DIFFICULTY OF BEING BAD

Doing ‘gandi baat’ and being bad might be the new good of  Bollywood ( Be it Robin Hood Pandey , Faizal Khan or Bullet Raja ) but when it comes to Indian Politics, guess what’s  back in fashion ? Goodness. Being good is cool again.

Presently the situation in Delhi is no less than a bollywood drama. The Nayak type dramatic rise of this infant party and Pehle AAP politics which was unheard and unimaginable before is a delight to watch. Veteran parties which were experts in forming and deforming governments by hook or by crook are now claiming that they don’t believe in such politics. Horse-trading which was a common practice and to some extent allowed by our constitution is now seen as an unfair means by the political parties. It was believed that buying party support was a huge expense, but is now being offered for free, unconditionally and without even asking, on the ground of easing the burden of re-election from the public. Suddenly everyone has become so good.

AAP Jaisa koi meri Dilli Mein aaye...

Condition of congress is like that of a school boy who did not perform well in exams and is now guilty and subservient, ready to obey everything that people say. MMS’s mobile might always be on silent mode but he was now very quick to make a call to Anna the moment he started the fast .Lokpall bill, which was not even required few months back is now the prime concern of the congress put forth by the topmost leaders in a special press conference.

"Learning from competitors in ways you cant even imagine right now"

Namo is playing safe by keeping mum over all these issues , probably saving his energy to do “Maha Garjana”. Last we heard him speak was when he goofed up about Article 370. Now the Nation’s debate has reached till article 377 but he is still busy revising old chapters for the endterms in 2014, syllabus of which is huge. His strategic silence over all these issues of national importance where BJP has such an important role to play makes me wonder whether he is practicing being silent for long stay in PM chair just like MMS who almost finished chewing his centre fresh “Jo Zubaan pe rakhe Lagaam”. If Namo is tired by his “Run for Unity” I would like Milkha Singh to offer him Zhandu Kesari Jivan and say “Aap Senior citizen hain ? Jo itni Jaldi thak gaye ? Abhi to aap ne aur daudna hai “.

Bhaag Modi Bhaag

This atmosphere of portraying honesty, clean politics and non desirability of crown rather refraining from it has taken the Indian politics to a whole new level. However politicizing the issue of Lokpal bill is a bit disappointing. What was started as a public movement to “fight against corruption” now seems to be turning “fight for credit”. In this atmosphere of gentlemen behaviour they should also pay homage to Harry Truman’s saying that “ your work will succeed as long as you don't care who gets the credit ”.

Gurcharan Das in his book “ Difficulty of Being Good” explains Yudhistira's answer to Draupadi’s question  'Why be good?'. His answer “ I do not act for sake of dharma, I act because I must” implies that consequences or ends do not justify the means. Although the Pandavas have a perfectly legitimate end in regaining their stolen kingdom, they must recover it only by honest means, without compromising dharma.

This indeed is a start of a new type of Politics in India. The time will tell how long will it go, or how much substance it holds in the practical aspects of politics and administration but as it is said, well begun is half done and these winds of change are swirling and turning things upside down only to give soothing breeze later.

[Note: This is my unedited column for Sarvapratham ( www.sarvapratham.com) dated 14-12-13]