A fake republic and a diffused hypocrisy

A very good morning to a nation that will witness a conventional celebration, typical of its farcical tributes and propaganda. Applauded and whistled lustily by literally handcuffed innocent children and non-pacifying hooligans; politicians all over the country will preach and recite texts prepared by their secretaries. Flag hoisting ceremonies were always forced on us as kids and we cursed our school teachers for ruining our holiday. It is no surprise then that the forced habit eventually fizzled out as we 'grew up' to believe that we are free. For over six decades, we have heard these apathetic hypocrites presenting to us a fake republic.

Politics is such a dirty word today, even filthier than pornography. Its a synonym for everything dark and shady. You happen to express your opinion about an issue or event and you will hear somebody say, “Oh please! Let us not discuss politics!” Does the prejudiced exclamation result from sensational media sources or personally experienced discrimination? Why are promises betrayed? Why do young politicians who enter the fray fall prey to this evil? The irony of it all is that it is nearly considered a social evil rather than a social service. A field that should be devoted to educating, developing and upgrading the life of people is now looked upon as a genre of criminality.

In a perfect world a politician would dedicate his life to the people, win their hearts with honesty and kindness, feed the poor and care for the sick, sacrifice his time to counsel the distressed, inspire the losers and hail the winners and do all this with a self-sacrificing sense of secrecy and non-choreographed publicity. However today every little social work done is highlighted and headlined by the media, with certain sections of journalists hired only to capture these moments of grandeur and charity. How would politicians today survive without the media?

However, pointing fingers at the Press would be foolish, since in today's world of mind games and criminal-politician nexus, the media is the only true opposition party. We may feel some sections are biased and go overboard with their debates and discussions, but it wasn't for the media then we would have probably lived in a pseudo-perfect republic.. The preamble of India’s Constitution originally described the state as a "sovereign democratic republic". In 1976 the amendment read "sovereign socialist secular democratic republic”. Now that the evil of hypocrisy has dissolved so smoothly into the fabric of our political system, I guess now we should shamefully add to the description a new prefix “Hypocrisy”

The fable of the rotten apple(s) explains the scenario perfectly. You take a good apple and place it in a jar of rotting ones and it is bound to succumb to the disease. Similarly you take a rotten apple and place in a basket containing healthy ones, the illness oozes out of its sores and slowly contaminates the rest. The rookies are secretly enticed and lead to get their hands greasy, leaving them with no option than playing a puppet to the seasoned stalwarts. Many start out brave but then fall prey to the attitude 'If you can't beat them, then join them.'

 In need of renewal.

The American style of a face-to-face presidential debate demonstrates the class and caliber of a candidate. The Concept of two parties makes the choice more objective and practical. It causes less confusion, defines strategies clearly and makes the decision easier. It is more than just who wins the battle. They direct their arguments and debates to solving problems. Can we Indians (or as the RSS claims, 'Hindustanis') debate freely without flinging footwear across the floor? The problem is that those in Parliament are making laws for themselves and the leeches who feed on them. There is no scope for debate or deliberation in our country. If the party in power calls for an all party meet, we have 50% attendance out of which 40 % are from the ruling party, 5% are asleep probably not aware which party they belong to and the remaining 5% will sing lullabies or throw tantrums by walking in and out of Parliament.

A need to inculcate an attitude of healthy deliberations. 'You don't stroll along the aisles of the Parliament or snore in your seat, people have walked miles to elect you to that position. If you think something is not right stand up and argue smartly.'

Fitness levels of our politicians is another concern. Why do we let ourselves we ruled by old hags who can barely drag themselves around. I recently posed a question to a youth, asking him whether he would prefer to have a Prime Minister with abs or experience. He replied smartly, “we need to be lead by the mind and not the body.” Why do teachers and bankers have to retire at 60? The reason is age burns you down physically and mentally. It isn't because their brain isn't functioning anymore, because if that's the case then we are a nation led by Alzheimer patients.

A need to classify the retirement age of a politician, whether it is 60 or 70. It will help bring in fresh and innovative ideas to the table, allow growth and dynamism, increase efficiency, improve work ethics and keep up with the times.

The eligibility of a politician is an issue that ought to be addressed. How many leaders know our basic Constitutional rights and civic duties? Every other career in the world has a required selection criteria, so why not Politics – a field that governs most part of our lives. A degree in political science or any social sciences should be made mandatory for every candidate contesting elections. They should also pass a common entrance test in public speaking and communication skills, to avoid washing their dirty linen in the open and making erratic comments every time they face the mic.

A need to treat Politics as a professional career. The election commission should be authorized to screen candidates for their educational qualification and social skills. It should begin now and even veterans should face the law. This will lend respect and decency to the Assembly.

Police should not be slaves to the politicians but be more available to the public. A news channel had a debate on the misuse of sirens by VIPs. There are only two reasons why you need security – one if you are doing wrong and the other if you are doing right; unfortunately the former is the main cause. Great patriotic speeches full of selfless zeal and legendary fables on the podium and the next moment the hypocrites are cushioned by their bodyguards. For once try and emulate our freedom fighters who fought with coffins tied to their heads.

A politician should command respect and not demand it. The same fellow who comes door to door begging for a vote makes you fall down at his feet and worship for a favour. Is that the definition of a politician? Fortunately the right to redefine this degenerated word lies with the value we attach to our vote. Voting doesn't mean just political elections but the myriad decisions we make at different situations in our life. Vote for someone only when you see yourself in that person. Not everyone belongs to the class of apathetic hypocrites; there are few who selflessly put their lives on the line for the betterment of the society and I take this opportunity to sincerely salute them. 

Criticizing is an easy job, but sometimes we do need to appreciate and support the good people in politics. I hope politics will wash itself off the accumulated stains. There are people who are striving to make a change, who believe it is possible and the hoisted flag this morning is dedicated to them.