Political discourse in India has never reached any great heights. Rather, with every passing day, it is touching new lows. As if an undeclared competition is going on between Indian politicians to take the standard of discourse to an unmatchable low. Healthy debates are not heard in Indian politics these days. Disruptions have become a routine in Parliament. Instead of constructive criticisms, hitting opponents below the belt seems to be the new success mantra of our politicians. Thoughts about well being of the nation and strengthening of democracy do not come to their minds any more. Most are interested only in narrow personal and political gains. If such a situation continues, there will definitely be a question mark on the future of our political system.
Just think about the language in which our leaders are attacking their political opponents these days. Human beings have no choice in deciding either the country or the family. But Indian politicians are frequently picking up these factors to attack each others. Who used to sell tea or who is born with a beautiful face can never decide the outcome of a political battle. People want to listen about policies and programmes of political parties. They want to know about the roadmap which will take the country forward. The people gather to hear their leaders, not jokers. But it appears that our political leaders are either ignorant or do not care much about what the people want. Their interest lies in capturing votes rather than ensuring welfare of the people.
In this context our leaders must keep in mind that democracy is not all about winning votes. Among all the concepts on how to rule a country if democracy is the choice of many nations, it is due to the fact that the system promises equal justice to every citizen. But our leaders are flouting the very principle of democracy by attacking their opponents in the name of caste, creed or religion. The other day Prime Minister Narendra Modi had very rightly stated that such biases impede social harmony. It would have been better if without stopping there the Prime Minister further stated that without social harmony a nation cannot progress. But no matter what the Prime Minister says, asking for votes in the name of caste, religion, etc. has become an unwritten law in the country. Even in the forthcoming general elections, every political party, even the PM’s own party will field candidates in various constituencies keeping these factors in mind. They may term it as ‘social engineering.’ But as a matter of fact such engineering is a defeat of democracy in the hands of those who want to capture power at any cost.
So, our beloved leaders should understand that by lowering the standard of political discourse they are doing harm to the nation. In reality, those who are using such tactics in their speeches to woo people are only fooling themselves. A nation moves on with collective strength. Individual strength means nothing if one is really interested in taking the nation forward. To ensure the progress of the nation, quality political discourse is necessary. Otherwise, there is no gainsaying that we will be heading towards an uncertain future.
