23

Nov

Deteriorating standards of political discourse

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Today's Edition

New Delhi, 23 November 2023

Satish Misra

 On November 14, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called leader of the principle opposition party Rahul Gandhi “Moorkhon ka Sardar (Leader of fools)” while addressing a public rally in poll bound state of Madhya Pradesh.

Within a week on November 21, Rahul Gandhi, too, did not take it lying down and went on to call Modi ‘Panauti (a person who brings bad luck by just being around)’ while addressing a poll rally in Rajasthan.   

These two most recent examples only reflect the tip of the proverbial iceberg of the foul stink that has come to pervade our political system. Attack and counter attack have become everyday story that hog media headlines and keep the turbulent political waters rising high and higher.   

In poll season, leaders from different parties vying with each other to lure the electorate to vote for their respective parties have been attacking each other since the advent of democracy elections in the country their choice of words used to be civil and decent.

In recent years as competition of political power turned tough and often bitter, leaders from across the political spectrum seem to have abandoned civility. They have been using offensive and often enough abusive language in not only their poll campaigns but also in the political discourse in parliament and state assemblies.

In short, standards of political discourse have been rapidly declining touching lowest ebb that reflects animosity more than healthy competition.

Who to blame? Today all leaders irrespective of the party affiliations are equally responsible for the deterioration of political standards in public life but who is the bigger culprit requires a close examination of facts on ground.             

During my five decades long experience of watching Indian politics both as a keen observer as well as a professional writer, I have been a witness of this negative change that has come to afflict the political system. Therefore, I am in a position to narrate as how the situation has come to such a low.

In post-independence years, the political culture was that of a healthy competition or that of a political rivalry in which different political parties that were diametrically and ideologically opposed to each used to function advancing their appeal among the people. In the race for seeking popular approval, the parties and their leaders remained friendly in their social discourse maintaining mutual respect for each other.    

In the late sixties and early seventies, competition for political power had begun to turn fierce with many non-Congress governments ruling in different states. However, leaders remained courteous to each other and people at large looked at them with awe and respect putting their leaders on a higher pedestal.

Things began to change around the time, emergency was imposed when majority of the opposition leaders were arrested and kept in jails. Victory of the Janata Party in the 1977 general elections brought a new set of leaders in power with the right wing Bharatiya Jan Sangh and Rashtriya Swyamsevak Sangh gaining both credibility and legitimacy. Vindictiveness and political revenge became covert tools for furthering political goals.

Assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1984 and victory of the Congress party in 1984 general elections was a phase when despite intense political rivalry among the leaders and parties animosity among them was still a far cry. Leaders remained friendly and courteous to each other though their followers at large were kept at loggerheads with each other by their leaders.  

So much so that ruling party was always ready to assist and help opposition leaders so that difficult issues and important decisions could be taken in the wider national interests. Lines of communication between the ruling party and the opposition parties both at the Centre as well as in states functioned without any trouble. Spirit of parliamentary democracy flew flawlessly.

One such example can be reiterated here as how prominent leader of the opposition Atal Behari Vajpayee was made part of the Indian delegation to the United Nations so that he could avail much needed medical treatment by the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. Behind the battle lines, leaders of different and opposing ideologies remained friends.

In 1989 general elections. Atal Behari Vajpayee personally admonished his party followers for shouting slogan “Bofars ke dalalon ko Juta maro Salon ko” (Beat agents of Bofors with shoes). That is how leaders took personal care for not allowing the political discourse from going acrimonious.     

It goes to the credit of both Prime Minister Vajpayee and Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani who ensured that dialogue with the opposition remained intact and vitality of parliamentary democracy was kept intact. This continued even during the first UPA government of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi taking keen interest to keep the opposition on board.

Situation began to dramatically change around 2011-12 when the RSS-backed ‘India Against Corruption’ movement created rift. The then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi launched a tirade against the Congress government and using abusive language for both Manmohan Singh as well as Sonia Gandhi. All kind of innuendos were used by Modi for the Congress leaders including Lok Sabha MP Rahul Gandhi. The RSS and the BJP with covert help of some Congress leaders systematically made Rahul Gandhi ‘Pappu’.

The RSS and Modi knew that unless Nehru-Gandhi family was not discredited, it was impossible for the BJP to come to power with absolute majority. That is why, they embarked on a ridiculing mission.

Even after coming to power, Modi continued to use disparaging language and abusive words for the Nehru-Gandhi leaders thus breaking all conventions and traditions of parliamentary democracy that leader of the ruling party who in this capacity is also leader of the country is expected to lead with example. It is expected of a Prime Minister that he or she would ensure that political temperatures remained under control.

The Prime Minister has turned political rivalry into animosity. While all leaders have to share the blame for bringing the political discourse to such a low, but major share for the deterioration would have to be apportioned to Modi and Modi alone. 

 

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