POLITICAL DIARY

New Delhi, 12 July 2008

Shameless  Lust For Power

BEGINNING OF END GAME, POLL  2009

By Poonam I Kaushish

The theatre of the absurd, or a tragedy of errors? How should one describe the unparalleled happenings on the political firmament in Delhi last week? Wherein, tragically the facade of our democratic norms and functioning has got further torn. A sense of de ja vu overwhelms. Once again, governance, was reduced to a game of gulli-danda, smacking of petty one-upmanship, clash of bruised egos, blackmail et al. Country be damned!

Today, with the reigning diva Left withdrawing support to the Congress-led UPA Government over the Indo-US nuclear deal everything is up in the air. Notwithstanding, old-enemy-turned-new-friend Samajwadi Party stepping in to save the Congress and its Government. And the BJP-led Opposition trying it’s damnest to pull it down.

The basic issue is not the Indo-US nuclear deal or whether the UPA Government stays or goes. Or, who is to blame and why. Should the Left bear the cross? Did Congress not play by the rules of coalition dharma? Has Mulayam Singh landed himself from the frying pan into the fire? What of the Opposition? Let’s not waste time to justify or condemn any one of the actors in this all-round nautanki of musical chairs. We know them all.

The stakes being high, every party has shed all pretence to principles, values and morality. What is on display is a naked and ruthless lust for power from which no single party has emerged unscathed. All that preceded the switch--unabashed opportunism and horse trading--will be remembered as the lowest denominator in the polity of free India. Of a deepening malaise of today’s political class, capriciously exposing their hollowness and hypocrisy of political commitment and subordinating national interest to personal egos and aggrandizement.

Think. The UPA and the Opposition are both talking about getting the better of the other in the vote of confidence next week. But, none are thinking about stability, good governance and national interest. The UPA is trying really hard to avoid elections, where angry masses are almost certain to slit their throats. Thus, further undermining the people’s eroding faith in democracy as a desirable system.

Everybody wants power but all distrust each other. The Congress, for its part, is using every trick in the book to hang on to power. It has willy-nilly agreed to pay the price of the Samajwadi’s support: For the first time in India’s corporate and political history, the Prime Minister is likely to intervene in the feud between the Ambani brothers. (Anil backed by Mulayam and Amar Singh and Mukesh who supports the Congress); Ten ministerial posts, (one for the Gandhi family’s bete noir, Jaya Bachchan?); All cases against its leaders be dropped.

Both want this “friendship” to hold till the elections, when they can jointly prevent the BSP’s “blue elephant” from trampling them. In fact, the accelerated action by the CBI against Mayawati in the disproportionate asset case is the first step towards that end. It is no secret that whichever party gets a maximum of the 80 Lok Sabha seats in UP will play an important role in who is the next Prime Minister. According to experts Mayawati is set to gain about 40 to 50 seats in the State, which will give her the bargaining strength to play perhaps the most important role in government formation at the Centre in 2009.

For the Congress, however, there is a downside to this power play. Even if it survives it will at best be a lame duck Government with all allies demanding their pound of flesh. Besides, it is a moot point if its ties with the Samajwadi actually translate in to Muslim votes. Thus, everything boils down to a gut feeling of ifs and buts. One has to wait and watch in the days to come as events unfold and parties change their stand. Who will blink first is uppermost in everybody’s mind.

The opposition, led by BJP is leaving no stone unturned to make the government fall. It is too buying its support as it is keen that General elections be held alongside the six State Assembly polls in November. Where the BJP it is confident of returning to power not only in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Delhi and Rajasthan but is confident of getting a majority in the Lok Sabha, thanks to spiraling prices, rising inflation, terrorism, Amarnath Shrine land controversy. It has already released its first list of candidates.   

One may be tempted to dismiss the happenings as being no more than an awful aberration. Nonetheless, the heart of the matter is that the whole episode mirrors the initial moves and counter-moves by all the parties for the next general election to the Lok Sabha in May. The beginning of the end game 2009.

True, it was only a matter of time before the Left withdrew support. Specially as the Congress-Left relationship was a no-brainer and was doomed from day one. A coalition of hot ice-cream. Inherent contradictions were bound to take over. Be it ideology, principles, working style et al. The Congress-Left are arch enemies in three important States, West Bengal, Tripura and Kerala. Many wondered if at all the Left would actually call its bluff on the nuclear deal or take on the Congress over price rise and rising inflation.

Interestingly, even today the Congress which actually needs the Left in the future has left the door open for further negotiations. As also have regional parties belonging to the now defunct UNPA. Within the Left, elders like Jyoti Basu (who has always been soft on Sonia) has raised the bogey of communal BJP and warned comrades not to be perceived as voting with the Saffron Sangh. No matter, if its a face saver vis-à-vis its electorate.

The main crunch, however, lies in the reality that many within the Congress feel that the Party has only itself to blame. The High Command is being accused of having mismanaged the nuclear issue from day one. The Prime Minister should have given due importance to the Left’s concerns and taken it fully into confidence during the various stages of negotiations of the deal. After all, the deal encompasses India’s foreign, strategic and nuclear policies.

Thus, in this game of lies, deceit and deception, the UPA reflects the emerging truth of today’s India. Power is all. Arguably, one can say this is what democracy is all about. Sadly, however, the basic postulates of democracy have got botched over the years. Few care to remember today that democracy is not an end in itself. It is only a means to an end, namely, the greater well-being and happiness of the people. Which is possible only through a clean and stable government run by dedicated leaders committed to putting country above self and all else. Not through ram-shackled coalitions of fair-weather partners in corruption and crime.

What of the future? Will individual egos get the better of collective wisdom? Does it bode the collapse of the coalition system of governance? Notwithstanding, the Samajwadi bailing out the UPA, if arch enemies are willing to align with each other, then why have elections at all? Ideally, all should grasp the reality of parliamentary democracy. The people’s verdict should be honoured before they go in search for the aphrodisiac called power and talk formation of a new Government with all and sundry. Sans shared ideology and mutual objectives.

Disgust, revulsion and cynicism aside, most thinking people see nothing but trouble, travail and a dark future. Many others would be happy to publicly whip and even guillotine their polity, whereunder even the gutter today is cleaner than the politics of today.   How long must India suffer and bleed? --- INFA

(Copyright India News and Feature Alliance)