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Most people will agree that politics is struggle for power and a game of false promises, where the end utterly justifies the means. People who play this game swear by its codes. They use every bit of their political talent — with emotions and visions as catalysts — to lure electorates for their party. The most talented one grows to become the ‘icon’. Subsequently, the ‘icon’ becomes too good for the party that makes it. Indian politics is not alien to such events. Every major political faction in India has internal or external offshoots. ‘Icons’ keep altering their paths to power. Assurances made in the name of one party get bartered to another. And when the ‘icon’ bathes in the new ideologies, the duties and priorities obtain new political ‘colours’. But, what becomes of the voting public that swears by the ‘icon’? Are they swayable? Or do they ask, “Yeh naya rang kaunsaa hai”?
Maharashtra witnessed the most glaring shift in loyalty when Narayan Rane joined forces with the Congress party against his mentor Bal Thackeray’s saffron organization, Shiv Sena. What ensued was a heated exchange of verbal outbursts, with Thackeray calling his ex-lieutenant a “dedh footya”. Rane pledged allegiance to Mrs. Sonia Gandhi, who is one of the regular targets of Sena’s frequent verbal bouts. However, his defiance earned the Sena no gain, while Rane bagged the State Revenue Minister’s gaddi. Another die-hard Sainik, Sanjay Nirupam, had joined the Congress only a short while before Rane took the plunge too. Meanwhile, Raj Thackeray’s almost ‘Rane-like’ act has only meant more trouble for Sena. However, Rane’s supporters are as trusting of their leader as ever. “He has always worked for the people and he will continue to work for the people. If he has taken this decision, there has to be a solid reason,” says Sanjay Pawar, an auto-rickshaw driver in Chembur. Some wear the support for their leader on their sleeve. “I completely believe Raneji. He is not fanatic and that is the reason he separated from the Sena. He will champion the bigger cause of the people,” opines Shyam Kunder, a shopkeeper in South Mumbai. Incidentally, another ex-Sainik, Chaggan Bhujbal, too has had all-gains after joining the NCP. He has served as the deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra. “These leaders were left cold and damp in the Sena. See, how much they have succeeded after leaving the party,” says B.S. Arun, a banker from Bandra, who feels that at times, parties underplay the potential of its leaders forcing them to move out. Many like Arun feel that politics in India is all about personalities, after all.
Blind followers exist no doubt, but there are also some who back the split-ups and new unions for they feel, it helps the leaders serve the people better. “I never held Rane in high regard while he was a Sainik. Now, I respect him more as an individual,” says Shilpa Surve, an advertising student. “In fact, unlike in the Sena’s throttlehold, the democratic and open structure of the Congress will give him the liberty to perform better,” she adds. So, do leaders literally try to break free from dynastic or despotic group? Clashes for the top posts are an old story. And the Congress Party has received the maximum blame for ‘dynasty politics’. He joined the Janata Party in 1977. Today, rebellious politicians choose to establish their separate parties. After much acrimony for the Congress, Sharad Pawar, with P.A. Sangma, floated the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). Today, Congress and the NCP have a coalition alliance in Maharashtra. Mamta Banerjee’s famous Trinamool Congress and Karunakaran’s little faction of Congess in Kerala too are fine examples of the power hunt.
The fragmentation and proliferation in Indian politics is greater than ever. Gone are the days of the ‘two-party’ structure. Today, there are desertions, divisions, alliances, cross-alignments, coalitions and walkouts galore. This is primarily not because of disagreement over ideologies, but for the want of personal parochial political profits. Everyone wants to be the kingmaker. The splinter groups have become inevitable because bigger parties have no room for the swelling economic interests of the local dominant leaders. These leaders choose to be big fish in small ponds rather than yield to the managerial and organizational guidelines of larger parties. Though there are people, to whom all that matters is the ‘icon, largely the triumph of the party remains subject to the work that the ‘icon’ continues to do in its name. “It is well known that these politicians do any thing for power. Changing parties is only a part of it. In stead if they concentrate on the needs of the people, they will win anyway,” states Vijayalakshmi Bhaskaran, a higher secondary school teacher in Andheri.
Some see politics as a contagious disease that spares no one who comes in contact with it. “In politics, it is second nature to be a double dealer. No one is immune. They do it all the time — with people and their parties too,” asserts Ajanta Godambe, a railway official. The credibility of those who regularly change colours is the large question. This lust for power has resulted in moral degradation. “How can you trust some one who promotes the very cause that he has been swearing against?” asks Jagruti More, a call center executive in Belapur. The erosion of faith is obvious. There are people who feel ballot vote is no longer significant. The leaders, who solicit votes for a party, once told voters to stay away from it. “It is like choosing the lesser evil. All promises are, after all, based on the calculations of gain and loss. We think they think about us. The fact is, they don’t,” declares Shamavi Gupta, a homemaker in Ghatkopar. “Look at Uma Bharati, who is ready to take sanyas at the drop of a hat,” she adds.
Like everyone else, today politicians, too, are busy taking care of their power-numbers. It is the age of ‘career-politics’. An expressway to Satta is all that needs to be built. A large number of the population feels demoralized at the degeneration of leadership qualities and values. Power is the sole moving force. While in pursuit of it, fair is foul and foul is fair. All politicians know that common ‘symbols’ will do their job in drawing in vote banks, no matter what dye they use. The people seek a charismatic and towering central leader, who can keep the flock together. People seem to have resigned to the fact that politics is a dirty game and very few can remain clean in the muck. Though the public memory is short, its wrath is explosive, which should keep the politicians well aware of their actions and compel them to transform their words into deeds. All said and done, we will all agree that changing colours will always remain a part of the politician character. For, once a politician, always a politician!
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