An electoral race to the bottom

PM Manmohan Singh and Gujarat CM Narendra Modi. ©PTI

AS the political discourse touches a new low in the race for power, the masks have finally come off. 

All the claimants to the 'Dilli ka takht' (throne of India) have been busy selling dreams to the people while sparing no efforts to vilify their opponents. 

Shahzada, Phenku, Vishwasghat, Pappu have been echoing at rallies and on TV screens, and recently even Lord Krishna was labelled a 'caste icon'.

The real issues of jobs, poverty, a border dispute, growth, infrastructure and food have been drowned out by this foolish, meaningless rhetoric. 

What should have been a debate of real issues has been brought down to a personal battle of one-upmanship. 

With ever-rising inflation, the only plan of action the national parties could come up with is to fight it out like 10-year-olds.

One can clearly see how the BJP and Congress are embroiled in a tussle over Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's legacy.

In a country where people die of hunger everyday and a chunk of the children still suffer from malnutrition, our politicians have money to splurge on a statue that would cost more than 2,500 crore. 

When the parties should have actually been opposing this colossal waste of money, the foundation stone of which was laid by Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi, they were busy fighting over the past. 

The evergreen mantra of mixing religion and regionalism with politics is being invoked again.

The Ram temple issue has been brought to the fore and, why not, when the voters fall for it every time. 

While there is no dearth of leaders per se, there is clearly no leadership that can pull the country out of this mess of corruption and sluggish growth. 

For the political class, the business of votes will pay dividends when they are in power. But for the rest of us, it seems, there is little hope for meaningful change from this decadent system.

© 2013 Nasreen Ghani

Published in Daily Mail and Mail Today:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/indiahome/indianews/article-2487405/WHIPLASH-An-electoral-race-bottom.html