Shiv Kumar Padha
There is an entertainment serial ‘Entrtainmentkeliyekuchhbhikarega’ playing on Soni TV channel which starts with the disclaimer ” the Acts, feats, stunts and somersaults in the serial are performed by the experts. The viewers are warned not to imitate the actions being shown….”. If we go through the constitutions of different political parties we find similarity in all of them as regards their emphasis upon, the politics based upon values and ethics. The faithful party workers at ground level follow the party dictums and principals to the letter and spirit whereas the higher cadre of these parties is often seen compromising and blatantly flouting and fiddling with the principals, values and the ethic suiting to their ease and comfort. The selfless efforts of the ground level units and the workers of the political parties serve as catalysts for their victory in the elections, but for whose efforts the victory of any political party is impossible. The leaders of the parties, in order to infuse life and spirit in their organisations, repose full confidence in the integrity and credibility of their subordinate units and the workers. But with the onset of the elections, the party leaders, divorce allthe moral values and ethics enshrined in their constitutions in gold and bold letters and strive for victory lock, stock and barrel.
In the wake of the forthcoming general elections for the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly within two months every political party has started setting their houses in order to win maximum seats. Fascinated by the unprecedented victory of Bhartiya Janta Party in the country in general and Jammu and Kashmir in particular in the just concluded parliamentary elections the flocks of the Siberian cranes have diverted their flights towards the wet lands in the State. Crowds of the aspirants including turn coats, expelled and tainted politicians, retired bureaucrats, industrialists, land lords sans political background are thronging the BJP party offices for the party candidature. The politicians, who, at one time used to scold, abuse and pass insulting remarks for the BJP Party and its Prime Ministerial candidate and also those who took part in cross voting against the norms and whips of their party are now alluring the party cadre by huge public rallies with chariots and motorcades. The aspirants who are joining the BJP with motive in mind do not have any locus standi for the party ticket for the constituencies where there is no dearth of capable, educated, dedicated, honest, loyal and credible party candidates. In the season of elections many aspirants especially the millionaires are taking the bus loads of their supporters in order to exhibit their strength before the party cadre at State and Centre. No doubt the results of the recent parliamentary elections have remained remarkable not only in Jammu and Kashmir but throughout the country but the party should not be swayed away by the unprecedented victory because without the Modi wave such type of victory would have remained a mirage for BJP. The Modi tsunami has ebbed with the conclusion of the parliamentary elections and now the coming Assembly elections will be contested on the local problems and issues where the personal qualities, qualifications, honesty, credibility, dedication and character of the candidates will matter instead of their money and muscle power. It is extremely shocking that the overambitious BJP, for achieving the target 44+, doesn’t hesitate to compromise with the ethics and principals of the party and seems hell-bent to take along the opportunists, expelled and suspended MLAs/ MPs, self-proclaimed politicians and kith and kin and accord them the party candidature for different constituencies in the State unilaterally keeping the local deserving and the dedicated workers at arm’s length.
Now when the party leaders are busy in the marathon of finalising the list of the candidates in the party offices, it is the apprehension of every worker that these opportunists and migratory Siberian cranes, will definitely prevail upon the party cadre in the decision of distribution of the party tickets easily. It is amazing how do the party workers once considered as the real strength, epicenter of power and steering wheel of the party before the elections, become aliens for the party leaders during the process of selection of the candidates.The party workers, who feel neglected, have got the morale right to know from the party leaders regarding their position and rights in the party. Are they meant only for organising public meetings, lay carpets, pitch tents, arrange PAS and serve tea and dinners? If this is the only duty and right of the workers then the contract with any tent or catering house can serve the purpose of the party better than the field offices and workers, because their right to contest elections ceases the day they are recruited as workers in the party.
The workers are the true spirit and the backbone of any political party their suggestions and opinions should be honored and taken seriously instead of taking them otherwise because their selfless efforts always result into the success of the party as the opportunists are like the migratory birds which are always in the quest of the wet lands for their survival. Ambitions have always proved as guiding spirit for the mankind in the past but the over ambitiousness sometimes results in disappointment and failures. It is a sincere advice of the workers to the BJP high command to take the party workers in confidence and consider them eligible for the party ticket on the basis of their honesty; qualifications and clean images lest the target of 44+ should become a hard nut to crack.
