A-political thought

It’s that time of the year again, when roads are fixed overnight, water shortage miraculously disappears, and every newspaper carries photographs of politicians eating with the poor, and seeking blessings from village elders. They all sport angelic smiles, and declare their assets. They go door-to-door requesting citizens to vote for them.

This year, Bangalore city and Karnataka witnessed what can be called “awakening”. Radio stations, private businesses, corporate houses pumped-in large amounts of money into outdoor campaigns, billboards, sound bytes – telling everyone to stop complaining and start voting. Putting the onus on every citizen to be the change, instead of expecting the change. Everybody joined hands to fuel these inspirational campaigns - celebrities, college students, business leaders. But everybody seemed to have forgotten the one larger truth. Corruption. I don't know whether it was ironic, or an 'I told you so situation', when the papers carried three colum stories, with photographs, about names missing from electoral lists. Those names that have 'valid' voter IDs. Those people who wanted to be the change, wanted to vote, and wanted to perhaps ensure that the next Chief Minister of the state is not a complete moron.

But guess what? Change will be hard to come by. Because much higher than change is the omnipresent power called greed, which drives our leaders to cheat the common man and make a mockery of democracy. What irks me even more is the nonchalant act they all put on during media interviews. The false claims they make unabashedly, and the complete disregard they have for honesty.

I was watching the former Chief Minister of Karnataka, H D Kumaraswamy on television last week. Inarticulate, unimpressive and callous, he actually had the gall to enumerate his government’s 'accomplishments' on worldwide television, when the real truth of Bangalore and Karnataka is out there – being borne by the average office-goer, the farmer, and every honest, tax-paying citizen.

The media flays these political thugs, confronts them, exposes them. But for what? For another decade of bad governance, unaccounted funds, and acute shortage.

I am not looking for answers by penning these thoughts. But I am wondering if there ever will be an answer? Would a ‘Rang De Basanti’ plot – with citizens taking the law into their hands work? Or a nuclear holocaust?