By: Sapna
“I don’t make jokes, I see politicians and just report facts!” An American satirist had caste these pearls of wisdom but they are also true for the state of Indian politics. They say politics is all about rhetoric. Well, in India, politicians preach from a high pedestal and then often leave people baffled with their doings(nondoings?).
At one time The BJP and the BSP professed undying love for each other and today the split is wide open, with Maya memsahib nailing BJP with her now blunt claws, in the Ram Mandir issue. Talking of the Ram Mandir dispute, and that is one storm that brews time and again in the cup of Indian politics, recently BJP took a deliberated stand and said that it was exploring dialogue, legislation and the directives of the court on the issue. On one not so fine day on the cremation of Ramchandra Paramhansa, head of Ram Janambhoomi Nyas Samiti, we found the Prime Minister of India saying that he would fulfill the dream of Paramhansa. Now we all know what his dream was – to build a temple at Ayodhya!
His statement caused a major commotion in Parliament with political parties accusing BJP of harbouring ulterior motives on the issue. What can we say? Perhaps the banks of Saryu unleashed an emotional Rambhakt and left the Prime Minister far behind and janta gaping in disbelief.
This disbelief turned into glee for some – the members of the political party which takes pride in displaying all hues of the colour saffron – the Shiv Sena.
In their jest they merrily bring down displays and posters proclaiming love on Valentine’s Day and go to the extremes of closing shops so that Cupid is not allowed to use its arrows – because all this amounts to Western influence and goes against the Hindu belief.
But then they too turned around like their other politician kin and donned Birthday caps and cut a cake for their supremo’s son – Udhav Thackrey. “Kissa Cake Ka” has caused other feathers to be ruffled too. There was a huge furore on whether it was a cake or a kalakand that Uma Bharati offered to Lord Hanuman at a temple on the eve of her Rath Yatra campaign. While the dust had still not settled on our firebrand’s offerings, we turned around a full circle when our femme fatale with the blunt claws rose to the occasion by spreading out a regal platter on her birthday. Let this be the occasion to celebrate the rights of the downtrodden – My birthday is “Swabhiman Diwas”, Mayawati declared!
While she and her political friends feasted, the dalit janta wondered about their basic necessities. Was it Queen Mary revisited? “If you can’t have bread, have cake.”
These are some excerpts from the diary of Modern Indian politics. With the rift between the words and actions of our elected representatives widening everyday – We, the people of India, are utterly confused and disgusted!!