By Phrangsngi Pyrtuh

For some time now the people of the state have become the cynosure of the political class. The next couple of weeks would see political blitzkrieg the kind that only comes once in five years though the curtains to the grand finale was already unveiled even before the EC announced the election dates. The Indian election rigmarole is the sort that shames the gambling dens of Las Vegas and our state in the last few elections has made sure that it is attuned to the play of money and muscle politics which is in vogue throughout the country. The days of pure politics and oratory skill is gone, the first replaced with dirty politics while the latter is subsumed to monetary manipulation and fat bank balances. This does not reflect much on the decision making ability of the electorate. Since it is assumed that education and increasing living standards as well as exposure to the outside world would inculcate certain responsibility on the voters when it comes to choosing and electing their respective leaders. The literacy rate has certainly increased and people are more attuned to international events more than ever before because of mobile and internet devices. Surely this is sufficient to make a voter rational and perceptive.

The Clean Politics Campaign is meant to impart this kind of awareness to the voters. This would come to naught if we see similar type of representatives from the outgoing house. And yet we are certain that we would see old faces which complement the power play of today’s politics – money and muscle. The educational system has failed the electorate for their inability to make rational, independent choice. We still do not know or understand the responsibility of exercising our rights to choose good and honest leaders. Education and general awareness have failed us and they have ipso-facto failed the society. Why an educated electorate would vote and elect an illiterate person is a paradox which tickles the funny bones. And why a person with no experience in politics and no oratory skill whatsoever is chosen to become our parliamentary representative speaks volumes of our political consciousness

Education has also failed to give (produce) capable leaders. In fact money (and not education) is the harbinger of success which has permeated the social and political fabric of the system. It is a reflection of the rot in the social structure and by electing incompetent leaders exacerbated the decline of the entire social system. On the one had we despair the lack of leaders on the other we cherish and adore them for their impertinence. However there seems to be no alternatives from the current breed of politicians. They all resemble each other no matter which party they hail from. The winner takes it all is also the one who is most deceitful. Politics is no longer about serving the common man; it is in fact a game of chance. They are no leaders of men judged by any standards.

The choice sometimes is between the devil and the deep sea. Since the rigmarole would have to be completed the election in almost all the constituencies is a mere formality as there are no alternatives. For instance, what are the choices available to the electorate of a particular constituency with two bigwigs squaring off each other, both embroiled in scams and non-functionality? Ms Ampareen Lyngdoh is indicted in probably the biggest scam in the education department and her adversary Mr. Bindo Lanong for his insolence towards the environment and child labour in mining areas. A public debate featuring the two may result in a comical tragedy as they pull the rug from each other on who has transgressed more. The one with the lesser evil may get the favour of the electorate of the constituency as there is no alternative representation. If this proposition is true we can imagine the hopelessness of the situation in the rural constituencies. The city electorate have never once lived up to their image of being the more knowledgeable and pragmatic one. The voting pattern of the city folks and the outcome is certainly not meant for posterity.

The society is desecrated with immense poverty and increasing hardship because of the breakdown of the traditional system brought about by the same leaders whom we revered and choose to take the society forward. There is no endemic connection between the need of the society and those of our leaders. They scorn the community they choose to serve by making a joke of everything even while we desperately try to salvage whatever little the society and its environment has. The rumblings of power struggle subsumed the cry of the ‘voice’ as our leaders bargain and strike deals to propitiate their gods of wealth and greed by draining from the poor every ounce of his hard work. There are far too many Gods to appease and we can only give them so much. There is no end to this madness as long as the five yearly election carnival is heaped upon us with no remedy to plug the loopholes in the representation system.

We vote, not because we care, nor, because, we think there is courage and wisdom in our actions. We vote because we are all driven by our own personal agenda and this is where the shrewd political leaders amass emotional/sentimental support which ensures their victory despite their tainted character or incompetence. To that extent the upcoming election would be no different from the last. I say why the need to vote for the same people for another term? Why not extend (upgrade) the term of the outgoing assembly for another five years? Because nothing is going to change, why have an election that promises change?

By Srinivsan K. Rangachary

The Congress party hardcore has always been adept at reading the tea leaves, smoke signals, and other occult signs indicating the way its fortunes are blowing. It is fully aware of its declining credibility since 2009, both at the Centre and in Delhi state. Hence, it views the results of the Gujarat elections, which many see as boosting the prime ministerial prospects of chief minister Narendra Modi, as a countdown to early elections, certainly in Delhi, and possibly at national level if the risk is considered worthwhile. Elections forced by constitutional deadline can leave the ruling party without room for manoeuvre.

The first salvos have already been fired with finesse, even as the BJP imagines it can wait until 2014 to decide whether or not to field a team captain. Parties not prepared for elections in 2013 may be caught on the back foot.

Hyderabad MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi’s sudden intemperate speech against Hindus makes no sense unless seen as a command performance to polarize minority votes nationwide against Narendra Modi, and make the BJP hesitate to anoint him. The same is true of activist Shabnam Hashmi who appeared on prime time TV eight days after the results to allege that Congress helped Modi to win. Her real objective was to signal one community not to forget the 2002 riots, never mind that these were triggered by the gruesome burning of pilgrims from Ayodhya in a train at Godhra. Many resent the Congress defeat in Godhra and other constituencies where Muslims determine the outcome.

To emphasise her point, Shabnam Hashmi, who runs an NGO, quit five government panels — the Central Advisory Board of Education, Maulana Azad Education Foundation, National Monitoring Committee for Minority Education, National Literacy Mission Council and Assessment and Monitoring Authority of Planning Commission. Whatever her credentials to be on any panel, it is revealing how the ruling party concentrates patronage on persons of certain ideological affinities. Do “experts” who pack official panels also receive government funds for NGO activity? As many NGO platforms mingle with overt political activism, are they eligible for tax exemptions given for social work?

Anyway, with two powerful rounds fired successfully, the Congress is primed for a possible national election. Specific to Delhi, chief minister Sheila Dikshit, after much waffling, rushed to seize the initiative. Now that the brutalised gang-rape victim is no more and the public activism will come to a natural end, the action will move to a fast-track court. With police investigations virtually complete, the prosecution can be expected to demand death penalty (most justified in this case). If the case, including appeals to the High Court, Supreme Court, and President, can be wound up in six months, the Congress can claim credit and go for early elections in Delhi at least.

The flip side is that it will be difficult to continue to isolate the cases of Afzal Guru, convicted for the Parliament House attack, and Balwant Singh Rajouna, convicted for the assassination of Punjab chief minister Beant Singh. In fact, the Supreme Court must take a call on whether implementation of the death penalty can be so blatantly tailored to political convenience.

Coming to Narendra Modi, his hat-trick victory will be yesterday’s story unless he carves out a niche to stay in the national game while in Ahmedabad. That he is aware of this can be seen from his performance at the National Development Council, where he criticised the UPA for lowering the growth target in the 12th Plan to 8 per cent and fuelling despondency and pessimism in the nation. He charged the central government of “policy paralysis”, but made constructive suggestions that were appreciated by some ministers, who noted the absence of harsh words in his speech.

In fact, he began scripting his new persona on the very day the elections results were declared, when no BJP central leader was in Ahmedabad to share his glory. Narendra Modi is very conscious of the fact that Gujaratis as a community feel strongly that Sardar Patel was not given his due and that Morarji Desai was not properly respected in Delhi. Now, the state has been blessed with another “strongman” and this alone trumped the Leuva Patel factor that Keshubhai and Congress hoped would cut Modi to size. Narrow caste confines were transcended, but caste was and is by no means irrelevant.

Hence, in bowing before Keshubhai after a convincing victory, Modi was actually paying homage to the powerful Patel community that stood by him, diminishing its own stalwart, to respect the state sentiment to send its own son to Delhi. And it has certainly put him on the highway.

This could also be the meaning of his public apology to six crore Gujaratis for any hurt caused in preceding years, during his victory speech that day. The metropolitan media has questioned if he was trying to paper over the 2002 riots, but Muslims are not six crore. More likely, he was reaching out to everyone, including Muslims, from the dominant Patels to the followers of other stalwarts he has fallen out with over the years, many of whom are now in the Congress party. A call for unity from a winner could be a signal to possible national allies of an intention to be magnanimous.

The first big political test, however, was the election of the new BJP president. But the RSS could not manage to impose Nitin Gadkari again after a lustreless first term, and Rajnath Singh was appointed for the second term as the head of the BJP. But Modi will not lose his shine. RSS as parent organisation could not prevent VHP leader Pravin Togadia from joining hands with Keshubhai in the Gujarat elections where so much was at stake. It follows that RSS must retreat from politics; its interventions have served no good cause.

Grave challenges face the nation. The last few years have witnessed unbridled corruption, unending mega scams, galloping price rise and corporate-driven economic reforms by the UPA government. Simultaneously scam-ridden populist schemes like MNREGA, and now a direct cash transfer scheme under Aadhaar where 3.84 out of 4.10 lakh cards have already had to be cancelled as bogus, have bankrupted the economy and further squeezed the middle class that is being denied subsidy even as incomes decline. So far, no political party has seriously addressed any of these issues. Narendra Modi’s task is to show that he cares, and that he can make a difference. INAV