K V SEETHARAMAIAH
The general elections date is going to be announced shortly. Political leaders will be up in the arms to attack each other. Attacks and counter attacks will be going on all the days. Attacks reach crescendo on the eve of elections. Like water flowing in river all the time but inundating during rainy season. Politicians feel that the Constitution has given carte blanche to them to be free-for-all. It is said “War is politics with bloodshed and politics is war without bloodshed”. There is no war without bloodshed. At the same time, blood-stained hands can also be seen in politics. Murders and half-murders occasionally mark political landscape. Hospitals, police stations and courts get more work to do. Victims may or may not come out of hospitals. Perpetrators of crime find their way to police stations. Surviving victims and accused see each other in courts. Delayed disposal of cases is boon to the perpetrators of crimes and bane to the victims.
Elections are countermanded in the constituencies when the candidates in fray of those constituencies die.
Election time is the season for Aya Rams and Gaya Rams. Turncoats change the parties. Aging politicians will be busy to prop up their children and grandchildren to fill the ‘vacuum’ likely to be created by them when they are unable to contest the election due to denial of tickets. Dynastic politics has taken deep roots. It can never be uprooted. With the exception of fewest of few, even the critics of dynastic politics are not free from promoting their heirs. Power and position are cementing forces to bring the rivals together, and the same power and position separate political friends. This suggests and reiterates that there are no permanent friends or permanent foes in politics. Every party accuses the other of witch-hunting. Accusers have no past when they have not tried to victimise their rivals. Soon after election dates are announced, code of conduct comes into force. New developmental works cannot be taken up. New developmental works have to wait till a new government is formed.
If the opposition parties come to power, they will be more busy with prosecuting and persecuting the leaders of previous ruling party. Next is to undo the policies and programmes of previous government even when they are good.
Caste politics has been playing destructive role. Seers of the respective communities control the government. They can make or mar the situation. Politics of appeasement has been gaining ground. Divide and rule policy with leaders having divisive agenda has been creating fissures among the people. Reservation in education and employment that started with just 18 per cent has touched 69 per cent in some states. The Supreme Court directive that reservation should not exceed 50 per cent has been conveniently defied. Citizens of the country are enjoying equality only in respect of voting in the elections. For reaping the government benefits, caste has been the determining factor. Providing infrastructures to the people must engage the attention of the government. Unfortunately that is not happening to the level of expectation. Rate of conviction for wrong doings by the people at the helm of affairs is miserably low because of which corrupt activities are continuing unabated. There is no political will to check if not eradicate the political and bureaucratic corruptions. Politicians exchange heated words and indulge in mudslinging on the issues of corruption. It does not mean that corruption is abominable to them. Leaders deprived of opportunity for making money through unfair means give vent to their anger. Victims are innocent voters.