Aditya Aamir
Good man Manohar Parrikar left the big bad world last Sunday evening and every one of note appeared on TV to say his/her piece. But the political atmosphere is so vitiated, it did not take long for the discordant to sound. A media bigwig, who in the 1990s was predicted will be the face of the Indian media come the future, buttonholed Farooq Abdullah, and asked him what he thought of Prime Minister Narendra Modi “forcing” an ill to near death Parrikar to continue working? Abdullah being sensitive-savvy told the media personality to give “it a little time.”
That is the India Manohar Parrikar quit. The political tamasha broke the 24-hour barrier and Goa once again has a ragtag government with BJP on top. The single-largest party, the Congress, again robbed the chance to stake claim. If it’s subversion of democracy and making mincemeat of Constitutional provisions, then there’s ready excuse: The Karnataka example. In any case, the rubber-stamp head grocer of the provision store has no say in such matters. Remember, the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces was martyred and not given place at the opening of the National War Memorial!
As the nation gets set to vote, these are things which ought to figure in the conversation. The collective consciousness of India should wake up. Forget Chowkidar, forget dynast. Just remember the Constitution is haemorraging words. The indelible ink with which voters will walk out of the polling booth shouldn’t be used to rewrite over those words written on stone. It’s time people took a hand, not allow any Government or party to add handicaps to the Statute Book. This isn’t a game of golf!
Manohar Parrikar will be forgotten before the month is out. His kind rarely come and when they are gone, they are gone for good. The gangrene has set in and both general and vascular surgeon say it’s a blood clot blocking the flow of oxygen. It is up to the electorate to save the limb by removing the blood clot. The colour of the blood is so washed out for lack of oxygen, it’s more saffron than the Indian red. Gentlemen, our very colours are at stake. Don’t forget some people have problems with the tricolor, no less.
The cancer is eating into our vitals, our values. We cannot all be brave like Parrikar but we can look inside of ourselves and try to find a little Parrikar in all of us. That should be what we ought to cling to. Manohar Parrikar set many good examples and quite a few of them are worth following. Netas nominated to contest the Lok Sabha elections should be tested on some of the Parrikar markers and voted for only if they pass those markers with flying colours. MP-aspirants should be put to the Parrikar-test to pass muster. Obviously, it’s easier said than done, because we the people aren’t ourselves all saints; the majority among us will sell our votes for Rs 2000 and our souls for a pressure cooker.
The Parrikar test is a hard act to follow. For example there are “cringey videos” of Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy’s son, who is set to contest the general elections, which make it clear that much less pass, HDK’s son is not fit to even sit the Parrikar-test. That being said, the current political and economic and socio-cultural scenario is such that, beating the BJP in every constituency possible is paramount and like the old adage goes, everything’s fair in love, war and polls; short of bumping off a rival candidate which will only result in a contramanding of the election.
Some hard choices face the electorate this general election. People will have to look at these polls at both the constituency and national levels. To millions, it will probably be the most important election in their lives. It will set the course India will take henceforth and depending upon the kind of Government chosen will shape the Constitution itself – keep it intact as it is or reshape it to fit a very different idea of India. Those hard choices call for hard decisions. Maybe, being good Parrikar isn’t all that good for India just at this juncture. With apologies to Manohar Parrikar, RIP. (IPA)
Follow our WhatsApp channel
