The recent decisions taken by the opposition and the civil society to undertake a yatra and to oppose the Congress in the Hisar by-elections are evidence of the fact that the concerned parties have lost the plot. It does not take much to see through the BJP and Advani’s real intentions behind undertaking the so called journey against corruption; they should have started the journey from Bellary if they were really sincere!
However, India Against Corruption’s (IAC) decision to oppose the Congress in a by-election is baffling to say the least. Even if one does not doubt their intentions. I believe that Kejriwal and Co. have got it wrong this time with their ill-advised move to affect political change. Their ignorance of how electoral politics works and the isolation of a political party from the larger system is going back on the principal understanding of why corruption thrives in this country. By asking people to vote against a particular party is to mistakenly believe that they (the congress) are different from the others. A look at the opposition candidates in this by-election easily reinforces their inherent similarities. The main opposition candidates are sons of earlier chief ministers, neither of whom have a clean track record. So what is it the IAC is trying to achieve here? By aligning itself against the Congress the movement is ignoring the very things that are wrong with the system that they claim to be fighting.
There is so much that is wrong with the stand taken by the IAC movement that one cannot help but wonder what the hell were they thinking? Firstly, to assume that the congress alone is responsible for bringing the bill to the parliament is as stupid as saying that politicians alone can change the way we function as a country. Though the congress is the ruling party of the day, the IAC also needs to understand the essential similarities of how the government works, irrespective of which party (ies) occupies the ruling benches. It has to be an inclusive process, with all the opposition parties working with the government towards a serious well-meaning bill. To forcibly put the onus on the ruling party is to absolve everyone else off their duties.
Secondly, what does a by-election in Hisar have to do with the Jan Lokpal Bill? Some might argue that it has a lot to do with everyone in this country. But what about the local issues that the electorate might want to address? Does the Lokpal Bill take precedence over those; are local issues not important anymore? Why does Hisar get to bear the burden of an issue which is of national importance, is it only because Mr. Kejriwal hails from the city? Don’t the people of Hisar deserve a fair chance to discuss and decide on issues that affect them and them alone; without an ex-inhabitant hijacking their right to decide for their own good?
Thirdly, the PM, uncharacteristically may I add, has been in regular touch with Anna Hazare over the Lokpal issue. Why is there a sudden panicked rush to deliver ultimatums and threats to the ruling party? Why can’t they just wait till the damn winter session? I share their cynicism about how things get caught up in our legendary bureaucratic processes but there are other ways to keep the pressure up than resorting to such childish immature ploys.
Lastly, the almost militant manner in which the IAC is behaving is bound to make people think twice about their intentions and the means adopted. To achieve what they have set out to do, they will need constant public support. Shenanigans like these will alienate people, for most people politics is a disease you keep away from. With the IAC taking an open stand against one particular party, they are eroding their own support base. People who came together for a common cause, against the political system; not the congress or Kapil Sibal or Khurshid, will feel confused about the new strategies being adopted. This latest ploy will only serve as a distraction and the goodwill and momentum that the IAC had managed to gain will be dented.
When this election is over, no matter what the result is; everybody except the politicians would have lost something. The people of Hisar - a fair chance to affect change on their own will, the IAC - a lot of goodwill, the Jan Lokpal Movement – time.
No comments:
Post a Comment