The bureaucracy strikes again! I mean, do these people revel in making such inane decisions or is it just their innate incompetence peeking through the just-working superstructure of the system? Time and again, they have never failed to amaze onlookers with their ‘wisdom’ and their sheer ‘sanguinity’ about how things could be better if we just leave things to them.
The Election Commission of India, one of the most respected institutions in today’s turbulent times and more so because it has remained as a sole guardian of reason in the cesspool that is India’s bureaucracy. Its impartial and exemplary work in the area of conducting free and fair elections sans mishaps and misdemeanours has been appreciated all around, not only in India but also abroad. Its reluctance to tolerate the whims and fancies of blundering politicians has earned it the respect of the electorate.
And that is why the decision by the Commission to order the removal of all advertisements in the state of Uttar Pradesh pertaining to the polio immunization drives featuring Amitabh Bachchan is puzzling. The drive is part of a government initiative to reduce the occurrence of polio, and has been amongst the few successful initiatives coming out of the establishment’s stable. And the sole reason why these advertisements are on the radar are because Mr. Bachchan has often expressed support for the ruling Samajwadi Party in the state.
I find it an implausible notion that an advertisement for polio immunization should ever be construed as an appeal for votes. I mean, the drive isn’t a state government initiative; it’s governed by the central and the state government together. And Mr. Bachchan isn’t just any model; he’s an officially accredited UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. By the EC’s logic, then I don’t think that any advertisements issued by any State or Central Government ministry should pass the EC’s barrier. Let’s make it a level playing field, while we are at it, shall we?
Meanwhile, the move is being seen as one that could become a major blow to the campaign per se. While the EC is happy to allow the campaign itself to continue and just wants the endorsing celebrity to be changed, it is hard to imagine what impact any other celebrity would have in comparison to Mr. Bachchan. A study by the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry in collaboration with UNICEF had identified Uttar Pradesh as the epicentre of polio occurrences. The study found that 73.6 per cent guardians with children under the age of five in lower socio-economic categories could recall the television advertisement featuring Bachchan. The study also determined that the campaign had a positive impact. The percentage of “caregivers” who reported taking their children to polio booths was higher among those who were exposed to the TV campaign (73 per cent) than those had not seen it (55 per cent). At this juncture, to replace Mr. Bachchan with any other celebrity would not have the same impact as desirable. And we cannot afford slackening on this assault against polio.
While I don’t support canvassing for parties at the public exchequer’s cost, this hardly qualifies as the same. It should be noted that this campaign associates Mr. Bachchan with the polio campaign. Targeting Mr. Bachchan per se smacks of stupidity. Rather, the EC would do well to target those specific advertisements wherein some political figure is also mentioned. The campaign needs Mr. Bachchan; let’s not disturb the waters now!
