Hate Is Now Virtue
By Poonam I Kaushish
The more things change the more they remain the same. Whereby our netagan are reveling in neech under-the-belt vitriolic language, swaying to the heady tinkle of cheap thrills and seetees, whereby the lines between a political opponent and sworn enemy have got blurred. In the hope this will bring them political tripti! Acerbic
Nothing epitomizes this better than the daily brazen slanderous tu-tu-mei-mein among our netagan which has trashed basic courtesies and decencies, ended camaraderie, bonhomie and respect among healthy rivals. Underscoring, slander, sensation, smear, sully and smirch are the new political dialogues and flavour of the time. With the devil taking the hindmost!
Everyone and everything has become game: From desh bhakts to desh drohis. For the Congress, confused about its support base, devoid of a vote plank and desperate about halting BJP it has fallen back to its tried and tested formula — abuse. More rancorous the better, interspersed with blatant communalism and casteism. Echoed by some others Opposition Parties. God forbid, if anyone questions their misdemeanor, be prepared for open fury, “Main neta hoon, tum kaun?”
Welcome to the world of arrogance of power or should one say political hate which for them is ‘virtue.’ Yesterday, Lok Sabha adjourned as Congress refused to apologise for a slogan “Modi teri kabar khudegi, aaj nahin toh kal khudegi.” repeatedly raised at a Save India ‘vote-chori’ rally Sunday in Delhi.
Lashed out BJP accusing its rival, “You are publicly threatening, articulating killing rivals, specially Prime Minister. This shows your thinking and mentality.” Earlier, a senior Congress Minister called Modi “Is Se Khate Hain Ch**iyon Ko Bhakt Bana Na or Bhakton Ko Permanent Ch**iya Bana Na -Jai Ho.”
Conveniently, forgetting it too had attacked “shehzada” Rahul Gandhi by calling him “Moorkhon aur jhooton ka Sardar” who calls himself an “accidental Hindu”….. He does not have proper knowledge of India’s history and geography. Then Rahul had shot back “PM matlab Panauti Modi aur jebkatra.”
More. In West Bengal, BJP State President averred, “All brothers of Didi (Mamata) better mend their ways in six months. Otherwise their arms, legs, ribs and heads will be broken. You will either end up in the hospital or the crematorium!”
If this was appalling, TMC’s Mamta too has addressed Modi, “paapi” while NCP’s Sharad Pawar dubbed him “shameless,” Shiv Sena’s Uddhav Thackeray lamented “vote for Modi is vote for destruction,” BSP called BJP-led NDA ”terrorist Government.” AIMM Owaisi took the cake, “Koi maee ka lal pedha nahi hua jo mujhe rok sake…Modi RSS ka peelu hai…. ishara kar diya toh dorana padhega.”
Quick to complain, all shy from demanding the same discipline for crude and repulsive swipes at rivals. Every Party raises allegations of causing hatred and division based on religion, caste, community or language. Worse, instead of feeling remorse, our netas strut and preen like peacocks. Accentuating an inherent mindset of Hum Khaas Hain, which translates to, “I can get away with abuse, the more vengeful the better
Big deal! Aren’t we accustomed to gutter-sniping and vitriolic attacks between political opponents and Parties? Isn’t it part and parcel of political discourse? Of dirty linen being increasingly washed in public serenaded by frenzied audiences more vulgar the better, dil maange more!
Frankly, I am neither surprised as our netagan are only showing their girgit true colours throwing all public decency and decorum to winds! After all, how would their art of double-speak succeed if preachers of morality were to start practicing it? Politics means scoring brownie points against rivals, ends matter not the means. Gone are the days when jibes and trolls were funny, sarcastic and netas took them in their strides.
Accentuating bankruptcy that is manifest in our system wherein leaders have perfected the art of cultivating low morality and high greed made more malignant by our fragmented politics. Resulting in immorality becoming a way of life, what damn difference does one more slanderous attack make?
Sadly, through these diatribes one thing emerges crystal clear: political skullduggery indulged in mirrors the harsh and horrendous reality of our polity. Where there is no dividing line between what is correct and incorrect. A harsh reflection on the depth of political depravation we have come to. In the hope that this cesspit sniping would bring them power.
Undeniably, we seem to live in an India where only ‘powerful’ matter, living life in the slim strip called ‘official’ in a race for privilege. Wherein there is a wide chasm between aam aadmi and our khaas aadmis. Big deal if this leaves a bitter taste in people’s mouth, increasing frustration, disconnect and contempt for rulers which results in defiance by people at large.
Questionably, should our leaders be exempt from making vitriolic derogatory hate speeches while aam aadmi is put behind bars for doing the same? Do they actually deserve this extra importance? Haven’t we had enough? Considering, most rulers barely discharge their responsibilities honestly and honourably. Succinctly, they don’t give a damn.
Thus, in a political milieu that makes fear and favour its currency, this means the ruler-subject model which should have no place in a democracy becomes routinised. This is unacceptable. Hate speeches against a rival or acerbic speeches to bring a communal divide must be met with exemplary punishment as such crimes undermine public faith in the rule of law and act as steeping stones to further criminalization of politics.
It is simply stupid to lament about falling standards of morality in politics. We must demand equal treatment for noxious speech be it a politician, gig worker or XYZ. Stop voting for shameless, self-serving netas who put a premium on immorality.
Time for law enforcement machinery to shed its perception of preferential treatment to our political Bahubalis and enforce law in a transparent manner. Parties too must signal zero tolerance policy towards roguery, no matter how big a vote-catcher the accused might be. By making cynical myopic choices Parties are undermining rule of law.
Clearly, it is time our politicians realize profligacy, immorality cannot be the bedrock of democracy. Our polity needs to tone down divisive and personal attacks, engage each other on issues affecting people and nation, not personalities and put dignified debate back on rails, adopt zero-tolerance stand on offensive language. Political differences should never escalate into personal threats or calls for violence.
The aim: Raise bar on public discourse because if you point one slanderous finger at another, four other slanderous fingers point back at you! How long will we suffer the stampede for sensation and slur? Can a nation be bare and bereft of all sense of shame and morality? —— INFA