Hate-hate relationship new trend in Indian politics

Into its 18thLok Sabha elections, the Indian democracy continues to see the age-old issues still bogging it down from attaining greater heights in governance, probity in public life and higher public satisfaction with whatever is going on in the name of rajneeti.

From the 1990s, extremely polarized and incompatible political formations have come together, overtly or covertly to combat and at times overthrow the existing ruling party and grab power. This has happened at both the Central and the State levels, marking a new, incomprehensible status in power politics and coalition dharma.

With Modi’s advent in 2014, the nearly 25-year long ‘khichdi’ politics was put to rest and we had a firm, majority-supported union government at New Delhi going about its business, which has now become a terrific challenge to overcome for its opponents, a decade later.

For the general public as also the pundits and specialists of political subjects, this election, into its second phase today, will be notable and worth remembering for many things. Depending on which side of the political ideology one is placed, he or she has enough to choose from and ruminate for a long period of 44 days as the juggernaut screeches to an end on June 1, with the seventh phase of polling getting over.

There are big names, bigger egos and political reputations which will be put to test all through resuming this Friday. Interestingly, Rahul Gandhi’s continuation as a parliamentarian will be sealed today along with many more celebrities who will be fighting for their careers.

With his mother adopting the safe Rajya Sabha route to stay put in the circuit of politics, Rahul Gandhi, with his unsurprising decision to retain Wayanad as his parliamentary constituency has enabled a torrent of hate and political self-righteousness to flow all over Kerala. By raising many comments and counterpoints pointing out to an ‘unholy’ nexus between the Communists and BJP in God’s Own Country, Rahul has also dunked himself with the same water from the fountain of name-calling. Rather expectedly, this has been spewed all over India as politicians go about their business of abusing and countering each other.

From tugging of heart strings, fear of minority upheaval, inheritance politics and disrespect of Hindu gods, volatile topics have been casually handled, the vitriol generated in the process further downgrading our levels of political discourse.

It also has turned out to be a mirror being held out to our band of leaders who are keen on taking India to greater heights with such baseless, gossipy and unsubstantiated talk. Paying lip service to the emerging generation of first-time voters who would have to be terribly dumb to stay unaffected and take sides, the political yatra of modern politicians still continues with its clichéd formula, seemingly inexhaustible and guaranteeing success, term after term.

With civil society groups and right-minded denizens seeking better representation of their concerns and anxieties as well as aligning our governance models with global concerns on sustainability of modern lives, the only silver lining is the average Indian, who thoroughly disgusted with his leaders, refuses to give up. For this is the only way he knows, he will stay relevant.