for once

We are a funny lot. And not because we can emote like the Chaplin of yesteryears but because we never tire of the mask that we wear to all the parties of civilized existence. Education gives us the latitude to think… and also the longitude to juggle! Words, ideas, arguments, facts, figures, the entire gamut! Now let’s leave the damp angle of emotion out – anyway that’s a perennial perjury we have mastered in all the role plays around…
We do not love to lose. Accept that the shine might have worn off… accept that some mistake has been made – we love to play on. An entire nation watches, reads and tries to assimilate the nuclear deal. A Prime Minister cooks magic portions for the newsprint sans the support of his cabinet; at the end of the day, he remains a ‘muggle’ being thunderstruck by some spell of democratic coalition, communist sentiments and mind boggling international wizardry!
Who would want to lose the seat of power? Who would not want to re-gain the throne? And who would really know whether these scrawling signatures on starched deals make a difference to the rising sun – another day in paradise (lost?)?
We debate. From the pages of The Telegraph, to the portals of NDTV, we stitch words and phrases supported by facts, figures and ‘expert opinion’, we harangue over a nuclear deal.
We have people with fluid expressions winning over the crowd – none the less sensational performance! In a democracy, the majority takes the booty, but then who is the majority is this entire tale of nuclear fall-out? Who would stand to gain or lose if Uncle Sam smirks on us? For whom are they debating? The majority is not the electorate! Not the tax-payer, nor the rural, urban denizens of team India.
It is about political science, diplomacy and word play. It is about these weapons that catalyze exothermic reactions across global diameters. It is about people who do not love to lose. English is a funny language, funnier when you articulate fast, hilarious when you add that foreign ascent – but it gets the job done!
The elected heads of various political schools cannot simply agree whether certain understandings would be good for the country! Then why are they there? Is it that one man’s meat is another man’s poison? One party can be better than the other in terms of efficiency, in planning, in execution and transparency of actions. We elect people but for the country and not for the part ideology. But lo! Politics is a profession now! And no one likes to lose! Opposition, coalition, cabinet, the three legs of a tripod! The Prime Minister can get licked you-know-where if he does not feed these bloodlines.
We, the people, manage life without such deals. How has India progressed and has India really seen the rising sun would be a different debate but then really, in this snake and ladder, we do not get to throw the dice.
Jargons which do not make sense to us, principles that would not erase the worries of a daily struggle and footage that seems such a big waste when a nation is hardly equipped to run through a micro-level existence. India is not the bourgeoisie. India is not the su-do-ku of stocks and shares, GDP, FDI and IT boom. India is not about how millionaires are swearing by foreign labels and certainly India is not about vested interests of politicians who do not wish to lose!
We never ask for a degree for the PMO, we never ask for qualifications to get into the hallowed portals of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha – its only words… speeches, passions that make us get them into the game. And then, the matrix plays for itself!
It is for the country. Is it good? Why should it be a Congress or a BJP to decide? Why cannot all of them unite and see through the job at hand? Why should the CPM behave as if it can live only by fear psychosis? Putting everything together why cannot there be a common rail to drive over?
Forget the need to complete a five year term, forget the need to grab the seat and steal the credits of a nuclear deal and forget the dwindling fortunes of an age old political ideology that has not given anything to the fractions ruled over, forgetting everything but the impact on India, we can win over the deal.
Let this not be a vote begging ticket, let this not be a dirt on some politicians gabardine, but let this be an example in world democracy where, we, the people would emerge winners.
No expert opinion, no vested interest to boot and mostly no fear of failure.
We need to better ourselves and surge ahead. There is no scope for mud slinging.
At the end of the day, the queen and the pawn go back to the same box… its time we face ourselves and see the Indian is us, sans the political mantras.
Emotionally speaking, it would make us proud, for once, if united we draw the winning wager. Its all in the heart, in the thought and approach and not the principles of worldly wisdom – all we need is to look at the screen behind the mirror, maybe see the tricolor with a little more passion!