Becoming a political leader
by hook or crook
The Patel
reservation agitation managed, within a short time, to mobilise large sections
of the Patel community in support of a separate reservation quota for it. What
drew many youth to the movement, and to its leader Hardik Patel, was the
prospect of a quick realisation of the demand for reservation in education and
jobs, not any desire for long-term political change. Hardik Patel has launched a political party called Akhil Bharatiya
Patel Navnirman Sena. It is clear that Hardik Patel is a just another
politician who is finding a way to enter the Indian Political Arena and form
another party on the basis of communalism.
Reservation
industry survives on a bent and twisted Constitution. It can't go on for too
long. After success of Hardik Patel in collecting crowds of Patidar/Patel
community politicians in Maharashtra have reiterated their demand of
reservation quota for the dominant Maratha community, as they see a political
opportunity in this reservation issue. If
we implement reservation policies mindlessly, without proper criteria,
particularly feasible economic criteria, there are bound to be huge losses in
terms of continuous agitations by this community or the other.
In the present
scenario one can be both apolitical lobbyist and partisan politician. Many
self-proclaimed gurus, babas', Sadhvis' saints who are supposed to have
denounced the world are active in politics with aplomb. Their followers are
sort of a vote bank every political party desires to be on its side. You can be
a goon and a political leader. You can be a head of an NGO and a political
leader both. These are all considered as stepping stones to be in active
politics.
The current
century is witness to several sporadic eruptions in social sector, many of them
having roots in hunger and deprivation and some having communal or political
colours, roots of which can again be traced to exploitation, present or past. With
improvement in literacy level and awareness of rights and wrongs due to better
communication facilities, governments will be doing a service to humanity by
taking cognizance of these movements which are now localised. The earlier they
understand the advantages of ensuring semblance of equity and respect for
humanitarian concerns, the better. It is here, the social groups and
governments should take lead and bring transparency in enforcement of existing
law and make amends where law itself is tailored for the benefit of the rich
and the powerful. The women’s agitation in the plantations in Kerala where the
fight is for a daily wage as low as Rs 500 may go down in history as a ‘case
study’ for disrespect for human rights.
The history of
social movements turning into political parties has not been very encouraging
in India. Right from Akalis, Periyar's movement to recent Jat agitation,
experience shows that this transformation seldom leads to fulfillment of
original aims. Instead it perpetuates a feeling of alienation by keeping the
issue alive without proper solution. While the ambitions of leaders are
responsible but so is government's inability to look beyond political
consequences and its inability to address genuine social grievances. An
effective system to identify, assess and resolve such grievances is needed to
ensure that social movements don’t turn disruptive and further don’t turn divisive
to achieve its objectives.
In India, two
activities seem to help anyone on the roads to reach up to the topmost levels
that a society allows: One is Politics; the other is Religious outfit. The
former could take a person to the levels of a PM, President etc; while that
latter would take the person to head an Ashram, Mission, Gurudwara, Madrasa,
Church, Temple etc, which could even elevate a person higher than all
Politicians. Ultimately it is extremely rare that any of these "high"
people are honestly and truthfully interested in serving the common people.
Hardik Patel would also be no different. His space within these groups of
Leaders and God-men/God-women would depend on how he is able to play one-up
within their game-field, through cunning and various smart tactics.
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