Votes over Values, Power over Principles!!

Everything is not black and white in life, and when it comes to politics the hues of grey are ever so many more. Everyone to his own and his will seems to have been the mantra of Indian polity forever now. So much so that its now commanplace when a politician or a political party choose to blantantly interpret a clear cut ‘black’ with its own version of ‘grey’, while everyone even a blind guy can call it ‘black’.

Take for instance the latest drama in the Samajwadi Party over their now-appointed-general-secretary – Sanjay Dutt, I mean what good on earth is he worth a place like that. The Luckhnow constituency has been represented by great statesman like – AB Vajpayee ; we have seen it contested by the likes of Karan Singh and Ram Jethmalani – both men light years ahead of the Dutt scion in political acumen and achievements in their respective fields.

Its political obsenity of the worst kind to have someone who has been convicted of grevious crimes like Sanjay Dutt to even contemplate a public office. He has not been convicted in a crime that was against his personal enemy/grudge/accident; the indictment from the Supreme Court in the 1992 Mumbai Blast case was a crime that was against a particular community – not just the Isamic one but every one in Mumbai specifically and Indians across the country generally. It was a crime against the nation and humanity, by involving himself in a crime of supplying the weapons which killed the citizens of this land, Sanjay Dutt had long debarred himself from any public office.

Just by acting in movies Dutt never transformed himself into a Mahatma nor did he ever fully cleanse himself of the sins of the Mumbai Blast. He might have changed himself but that alone doesn’t atone for what he did nor does he entitile him to a place in the temple of our democracy.

Saying this all, I am not just representing a anti-Sanjay Dutt group, if anything I am asking for more political prudence and restraint from our polity. Men who write the laws of the land must be chosen from those that follow the laws of the land in the first place. You can be breaking and making laws all the same.

If there must be an indictment of Sanjay Dutt for aspiring for a public office, there must be a greater indictment of the Samajwadi Party and its head honchos who seem to be running this circus. Its shameful to say the least, sure they are no saints in Indian politics but then there are no (sadly) bigger stars on the Indian movie scene than Sanjay Dutt, by taking up his cause to fight for public office, then are inadvertantly taking up the cause of every bloody rogue with a criminal past who wants to occupy the scared place in our democratic polity.

By glorifying the plight of a man who was caught for colliding with the enemies of this land the party has decided to call slip in a blatant white lie, when every one knows what that it is a dirty dark truth. Sure, there are dozens of Pappu Yadav’s and Md. Shahabuddins in our parliament, but none were was glorified and upholded like Munnabhai; if until today the Shabuddins and Pappu Yadav’s were the inevitable villans of the political theatre, but the Sanjay Dutt crusade has sure brought them into the big star cast.

A Reagan Written Obituary That Went Wrong!!

The fall of 2008 would be remembered if not for one of the great presidential campaigns and the possibility of the first colored president of America; it would surely be recalled for the economic turmoil that the world has seen. Stranger things have happened in the world, but not in the recent memory has anyone known the United States as helpless and clueless as it seems today. Many believe it was the un-quenching greed of the so called Wall Street 'Masters of the Universe' that bought about this downfall, and then there are others who think that it was callousness with which the politicians de-regulated the markets resulted in this mayhem.

But I'd like to believe that reasons for this loss of face for the US is more in their attitude and psyche as much as it is in their actions. A little over a couple of decades go, the then President of USA, Mr. Ronald Reagen announced

"The West will not contain Communism, it will transcend Communism. We will not bother to denounce it, we'll dismiss it as a sad, bizarre chapter in human history whose last pages are even now being written."

The United States, which was the beacon of capitalism, assumed that in the post-cold war era there was nothing which could stop its economic and military supremacy. Their obsession with their own capitalism was dwarfed by their hatred for communism. Their desire to impose their will and supremacy on others left them unguarded at their own turf. No one imagined that it wouldn't need an enemy to topple them off the perch, 'cos they've been digging their own grave all along. Two decades on from that quote from Mr. Reagan, it doesn't appear that communism has been quite transcend by the West. On the contrary, whats transcended everyone is the National Debt in America. Couldn't have been more ironic when their own 'Debt Clock' ran out of digits to reflect the numbers.

The last pages of communism which were written at the time of Reagan, were in fact a great work of fiction. China has shown everyone that Communism is alive and kicking, and the glorious Olympics which the Chinese hosted only seem to contrast the glorious achievements of China against the dirty mess in the US. If Communism once seemed sad and bizarre to Americans, its no cruel coincidence that its the same Communist China which is one of US' biggest trade partners and holds trillions of dollars of American treasury bonds.

I am no prophet of Communism neither am I any anti-American preacher, what I am though is someone who expects a leader to be more caring than condescending. A super power to be equitable rather than selfish and self-centered. Leadership often comes with responsibility and somewhere, the American leadership let go of this.

Iraq war for instance, they went ahead with their military actions without a clear mandate to do so from the Security Council. Saddam Hussein was a dictator and so was Pervez Musharraf, and yet while one was attending State Luncheons with the American President the other was hung by the gallows. Both Muslim states, if the Bhaat party was breeding terrorists so was the ISI; and yet while one was showered with missiles from B-52 bombers the ISI was gift-wrapped F-16's.

Surely, a country has a sovereign right to support or oppose, but not in a manner which is blatantly arbitrary and smacks of injustice to the others. If they had chosen capitalism as there way of life, congratulations to them; their democracy is well appreciated and their supremacy well regarded. But the sad part is that they faltered in their judgement of others, and it is this failure of judgement, a direct cause of their unwarranted & exaggerated pride which has brought their Treasury Secretary to his knees.

Two decades on from Ronald Reagan's Obituary of Communism, a new chapter in American Capitalism is taking the very same color which their former president declared dead. The $700 billion bailout, is the biggest, most costliest and shameless form of communism every to have seen!

The Americans might be feeling bitter right now, but what we sow is often what we reap. They have to go through this painful process, but by the time they stagger back to their feet the contours of the power landscape would have been changed for ever. China, India, Brazil and many others would have cemented their place on the high table by then. Though we cannot deny back the US its rightful place, surely it would not have the top slot for granted anymore.

Hong Kong in a Banana Split!!

Recently, I wrote about Hong Kong and something I completely missed out was their political system. And as though to remind me and everyone that it does exist much like it does is most countries, some politicians pulled a mickey (or rather a banana quite literally) out of the hat at the HK Chief Executive's Policy Address (similar to the US' State of the Union Address). As the Chief Executive went through his speech a few legislatures created a ruckus at the end of which a banana was thrown at him, promptly red-carded out of the arena. The banana missed the target, but the legislator later remarked that he had made it point nevertheless. Phew!

In India, we've seen politicians pull out all sorts of stunts in the legislature - from fist cuffs to the most recent 'wads of cash' dumped in the parliament. But to find something similar out in HK, couldn't help a chuckle. First it make me feel a lil better that our guys aren't the only ones who are this unruly, and then I cheekily reminded one of my Chinese friends that at least Indian politicians who traded fist cuffs in a state legislature at least managed to land some on the opponent unlike the ill-directed banana-missile :P

This self-congratulatory mood wasn't gonna last long... after all in a sense I soon realized that my chuckle at the Chinese friend was pretty much a banana on his face. Just like those maverick politicians, for a personal and selfish feel good factor I choose to find a 'positive' and 'we're-better-than-you' factor in the whole ludicrous affair. Such politicians, I am certain, pull off such dirty tricks just to keep themselves in news and not an ounce to register any real public disapproval. These guys must first watch their own back. Acting with decorum, dignity and a sense of responsibility are the fundamental duties of a public servant more so a public representative.

Throwing a banana at the head of your state is by no means a legitimate way to protest. Neither is it a rational and humor evoking one!

For sure, the falling approval ratings of the Chief Executive in HK are pointers enough to say the public is unhappy with him, a banana on his face does add anything to it. Though, it might have given the Chief Executive unasked for banana facial. I am certain, that a sensible and rational Hongkonger never wants to get into such a trash with his neighbour forget the Chief Executive's. I regularly have disagreements - from my colleagues to friends to family, never did I wish a banana treatment for them.

I'm plainly aghast and deeply saddened to see such distasteful acts... I firmly believe - that "Disagreements" and "Disrespect" are not to be synonymous with respect to a political opponent. Disagreements are part of the political arena but and clearly such an incident shows a clear lack of respect. And such a trend cannot result in a healthy and desirable progress... its dangerous and surely avoidable for a wonderful society as Hong Kong as for every sane and civilized society on earth.

McCain - Maverick Politician or a Modest Statesman!!

We Indians are quite used to the rethoric and venom in an election campaign, and quite honestly it shouldn't come across as a surprise that our politicians can be utterly ridiculous to totally no-holds-barred. In a land where quotes such as "Merchants of Death" are a common place, the current vitrol in the US Presidential Campaign might not quite be as high voltage din as our own politicians can create. 

John McCain's running mate recently accused Obama of "palling up with terrorists" ... now as much as I know, the BJP has for the four and half years accused our UPA government of the same - "being soft on terror" is their catch phrase.

However, what politicians call one another nasty things isn't my concern... after all, cynically speak you don't expect them to sign peans of one another... for the otherwise meaningless theatre of politics but then be bereft of its color and fun. What concerns me is how politicians can be blatantly shameless at acknowledging the good aspects of their opponents in the heat of the election battle. 

When John McCain, the GOP presidential nominee was faced with a similar choice at a campaign rally at Minnesota. A lady said to McCain "I don't trust Obama. I have read about him and he's an Arab." Now McCain, could have been a regular politician and gone hammer and tongs, giving more reasons to the lady why indeed she should not trust him, and I guess the Arab factor needn't have figured much. He could have repeated how "naive and dangerous" Obama could be... how Obama "doesn't understand", how Obama is a "liberal" and all those things about Obama & Ayers which Palin has already been shouting her head off with!

But surprisingly, to me and certainly to a lot of those in that crowd, McCain trugged off saying - 

"No ma'am, no ma'am. He's a decent family man...[a] citizen that I just happen to have disagreements with on fundamental issues. That's what this campaign is all about."

Ah... I had to double check that twice before I could acctually believed what I read. I crossed with the same news on a few other websites to ensure I got those lines right. Indeed, McCain has those very words. Words which well and truly make him a Statesman in my book... How often have we seen such a stance in our times?? How often, do we hear a politician call his opponent "a decent family man". McCain made his point in those four words... not having to eulogising about in a manner which makes its obvious that he hardly means any of it, McCain addressed it in the most simple, personal and effective manner.

Goes on to show, that the Oldest Democracy in the world has indeed learnt a few good lessons in these two centuries of its existence. True political tolerance is indeed in being able to stand the guy whom you call an opponent, stand the fact that he is just as good. 

Sure, this doesn't stop the campaign, the disagreements, the barrage of ads, nothing... but what it does is that it makes you stop and think. Cos its not often as you would hear an opponent say the following about a guy without whom he is bitterly fighting for the most powerful office in the world (though the credit crisis might have shaved billions of dollars worth power off it already)

"But I have to tell you, I have to tell you, he is a decent person, and a person that you do not have to be scared as President of the United States."

Though, the crowd at Minnesota booed McCain, I cannot help but Salute this great American War Hero!!