What is frustrating to me is that a
‘so called democratic action’ is influencing the elections and what we are getting from our
so called political leaders is plain simple ‘greenwash’! The
last few weeks have been distressing. Day after day, minute by minute
witnessing an unfolding of events, and listening to stories and debates that are
essentially taking the electoral nowhere!
I am reminded of Sadegh Ghotbzadeh’s
woeful reflections a few days prior to his assassination. A confidant of
Khomeini at the start of the Iranian Revolution, a strong and trusted aide who
helped mastermind the oust of the Shah of Iran (ironically, referred to as
the White Revolution) and eventually replacing him with an Islamic Republic. Ghotbzadeh was executed for allegedly plotting the assassination of the Ayatollah Khomeini
and the overthrow of the Islamic Republic. In his last thoughts, Sadegh reasons
(albeit, a bit too late) … “we knew what we didn’t want –the Shah of Iran. What we didn’t stop to contemplate
on was what we wanted in its place”.
The situation that plagues the
politics playing out in India today is not very far off. The Congress doesn’t
want the BJP. They are not too sure on whether they do or do not support AAP.
BJP doesn’t want the Congress. And let us not forget the AAP whimpering - neither
are they looking for support from Congress and nor do they have it. The
electoral is reliving painful moments, be it in the form of 1984 or 2002 and is
subject to a condition that reflects a total lack of leadership and in so
doing governance. We (supposedly) don’t
want the Congress back. We (allegedly), under a secular banner don’t want the
orange flag at the helm of affairs. AND, we (seemingly) don’t want a group of
political teenagers taking over the parliament. The troupers are non-cooperative, amusing
themselves in the course of the proverbial Game Theory!
With the hope that we don’t need to relive the likes of the Iranian Revolution, the question then is what do we want? Convulsing under a deafening silence, it is but obvious, that the need is for a strong leadership.
Leadership is an essential feature of
all government and the abysmal lack of it in the current scenario has
routinized governance! Dharna has become routine –a humdrum practice to exact
justice by sitting at the doorstep of the (alleged) offender until the demand is granted.
And in this entire drama that unfolds, the cause is forgotten. Situations do not
define themselves. They are defined by the leader’s insights and sadly accepted
by the followers. The dharna is defined and defended. The cause laid to rest. Racist comments, an unacceptable behavior by
a sitting MP, and the Telangana crisis gives way to a debate on the new wave
of CMs protesting. The protest prevails over the issue! This is the moment when
empirical political science encounters normative political theory and all nonsense let loose. There are
discussions, debates, articles on the lack of governance and to an extent even on
the understanding of governance. The electoral is carried on a wave of
enthusiastic highly dramatized dialogues until the wave breaks on the rock of
reality and finds itself dumped.
There is a fundamental difference
between political and corporate leadership. What we are witnessing is a
competitive entrepreneurial activity that perhaps (at best!) is synonymous with
being ‘Innovative’ in India Inc; however, spells disaster within the political
arena and rings out the commonality between political leaders and gangsters. The latter is content to fleece me off my money; whereas
the former takes my money, has the effrontery to violate my rights at their convenience and wants gratitude for their dedication to my welfare!!! Whether it is the power crisis in
Delhi, the caste based reservation within the Congress party or the flippant
remark with the intent to woo the electoral base in Kolkatta (Pranab Mukherjee
was denied the PM position in the past), our political leaders have dished out claptrap day
and night assuming that the citizens are sufficiently servile with a moronic
state of mind!!!!
Can we bring back our discussions to
THE fundamental – Leadership! 2014 is about who will provide effective leadership; with
the HOPE that good governance will follow. Let us not put the cart before the
horse please!
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