THE GREAT INDIAN CIRCUS
At the risk of inviting the wrath of the tiny tots of the country, it needs to be stated that our politicians have started behaving like, or rather, worse than a bunch of spoilt children. I am aware that the future leaders of this large playground called Indian democracy are not going to relish this odious comparison to the current crop of politicos and are likely to sue me for defamation, if not in a real court, at least in a court scene of their next school skit.
And so, with due apologies to their fair name, I beg of them to let pass this innuendo as coming from a well-meaning person who would not wish them to emulate the ‘grown-up spoilt children’-the eminent Ladies and Gentlemen who adorn the Indian political theatre. We can depend on our kids to learn their lessons, unlike politicians who are too insensitive to public perceptions and hence can never be chastised.
Though the current poll scene is littered with umpteen instances that parade the abject immaturity of our political class, two of them stand out, begging attention for their sheer lack of purpose and reason.
First, it was Sonia’s cat and mouse game at Bellary in which the media almost missed the mouse, and this has been followed by Jayalalitha’s hide and seek, with the seeker yet to find the hidden one. And neither of the ladies has covered herself with glory with such political pranks though both must have got quite a kick out of their respective mischiefs.
It is quite understandable on the part of Congressmen to generate an aura of importance and even suspense, over their only possession-their IMFL, read, Indian Made Foreign Leader. But the overzealous Congmen, most certainly overdid the script by turning into conmen and deliberately misleading all and sundry, much to the irritation of the media, nay, the entire nation, something that does not augur well for an aspiring PM. For one who has no credible credentials to show and who in fact suffers from a very basic impediment that cannot be simply wished away, Sonia could have displayed more transparency and confidence.
Instead what has surfaced for all to see, is only her deep sense of paranoia and a sickening ivory-tower approach that is characteristic of all such leaders who have ‘greatness’ thrust upon them. Such wild goose chases may not have much takers in future if Sonia continues to believe that the only way to assert her importance is by making herself scarce; the voters may one day decide to oblige her by truly relegating her to oblivion. Out of sight is out of mind.
In this jet-set age, nemesis too strikes quite fast. Within less than a week of her photo-finish nomination drama that left the newshounds panting, Sonia had a taste of her own medicine as she was made to sweat it out on a sultry Sunday afternoon eagerly scanning the horizon for the sight of a Tempo Traveller and the attendant cavalcade.
The scene never materialised and the sheepish Congress leaders announced to the world that they just received the news of Jayalalitha getting drowned in a ‘sea of humanity’, but their ashen faces told a different tale. With her local sponsor backing out, Sonia’s solo show fizzled out and she waved the crowds and all hope too, a goodbye as she hopped into the copter and took off.
Even the most strident of Italian haters would have felt a pang of sympathy at the plight of Rajiv’s widow. Julius Caesar would have flinched in his grave, if he was still there, at this solid slight handed out to the daughter of his soil. After all he too got stabbed by a friend. The Congress and AIADMK, we hear, are alliance partners, though one is yet to come across concrete evidence to that effect.
Jayalalitha studiously avoids uttering Sonia’s name, even by mistake while the latter keeps harping on the ‘no-coalition’ theme, much to the dislike of her partner. Then there are the court cases against Jayalalitha and Sonia’s foreign origin issue that the media keeps reminding both, much to their discomfiture.
But nothing can really explain why the Poes lady decided to deliver the stoutest snub of the century, that too to an unsuspecting ally, and it would be a futile exercise to look for rhyme or reason behind her act. Not that the Congressmen are keen to find out as they know that beggars cannot be choosers and so it suits them perfectly to play the understanding partner with all that ‘sea of humanity’ stuff. After all, mother, amma, knows best! Ding Dong!
And these are not the only kid games that are on show. There was this spectacle of the rational Karunanidhi posing along with a Brahmin priest who was all decked up in his sacred thread, tilak, tuft and the like, all very un-dravidian stuff. But the CM was actually beaming with delight and reverence too.
We do not know if there were tears in his eyes, he probably wiped them off with his yellow towel. But the scene did signify the end of the great Dravidian bluff. Not one to be outdone in childishness, the TMC has demanded that the army be brought in, probably from Kargil, just because a few miscreants pelted stones at Moopanar. If this is not kid psychology, we wonder what is.
The party, which is treading a rather lonely path with just the PT’s unsteady hand to hold on to, is understandably jittery and even a few pebbles landing on the stage are enough to upset its jumpy nerves.
The BJP for its part is tickling us dead with its utterly juvenile tricks. The latest has come from none other than the Home Minister who has proposed a Bill to dispose foreigners. His new bright idea is to bring a legislation to prevent persons from contesting in more than one constituency.
Though a very necessary restraint, Advani’s suggestion and its timing also betray a childish obsession that has come to dominate the BJP’s campaign in spite of the party apparently sitting pretty. And with Vajpayee walking tall, all other leaders and even ideology have been dwarfed so much so that the entire parivar now resembles a bunch of troublesome children crowding around their grandpa’s legs very obediently in anticipation of heroic tales or words of wisdom.
With such naughty children on the rampage, it is little wonder that the EC is playing the tough nanny. And overdoing its role too, thanks to the infectious kids around.
No lollypops, no sops, no TV soaps either and to bed before Ten. Mind you, the EC is not kidding!
e-mail the writer at
[email protected]