DailyPost 2763
DEMOCRACY’s INVERTED PYRAMID – THE RULER & THE RULED
Once you win any election at any level, you have arrived in life is the ultimate truism that defines the life of a political personality. The talk of public service is most abused topic in Indian democracy, and some taking it to selfless service to society level, super philanthropy, compared it reality, makes it look comical. The beauty of the whole democratic game is that it sells. The sellers know what can be sold by political trickery to the electorate and that is precisely what they do election after elections. The packaging of the promises / agenda / thoughts might be different, what is peddled out for the common masses remain the same.
The transition of the elected representatives and their hangers on as the rulers of the country has been the 8only big-ticket robust delivery* of the Indian democracy. Out of nearly the same group or bit of its extension or politically influential ones for a variety of reasons, the generational political transitioning happens. Having once arrived in this manner, they are there to stay for all times to come. Conversely people being brought down to a pitiable condition, with the only task of filling chairs and casting votes in return for some peanuts legal or otherwise is another equally commendable achievement of our much-touted democracy.
The ruled who are technically, legally and constitutionally the ruler, have been mentally broken down completely, that anybody can ride roughshod over them. And that is precisely what the political does and more so when they are in power. People approach the inverted pyramid leaders as if they are Gods. Lots of them carry money and muscle power which adds to their political charisma and that being so, you well understand the plight of the common man. There are times when it is an unannounced reign of terror perpetrated by these “rulers” and other precarious occasions when you are left to your own plight, like in Naxalite areas etc.
While we are celebrating the festival of democracy as elections are called, lets also appreciate the harsh reality that around 80% or so of regular candidates contesting the Lok Sabha are crorepatis. It cuts across caste, creed, color, region, religion, backward, forward, reserved or non-reserved. How nearly all of them dedicated to the upliftment of society make that mark. The money spent in Indian general elections can put to shame the expenditure of the biggest royal coronation of all times. Chartered jets and helicopters crisscross the Indian skies vying for the votes of those 80 crores, for whom 5 kgs of food grain alms by the state is the real definition of democracy.
HOW MANY OF THE CORE STAKEHOLDERS OF INDIAN DEMOCRACY EVEN TALK OF JUSTICE?
Sanjay Sahay
Have a nice evening.