TALES OF TRAVESTY
DR. JITENDRA SINGH
In one of the most realistically narrated celulloid satires in recent times titled “Khosla Ka Ghonsla”, the formidably smart property dealer, enacted by versatile Bomie Irani, while going through the papers of a land sale deed, sceptically exclaims “The papers appear too perfectly prepared to be real!” In the same vein, somewhat, the documents making voluntary declaration of assets submitted by some of the ministers or well-known politicians appear to be too perfectly prepared to be real. In other words, the declared meagre assets of some of the leading political figures either bely and contradict their lavish lifestyle or sometimes make one wonder how they manage to make two ends meet with such minimal resources.
Now to evoke the thought of documents “being too perfectly prepared to be real,” there are examples of certain asset statements including one by a second-time Chief Minister who, as if in a bid to be more loyal than king, goes on to mention even one tread mill and one air conditioner in his house as if he has nothing else to hide. In another declaration a union Cabinet Minister, who is a also former Chief Minister, mentions total moveable as well as immoveable assets amounting not more than about 65 lakh while everyone has seen his palatial bungalows at two important north Indian cities and his business investments in London and Dubai are known to everybody. What is more, the same Hon’ble Union Minister goes on to make the innocent confession that he is not aware of his wife’s property assets.
Once when Albert Einstien, an unparalleled intellectual giant of twentieth century who gave the scientific theory of “relativity,” was interrupted for a custom check before boarding a flight, the grand old man of physics took off his hat and pointing at his head said, “I have nothing to declare except my genius.” In a cryptic vein, a typical Indian politician submitting statement of his assets could confidentally proclaim “I have nothing to declare… either inside the head or outside”. But the question is, why majority of the Indian politicians across the party lines are shy of declaring even the minimal assets required to sustain an average middle class household? Why do they have to pose to be poor to hide their riches?
Is that not somewhat dubious…smelling of a stinking hypocrisy which has come to stay with the Indian politician? Not only in matters of declaring assets but even in the smallest of small issues. For example, once having stepped into a political career, even the rich and elite are expected to undertake a change-over of wardrobe from designer clothes to “Kurta-Pyjama” and a Page 3 socialite entering politics is expected to relish the virtue of being a teatotaller and a vegetarian even if that amounts to painful camouflaging of the fondness for an evening drink. Quite in contrast this is to the transparent honest image of a western politician classically symbolised by someone like Winston Churchill with a cigar in his hand and a glass of scotch on his evening table but highly revered for his genuine qualities of head, heart and conscience.
Be that as it may, the Indian politician continues to bask in the glory of “hypocrisy” convinced that the common man has accepted him as a “big politician with small assets” living almost “below poverty line.” As Umapathy sardonically quips “Shanakht Kab Tak Apni Chhupa Ke Rakhoge, Saamna Apna Kabhi To Karna Hai!
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