The dance of democracy
By: K S S Pillai
Elections to the Lok Sabha and some state legislatures are around the corner. Those making materials like flags, caps, and scarves of different political parties are happy as elections bring brisk business to them. Presses are fully engaged in printing propaganda materials for parties. That is also the case with those renting out sound systems and constructing pandals for public meetings with all accessories.
Many in the outgoing ministries are worried about getting tickets and a place in the new ministries. It is also the time for the discontented elements to change parties along with some supporters in the presence of the media. Great publicity is given to such events by all parties as a sign of their rivals’ deteriorating hold on the public. The new entrants have no qualms in making statements contrary to those made till the other day. The new party gives them positions after weighing their capacity to bring votes.
Road shows of leaders have become an inevitable part of the campaign. Apart from those standing with the leaders in vehicles vigorously waving their hands, thousands gather on both sides of roads to shower them with petals of flowers and garlands. As money, white and black, plays an important role during elections, it is anybody’s guess whether the spectators are genuine supporters of the party.
Candidates of different parties suddenly become talented actors, bowing low before everybody in their constituencies. They move on foot accompanied by party workers visiting voters irrespective of their party affiliation and begging for their votes. They wave energetically with a fixed smile on their face at all and sundry.
Some even dance with their supporters if cameras are present to record and telecast the event. They fondly hold dirty children with running noses close to them to the bemusement of the parents and the audience. As shown in some movies, they later bathe in hot water laced with disinfectants, cursing their fate.
Election time is the time for making promises. Political parties promise free medical treatment, electricity, water taps, toilets, bikes, laptops, pensions for women and the unemployed, and the like if they come to power. The less their chance of capturing power, the more lavish their promises. They also promise roads like those in rich foreign countries and other public utilities that would be the envy of developed countries.
There was a time when children who could speak like professionals used to be the star attraction of public meetings. They are now absent from platforms as parties have been prohibited from using them.
In most states, compound walls facing roads are reserved by political parties for writing slogans and pasting posters. Workers of parties not only paste their posters in public places but also deface or remove those of rival candidates. In some places, it is usual to see the flags of various parties on tall poles.
Some are busy digging out old newspaper reports and photographs showing their rivals hobnobbing with their present opponents and videos of people making statements that are diametrically opposed to their current stance.
Agencies under the central government suddenly become active and are busy finding out the wrongdoings of those opposed to the governing party and putting them behind bars. All are on the lookout for the infringement of the model code of conduct by their rivals and filing complaints to the election commission asking it to ban them from further campaigning, if not standing for election.
Parties also go through with a fine tooth-comb the declarations made by other candidates about their assets, educational qualification, involvement in criminal cases, marital status and other information and are quick in demanding their disqualification to contest the election if there is a deviation from facts.
On election day, they transport reluctant voters to their polling booths. It is a common complaint that these voters are left to find transportation back to their homes after voting.
(The author is a retired professor of English. A regular contributor to ‘The Kashmir Vision’, his articles and short stories have been published by various national and international publications)
