Please Don’t Change 'The Game', Mr Modi
[Disclaimer:
The following article is not a political statement. It is a spoof for tickling
the funny bone and is motivated by many statements made on the current affairs
channels during panel discussions in the recent times. No claim is made about
the veracity of statements or validity of the inferences in this article.
Sutradhar is an imaginary politician, a satirical stereotype; and bears no
resemblance whatsoever to any of our respected lawmakers]
There is so much of ferment in the political
circles and in the media about possibility of Narendra Modi being projected as
Prime Ministerial candidate in 2014 elections. As an experienced politician, I
have been watching the discussions from the sidelines, but I think it is my duty
that I should step into the debate now for giving all the interested party a
realistic view of the issue.
Firstly, let me start by telling you my accomplishments,
lest you should take my words lightly. I am one of the most experienced
politicians, I was with IC Party once, then I changed over to Desh Seva Party,
and then Lok Seva party. I understand the policies and thoughts of each party
except for ABC party, where the strategic requirement of succession necessitates
changing party principles dynamically.
Before I give my thoughts on Prime Ministerial
candidacy of Narendra Modi, let me pose a question to you. If we have been
preparing a Kabaddi team for Asian games, can we change the game for them and
ask them to go to Winter Olympics for playing Ice Hockey. I know, I know, you
will say “Sir, don’t be silly”. And I
agree with you. But it is not because Kabaddi federation can not increase their
allowance from the current Rs 15 to Rs 35 per day, but because they will look
so odd playing in cold weather in a ‘Langot’ when everyone else is wearing fur
jackets. So I say “Don’t change
the game”.
In politics also, the same applies. I say again “Don’t Change the game!”
Indian politics is all about votes and banks (both
type; vote banks, and the other ones we get 500 rupee notes from, for giving
off during elections). For the last sixty years, the most important policies
and programs in politics have been reservations, poverty alleviation, Welfare
Schemes for the poor, justice, honor, dying for the country (duty mostly
allotted to soldiers), increase in DA, reduction in price increase, atrocities
on women, and now UID (un-implemantable-design) etc. Whosoever is able to
convince the voters that they are not as bad as the other (generally, the ruling)
party, wins elections. There are also periodic waves, religious waves, sympathy
waves, patriotism waves, poverty waves that can appeal to the masses. Sometimes
we create the waves, when there is none, e.g. Danger to our nation from a
foreign hand, multinational invasion, danger from religion A to Religion B
(sometimes from B to A) etc. The political science consists in finding out
which wave is currently going strong and ride it to victory. Very much like ‘Jet
streams’ that the airlines aircraft use for traveling a few hundred kilometers
faster, if they can get into it.
Now there is this chap Narendra Modi, who says, “Development
is the real issue”. Now what is this new thing called “Development”. It has
never been a part of politics in India. And mind you, I have
consulted many senior colleagues (yes, politicians can be colleagues too,
though they are always shown as fighting in assemblies by the biased media, especially
by the doctored video of the Kabaddi team). So where did this development thing
come from?
I suspect that he is trying to “Change the Game”.
He says that the things we have been doing earlier do not matter, the next
election should be fought on the issue of “Development” Only.
This I
strongly object to. And I am not alone in this. Almost all politicians, including
some from his own party, are against this subversive change. If you ask me,
most of us are feeling quite like the Kabaddi players being sent for winter
Olympics.
Even more dangerous part of his coming to the
forefront is that he is giving live example to brainwash the public and media. This
will destabilize the democratic establishment that we have been so proud of for
the last sixty years. So let me counter his three main planks one by one.
First example that people see is that he has
redone Sabarmati river, which had almost run dry, into a ‘live’ river again,
with a waterfront that looks more out of a European scene that an Indian Ghat. This
somehow does not gel with the ethos of our democracy, which is more focused in
favor of total freedom irrespective of the state of rivers. We have given all
Indian factory owners or citizens the right to throw all their refuse and even
excreta into the rivers. Just look at what we have done to Yamuna or Satluj or
many other rivers. Recently one stalwart politician in Maharashtra
has indicated the way forward by suggesting that he can fill a dam with purely
personal effort but using the similar methods that we have applied to Yamuna.
Second issue that Narendra Modi keeps talking
about is about encouraging industrialization and building infrastructure for
industry. This again goes against the strategy of giving our nation a
“socialistic pattern of society” and in pursuance of this aim, it has been our
consistent policy to discourage private industry from becoming too big for
their boots. Hundreds of politicians and thousands of bureaucrats have burnt
midnight oil (because of electricity shortage) to write thousands of manuals
for erecting barriers so that the balance of rich/poor can be maintained. As we
have not been able to eliminate poverty, the least we can do is keep the others
from getting rich. We have stuck to our principled stand even when, small
countries like Singapore, Korea and Taiwan
overtook us, and in recent times when China chucked socialism through the
window and allowed the citizens and the country to grow rich. But we take pride
in sticking to our principles even if it means hardship to all our citizens. Now
all barriers are suggested to be broken for allowing a vibrant industry in Gujarat. If this is not ‘Changing the game’ for unprincipled ideas, then what
is?
Thirdly has been recently a talk about empowering
the women (All right, it was a talk given by Narendra Modi). He says that we
can not progress without empowering women. Now this is something that I don’t
want to discuss in public, because if I quote Hindu religion, that I will be
branded non –secular, whatever that means. But as per my understanding of Hindu
religion, you worship a few female deities, but others need to be kept under
strict control. In fact the scriptures demand it. I cannot recall the whole
thing but one anecdotal saying prescribes domestic animals, some classes and
females to be kept under the stick (Ref: “Dhor, Gawar aur Nari, Yeh tadan ke
Adhikari”). All the parties that I have been a member of, have followed this
dictum of Hinduism, even if they have cast away rest of its teachings. Except for
some deities (of particular political families), rest of the women are treated as
dirt, both at homes and outside. Look at the incidents of rape, trafficking,
does it not show the successful implementation of this policy? If anyone has a
doubt, we shower them with cold water at India gate to bring them to their
senses. So how can we talk of empowerment of women despite our vibrant history
of suppression of women (in additions to discrimination of many other classes).
I am really pained at this talk of ‘Change’. You
know, the moment we tell people that things can be greatly improved, they will
feel aggrieved that their lot is worse than it should actually be. We spare our
millions this pain by letting things continue as it is.
So my humble request to Mr Modi, Let us play
politics according to our established practices. Please don’t bring in the
distraction of this “development thing” into politics. Let us not “Change the game”. After all Kabaddi is
our national game. (Disclaimer: It should have been Hockey: but you are not
allowed to take hockey sticks inside the assembly)
