He who goes to Lanka becomes Ravana!

We Indians are proud of being the world largest democracy. But in reality what is the view of its residents as assets of this democracy? Does this democracy provide equal space to all? We might get its answer if we try to investigate the attitudes of the residents. Attitudes of ordinary people show a deep cynicism about politics ‘really works’ in India. Politicians play a large intermediary and translation role between the state and society. But their acts of gestures and postures tell the different truth. Politicians are viewed as ‘crooks, corrupt and self-seeking, unprincipled and devoid of ideological commitment and they are not concerned about their moral standard’, while there is regularly higher voter turnout.

The common people are so disturbed that they use to refer to politics as being dirty that morally upright people would not touch, sullied game of bargaining and dishonesty’. It is the cause of ‘a continuous social disturbance’ (disharmony and conflict). For this people have to face trouble or ‘rows’, fist-fights, abusive exchanges, drawn out quarrels or ‘just general animosity and hostility’. But these troubles are very urgent to the politicians ‘for the sustenance of politics’.

It is very much common that ‘politics spread poison in the society’. People only have to ‘accept this situation because of fear; fear of the dangers involved when getting in the way of powerful politicians or on the wrong side of them’. The misery is that all works is the work of politicians who are corrupt and unscrupulous.

It is evident that politics is a dirty game and ‘unprincipled people certainly made politics dirty and it also made politicians dirty’. Chances of clean image is almost thin/absent because ‘if a politician is [clean] he/she wouldn’t be where he/she is’.  An importance of the position of a politician is highly valued in the society and ‘the modesty of his/her living standard’ is proved it. The context of politics pushes ‘anyone bound to be tarnished by unsavoury decisions, shady actions and odorous alliances’. The people realize the daily affairs of a politician who involves in dealing behind closed doors, fixing deals and breaking rules. Political manoeuvres, groupism, violence and murder, etc. ‘spoil the image of the harmonious whole’. But they are very casual and they willfully cultivate unnecessary disturbances. Therefore, ‘activity of politics itself causes degeneration of actors’. But our judiciary does not touch them when they are in power. In this context, we could remember an opinion of a Commissioner of Police of Mumbai :

‘Our penal code and our idea of justice revolves around the idea that individuals commit crime and are punished, whereas political partied as a whole do politics. There might be individuals within these parties who commit crimes, even leaders, but they must be punished as individuals…. What can we do to an organisation? Bane it? That is difficult to do more permanently in a democracy’.

In West Bengal we observe that Communist Party of India(Marxist)(CPM) was the dominant partner of Left Front ruled the state of West Bengal for 34 years uninterruptedly. It was ‘a party of good, honest, hard working people dedicated to something they believed in’. But after few years of its rule in the state it was changed and it ‘deteriorated into a den of scheming, plotting, unprincipled individuals’. This party changed its action to ‘unprincipled aimed at securing votes, money and resources, as well as position for oneself, and one’s allied and friends’ and they put their efforts to stay in power anyhow. The people who joined for ideological or moral reasons were quitted from this party or they were set aside. They were submerged into vanity of power and authority. They never adjudged or did not bother to adjudge the grass root views about the party and its rule. Leadership was very much target oriented as sale promotion to cover more membership. All the good deeds of this Left Rule were packed back. But these 34 years of ruling was hatred by the common mass because it’s discriminatory act and demoralization of principles. Before this, rule of the Congress was same. Distance from grass-root and fear of people defeated this historic rule and it welcome another political party, the Trinamul Congress with an absolute majority in Assembly Election, 2011. But it was also a wrong judgment of common because they had not any other alternative. Initially they brought with change with full of hope of the new beginning where they would live without fear and peace. They thought that this present ruling party would establish equity and justice. But it was day dream. Leaders of this party almost all hierarchical levels were corrupted and demoralized and so forth. This party and its government believe on advertisements of its leaders and it publicized wrong acts. People are more fear because who would criticize the government they have to be ready to face various torture and harassment and finally to be put in the jail custody. This government talks more and the talkers are not the doers. This government is cultivating anti social at para(hamlet) level through strengthening the local club. It is just another side of coin. This culture of fear and harassment is the cause of higher voters turn out.

Time would come and this party would also be washed out from power. But next one party which would rule this state would surely be the same because democracy and people participation is a fashion. Dirty politics is the real driver of this car of democracy. Now it is true that ‘he who goes to Lanka becomes Ravanan’. In India dirty politics and its actions are in vicious cycles. It is the most crucial time to organize common people to save the democracy and democratic rights of the people of this country.