Business houses and money have always played significant role, implicit or explicit, in our politics. Even Mahatma Gandhi had accepted the friendship of the House of Birlas. But that was indicative more of his larger than life stature and respect by Birlas to an undisputed leader of the masses rather than a quid pro quo between a wily politician and a greedy businessman. How this role and use of money degenerated into naked display of political shenanigans and as instruments of power play leaves you gasping for convincing answers, legitimate or illegitimate, isn't it? But if you dig deep into the pages of our history you will be shocked to learn that our past has been replete with corrupt deals and scams right from Nehru’s administration days. T.T. Krishnamachari and Nagarwala cases are just a few examples that people might even remember now that had tainted our politics early on. Starting from Indira Gandhi administration it has been downhill to the abyss we have reached now. Due to complex political realities of our country - steeped into dynastic lineage and hero-worship, a novice (her experience was limited to less that 2 year stint of a MoS, I&B in Shastri's administration) - Indira Gandhi - Nehru's daughter - was catapulted to the highest seat of government after the sudden and premature death of LB Shastri shrouded in controversy till this day.
What happened thereafter has the seeds of decay and degeneration that has taken a monstrous form now and is thriving by the day due to the divisive leaders sitting on and hatching their vote banks and the so-called compulsions of coalition politics. The plan of regional satraps to use Indira Gandhi as their pawn failed in totality. Indira proved too smart to dance to somebody else’s tunes. Old guards who quit the party under the Kamraj Plan regrouped themselves as Congress (Opposition) while Indira’s group was known as Congress (Ruling). A new game of political permutation and combination got initiated and region, religion, caste and creed started raising their ugly heads for the first time and those rather than the ability and dedication of a leader started emerging as prime factors and criteria for electoral ticket allocation. One may even shudder to think but it’s largely believed that Indira plunged India into the Bangladesh War of 1971 more to assert her leadership in her party and to end the internecine factional political fights plaguing the length and breadth of the country than to ameliorate the plight of Mujib’s Mukti Vahini. This, however, brought new tensions in our international relations with US and a deep hatred of Pakistan, which continues till this day and has been haunting India in the form of full-scale war, minor border scuffles and lately as cross-border acts of terrorism. Nixon never liked Indira and she in turn loathed him so much that she - the daughter of JL Nehru, one of the founders of the Non-Aligned Movement along with Nasser and Tito - embraced the Soviet Union through a friendship treaty without blinking an eyelid. What followed in the years to come – nationalization of banks, government quota and controls, ‘Garibi Hatao’ nonsense, 1975 Emergency and so on – brought increasing global alienation and untold miseries to India and its people. The rot continued unabated during the Janata Dal and other regimes that followed and the common man remained at the receiving end of our unprincipled politicians, who would go to any extent to cling to or remain in power. The actors and perpetrator change, we see new faces and new slogans but the evil, sinister game continues uninterrupted. Our spineless leaders continue to drink our blood and rejoice together behind closed doors dismaying at our credulity and foolhardy.
How else can we explain the co-existence of Ajit Singhs, Bhajan Lals, and Chautalas with the likes of Mayawatis, Paswans, the formidable Yadav duo - Lalu and Mulayam and so on? Each one of them has carved a niche out of the pie of Indian politics, which they nurture for their survival and from time to time flaunt to claim the biggest pound of flesh in the event of a political crisis and an impending calamity. JMMization, in my opinion, is the quintessential personification of that new creed of our political masters and a testimony to the low level they could stoop to for the greed of power and pelf. It is precisely for that reason that a Shibu Soren is an honorable MP of India.
You talk about political and electoral reform - it's really a very noble thought! But let me remind you of few incidents from the recent past. During Rajiv Gandhi's administration the passage of Anti-Defection Law was being touted as the ultimate instrument to end the Ayaram-Gayaram phenomenon in Indian politics if you could recall. But the law had many holes in it and it left enough room for political maneuvering and circumvention. Why could it not be a blanket law that simply disqualifies an MP/MLA when he/she switches party affiliation? If you ask the government or a parliamentarian today, I'm sure you would get a diverse picture and all kinds of justifications ranging from pragmatic ones like political stability to may be even emotional ones such as national unity and integrity. May be some law can be passed about funding of elections and the government of the day can make tall claims of eliminating corruption from the electoral process but I seriously doubt the efficacy of such law and am convinced of the fertile minds of our politicians who would surely find ways to breach that law without any serious penalty.
Political games and machinations are a strange phenomenon; it breeds and nurtures unique uniformities. Look at a US educated technocrat and suave fellow like Ajit Singh. He behaves exactly like a Shibu Soren or a Mayawati when it comes to cracking a deal for himself or his party. Late Syed Shahabuddin, a retired IFS officer and later an honorable MP had the same political facade - retrograde, pessimistic, and unashamedly pandering to appeasement - as that of any small-time Muslim politician, whose only claim to leadership is his religion and championship of minority community. What Rajiv Gandhi did first by overturning SC judgment in Shah Bano case and later (rumor had it - at the behest of his cousin and the then Home Minister, Arun Nehru) by opening Babri Masjid - allowing Hindus to worship in the disputed temple - is an equal disservice to the nation and its unsuspecting masses to that what followed in unearthing of Mandal Commission Report from the archives and implementation of OBC quota that burned the nation at the hands of Raja VP Singh, who rose to the helm by sounding the death knell of corruption from public life that shrouded Rajiv, his friends and his cronies in the Bofors controversy. LK Advani, aghast at the thought of Hindu vote being divided by VP Singh in the name of castes planned and played the masterstroke of Hindu card to perfection by embarking on a Ratha Yatra to Ayodhya to resurrect the birthplace of Rama and reaped unprecedented exploits for his stature and his party. Being provoked and stoked by well-calculated doses the Hindu anger rose, swirled and eventually culminated into the Babri Masjid demolition in Ayodhya under the BJP rule and shamed the nation. A year later Mumbai burned as fundamentalists and Shiv Sena torn the fabric of our fragile reality. The Gujarat riots are the latest chapter in the story of shame - gloriously being written by the stinking, loathsome politicians - in our secular democratic India . The nation today stands divided into Hindus and Muslims and then sub-divided into umpteen caste and groups clinging to the apron strings of their spineless and unpatriotic leaders who never really care about anybody but themselves. In the Darwinian jungle of Indian politics everything goes in the name of so-called social justice, minority welfare, and championship of the poor and downtrodden. Who can believe today that Dr. BR Ambedkar, whose name is so nakedly abused and misused by many a politician for their vested interests was vehemently opposed to the idea of caste based reservations and that he resigned from Nehru's cabinet due to his differences with him on the issue?
In retrospect, we can take pride in the abilities of our politicians and leaders in mastering the art of political chessboard. A laborer turned politician, Madu Koda of Jharkhand amassed a fortunes running into thousands of crores during a short stint of two year as chief minister. Sons of a police constable, the Reddy brothers of Karnataka can hold the administration to ransom on the strength of their wealth and political clout. But does anyone of us care to think, at what cost? From being something else, when would we become an Indian, first and last? Rising literacy and prosperity of Indians and healthy social movements like Lead India and Teach India augur well for our future and bring hope that before long Indians would become educated, informed, and smart enough to read between the lines and figure out the hidden intentions and ulterior motives of our myopic politicians. Only then we could learn to elect good and able leaders, who would serve the collective interest of our society and our beloved nation and make Mother India proud! I stand in prayer for that day to dawn .....Jai Hind!
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