I woke up this morning to read about the latest episode in the soap opera that is playing out in the run-up to May 16th (when the election results will be announced). As the Congress turned its attention back from the TDP and BJD to the Left and Lalu, I was reminded of that episode of Friends when Rachel tells Ross that sex between them will 'never be off the table'. I suspect Ross and Rachel had more legitimacy to their decision than most of our political parties do.
In the whorehouse that Indian politics seems to be descending into, I picture our political parties slapping on gobs of magenta lipstick, donning their flashiest petticoats, oiling their hair with badam tel and hanging from doors & windows, hawking themselves to the highest bidder. It's not about who's a better lay, it's about who's willing to pay more.
Saw a ridiculous episode of 'We The People' on NDTV. The discussion revolved around the bizarre notion that Mayawati could be India's Obamavatar. Hello? Obama isn't just a black man who became president. The man has depth, an education and visionary idealism with the strength of character to convert it into reality. Plus, he is backed by a group of people who are just as talented and loyal in carrying his vision forward. Are you telling me that Mayawati (who no doubt has conquered great odds and has had the 'audacity to hope') has enough time between transferring officials who piss her off and building shrines to herself, to look beyond caste politics and have a coherent vision for the nation (forget the globe) as a whole?
I'm aware that the vastness and diversity of our nation implies that its politics will be as diverse. And perhaps when you have these many players in the field, there's bound to be a bit of chaos. Chaos, I'm okay with (after all it's the Indian way). Power brokering? Well, sure. I can't be all doe-eyed and believe that it's not part of the political process. But does it have to completely ignore the basic point of democracy?
Instead of talking about the issues, Indian democracy has been reduced to an incestuous play-by-play account of who's f^&*king who. Ideology be damned, I'm just waiting for the day the Left aligns itself with the BJP because that'll bring them into power. Let's not even talk about Obama, please. In a 5 year period that saw a massive upswing in terrorist attacks, countless farmer suicides, large parts of India including its financial capital brought to its knees by floods, the Satyam scandal and much much more, I find it absolutely abominable how our leading parties are prostituting their ideologies just to gain power in the Parliament.
Right now, I'm angry and to be honest, as an educated and non-apathetic citizen of India, I'm at a complete loss on how to understand the current scenario. I'm not really looking forward to May 16th. I'm dreading the drama that'll play out. The worst thing? It won't even be a high-class piece of entertainment...it'll probably be as bad as a cheap porn film.
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