POLITICAL MANIFESTATIONS OF EDUCATION

“Members are expected to maintain high standards of morality, dignity, decency and values in public life.”(Clause XIV, Committee on Ethics, Fourth Report, Presented on March 14, 2005)
Are parliamentarians aware of the lexical meaning of the words used or was the report even adopted?
Mamata Banerjee, the fire band politician or the ill educated, confused, volatile and unconstitutional leader? Questions have been raised around an ‘issue’ and the root cause of this oft repeated misdemeanor in the House somehow remains in the shroud of knowledgeable politicians and citizens alike.
Have we forgotten the televised session of the UP parliament where chairs were flung? Or down in the cultural capital’s assembly the members forgot even the basic decorum having fist fights?
It’s easy to see the rancor between politicians where brick bats are hurled with little restraint.
“I said she is a liar and ferocious. She lied about her educational background and named a US university from which she, as she lied, got her so-called 'Doctorate degree', simply does not exist. And when she sprang that lie, she was not a spoon-fed baby, thriving on milk…In spite of all this I fail to understand why people vote for such an imposter!" From a senior politician, Mr. Jyoti Basu in his interactive autobiography, Jyotibabur Sangey. Is this the manifestation of education? Or does the senior politician doubt the maturity and decision making capabilities of the electorate?
She flung the papers on the Deputy Speaker and the hi-fi technology carried it far beyond to the Uncle Sams’ and John Bulls’! We are questioning her “grossly defamatory insinuations", as the words used by our respected Speaker Mr. Chatterjee but how many elected representatives realize the essence of the words they read out or stand for?
The resignation letter was not formatted properly and was not accepted- who decides the proper format of a letter when we have chief ministers with barely the primary school education! We are putting the cart before the horse and trying to stage a melodrama of sorts.
Education is not just about trying to put the crawling letters after the name like slaves over burdened. It needs to be applied; it needs to be pragmatic and pro-national. We have different colors on the ballots but what each stands for is what we are supposed to be clear about.
The then Union Finance Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, in 1993 took the initiative to set up a Standing Committee to ensure effective control of Parliament over public finance, but the majority of politicians lack such prudence and vision. Important Bills like the Lok Pal Bill have been on the boards since 1968 not for requisite parliamentary support but for lack of commitment on the part of members to root out corruption in the higher strata of administration.
After all it’s this misty weather in the portals of power that is breeding corruption. It’s easy to see that Ms Banerjee crossed the line but then the tinted glass of our politicians can be nerve raking. The rule books have so many tributaries and distributaries conflicting that it’s easy to toy with them. She wanted to address the house on an already discussed matter, why is this a crime? It’s a simple matter concerning the masses! Who would stand to gain or lose? The voters! Have the so called democratically elected leaders forgotten the democratic doctrine itself?
Justice J.L. Gupta, former Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court, says, “There are similarities between politicians and pigeons as both have exhibited cosmopolitan appearance, good appetite, and large mouths for swallowing large foods and fruits”.
And education itself has taught the office bearers to play with words. Education is the manifestation of God already in man, but Vivekananda lived in a different age.
We need a heart and not just a head. We need emotions too, even though mercurial, we need someone who can learn not to play with the funny language. The confused connection between leadership and education can only be handled with a clear conscious.
The ideologies should be challenged; the debates should be on national issues. Both the government and opposition work for the common cause of national building; somehow the focus has shifted. And the lines or principles of governance have been hurt. The wizardry of words and the media savvy mouth piece of each party reach out to the masses with the dirty linen stolen from their rival’s back yard. What do we gain? What does the common man feel proud of?
Education has lost its hold over the seats of power. Leadership and governance have the translucent veil that confuses us.
To India my native land- should be the pledge and not words penned down which never come alive… even when hurled wrapped in sheets of paper, makes no effect!