Call to usher in a new political culture based on hope

Giving Bangalore’s civil society a lesson in politics and optimism and how the two can go together, a leader urged politicians to usher in a new culture by playing an honourable game.

“Shed mistrust in politicians. Make politics an honourable game. Let’s think of how a new political culture can be created,” said Dr Jayaprakash Narayan of the Loksatta party.

It was time to talk politics and not the dirty kind, it was time to embrace it with a fresh perspective when the founder of the party took to the lectern on Friday evening.

Justice MN Venkatachalaiah, who admitted to attending the event despite maintaining his “pretence of political neutrality”, envisioned that the next decade would be one of convergence of all branches of science. It would be extremely productive.

However, on the political front, he was not very optimistic. “India is going through the worst periods of evolution, grimly struggling to evolve a new order of history. Electoral politics has perhaps reached its lowest,” he said.

“Judiciary is the last bastion to protect the country. Only the Supreme Court can provide the leadership. One cannot afford to undermine its authority,” Jayaprakash said.

“There is no substitute for politics. We cannot afford to leave the nation’s fate to serendipity. India of 2020 cannot remain the India of 2011 politically. Political and economic environments have to go in tandem,” he said. Political transformation has not happening in India because of lack of commanders.“Dregs of humanity are coming to power because people are shunning politics,” he said.

There is no longer a problem of ideas. The intellectual challenge has been overcome. But there are no commanders who can inspire confidence, who have courage, have no fear of failure or distaste of politics and can earn the currency required, he said. It would take 10 to 15 years to set the political system right, he added.