HVK Archives: The nation can afford polls, not dirty politicking
The nation can afford polls, not dirty politicking - The Asian Age
Seema Mustafa
()
19 April 1997
Title : The nation can afford polls, not dirty politicking
Author : Seema Mustafa
Publication : The Asian Age
Date : April 19, 1997
One was wrong. Dismally wrong. Simply because one had thought that
in an hour of crisis even the damned species, the politician, would
rise to the occasion and take the correct action. That he would
finally call a halt to the games and manipulations and take the
only course of action left open to him, largely as a result of his
own antics - go in for a mid-term poll. That he would also, (being
from the human race) realise that the mess he had made was more
than he could clean and would go to the people (from whence he
came) to seek absolution and atone for his sins. He would, in other
words, seek a fresh mandate as the only logical course of action.
But that was not to be. After plunging the nation into chaos
through wilful action, the politician does not have the courage to
face the consequences. So he is engaged in an exercise to save
himself and his membership of the Lok Sabha. That is the prime,
one can say the only, consideration. This columnist erred in
supposing that the politician could have another consideration.
This was unrealistic thinking making for unreal analysis and one
stands corrected. Abjectly so.
The Left parties stand out in the utterly miserable scenario
created by politicians of the Kesri, Moopanar, Naidu hue. The
United Front government was busy facing the biggest challenge to
its survival in the Lok Sabha and its regional giants were engaged
in machinations outside to ensure that the Prime Minister, H.D.
Deve Gowda, resigned before his confidence motion was put to the
vote. Had the gentleman done so, the United Front would have had
not just egg on its face but would have been unable to get rid of
the stink. The Left jumped in and saved the situation by insisting
that the motion be put to the vote. It was pointed out to the great
leaders of the United Front, all of whom incidentally, are now in
the run for the Prime Minister's chair that a resignation before
the vote would pull the flailing Congress out of the, mire into
Which it had thrown itself. The Congress the worthies were told,
did not want to vote on the same side as the Bharatiya Janata Party
and its interest in suggesting a change in leadership before the
vote was to save its own skin, and not that of the United Front.
This made some sense to the gentlemen of the Steering Committee,
and the Front was saved the ignominy of having to change its much
publicised course of action in the midst of the debate in the Lok
Sabha.
The MPs do not want an election. This is the binding factor that is
bringing the United Front and the Congress, after all the
convolutions of the past weeks, together again. The Left parties
are of the view that a mid-term poll is inevitable, and at this
stage the United Front would have been in a position to hold its
own before the electorate. The contest would be between it and the
BJP. Besides the only principled thing to do at this stage was to
go in for the polls. Instead of prolonging the sordid drama, end
it. But then the Left is also guilty of the same mistake as this
columnist. It still has faith in the centrist politician just
because he speaks of principles even as he looks for the seat of
power.
The argument is: the nation does not want an election. It cannot
afford an election. The answer is: it can. It cannot afford the
deals, the dirt, the entire vulgarity of present day politicking
which is damaging the democratic fabric of this country. There is a
price to pay when a large, diverse country passes from a one-party,
over-centralised rule to a federal coalition. The change has come
about because of the pressures of the constituency. Of the
electorate which is pressing for a change as a way out of the 50
years of stagnation. The price, in the absence of a mature
leadership with a vision, is frequent elections. The effort should
be to avoid this. But the effort should not be so that the
consequences become far more damaging for the country than an early
election.
It is a matter of deep regret that a mid-term poll has been brought
about not by the follies of a government, but because of the
whimsical nature of its supporting partner. It almost appears, as
former Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar put it in the Lok Sabha, that
Congress president Sitaram Kesri was acting to an external agenda.
But it will be a little too simplistic to dismiss his supposedly
masterly stroke as the direct result of a foreign hand. Bofors,
the police case, CBI enquiries are the reason for the panicky,
rather desperate, move by Kesri. He appeared naked before the
nation, unable to explain the logic behind his action. The United
Front by agreeing to his demand for changing the leader has now
provided him with the fig leaf and the Congress with the support to
clothe himself with the mantle of a wily politician again.
The BJP is lurking outside, say the Congress and those sections of
the United Front who are desperate to remain in power. Yes it is.
But it has to be countered and challenged. This can only be done in
the electoral field. Changes of leadership and unhealthy alliances
cannot keep the BJP at bay. These can only strengthen it, to the
point where it begins to sound like the voice of reason. As is
happening today when the malignant parivar is taking a moralistic
position, putting itself on a pedestal and talking of secularism
and the cause of the minorities. The expected fight between the
Front constituents for the Prime Minister's chair will add more
grist to the BJP mill. What could be more absurd and dangerous?
But then who cares for secularism? It is simply a slogan and
another path to justify the crass race for power.
The Left parties have been compelled to dilute their stand against
the change in leadership. This was not because of any love lost
for Mr Gowda. In fact during the 10 months in power, the Prime
Minister had the Left front as his most determined opponent. The
support for Gowda at this stage was to ensure that the United Front
remained together, that it was able to expose and challenge the
Congress game even as it continued to oppose the BJP, and that
given the present trend it would not lose but even stand to gain if
it faced the electorate unitedly. The other constituents did not
have the courage to face the people and used the BJP bogey to rally
support for supposed principles. So now they are fighting for the
"principles" while a disgusted nation, an amused BJP and a happy
Congress watch.
The Left front has tried to salvage the situation somewhat by
insisting that the Congress take back the letter withdrawing
support to the United Front that Mr Kesri had handed over to the
President of India one fine Sunday. The Congress has said it will
not. One cannot say what will come of this but it is for the rest
of the United Front to at least support the Left Position, and not
succumb so completely to invisible pressure. Otherwise it will be,
perhaps it already is, in a position where its new leader will be
determined by the Congress. Even today the Congress has made it
clear that only a leader sympathetic to the party will be
acceptable to it, and only then it might consider extending support
to a United Front government. The regional constituents have not
reacted to this development. The Left has, but its stand will
acquire teeth if the CPI announces its decision to stay out of the
new government. This will be the absolute minimum required of the
Left parties to acquire the legitimacy to meet the challenge that
is bound to arise; if not today, then in a few months.
The Left front has also decided against joining a coalition with
the Congress. There are sections within the Front and the Congress
that are openly advocating such a move. If it happens, as the next
step, it will lead to the very split in the United Front which the
CPI(M) and the CPI are' presently trying to prevent. The future is
fraught with imponderables. "If" the Congress withdraws the letter
lying before the President, "if" the United Front and the Congress
do not, or do, enter into a coalition, "if" the two groups have no
differences - the country might have a government. Even that is
under a big question mark.
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