Talent And Merit
Vs Sense Of Entitlement
There is a current ‘public service’ type TV advertisement
for a brand of motorcycle, that exhorts the viewer to vote for the talented in
the forthcoming general elections. This is in itself a departure, this new talk
of talent and merit rather than the old caste, creed, religion, and rural/urban
divides as determinants. This strikes a chord with some, even as a lot of
boorish behaviour is on display, from our craven and quite unselfconscious netas.
The economy, the polity, the security, indeed the urgent
issues that confront the nation, are totally ignored in the melee, like a
subset of parliamentary behaviour in the ‘house’ these days.
In the middle of ‘ticket’ distribution season, several
prospectives are not happy when their hopes are dashed, either because they
don’t get a ticket at all, or are asked to contest from a seat/constituency not
to their liking. The jockeying and lobbying is intense, but the worst tantrums
seem to come from accomplished and
learned elders, often former pillars, founders, master strategists and
ministers of the realm etc., who should, and no doubt do, know better.
Not that it makes the blindest bit of difference to their
heckling and haggling. Their naked focus is on their own place in the intended
scheme of things, being of the greatest, even paramount importance, according
to them. The concept of ‘service’ is only observed in the breach, and in the
sonorous set speeches to the people once more important issues are settled.
And this kind of
behaviour seems uniform in party after political party, national, regional,
factional, and so on. Some of the
protest may indeed be justified, as in when party supremos blatantly give
tickets to their children and pliant relatives at the expense of the more
deserving. But at other times there is nothing on the table but a sense of
entitlement.
We are, as a consequence, witnessing a number of people, grandees
and doyens amongst them, behaving petulantly, switching parties or going
independent, with great energy and nimbleness, despite advanced age. A
preponderance of recent aisle crossers are heading for the BJP, quite a few
from Congress and leading regional parties, putting paid to earlier talk of
their ‘untouchability’. But others like to fish in troubled waters, jockeying
for leverage for the post poll scenario, given this era of coalitions.
Some of these new arrivals therefore, ‘parachuted in’ from
all over, are also getting tickets for their perceived ‘winnability’, much to
the chagrin of other ‘in situ’ hopefuls. The latter bristle, grumble and
threaten,backed by their often lumpen supporters. They imply things, propagandise
and preen, while their supporters go on a rampage.
The prospect of loss of power and its gravy-train of money,
pelf, benefits, patronage, prestige, influence and prominence, hits the old
guard the hardest because the elderly tend to be naturally reactionary and
sentimental. They look back on their contributions and glory days and expect to
rule the roost on the strength of these past credentials. When, and if, this
fails to impress, they indulge in a torrent of disparagement of the present
dispensation. It does not occur to such people to be future-oriented. Perhaps
they know they have nothing more to offer.
Many of these worthies have contributed substantially to
making a mess of the last general election and the one before that too. Others
are stellar in their association with scams and corruption and illegalities,
but even this does not stop them wanting a ticket of their choice. The
implication being that they have enriched everyone up and down the line and
therefore should not be singled out to carry the can on corruption at all.
Some elders, in this party or that, are known to have
indulged in blatant factionalism, even betrayal, and have contributed to the
losses of state governments by direct and misfired actions. Do they remember their
own past shortcomings, and more importantly do they care? It is obvious they
would rather rest on their laurels than dwell on the brickbats they might have
earned. And they can be very thick-skinned about it too.
Other more cynically motivated moves from the old guard
include trying to create and nurture pressure groups and dissidents, and actively
pit one group against another. All of this, in order to internally influence
and induce outcomes, and personally benefit from the power politics involved.
Some even have unspoken prime ministerial and other positional ambitions as
their agenda irrespective of the stated positions of their party.
These senior politicians are quick to be hurt and embittered
at being overlooked or abandoned by their own protégés, despite acute displays
of bad political judgement, faltering and failing administrative ability, inability
to look at the broader picture, the here and now, let alone the tomorrows.
Despite the melodrama played up by the media for its
newsworthiness rather than substance, there is no option for those entrusted
with plotting a winning electoral strategy, but to stay the course. The threat
of political disruption is real enough from such fringe elements, but buckling
under pressure is fraught with unpleasant consequences. In an ideal
world, the recalcitrant elders would have been willing to make a
contribution in an advisory or non-political role. But many prefer to fight
like there is no tomorrow. Change however, is by its very nature, inevitable,
and cannot be held fast by the past.
(891 words)
March 23rd
2014
Gautam Mukherjee
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