Politics of the K-word and the magic of “GANDHI”!

Before I start, this is going to be my most controversial post so far… I hope to live after that…however, I don't know that I will or I won't!!

This is one of those days when you lose all your faith and all your beliefs are questioned. This is also the time when you feel that a 80 year old politician on death bed is much better than a venomous 29 year old as nature would help you to get rid of the former but you may have to live to see the latter rise to power for the next 50 years (at least…u know they all live a lot more than they deserve!)

What is this time? This is the time of Shri Varun Gandhi's claim to fame…through a tried, tested and safe "Short Cut"!

Political rallies and bhashans (debate is asking for too much from Indian politicians) have always been filled with scathing attacks on others. But there is a difference between a MP aspirant and a fundamentalist demagogue…there is a line…which was not crossed by most of our National politicians till now, till the verbal diarrhea of Varun Gandhi. When the line was crossed there was no stopping, he went on and on. There were promises made to kill the Muslims if elected to power and, quite foolishly, how Muslims names are scary! But the ultimate blow was the use of the K-word…

The K-word is the religionist counterpart of the racist N-word of USA, nobody uses it, even in the most intense and ugly debates. It may be a political obligation or just general courtesy. People, who use it, are effectively ostracized. It is a clear breach of decency, commenting on someone's private part which is related to his religion! Are you kidding me man! But its India folks, nothing happens. NOTHING AT ALL HAPPENS.

WHY??

It's the Gandhi effect. Someone who belongs to the first family of Indian politics, though only by last name, is free to say or do anything. The Gandhi magic works till date. He is above the Election Commission and definitely way beyond the fundamentals of Democracy. This man can be the PM of India some day, just because of his last name. He is the trump card to nullify the effect of another Gandhi who happens to be his cousin. Jai Ho!!

His party didn't even feel to distance itself from him. On the other hand they came out in full support and claimed it was all doctored. It was not doctored; it was indeed what the Doctor ordered. BJP needs these kinds of political dramas to keep itself in news and to remind its vote bank that it's there for them. In the time when Recession or Terrorism or Foreign Policy should be electoral issues, BJP sticks religiously to religion. It is an issue that is always in vogue. They shoot to power in 1998 because they promised a solution to the Temple issue…where is that? It's still controversial and after Godhra -2002, it has become murkier. They are promising the same thing again and I can bet they will not build it this time also. You know why? Apart from the fact that they don't have the guts to do anything real (a trait that transcends all political barriers), they know this is not the last election. If they build it this time than what will they promise next time and all the times after that…???

The politics of the K-word doesn't end here. Hindu fundamentalists argue that they use it, because Muslims use another K-word for them. That word is kafir, which is not as offensive as its Hindu counterpart. What a strange competition, who uses more slangs and who insults the other religion more! Kudos !

However this is not the scariest part of the whole scenario. The scariest part is that it comes from a person who belongs to a well-to-do family, has not suffered anything other than inevitable personal tragedies and who is just 29 years of age. And yes he is literate too. I can't call him educated because this is not what educated people do. If I call him educated, I am happy to be called an illiterate roadside pebble who at least has an opinion of himself and doesn't speak what his party elders ask him to. These youngsters will bring a change? God help India!

And yes, just for the record, I am a Hindu too, but I am ashamed to be called one today just as I was ashamed after 1992 –Ayodhya, 2002- Godhra and 2008- Orissa…I don't know how many times my religion would be ashamed and my beliefs questioned by the people who actually claim to be the flag bearers of Hinduism.

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FROST/NIXON….AN INDIAN POLITICAL DREAM..!

I am not a very big fan of movies that create a stir in the Oscars. They are, well, in general, boring (a term often used by youth like me for MEANINGFUL movies!!). But, this year, Frost/Nixon was an exception. Not that it was a technically superior movie like The Dark Knight, but the fact it showed the most serious political crisis USA has ever faced with so much clarity and aplomb, is exemplary. The movie made me think that can a journalist ever nail a politician like this in India? And more importantly can you ever see regretful expression on an Indian politician?

Search your GK books, Newspapers and of course You Tube videos, and recall one incident when an Indian politician confessed his crime in public and sought redemption. They are always so proud and upbeat about their criminal "Achievements" that a confession seems like a distant dream. Nixon was a big political failure. He, much like George W. Bush, faced a lot of criticism at home and in the rest of the world for imposing the Vietnam War on USA. But the Watergate incident proved the last nail in his political career and he had to resign. After his resignation he was pardoned for all his felonies by his successor. Under normal, or Indian, circumstances this could have been a dream come true for him and before you could realize, he would have been in active politics again! But here was a guy who still stood by of what he did and even though he wanted to make a comeback, he wanted to come off all clean, not judicially but in the eyes of fellow Americans. When Frost made him realize the gravity of his crime he was full of sorrow. He felt that he let his country and the whole political system down. More importantly he realized he let so many young Americans down, who would now not enter politics, thinking it's so corrupt. I am not trying to portray him as a Fallen Hero but it is this ruefulness that I find so missing from Indian Politics. There are 125 MPs in the current Parliament with criminal charges. And what is being done? There are cases from 1992 which are still pending and the accused are running the country. They claim public support. Who are the people supporting them? How many voters are actually aware that the "Neta" from their constituency is accused of grave criminal charges like mass murder, rioting and, worst of all, rape? Nixon's deeds were actually nothing as compared to these people.

When does a person confess? When, in that particular moment, he realizes that he has reached his lowest point. Indian politicians are so abysmal that it would take those a million years to reach their personal lows.

Let's see it from the point of view of journalism. Indian media,(I only refer to the print media as electronic media is just news hungry and meaningless), is quite unbiased. Lately, one can see the urge in the media to prove itself The Fifth Pillar of democracy. There are campaigns to highlight the importance of voting and the participation of youth in politics ("I Swear" campaign by The Times of India shows promise). The other campaigns like "Jago Re", "The Consortium of Pub Going Loose and Forward Women "and the idea of "Negative Voting" is getting a lot more print space then they used to. But does any one journalist or a newspaper or a TV channel has the courage like David Frost to confront a politician in public where you question him only about his wrong doings giving him no respite? Let's bring the worst out of them in full view of people who matter, at least in every five years! But it cannot be done. How long would that journo live or that newspaper would run after that? What happened to "Tehelka.com" is a very good example. A brave attempt reached its grave in no time!

It's rather easy to finish an article with a ray of hope and clichés like silver lining of the cloud or the night is darkest just before the dawn etc. But sadly there isn't any hope, or at least yours truly can't see it. Till then let's just pray that Frost/Nixon's DVDs reach our politicians and media persons before the polls and they decide for themselves.

Amen!

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