As the quality of political discourse deteriorates in the run-up to the 2014 general election, the focus needs to shift from vacuous, personality-driven, rhetorical arguments to a meaningful debate over plans for the country’s progress
The recent serial bomb blasts in Patna prior to a rally by the prime ministerial candidate of the Bharatiya Janata Party, coming close on the heels of the Muzaffarnagar violence, is an indicator of the vitiating political atmosphere in the country ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections in five States as also the lok Sabha poll next year.
Equally appalling is the double standards in the ongoing political discourse wherein everything stated by leaders of a particular party are sought to be justified whereas even genuine concerns expressed by leaders of other parties are being outright dismissed as rhetoric.
If media reports are to be believed, both the State police under the Bihar Government (led by Mr Narendra Modi’s arch rival, Mr Nitish Kumar) and the National Investigation Agency, under the UPA, have come across a sinister Indian Mujahideen design to eliminate the Gujarat Chief Minister, and his security has accordingly been upgraded. Against this backdrop, the furore over Mr Modi’s remarks that some friends (could be from across the border) have put out a contract to wipe him out (politically or otherwise) is beyond comprehension.
Opposition parties have had running battles with Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi but they were all unequivocal in their condemnation of the killing of these leaders. There has all along been a shared concern and consensus over the safety and security of our leaders. But, unfortunately, in the current war of words, everything seems to be fair. The lives of both Mr Modi and Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi are equally precious.
What is also unfortunate is the absence of substance in the campaigns where trivia and rhetoric have become the hallmarks while burning issues of the day, including governance, corruption, inflation, foreign policy and internal security, have been put on the backburner. Creating a fear psychosis, making emotional appeals, and creating mountains out of molehills have become the new mantras for success at the hustings.
The campaign makes one wonder if it is only meant for the galleries or the front benchers and not for the educated citizens of this country. There cannot be a more amusing episode than the recent clamour to claim Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s legacy. While the fact remains that Sardar Patel lived and died a Congressman, one wonders whether he, and even Jawaharlal Nehru, would have continued to remain in today’s Congress, if they were still alive.
A study by a senior journalist, A Surya Prakash, showed that about 450 Union and State Government programmes and projects, national and State-level institutions, involving public expenditure of lakhs of crores of rupees, have been named after just three icons of the Congress — Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi. The Congress could certainly have named at least some of these institutions after the galaxy of leaders it produced during the freedom struggle, including Sardar Patel.
And, if the Gujarat Chief Minister decided to unveil a statue of the Iron Man, why should the Congress have a problemIJ In this country, we have always had a tradition of admiring even the opponents for any remarkable feat. One recalls vividly Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s description of Indira Gandhi as ‘Durga’ after the 1971 war. In politics, there are ideological opponents, not personal enemies.
That Sardar Patel would have made a better Prime Minister is an opinion, while there are equally passionate supporters of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. In a democracy, everyone is entitled to have a view so long as it’s not detrimental to national security and integrity.
Instead of personalised attacks on political rivals like Mr Nitish Kumar has indulged in, the country would like to know from the candidates about key issues such as the foreign policy they propose to pursue with Pakistan, China, the US, Russia and other major powers in the days to come. Though we keep emphasising the need to de-hyphenate Pakistan from our foreign policy priorities, the constant references to our unfriendly neighbour by our leaders is not in consonance with our global aspirations.
The citizens of this country are curious to understand how both the ruling and the opposition parties view the menace of Maoism. Merely condemning the other won’t serve the purpose. Whether it is the issue of inclusive development or secularism, one would expect a delineation, and not mere rhetoric, from the leaders during the campaign. If the people would like to know from UPA leaders why they should be awarded a third chance given their poor track records in different areas, they have every right to expect an alternative vision from the Opposition.
The recent get-together of some parties in the national capital against communalism was yet another instance of rank political opportunism rather than genuine commitment to any cause. The left parties, which have been humbled in their bastions, are trying to make themselves relevant in the company of aya Rams, gaya Rams such as HD Deve Gowda, whose pocket political outfits have switched loyalties at the drop of a hat in the past. It was, at best, a congregation of prime ministerial aspirants who want to have their pound of flesh at the Centre in any future dispensation.
Interestingly, the upcoming Assembly elections, in the five States including the national Capital, are being projected as some sort of a semi-final of the lok Sabha election next year. The do-or-die, high decibel campaigns led by the leading national parties, as also the accompanying media coverage, makes one wonder of the outcome is expected to reflect the mood of the nation. A peep into history would reveal that this has never been the case. The political class will do well to remember that the Indian voter has become mature enough to distinguish between State and national elections and his/her priorities vary from poll to poll. It was the stellar performance of the BJP in several States which prompted the NDA to go for polls six months ahead of schedule in 2004, and the rest is history.
Even at the peak of the anti-corruption movement in the country, voters in Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka voted for the Opposition as the mood was anti-incumbency against the respective State Governments, and not because they approved of that party’s wrong-doings at the Centre. Given the past experience, there is every possibility that these very voters will give their mandate to a different party in the national election.
The people of India can see through the nefarious designs of vote-seekers and they will make enlightened choices based on their hopes and aspirations, rather than get swayed by specious arguments and narrow appeals.
Hence, it would be naïve on the part of any political party to read the mood of the people, whether in Delhi or any other State, purely on the basis of the results of the upcoming Assembly polls. The nation is keen to know from its leaders and media about the issues at stake in these elections rather than poll predictions for 2014.
The only positive aspect of this election seems to be the option of ‘none of the above’ given to voters for the first time. One hopes the political parties will take preventive steps and give tickets to clean candidates so as not to force the voters to reject them. The nation is looking forward not to a clash of personalities and egos but a battle of ideas, ideologies and issues of relevance to the masses.
(The author is Senior Fellow and Editor, Vivekananda International Foundation)