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