8

Dec

Indian Politics: Culture And Etiquettes Is Also An Important Issue

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Today’s Edition

New Delhi, 8 December 2023

Pradeep Mathur

 The biggest problem of Indian politics today is not the big money –black or white –being spent on elections or entry of anti-social elements in the political arena. It is certainly not corruption as India’s highly self- righteous leaders are fond of proclaiming. Far from it the biggest problem is social culture and etiquette which is declining with every passing day.

 We all know that politics is a game of hard competition in which stakes are very high. We also know that as in war and love, everything is fair in politics, which after all is a war without weapons between contesting parties. However, even in a war rules have to be followed and it is something which has been observed in India since the time of the Mahabharata.

 Proud as we are of our ancient culture, and some are so proud that they think it to be the best ever, there is no reason why should we give it up in the present age of knowledge and reason. While the concept of modern warfare underlies that you should treat your defeated enemy kindly the principle ordained in the epic Mahabharata battle was the respect for the elders even if they were in the enemy camp. It is this principle that we are fast forgetting in our electoral battles and it is as tragic a phenomenon as it is dangerous.

 One can have bitter disputes and strong complaints but hurling a shoe as was done a few years ago at 89-year-old Prakash Singh Badal, the then chief minister of Punjab cannot be justified. It has to be condemned by one and all, cutting across party lines, as an insult to age and statesmanship. Unfortunately it does not happen in our country.

In such cases police action is not enough. It needs social censure. An announcement by any political leader in such cases  that he\she is withdrawing from the electoral contest in protest against insult of an elderly politician can send the right message and enhance goodwill. But we have become too small to be able to think big.

 Badal has not been the only politician to be so insulted. Shoes have been  hurled at so many big and not-so-big political leaders. Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubir Das is a case in point.. Delhi’s young chief minister Arvind Kajeriwal has been subjected to such insult quite a few times for no obvious reason.

The unfortunate part of all this is that his detractors have silently enjoyed the spectacle.

Light-hearted and funny comments, criticism, ridiculing and even lampooning of political leaders are common features of political life in democratic countries. However, there have to be sharp dividing lines between calumny and criticism, fun and distortion and satire and disrespect. Democracy certainly does not permit hate campaigns which unfortunately are becoming an unwelcome feature of our political discourse.

 Ruling BJP leaders often complain, and rightly so that a lot of comments in social media and otherwise on Mr Narendra Modi are highly disrespectful to his status as the Prime Minister of India .No doubt Congress leader Rahul Gandhi calling him names is highly objectionable and so is Kajeriwal calling Modi an illiterate prime minister.  It is true but to know why it is happening they have to look inwards. They started it about ten years ago in run-up to the 2014 parliamentary elections. All sorts of petty things were said against the then Prime Minister Dr Man Mohan Singh who is gentleman to the core besides being an economist of international repute. Mr Narendra Modi called him a person who takes bath wearing a rain coat. Highly damaging slogans were coined against him.

We all know that the RSS-BJP propaganda mills worked overtime to project Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as an overgrown kid and an imbecile. This propaganda continues even today. And surprisingly this is being done by a party which calls itself a votary of our ancient culture in which Bhagwan Ram respects the scholarship of his arch rival demon king Ravan.

There is an urgent need to ponder over this issue. Corruption and criminalisation of politics can be take care of any time. But if our leaders and political functionaries forget basic social norms and etiquette or what we call “Sanskar”  our common people, especially the younger generations, will have no respect for politics and politicians who rule the country. And that will be a misfortune.

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