- The Indian citizens are quite well-versed in how the political narrative takes inscrutable and inexplicable shape no sooner the dates for the elections are announced. With winning at any cost assuming paramount importance, political parties will go to any extent to not only denigrate the opposition with no-holds-barred innuendos and direct attacks but also forego any semblance of decency while lambasting. This is repeated election after election despite the Election Commission of India exhaustively issuing guidelines on dos and don’ts. The ruling, as well as the opposition parties, are equally vociferous in their proclamations, which sometimes go to the extent of pure indecency unfit for the civilized disposition expected from leaders.
PC: freepik
- Indulging in inappropriate name-calling, besmirching the ancestors, accusing the parents/elders of the family, casting aspersions, mounting unauthentic and unverified allegations, and generally spewing venom becomes the order of the day during electioneering. This phenomenon is not restricted to any one party, you see. Every party indulges in trying to denigrate the other without a nary thought about the common citizens’ reactions. Of course, most political leaders have criminal records which are in itself a key clue about their antecedents. Despite the Election Commission of India’s monumental efforts to stall people with criminal backgrounds from getting into politics, many with dubious records are always in the fray.
- As you are aware, gone are the days when ideologies used to be the guiding light for the political parties whose unencumbered push was the norm. Of course, the Indian political scenario is largely divided along national and regional lines. There are very few big parties that can be rightly termed “pan-Indian entities.” However, the increasing footprints of the regional parties, which have grown from strength to strength, are what define Indian politics now. We all know how the BJP and Congress have positioned themselves as the prima donnas of national politics. The battle is obviously between the two at the national level. And then there are equally significant regional parties that nurture ambitions to take on the national parties but end up with limited success.
PC: freepik
- Ideally speaking, any political narrative should be based on the development agenda by not only promising the desired growth but also ensuring the welfare measures are delivered to the last man standing. People are wise to know who is capable of delivering, as the action on the ground ultimately matters. Unfortunately, politics is anything but ideal, as the leaders simply forego the option of decency by turning the campaign into vicious personal attacks. Yes, the Election Commission has the mandate to bar candidates and leaders from hitting below the belt. But who cares so long as those vitriolic remarks garner enough attention and soundbites? Can we expect our politicians to show enough maturity and wisdom? No, it’s a tall order.
