food for thought

Politics and public service were synonymous at one glorious point of time. No longer are they so today as politicians dabble in public affairs in their pretentious avatars as public servants. But they believe that most of the electorate are still fools, and if they are not, there can be any number of dirty tricks to befool them in order to sustain in politics, which is anything but public service. The leitmotif of the political theatre in vogue is hoodwinking of the public and scantiest regard, or no regard at all, for the public’s genuine problems, concerns and aspirations. The chief goalpost is power, by hook or by crook. The public can go to hell. It is self-interest and self-aggrandizement that decides the game of politics and sets the nefarious goalpost.

Why, just go through the Karnataka poll results book. Its pages are tainted by the sheer greed for power, power-addicted as these politicians are – otherwise called “people’s representatives”, who represent none but themselves, a handful of exceptions apart. But why such craze for power without having to acknowledge the reality of the people’s mandate? Why are elected representatives being herded in resorts like sheep just after their elections? What’s the fear? It’s simple: the so-called representatives could any time be out for sale in the market of power politics. So they must be herded. It is increasingly becoming a pan-Indian phenomenon in one way or the other. And what does it reflect on? Simple again: Does it not reflect on this hard-earned, prized democracy of ours having to face one of the gravest threats from the very people who are supposed to be its vanguards – a vast majority of our elected representatives, who are also lawmakers perhaps very unfortunately?