The chairs of floors have to be fixed with nails. The Speaker has to wear a bullet proof jacket. The wooden benches have to be replaced with immovable light material stuff. That is the situation in the houses of our political representatives, be it a state Assembly or Parliament. Many M.Ps don't find time to attend to the Parliament sessions. Never an issue has been tabled by them. Large number of them don't pose a single question in their long tenure extending a decade or more. We never hear an intelligent speech from any one of them but for hysteric outrages. Repeated warnings from the speaker to end the speech is never paid attention until they are forcibly removed from the house. Despite the CCTV footage they do not fear getting into scuffles and manhandling. People often hear a far out cry for issues which they never know or care. Issues of little consequence to the people make headlines.
This is how our parliamentary democracy of of 60 years standing representing a little over billion people functions to day. The gross indiscipline displayed by an adult politicians is no better than an incorrigible child in spoilt class room atmosphere. It looks almost that internal working of corrupt system is better known to the people who are engaged in it, and whenever their personal interest are clashing the Parliament or Assembly is made a platform for ventilating their resentment.
The minings which were conveniently perpetuated for over a decade with the blessings every party in power suddenly bursts out as a public issue for a political mileage. The man on the street is perplexed and will want to know what is happening and rushes to fetch a political magazine or glued to the T.V. The channels urgently put up discussions calling every knowledgeable person on earth and issue is made available for the public. The demolition which occurred almost two decades ago suddenly crops up and furor is made out either to sidetrack or camouflage the offenses committed by the parties as a whole. Dangerous issues were not allowed to die their natural death. With a temple in every corner of the street people did not seem particularly interested in building one specially wrestling with other communities way back in early nineties before serious indoctrination programmes were envisaged. It seemed it is the leader who wanted to build a temple as well as a vote bank.
Time and again they are retrieved to make people conscious and bitter. All of a sudden the sentiments or interest of one state get hurt with too many unwanted settlers. Sense of pseudo regionalism is induced in the minds of innocent people, only..just only to make perpetrator's presence felt, and serve their ends. Widely admired cricketer would be harshly criticized for not "doing any thing to people of his state". Hence "Doing some thing to one's own people" is legalised.
Nuclear deals are either pushed or blocked only by the knowledgeable parties, while a common man, including news channels do not have much information about it. Innocent sugar cane former is driven to the streets to vandalise. Support praise eventually remained the same. Innocent tribal are made to hear the talk of development by a leader who looted them with enormous wealth, giving Enforcement Directorate three misses.
Just a municipal election crosses it's limits and touches the height of Assembly election in terms of canvassing and manipulations. Glossy pamphlets, CDs, dinners, liquor, roaming SUVs, all these costs are excluding the amount paid to buy a ticket. It is an investment where you get assured returns. "Nation on sale" Submit your tender.
Not more than 46% turn out to cast their vote. Fifty percent of the votes polled are from the vote banks. Out of the is 46% votes polled, one third of the votes are sufficient to get a candidate elected. In short a corporator can get elected with meagre 12% votes polled and 6% of the votes being from the traditional vote banks. In summation six people out of every hundred can decide the fate of multitudes who ply on the jammed roads, who live with persisting water problems and encroached foot paths, and uncleared garbage at the end of the street. Still people loved to enjoy their holiday than walking few yards to the polling booth. All the parties know about it. So never the problems of power supply, roads,price rise, water, emissions, traffic, garbage disposal never figure in their agendas. The people's issues with universal application like secularism, poverty, external aggression and nuclear deal will be projected in most ambiguous terms so that people can not figure out any thing from them.
Urban voter who ventilates his anger and frustration at the slightest opportunity has no time to cast his vote, the only weapon he has got to choose his politicalsystem and everyday life. So it is the government of the politicians, by the politicians and for the politicians. People have no role to play in it.
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