UP Elections- The state of Indian Polity

 

The final round of polling has ended in Uttar Pradesh, the most populous Indian state. The results are yet to come out and each party is ready with its post poll calculations. There has hardly been an issue worth the name that would alleviate the plight of the masses of UP who migrate to other states (Notably Maharashtra) in search of livelihood. The most debated issue of greater reservation for Backward Muslims in government jobs may play out as a trump card for one party or the other or it may polarise the voters on the other side but it is hardly going to have any concrete benefits. During the whole campaign we have seen pot-shots taken, and a race to label the other more corrupt. Every party has fielded criminals in hordes, their muscle power being their ticket to get the ticket.  This makes one feel that the Electoral reforms bill (which bars criminals from contesting elections and has other measures to prevent electoral corruption) will never see the light of the day.

If the outcome of the elections is a hung assembly then it increases the possibility that next five years will see greater corruption and criminalisation resulting in greater migration from UP. This does not augur well for the country as such a situation is a perfect foil for regional chauvinists in other states. Even if a party gets an absolute majority it may take the proxy Editorship of all the newspapers of the state and make sure that no wrong is reported and all uncomfortable news is blacked out. This is precisely what has happened in neighbouring Bihar where the fourth estate (The fourth pillar of democracy) has lost relevance.

Such cynicism with the political class creates a vacuum which is temporarily filled by the likes of Anna Hazare. However closer media glare removes the Hallow around them and makes them look only a tinge better than fulltime politicians. 

We have seen 65 years of Electoral democracy, each election bringing hope and next five years broken promises. Has the time come when we start to ponder whether the form of democracy we have has been able to bring everyone equal before the law, are the fundamental rights of rich and the poor same in our country, do we not discriminate on one ground or the other. In the heat and dust of Hindi heartland elections these questions should find their way.

 

Newsy Politician

Arvind Kejriwal:

No rank outsider has shot to limelight and persisted in the political theatre of India like Arvind Kejriwal. Some have called him the leader of BJPs B team,others an anarchist and authotranian with Nazi streaks. Yet the media has found him credible enough to occupy many of it's lines and bylines.

He brandishes himself as an embodiment of common man(his topi vouches for his faith) and tries to denigrate not so common men and women. He has self belief to the extent of arrogance,something that has seen many of his erstwhile friends part ways with him.The audacity with which he takes on the cream dela cream of Indian polity and call them names, makes many wonder what he is up to.

Coming out of the shadow of Anna Hazare, he has jumped into the political minefield with a veangence. He is unsparing and the skeletons in his political opponents closets have only helped his case.He will continue with his tirade and may become an unstoppable force unless he falls prey to his own ways( Somebody doing a Kejriwal on him).

He does not have an organization at the grassroot level and so lives by the media.His honeymoon with the media which has latched on to every insinuation made by him like holy gospel has endured him and will continue to be his greatest force multiplier.

He seems to have succeeded in striking a chord with the television watching common man. His advocacy of citizen’s right have many takers who may not necessarily agree with his tone and tenor. The mainstream political parties may be right in pointing out that his theatrics are aimed at grabbing power, but they themselves are to blame for his rise.

Through his exposes he is trying to prove that cartelisation of politics is a reality in India. It remains to be seen how hard he can sell this to the Indian electorates.

Delhi assembly elections would be his real baptism by fire. If he comes up with a credible performance and causes enough harm to congress, he can set his eyes on a bigger political pie.

Tantrums of Nature

The recent Tsunami in Japan has shaken not just the workohlic nation, but its ripples were also felt in other adjoining countries where the Tsunami warning was sounded. With the nightmarish scenario of a nuclear meltdown staring in the face, the whole world sat with their fingers crossed waiting as nature showed its wild guile.

Below are a few lines attributed to such tantrums of nature:

When I rise from the ocean the seas become hysteric,
I am the force of the moon, I am the tide which changes time,
I wreck havoc, I become the tormentor,
I have the might and I cherish it with delight,
I ruin houses and engulf masses,
I am the nature and I show you a theatre,
I have an obsession and I have a succession (tsunami),
I have a voice with deafening noise,
I have the tears which everyone fears.

An Enigma called Bihar Elections

An Enigma called Bihar Elections:

Some call it "The dance of democracy", others "The great Indian tamasha".
Elections have come to acquire such vivid expressions in the popular imagination of India.
Bihar is one state where the election fever takes the shape of an epidemic. A hyper active beauraucracy during the five years of Nitish rule has meant that political activism largely remained on the fringes. But on the eve of elections the air is once again abuzz with a sense of opportunity.
"The old war horse","The Rabble rouser","The messiah of the poor","The champion of secularism" - the irrepressible Lalu Prasad is fighting the battle of a lifetime with his old friend turned foe "The sushasan kumar", "The vikas purush" of Bihar Nitish Kumar.
The media contends that it will be a smooth sail for Nitish.
Their assesment is largely based on the premise that fifteen years of Lalu-Rabri raj was the darkest period in Bihar's recent history and the general public is in no hurry to forget it.
Nitish himself is now harping back to the plank of reminding people of what they went through in those fifteen years.
But Bihar elections are far too complicated than what this oversimplistic assesment suggests.
Caste arithematic will once again play a decisive role in deciding the eventual winner.Having lost their dominance to Kurmis, the Yadavs will put all their weight behind Lalu. Similarly others too would look for greener pastures beyond the banners and advertisments of Vikas.
This would be very much a contest and at the end whether Nitish's arrow breaks Lalus laltern or ends up getting burned in its fire is something that remains to be seen.