Few Questions Remain Unanswered

The festivities began in all earnestness. There are commentaries, analyses, quotations, arguments, counter-arguments, rumours, facts and a few outright lies. So when the dust settles in a few weeks time and the elections get over we might find a new government in power but some questions will remain unanswered for long. I would like to put forward these questions broadly under three categories.

a

        1)  Politics in parliament

 The assembly is a place where legislations are to be forwarded, debated and made into laws, keeping in mind the welfare of people at large. For the last decade or so, parliament has turned into an arena wherein bills have been torn, chairs flung, insults and abuses thrown about, and legislators being opposed for the sake of opposition. The questions that remain are whether the new government would look seriously into this matter? Would they increase the average number of hours spent in parliament doing active work, which has declined rapidly? Would we witness the sharp wit of our elected representatives at work in discussions or are they only confined to televised debates? Would the parties now coming into the assembly be tolerant or belligerent or would they simply walk off the assembly as if nothing was at stake? Would a new generation of voters, we are so proudly welcoming, catch a glimpse of intellectual prowess of holders of the highest offices of the nation or be devoid of truly brilliant speeches that our leaders are capable of?  Can the parliament be a sanctuary for reason and politics played outside of it? Would bills be debated upon or simply put forth on the guillotine?

b       2)  National dream

There have been regular talks of emerging regional powers and their growing influence at the centre. Talks of fragmentation and changing alliances are commonplace. Ideologies and their counter ideas have all been dissected and debated upon for the last six months for the umpteenth time. All these factors are however divisive in tendency. The question that emerges is: would the new government and the opposition be able to pick a common thread of unification? Would they be able to collaborate, moving beyond trivial issues, to forge a national dream, a viable vision of India of future? Would they be able to provide this country with a common dream so that one and all could strive towards it fulfillment, or would we remain fractured, each chasing one’s own tail? India is to become a super power, it is said, and each party claims that it has the capacity to drive India towards supremacy. The sheer vagueness of this term shows lack of vision. Would India become a super power with its dwindling manufacturing sector, obsolete defense, low per capita income, low human resource development etc. etc.? If yes, then can they please share the plan with us so we can cooperate and maybe dream together irrespective of our caste, sex, place of birth, religion etc.? Would the new MPs be visionary or keep stumbling on the problems of here and now?

c    

3       3)  The mettle and resolve of the MPs

All of these questions are relevant not only for the government which might come into power but should be answered by each candidate who hopes to be a legislator. The few questions that come forward in this category are not exhaustive but miscellaneous. Would the MPs, especially in the government, be bold enough to take tough decisions based on reason and the spirit of humanity? Will they decide on the water sharing agreement with Bangladesh? Would they take into consideration and deliver the people locked in 160 enclaves from inhumane conditions? Would they deal with the controversy of AFSPA or would we need more Irom Sharmilas? Would they legislate over gay rights or keep a section of society unbearably alienated? Would they amend the draconian laws like section 66 of IT Act or would disagreement put people behind bars again? Would our artists be respected and their rights honoured or would they be forced to abandon literary fests, film festivals etc.? Would women be free to think and act or would they be reminded of the ‘Bhaiya’ mantra? Would our malnourished children be fed? Would we rule or would we be ruled?

The manifestos are colourful, words fancy, ambitions high, claims tall and arguments lofty. But in this festival, will reality drown among the shouts of change?