DailyPost 2011
AN ENRAGED CLASS!
When patience, equanimity, consistency in behavior, objectivity, cogent communication, decision making based on understanding / evaluating the complexity and seeing it through, should have been the sine qua non of this class, what we find instead in an enraged class. Wit, humor, sarcasm and healthy competition is some measure, you will find in every professional class, not finding any of these is normal in this class. This is the political class of India. The recent manifestations in the West Bengal Assembly, brings back into focus the deeds of this class for scrutiny in the public domain. Before that was the spat between Bihar CM and the Speaker. Adding to insult to injury and the shenanigans of both the parties battling it out on the national television channels.
Rage is something that sells in this class and getting enraged or being consistently enraged is their persona. A facial sentimental analysis of any grouping of this class will deliver the same results. Do we get the political class we deserve? But the country is certainly not getting into an enraged mode? If this behavior were to percolate, what would be the fate of this country? Who have they not fought with and for whose dignity and honor have they fought an honorable battle? Serious hoodlum behavior even leading to injuries has taken place in honorable legislative houses in this country, this does not seem to abate. Even mikes and furniture have been used as weapons at times. Privileges and immunities were supposed to take care of it.
Things have come to such a pass, that the Supreme Court ruled last year that elected representatives can no longer go scot-free for acts of vandalism and violence inside the house. They are liable to prosecution. For any type of enraged behavior, this class will always be on the victory stand. They are numerous times, you will find them fighting for their privileges, which they have created for themselves, it is not enshrined in the constitution of India, with anybody who questions it. Most of the privileges remain unknown to the public. They have public spats with public officials, heated exchanges at times and sometimes even beyond that. You can witness enraged conversations in official meetings, sometimes leading to very embarrassing situations. Not getting pilot, escort, convoy and sarkari dramaphernalia can irk them unbound.
If the same rules of government employment related to persons having criminal cases against them is applied to them, this class will cease to exist. They have created a new class of cases for themselves, called political cases. These cases are as much criminal cases as any other. It’s more dangerous because this class enjoys the levers of power. Criminal offences are registered for enraged behavior of a variety of types. So many of them even warn the concerned officials who take such action against them. Large number of them become the lawmakers of the nation. Deriding every profession and controlling each of them, when interests clash seems to have become the nations fate. Can this mindset deliver? If it has not, where do go from here?
TRANSFORMING AN ENRAGED CLASS INTO A BUNCH OF STATESMEN, VISIONARIES AND GOOD DOERS CANNOT BE EASY.
Sanjay Sahay