Elections -What Should NOT Have Happened !!

The IPL has moved back to India after a successful run in the UAE .Inspite of being a die hard cricket fan and inspite of having premium seats and passes for dinner with the players ,I was neither  able nor interested in watching any match .I am too much of a purist to want  to watch cricket without slow motion  replays capturing  spin, swing,catches ,strokes and mannerisms which a cricket match generates .I can never get that when I am in the stands .The closest I can get to 22 yards of the cricket pitch is from the television in my bedroom !!

Anyway ,the IPL moving back to India also signals that the elections are nearing the end.Remember that it was shifted to the UAE because of security reasons -all forces were on duty for the gigantic task of making the elections in India safe for the voters and the candidates.

Its always fun to be a part of Indian elections .The passions are great ,the conflicts are out in the open and the debates sharp and sometimes shrill .It also showcases all aspects of the candidates and their supporters .Sometimes it also reflects ignorance of political processes .There has been a lot of hue and cry about the coverage Priyanka is getting .Some have come down heavily on her by asking “what has she done “ or “why is the press giving her so much importance ?”.History, contemporary politics,and society  is replete with  examples as to how people without doing much assume positions of power ,because of the heredity factor  .A doctors son/daughter has a advantage  in his/her quest  of becoming  a doctor and so do a lawyers ,politicians ,actors ,businessmans ,buruecrats ,or engineers kith and kin .It is much the same in politics –what had Akhilesh Yadav ,Sacchin Pilot ,Omar Abdullah ,Randeep Surjewala ,Supriya Sule,or for that matter Naveen Patnaik  and hundreds of others done to get close to the crown?They sometimes have to prove much less than ordinary mortals like me .!!Whether Priyanka does anything or not –she is a prospective PM of India because of her ancestary ,whether we like it or not.And lets not forget that at the moment she is not a active politician .She is like you and me who is out in the field to support a candidate –whether it is her mother ,brother or a political party !!

What  are some of the things I did not like in these elections ?I would have liked the leaders to have avoided being personal .I would have respected  the PM in waiting much more if he would not have accused Nitish Kumar of being   a opportunist and a betrayer of JPs ideals .I would have liked if he had not called Arvind Kejriwal AK 49 and the Defence Minister a  AK 47 who is helping Pakisan .I would have expected him to respect not just a former PMs  office  but also  Devegowda the man when he said he would make arrangements for him to stay at a old age home .I would have liked him to avoid terms like “Shehzada”  or “Damaadji”  Yes ,I know that there have been horrendous and ghetto talks by people like Lalu  who called Modi a “jallaad”,and by the phoney Derek O’brien who called Modi a “butcher”. And  the less said about Mani Shankar Aiyyar –the better.His calling Modi a “chaiwallah”,was not only in bad taste but also reflected the eltism of his schooling  and college.II hope the Alumni disown him to prove that sometimes one gets stuck with a rotten apple .I also feel sad that Mulayyam Singh passed such snide remarks about Mayawati .And I think we should not even begin to argue about the validity of personal attacks as a response to Beni Prasad Verma who reflects  the worst specimen of a Indian politician when he indulged in verbal diarrhea .

 But  Modi is different .He is on  a high .And is already a certain PM .After all you cant compare and say that  he was reacting  and speaking the same language as the other I have named .They are no way in the same league as him .I would have liked it if he had not persisted in the same way because  he has already won the hearts of his core voters.Its time he feasted like a king and not like a vulture .I wish I could have seen the mellowness creeping in before the results are declared .

I also wish that dholaks and loudspeakers were allowed and the Election Commission was not so obsessed with having a election bereft of its drama and dance .The elections when we were in college and later were so much fun as candidates were escorted to the beat of drums and loud music .The scooter rickshaws would go around colonies blaring racy verses set to the tune of popular Hindi songs .There were posters and flags by millions during my younger days .It used to be like a big mela with lot of “naach and gaana”!!Sadly it seems to have all vanished .!!

And finally I wish there was much less politician bashing .The social media being as powerful as it is today needs to introspect .I know its very fashionable to indulge writing crude and make  persistent and personal  attacks on politicians .Remember - if we start to create a “hate politician” culture –the we run the danger of becoming a second Pakistan .If we hate politicians –we will begin to hate democracy .I for one feel Indian democracy is  very vibrant and needs to be zealously guarded .The Indian voter is very sensible .You cant buy his vote by giving him money or liquor .Otherwise  people with money would always win .But it is not so .And I am hoping it will not be so this time too .For me –the election results are not about whether party A or party B wins .Its whether Indian Democracy wins or loses .We will know about it on the 16^th of May .!!