SO MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING..REALLY!

The election fever and fervor are reaching a fast climax and the entire nation is waiting for the campaigns to end, polls to begin and finally, the results to be declared leading to a change of guard at the Centre and in many states. Predictably, one of the major issues looming large over the poll arena is corruption and its corollary, a clean, efficient government. The big question with a big Q is- will the country, with a bourgeoning youth population vote for non-corrupt, “cleaner than washed in Surf Excel and whiter than dipped in Ujala” politicians? Of course, we all have cried ourselves hoarse on corruption in the media, at extended family picnics, over working lunches, at kitty parties, pub sessions, long drives, at the family dining table and in bed. Yes, it has been done to death and more. Which gives rise to the strong conviction that this time around, we all will vote to throw away those slime balls who have sucked away our hard earned money from the government coffers and bring in the talented, sincere, raring to work and wary to steal kinds into the political set up. A sanguine conviction..but will it really work out in the end?

During the urban local body elections in the state a while ago and more recently, the upcoming general and assembly elections, there have been rampant talks of the voters being gained over by the contestants not by flexing muscles and sinews, but by money. The aspirants reportedly spend crores of rupees in arranging gala feasts for entire localities, distributing fancy cell phones en masse; even distributing cash etc. and all these are not always slanderous gossips or hearsay. There have been numerous instances of candidates being caught or their supporters’ vehicles being seized carrying obscene amounts of unaccounted for money. But then, that is just the minute tip of the giant iceberg.

In my opinion, the reality is that money, freebies etc are being generously distributed by candidates, who themselves, have no ethics or ideology to speak of. One look at the drama that unfolded just before campaigns kick started clearly indicates that a politician, wannabe or seasoned, only understands the language of power. He or she believes in the ideology of that party which is willing to give him/her the ticket to try out luck in the elections. That is all that matters. Since the ideologies, beliefs and ethics of our politicians have become so fluid so as to fit into any party vessel, it is anybody’s guess how staunchly they must be guarding moral values and once elected, how scrupulously; they would be putting the national interests above their own. Forget the lascivious chair and power hungry politicos, the aam junta- the common people are no less. Yes, the election commission has dutifully appointed observers to monitor the entire process of electioneering and special ones, as well, to ensure that the pure, gullible minds of the holier-than-thou voters is not sullied by those who will pull all strings and exhaust many foreign bank accounts to get the votes. Ah! But are the common and not so common people really so wide eyed, innocent, straightforward and honest? Even if we wish to believe this premise, where is all the money being pumped into the elections going? If some candidates are giving, it is because many, nay; most of us are willing to grab fistfuls of free cash and free giveaways willingly. And, there is competition in this as well. A whole lot of freeloaders are jumping around, changing allegiances at the drop of a freebie because the anthem is ‘ He/she who gives the most takes the most’. Development issues, the larger cause of honesty and transparency are put in the garbage bin to bring out once the election shenanigans are over. This, when the campaigning, the groundwork etc are being done not by the so called old, corrupt have-beens, but the new X,Y and Z laptop-tablet-Bluetooth-facebook-twitter generation who otherwise need a fancy cola to satiate themselves after mouthing reams of platitudes on the acute need of a honest, corruption free government as the panacea for all the ills plaguing the country.

There are, of course, a few men and women, with integrity and strength of character, who are in the fray and who promise to show the light in the next five years. The light to a better, well functioning and efficient democracy, the light to a more responsive and responsible government. Meanwhile, one can just feel that as regards, corruption, it is actually much ado about nothing and may the best person(s) win! Amen.