A new beginning

The Congress' win, and in such an emphatic manner, is perhaps the best news that could have emerged from what was otherwise a most 

disturbing and uninspiring election in my memory (which isn't much, but it's a damn figure of speech, so get on with it!). I will not credit the electorate with much; after all, if they were so keen on the Congress, why not a repeat performance of the 1984 elections? Then the Congress possessed around half the vote share and nearly three quarters of the seats in the Lok Sabha; that they failed to do much with such a huge mandate is a different thing. But I think the real reason the Congress managed to do so well now is that the Congress has no real alternatives, for once. 

It is baffling to see how a potential alternative, the BJP, succumbed to hubri

s and has now reached a point wherein its future seems bleak. I was and remain a supporter of some of the BJP's stands, such as the introduction of a Uniform Civil Code, the abrogation of Article 370, and perhaps even the introduction of a directly elected president into our polity. While the last may not be entirely practical, given India's fractured and divided political sphere, the remaining made sense to me. But of late, the BJP and its chief allies were behaving as if they were the sole guardians of the Indian nation and that their opponents were out to sell 

the nation. 

Patriotism is the last resort of the scoundrel and especially more so of a politician. The issue of Afzal Guru's execution, the retri

eval of illegally siphoned off monies from international tax havens, and the supposed lack of strength in our Executive are issues that somewhere hurt the BJP more than they could ever have hurt the Congress. You were in office; why didn't you do something about these issues then? (To be fair to the BJP, Afzal Guru's death sentence was confirmed by the Supreme Court only in 2005, a year after they had handed over office to the Congress.) On the other issues, you are just as guilty of omission of duty as could be the Congress.

The best thing that has come about as a result of this election has been the decimation or at least near-decimation of the most divisive and retrograde regional forces in this country. Laloo, Paswan, Mulayam, and to some extent Mayawati are the scourge of this political class, the worst of the worst and what has come to be their fate is immensely enjoyable and pleasurable. The Left too has received their comeuppance for behaving in so high-handed a manner 

regarding the nuclear deal and for having endangered the political stability of the country over what many would term childish tantrums. 

The Congress' re-emergence in Uttar Pradesh also heralds a new beginning for the party, and perhaps for India's political system. Rahul Gandhi's role in this miracle of sorts cannot be overstated even if that is one's intention; it simply wasn't an idea whose time had come, it was an idea who was made to come now, nevermind when it was supposed to come. 

If this pattern continues, we could look forward to a time when national parties would truly matter more than regional outfits, and where a more cohesive national policy on many important issues can be thrashed out for the betterment of every Indian. Stability is desired by everyone and this election's result reflects this desire. The BSE Sensex couldn't have been more vocal in its approval when it breached the upper circuit limits twice in a single day and registered a rise of 2100 points. A sign of good times to come? I sure hope so.

The Circus is in town!

So ends our five-yearly circus of democracy. Today, we will get to see which bunch of clowns will wear the high hat and which bunch gets to sit moaning about how it would have fit them better. To be frank, there's no sense blaming the clowns for their antics; we, the supposed ringmasters of this circus, have abdicated our posts, so who's to stop the jesters from running amock?

Initiatives like Jaago Re seem to have been like the proverbial hot air balloon, running of steam at the very moment it's needed the most. People registered themselves, got all furious and excited about exercising their franchise, but when it mattered, very few bothered to turn up. In a city that was afflicted by a terrible terrorist attack, whose sole surviving culprit is now facing justice, that the turnout was below 45% is not just shameful; it's downright hypocritical. These very same people came out in hordes after 26/11 and said that enough was enough; they cursed and berated the political class for 'their' apathy towards Mumbai. I wonder who will remind them that those who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones at others' dwellings. Celebrities who exhorted people to go out and vote simply didn't bother to turn up; serious credibility check required, if you ask me!

Disilllusionment is something we would rather live with than do something about it. People who didn't go out to vote in Mumbai attribute their lethargy to the fact that the Election Commission very unwisely kept the voting date in Mumbai on the eve of a long weekend. SO WHAT? You could have spent 5-10 minutes standing in a queue, exercised your franchise, and then gone to whichever hill-station or holiday spot you went! 

In recent times, the ideological differences between almost every party in the fray have diminished to nothing, except for maybe a few so-called purists like the Communists. Basically, where Mammon directs, there shall his slaves proceed. It's rather uncomplimentary, but what the heck, I am not standing for the post of Prime Minister; not that I would do any worse than any of the cuckoos who are offering themselves for the opportunity! Is anyone listening?

P.S. at last view, the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance seems to be leading by quite a good number and could be headed for a simple majority on their own. So, Doctorsaab will get one more chance to make a difference.