Who killed whom in Indian Politics?

Perhaps language and use of words in politics is at its lowest ebb. Again a word is nightmare of political discourse these days after’ intolerance’ has slumped. Vendetta is in the air. Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi accuse Government of Vendetta. CPI says there is no room for Vendetta in politics. Many believe that vendetta is permanent feature of Indian politics whenever a change takes place in central or state government. The new incumbent takes revenge from the previous ruling party. Three days of legislature have been washed out in debating Vendetta.

Nobody seems to analyze its etymological connotation and what this means. The word has Italian origin and reflects common practice in Italy to take such revenge in continuous fight of two groups. Dictionary meaning of the word is ‘bitter family feud’ if family of a murdered person seeks revenge the murder by killing slayer. This obviously refers to revenge of one’s own murdered person. That would mean if the slayer is Congress then BJP is indulging in vendetta. But whom did Congress kill? Perhaps no one in Congress will accept that any one of them has done such harm to BJP when they were in power. But label of vendetta is used freely against government which means clear acceptance that in past such harm has been caused by those who charge the government of doing such harm to them now.  Right word for Congress to use in the circumstances would be ‘persecution’ as they seem to have feeling that they are being hunted. But such a wrong word being freely used by them could also mean an unconscious acceptance of guilt especially due to Italian origin and its symbolic depiction of Italian influence on the party.

The public discourse has deteriorated to such an extent that lies or absurd charges are being routinely made against each other by the political parties. Perhaps it was Harold Laski the famous writer of Grammar of Politics who said that word democracy has lost meaning like a hat that has lost its shape since it worn on different heads. Similarly now intolerance and vendetta have lost their meanings as those who use these mean something different and are simply mouthing it to find convenient labels. That is why FIR are registered against Hudda Government they also cry vendetta as they have convenient label. In logic this is called’ call a dog mad and kill it’ fallacy.

Worst use of words in politics is made by Kejriwal and if any one can give competition to him it is Lalu Prasad of RJD. When recently their was CBI raid on his office he started yelling ‘My office has been raided’, the worst misuse of words came when he tweeted to CM Bengal’ Mamta di it is undeclared emergency’. He did not leave the matter there but went ot accuse PM of being liar and psychopath. He was virtually bordering on the symptoms of hysteria. The sane public could ask him if he is shouting so much of emergency how he outside free to make such noise? Had it been so he would have been muffled and no media would report his ‘wolf cry’. Instead of questioning him media mostly reported him word by word as if he is reading from Bible and each word is sacrosanct. The same Mamta di who had jailed a Professor for mere posting her cartoon on internet gave full support to him and raised vendetta in Parliament through her MPs. Where was their tolerance then? Kejriwal  has virtually mastered the art of distorting words, misusing these, or making wild allegations against each person whom he chooses. Even he called  Pranab Mukerji with such words. Now he  tells media that a CBI officer told him that they have brief from PMO for nabbing all opposition leaders. When CBI asked him to name the officer he just keeps shut. Unverifiable statements to garner support and make the opponent weak are very common for CM who does not know that he is a responsible constitutional authority. He should honor the mandate of his electorate and also those of the country. His language is worse than that of a street vendor and not of a responsible CM. Will come sense prevail on politicians to at least to use proper correct and decent language?

--Prof N.K.Singh former Chairman International Airports Authority of India

Our Democracy becoming horrid hooliganism

 Barricades have been  erected around the speaker of Lok Sabha dias that had not happened for last fifty years, it is a serious issue to ponder on at national level. Surprisingly it is the  very elected members of legislature, who are making it horrid  in quality of debate and conduct and  are not bothered about it .They are busy in spending their time on non issues like intolerance which has been finally nailed by the Chief Justice of India when he said that when there is rule of law and independent judiciary in the country how can there be intolerance and no one need to fear. Of course he too admitted that this matter is politicized. But what was the form of protest in legislature? Paper balls were thrown on speaker, rushing to well became a rule and in other legislatures even chairs have been hurled and minor scuffles are not unknown. Even BJP is not blame free in this as they set the tradition of holding the house to ransom when they did not have majority.  The limits of tolerance have shrunk for the opposition too who took to the task its member who wrote an article about the powers of Rajya Sabha.  He was chastised and the house showed no tolerance to him.

What was this intolerance after all? During Bihar elections every party showed its rude conduct. But worse even Bollywood joined it after the awards were returned by the literary intellectuals. What went wrong with Shahrukh Khan who too made such noise during the elections? Barely the din subsided that those who were interested to perpetuate it brought Amir Khan who too complained of intolerance and even used his wife’s shoulders to fire his shot that there can be thinking to leave the country. Was it so bad? What went wrong with Khans to make this noise when they were prized heroes of the people and no one booed them? Paul Johanson, who researched the lives of Intellectuals, comes to conclusion in the book Intellectuals that are relevant even today” Discount their verdicts on political and important events”. He writes ‘ one of the principal lessons of our tragic century be ware of intellectuals, Taken as a group they are ..They serve those whose approval they seek..Worst of all despotism is tyranny of their ideas ”No wonder nearly 80% people in all surveys have given the verdict that there is no intolerance. But three days of Parliament are lost in it.  The conduct of Parliamentarian and our system is becoming day by day rowdy both in the centre and states. Narendra Modi rightly said that the democracy runs with consensus and not voting by majority which is last option. But whre is the sign of consensus even on national issues that are holding up development?

I remember the days when I was in Indian Institute of Public Administration New Delhi completing my course and as a part of our studies we were taken to Parliament to understand the functioning of the highest body of legislation. When we were in Visitors gallery I heard with rapt attention a logical and lucid debate being initiated by veteran Ashok Mehta, a Socialist leader. Socialists were in minority and Congress had overwhelming majority. In the course of his speech some interruptions were made by the Congress MPs and Speaker admonished them. Ashok Mehta said what I remember still distinctly” Let me complete my speech and if you want after wards you can demolish me”. The MPs however still persisted and in the din he was not audible. At this moment the leader of the house late Jawaharlal  Nehru got up and chided his members and asked them to maintain peace so that the speaker can complete his speech. Thereafter there was complete pin drop silence.  This was my first glimpse of graceful conduct and behavior of our highest law making body when the members were law abiding.

Now situation has completely changed and no one is bothered about the prestige of the leader of the house or Prime Minister. Consequently the behavior and conduct of the members of house have become worse than school urchins. This conduct of rowdies is now being televised to the whole nation. It has vitiated the atmosphere of public discourse and the language of every other person. One session was completely washed up in acrimony. More is likely to happen. What is worse is that some word of act is objected as opposition members find fault with excessive zeal and then they start demanding he sacking of Particular Minister. If the treasury benches do not see eye to eye with this proposal the house is stalled. Speaker of the house appears helpless in maintaining decorum and things go haywire. Result is that important legislation covering the development and advancement of the nation are getting scuttled. No one seems concerned with the wider and broader implications. It is high time all parties realize that ethics of maintaining decorum in the respective houses is honored and hooliganism is firmly stopped. Democracy is certainly not anarchy.

Bus Stop

First Passenger: Our Hockey team has done great performance in winning Bronze medal after thirty three years.

Second Passenger: At least Ache din have dawned on our Hockey if not for all.

---Prof NKSingh former Chairman International Airports Authority of India