The Politics Of Individuality

The Politics Of Individuality

With the BJP announcing its prime ministerial candidate in Narendra Modi and Arvind Kejriwal being seen equal to AAP and AAP equal to Arvind Kejriwal, the Indian voter is being enticed to form his judgements based on the credibility of individuals than on the credentials of the party. As in many strata of Indian life, the adoption of the Presidential style is half baked. The `debates` are being held in absentia. The leaders are loathe to come face to face for a debate in full public view. It simply seems to be a question of choosing the one who is less wrong than the one who is more right. 

It's all happening in India right now. The election buzz has acquired an IPL-like flavour. Indians, never the one to miss out on something entertaining which gives them some relief from the daily humdrum existence, are lapping up the political tamasha like never before.

Never before in the history of Indian elections has there been such a political climate created. For decades it was always about two parties - the Congress and the Jan Sangh/BJP. But now with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the fray, at the least there is immense potential for one party – possibly the BJP – to feel its negative impact in terms of the number of seats it will win at the hustings. AAP, through the Delhi assembly elections, has already demonstrated its immense potential to be a party spoiler. While it may or may not manage to come to power on its own, by winning as many seats as it does, it can send the political equations into a tailspin.

As in sports, it is dangerous in elections too to predict the winner before the game begins. The BJP got a rude shock when it did not shine enough with the voters despite its much hyped India Shining campaign in 2004. While it appears that the Congress is in for a drubbing in this Lok Sabha elections, it would be preposterous to suggest that it is already a lost cause for them. The Indian voter has the uncanny habit of surprising political pundits. The only time perhaps the Indian election results were decided before the first vote was cast was the one after emergency was lifted in 1977. The nation was too angry to forgive Indira and the Congress for the cruel emergency.

Much has changed in India since then; India itself has changed. Its demographic profile, expectations and awareness levels have altered dramatically since the 1984 elections, the last time a non-coalition government was formed at the Centre, on the back of a sympathy wave for the Congress and Rajiv Gandhi following the assassination of Indira Gandhi.

In this election, which will probably see the highest voter turnout, the youth, given their sheer numbers, are likely to determine the swings. The atmosphere is one of Presidential form of elections, with individuals being projected as bigger than their parties. It is a paradigm shift from a time when the party was discussed more than the individual. In the past too individuals were attacked, but the party culture reigned supreme.

Yet, there is nothing paradoxical about this phenomena. India as a country has always hero worshipped – whether they be politicians, film stars or cricketers. Who can forget the slogan `India is Indira, Indira is India?` But the rhetoric was always couched in the party parlance and direct attack at individuals was couched within the party framework. But with the BJP announcing its prime ministerial candidate in Narendra Modi and Arvind Kejriwal being seen equal to AAP and AAP equal to Arvind Kejriwal, the Indian voter is being enticed to form his judgements based on the credibility of individuals than on the credentials of the party. As in many strata of Indian life, the adoption of the Presidential style is half baked. The `debates` are being held in absentia. The leaders are loathe to come face to face for a debate in full public view. It simply seems to be a question of choosing the one who is less wrong than the one who is more right.

The Congress, however, has stuck to tradition and not announced its prime ministerial candidate. For the Congress, this has never been an issue. From the time of Nehru, it was more or less clear to the public who was in charge irrespective of who was Prime Minister, and up until the Sonia-Manmohan partnership, the Prime Minister was the one who was seen to be in command. The Congress shying away from announcing its prime ministerial candidate is being projected as the party running away from a fight. If elections be seen purely as a vote on credibility, the Congress has received multiple red cards in the past five years of its rule. But the reality of Indian politics is that a lot happens in terms of backroom discussions both pre- and post-elections. India is a complex society and the elections mirror this complexity. There is another reason the Congress cannot be written off – they know a thing or two about winning, as out of sixty seven years since independence, they have been in power for about sixty years.

While a lot has changed in the past few decades, there is always the element of non-change within the change. The country is expecting one individual to swing a magic wand and resolve its problems. This is simply a manifestation of our hero worshipping attitude. In that sense, in this lies the curious `politics` of the common man, where he trades hero worship in return for the leader to solve his problems. The escapist attitude in Indian society is well entrenched, but the desperation to see a leader who will resolve his daily struggles is palpable. The emergence of such a messiah is unlikely. But what is surely possible is for every citizen to take responsibility for his life.

We will of course reserve the responsibility discussion for another day. But right now, let us take off to the wonderland called the election booth on the appointed day, cast our vote as responsible citizens, and elect the leader who will SERVE us and not rule over us.