singular trait of the developed world that India a member of the forever developing group shares is that governments smoothly change by ballot without the hullabaloo normally witnessed in many developing countries. To a great extent this can be credited to the strength of the national institutions that were set up in the post-independence era. The credibility of the machinery conducting general and state elections, the election commission in conducting the biggest electoral battle in the world is now unquestionably established. Also established is the environment of mutual trust that almost all political parties generally have with the commission that functions as it really should - in an unbiased and nonpartisan manner.

Despite low literacy levels, the electorate that often displays a high level of understanding of fundamental issues cannot be taken for granted anymore. It now has the proven capability to show that even established political pundits can be way off the mark while making profound assessments. Till the results started pouring in, no one was willing to give the Aam Aadmi Party more than a single digit figure, yet the electorate gave them the mandate, almost and placed Arvind Kejriwal in the top seat in the hope of being blessed with good governance. 

Arvind Kejriwal is not merely a person who has ascended to the throne of a state in the shortest ever time frame in history, he is indeed a phenomenon and an assertion by the common people of the capital that they are sick and tired of acts of gross abuse of power by powerful men and now want a change, a change for the better. Contrary to popular expectations, the common man pinned his entire hopes on the Aam Aadmi Party and it would therefore be a sad travesty of justice if these hopes are belied. This change is therefore also a realization that the common man in his heart of hearts really aspires for goodness and dreams of Ram Rajya. 

The recent election in Delhi will also go down in history as the culmination of a series of events that catapulted an ordinary citizen, to the highest seat of power in the state. While the rise has indeed been meteoric, the fall will also be as drastic if the new dispensation fails to provide what they promised - good governance. The proof of the pudding is always in the eating. 

For the sake of the national yearning for a society based on value systems and for keeping alive "trust and hope" in the common man, his dreams have to convert into reality. If they really do, it would indeed mark a major turning point for this nation. The great national experiment has just begun.

The search begins!

The nation searches for a leader.

In a Loktantra governed through Prajatantra and therefore an overall dismal failure so far, the search for a leader is once again center stage. With the ruling dispensation projecting the royal heir apparent and the opposition rooting for Modi, the guy who turned around Gujarat, the populace would once again have to make a choice between two commodities, both of which have their obvious pluses and minuses.  It however is undeniable that the Modi wave has taken the nation, almost by storm.

It is true that Modi has found favor amongst almost all the sections of the society. The rickshaw wala, the panwala and the small time grocer, all are rooting for Modi and rightly so, if he has proved to be the messiah for Gujarat, he has the potential to be one for the nation too.  The brightest ray of hope is apparently visible.

Since the last over six decades, the gullible public of this nation has been bending over backwards to place on the pedestal anyone who appears inclined to take the nation forward. Yet its hopes have regularly been belied as the nation has rapidly proceeded downhill and at the same time provided ample opportunities for loot by the cohorts of the chosen guy. Bofors, disinvestment, 2G, 3G, CWG, Chara, Coalgate, Adarsh and many others, the loot that has perpetually been on has picked up speed during the last couple of years. The gullible public in its heart of hearts sincerely wants someone at the helm who will stem the rot and take the nation forward, and that someone as things appear now is either Rahul or Modi. A progressive young heir versus a man of integrity and conviction who is steeped in deliverance. The battle is indeed going to be exacting and interesting.

It is indeed a turning time for Hindustan. The previous year witnessed the maturing of a nation, the constituents of which inspired by the clarion call against corruption started turning out on the streets of many of its major cities. For the first time ever, the average Indian moved out from the comforts of his home to the streets, heeding an undeniable call of conscience.

What is going on presently cannot be allowed to go on perpetually. The various scams are indeed a blot on the collective conscience of the nation. An operation clean up is the need of the hour and the first step in this direction has apparently been taken at Panaji yesterday.

May God pull this nation out of the morass it has brought itself to!