POLITICAL DIARY

New Delhi, 12 September 2009

Living Life Kingsize

MP: AUSTERITY? WHAT’S THAT MEAN?

By Poonam I Kaushish

Austerity is the new buzzword in the corridors of political Delhi. Wherein our netagan have grudgingly come a long way from austerity, what’s that spell, down throwing heavyweight tantrums to bitterly accepting it. Accustomed as they are to not practicing what they preach to the aam aadmi. Never mind that tyaag makes for good PR but damn annoying and irritating to practise!  

It all started when a media expose and a livid Congress President Sonia Gandhi compelled two Union Ministers SM Krishna and Shashi Tharoor to vacate their three-month luxurious suites in two five-star hotels, each costing a bomb. Specially against the backdrop of Sonia’s diktat that Party MPs donate 20% of their salary towards drought relief. And the Government’s directive of no first class, Ministers must fly economy domestically and business class overseas. no seminar at five-star hotels, 10 % cut in all domestic and foreign tour expenses and 10 per cent cut in advertisements.

Predictably all hell broke loose. Sulking Ministers questioned the soundness of the Government’s reasoning at a Union Cabinet meeting. One complained of “lack of privacy” in flying cattle class, the second cribbed that his waistline was too large to squeeze into  an economy seat and the third brooded that his height was a deterrent. How do fat and tall aam aadmis travel? Another asked why few mantris fly in expensive special aircrafts? The next argued if visiting delegations could not be hosted at “five-star” hotels.

But in the end all fell in line. The Parliament Minister cancelled a parliamentary ‘goodwill’ visit to Egypt and Greece. Plainly, a tourist freebie. The Finance Minister flew a budget airline, naturally economy and another ‘more loyal than the King’ asserted that MPs were “willing to fly in a plane’s cargo hold.” Would love to see that!

Questionably, then has the Congress yet again embraced Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy of ‘simple living and high thinking’ interspersed with Nehruvian socialism with a new zeal? Jarring in today’s age of in-your-face-status flaunting bling. A 60’s lifestyle when twice-over caretaker Prime Minister- Gulzarilal Nanda died a pauper in a rented accommodation or the Gujarat of 1975 when a no-descript no-nonsense chief minister Babubhai Jasbhai Patel headed a Janata Government.

A believer in spartan living he would walk to a bus stand take an ordinary bus to address a meeting in another town. His overnight bag an ordinary thela, the kind one carries to the sabzi mandi, with the next day's change of clothes, khadi kurta-pyjama, ofcourse. Not once did he need the crutches of a five-star hotel to stay in befitting his status.

In such a milieu where do Krishna and Tharoor fit in? It can be argued that both are within their rights to splash at a five-star hotel or build a palatial house for themselves. If for Krishna, it translates into a certain self-ascribed lifestyle and lack of gymnasium and privacy at his temporary accommodation for Tharoor, what’s wrong. No matter that hotel coffee shops are hardly ‘private’ places and neither does any Government accommodation come with a gymns.

Besides, none can one argue with their logic that they were paying out of pocket, no burden on the aam aadmi so why should the Government get so hot behind the collar? Remember Sarojini Naidu famous remark, it cost the nation millions to keep Gandhiji living in poverty.

Then there are some like Gandhi scion Rahul Gandhi who believes,”As a politician, you have a duty to be austere. I don't think there is a phase when you should take austerity measures and then there is a phase when you should not have austerity measures. I generally tend to keep myself pretty austere. I don't go through phases.”

Indeed, if austerity begins at home, should our netagan be living in tony Lutyens’ Delhi replete with seven-star bungalows? Which need to be refurbished every time the occupant changes. Shouldn’t they be moving to taxpayer-friendly modern apartment blocks? Or rent a fancy farmhouse instead of tearing down a heritage property? And let the Government save some money.

Have our netas ever made private-public distinctions when globe-trotting or building their own statues? How dare public servants live it up when frugality should be a political patent? Arguably, why and for what do our netagan need fancy pay-packets, perks galore and free travel? As also pensions once they demit public office? Considering that there is no jan seva involved that needs monetary compensation?

Not a few aver that politics is all about perception. That there’s justifiably a strong element of symbolism and show associated with an elected public office. Whether one has a fetish for ostentatious living or the tab is picked up by an industrialist for favours rendered matters little. As long as one is perceived as doodh ka dulha and safedi ki chamkan one is home scot free.

Sadly, our narcissicist netas afflicted by their self-inflated balloon-sized importance made worse by the Orwellian syndrome of ‘some are more equal than others’ do not only believe in living life kingsize but nauseatingly flaunting it. Be it a retinue of flunkies surrounded by AK-47 toting gunmen pushing people, cars jumping red lights et al to exhibit their ‘power’ might.

Bringing things to such a pass that not a few no longer look like ’heritage’ bungalows that needed to be ‘kept-in-tact’.  The less said the better of the fixtures and furniture that ‘befit a leaders status ‘appended. From air-conditioners, fridge, sofas-beds down to a Rs 10 bulb! All paid by the aam aadmi who continue to grovel outside like a beggar soliciting a favour from their undata. When the boot is on the other foot.

Not only that. Once in power, status and style matter. While the rest of India can go through hours of power-cuts our polity is not wanting, they know how to protect themselves from any and all discomfort ---- round-the-clock electricity, 6 air-conditioners and running bills worth lakhs of rupees. Let the people suffer while they wallow in pelf.

What next? Many Ministers have argued that they need residences, befitting their office. Take the Foreign Minister he needs well appointed residences to meet his counterparts who come calling. The question is -- how much is it costing the exchequer? Wouldn’t it be simpler and better if we have specified places for each Minister specific to the portfolio? Like the Prime Minister’s or the Lok Sabha Speaker’s residence. Also, why not stay in Government Bhawans which were built for that purpose. True, they have a sarkari flavour but have all the trappings of high living and entertain at Hyderabad House.

Clearly, if India is to be seen as a potential great power, we have to go beyond symbolism. Given the dichotomy between Power India and Asli Bharat. One which raves and rants about life sans frills, the other lives in starched-starved Bundelkhand were  men are down to selling their wives to repay their loans. Of a morbid reality where 21% children die under five due to mal-nutrition. Of over 70 per cent of India’s teaming billion living in abject poverty, earning less than Rs 20 a day. Are our leaders aware that there are over 12 lakh manual scavengers who load human excreta with their bare hands?

The tragedy of India is that tyaag' and austerity have become a motto for all seasons wherein our netagan continue to woo illiterate masses with money and pipe dreams of roti, kapra and makan. It need not take a drought and the increasing fiscal deficit to alert the Government to the urgency of cutting extraneous expenditure. It remains to be seen whether our polity will go beyond symbolism. Or continue to live life kingsize and regale austerity to mere tokenism? ---- INFA

(Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)