dna edit: Politics of intimidation

Throwing propriety and discretion to the winds, politicians have once again made a mockery of the model code of conduct. Even before the dust settled on BJP’s Amit Shah’s incendiary speech fanning communal passion and SP’s Azam Khan’s controversial statement attributing Kargil victory to the sacrifices of Muslim soldiers, comes a flurry of complaints about threats and coercion. Those in the dock for the latest round of violations had earlier been in the eye of storm for their reckless and insensitive comments. NCP’s Ajit Pawar now faces an Election Commission probe for allegedly threatening to cut off water supply to an entire village if it didn’t vote for his cousin sister and party patriarch Sharad Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sule. A year back, he had to face public backlash for a crude and heartless remark to protesting farmers whether people should urinate to fill up empty dams. It had come at a time when vast swathes of Maharashtra’s countryside were reeling from drought.

Already served a showcause notice by the EC, SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav might not be second-time lucky. This time the allegation is he threatened government school teachers in Bulandshahr that they would lose their jobs if they fail to vote for his party. Yadav clearly didn’t learn a lesson from the all-round condemnation his observation on rape had triggered (‘boys will be boys’). Neither did National Conference’s Farooq Abdullah whose rage against rival PDP in Kashmir found expression in the most violent and deplorable language, reportedly in front of the media. Four months ago he had to tender an apology for misogynistic comments on rape — he said he was wary of talking to women as it could land him in jail.

The atmosphere is further vitiated by the systemic attacks on AAP members, often degenerating into physical violence. Arvind Kejriwal’s reluctance to travel with an entourage of security personnel has cost him dearly. He has been inked, punched and slapped. Kumar Vishwas, AAP’s candidate against Rahul Gandhi in Amethi, is scared for his life. There is videographic evidence of a Congress supporter telling Priyanka Gandhi Vadra he would shoot Vishwas.

Had it not been for the EC’s untiring efforts to enforce discipline and conduct free and fair polls, the Lok Sabha elections would have been reduced to a dangerous farce. The decay at the very foundations of political life has been years in the making. And, we have only ourselves to blame for that. There is a lot of truth in the saying that in a democracy, people get the government they deserve. We have consistently allowed politicians to lower the bar in public conduct, shown remarkable tolerance towards corruption and paved the way for representatives with criminal backgrounds to govern us. The consequences have been ruinous — evident from the dismal state of our political discourses.

Thanks to our great institutions and their unflinching belief in certain values, we haven’t yet given into despondency. Their contributions have been immense in defeating the regressive, disruptive politics of communal and sectarian forces, and in restoring our faith in democracy.

If inclusive growth is truly a key determinant in the 2014 elections, to sustain the collective zeal would require a lot of sacrifices, both from the electorate and the elected. As of now, that seems a tall order. We have a long way to go before making a clean departure from a sordid system.