Political Diary

New Delhi, 11 October 2016

Political Garbage

INSULT IS NOW VIRTUE

By Poonam I Kaushish

Political Delhi is in the throes of ‘garbage’ politics again thanks to the slugfest between Congress Rahul Gandhi and BJP President Amit Shah over the recent Army’s surgical strikes across the LoC.  Both busy trying to score brownie points.

For the Congress, confused about its support base, devoid of a vote plank and desperate about stopping its arch rival, it has fallen back to vilify. Asserted Rahul, “humare jawan hai jinhone khoon diya hai, jinhone surgical strikes kiya, unke khoon ke peeche aap (Modi) chuppe huye hai. Unki aap khoon ki dalali kar rahe ho.” Retaliated Shah, “It shows the Congress mentality. It is shameless…Rahul has crossed all limits.”

The cause to hog media headlines and get TV TRP ratings is understandable: Honey, its all to do with vote bank politics as five States, UP, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur go to polls early next year. With both the BJP and Congress prestige at stake, our netas will go to any extent even stoop to the gutter level to woo their electorate. Either which way, even as

Today the BJP may well scoff at Congress’s Pappu and the Congress might ridicule Modi but the fact is everyone is playing to the gallery as all are tarred by the same brush. Be it the Congress, BJP or X,Y,Z Party. Dumping basic courtesies and transgresses all limits of political and public decency and etiquette all take vitriolic delight in reveling in their baser characteristics. Swaying to the heady tinkle of cheap thrills and seetees.

Sadly, over the years the lines between a political opponent and a sworn enemy in the on-going political nautanki have got blurred wherein hate speeches, trash talk and brazen innuendoes seem to be the flavour of the season. Where everyone and everything is game.

From Sonia’s Maut ke Saudagar diatribe against Modi in Gujarat’s 2007electioneering to his counter “Tarka Sonia Italian mud will not stick on me” in 2014.” Refusing to be cowed down Sonia retaliated “Modi is indulging in Zeher Ki Kheti at a rally in Karnataka, thereby earning Modi’s rebuke, “Yadhi aap chahetai hain ki Chattisgarh ke upar kisi khooni panje aur zaalim hath ka saaya na padhe toh aap kamal mein button dabana”

The acerbic exchange hit a new low when a Congress leader called Modi “Napunsak” for failing to check the 2002 Gujarat’s communal riots, adding, “If Modi tries to make UP into Gujarat we will chop him in to pieces,” hit back Modi, “Madam Sonia you call me bicchoo, you are ill. Let the shehzada take over”. A livid Congress struck back, “Modi is a terrorist.”

Joining the venomous exchange APP’s Kejriwal’s “Stuck between a moron (Rahul) and murderer (Modi),” and Modi referring to the AAP Chief as a Pakistani agent and AK 49 (Kejriwal’s 49 days as Delhi Chief Minister.) Should one applaud?

The torrent of vitriolic remarks doesn’t end here. NCP’s Sharad Pawar once dubbed Modi as “deranged who needs to be treated in a mental hospital,” a Rajasthan BJP candidate threatened to strip Sonia and Rahul and dispatch them to Italy.

Replete with name calling from “old lady” down calling rivals “jackals who land in jail when the lion acts,” to “Es Italian kutiya ki kitni himmat hai bhai.. khud to sare desh ka rupaiya loot kar apne account me bhar kar rakh liya.” Worse, senior SP leader Azam Khan once called NaMo a “kutte ke bachche ka bada bhai”

Besides, titillating voters has become common. Symptomatic of this was a Samajwadi candidate’s innuendo linking Modi and Mayawati’s single status to a post-poll alliance between the BJP and BSP. “Woh teen baar Modi ki godh mein bathe chukeyi hai”. It has not even spared the poor cockroaches, chipkalis et al. What now India! 

Frankly, I am neither surprised as our netagan are only showing their girgit true colours throwing all public politesse and decorum to the winds! With the stakes for winning States skyrocketing, for all it is an abhi-nahin-toh-kabhi-nahin battle.

Questionably, do these acerbic comments tantamount to the death of democracy? Are decency and morality obsolete? In this all pervasive decadence, interspersed with growing public distaste is there nothing to cry a halt to this depravation? Who will this stop the mud-raking?

Clearly, the blame for this descent of political discourse into the depth of political vulgarity lies squarely with Parties. Quick to crack the whip and whine, they have shied away from enforcing the same discipline for such crude and repulsive swipes at rivals.

Alas, gone are the days of politicians enunciating their ideology and policies in measured tone and tenor of how they plan to take the country forward on a growth trajectory. Today, political speak has been reduced to a slugfest of personal insinuations and character assassinations against opponents which brings out the worst in everyone.

Thereby, vitiating the very idea of democracy. Never mind, the aam aadmi’s distaste for vulgarity, gender insensitivity, sexist thinking and speeches spewing communal hatred. More so, in our present all pervasive decadence, interspersed with growing public distaste, cynicism and despair. Additionally, with Parties refusing to act against hate-laden speeches, the case for allowing the Election Commission to disqualify candidates with legal safeguards, gains currency.

What next? Given the recent trend of our netagan ratcheting up unpleasant rhetoric, abusive language and making full use of the ‘shock and awe’ approach, we need to think again if the entire process by which political discourse is held in this country is healthy. 

Undeniably, our leaders need to tone down the divisive and personal attacks that they indulge in and take on each other on issues that their constituencies and the nation face. Those who reduce the level of discourse to such depths only do so at the cost of exposing their lack of civility to the electorate and the nation at large.

Importantly, India is today at the moral crossroads. Specially against the backdrop of our politicians having perfected the art of cultivating low morality and high greed, donning different party robes, according to their whims and fancies --- and the need of the hour. A long and hard battle lies ahead for bringing a change in the present political ethos. Political morality and accountability are paramount for good governance and stability. There is no place for damn lies and deceit in a genuine democracy.

Thus, in a milieu whereby India’s democracy is a conflict of interests masquerading as a contest of principles with politics degenerating to a euphemism for abuse and maliciousness, the clash of personalities is camouflaged in a battle of speeches. Consequently, it is essential to ensure our polity doesn’t stoop down to the gutter level, they must be made to think twice.

Our polity should remember one age-old truth: If you point one slanderous finger at another, four other slanderous fingers will point back at you! The time is ripe for our polity to pause and ask: Are they putting a premium on slander? How long do we suffer the stampede for sensation? Will licentiousness be the bedrock of India’s democracy? Can a nation be bare and bereft of all sense of shame and civility? And, for how long?  ---- INFA

(Copyright, India News and Feature  Alliance)