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It’s time for a radical renewal in Punjab: Jagmeet Brar writes for HT
Ever since the inception of modern democracy in Greece, politics has ideally meant to be a fair engagement of politicians with the masses to bring about a renewing advancement of their socio-economic conditions.
Ever since the inception of modern democracy in Greece, politics has ideally meant to be a fair engagement of politicians with the masses to bring about a renewing advancement of their socio-economic conditions.
But unfortunately, in our great nation, which is regarded as the biggest democracy, politics has been reduced to a mere prospect to grab power at the hands of power-hungry oligarchs who euphemistically call themselves “politicians”. Their one-point agenda is to accumulate wealth to control the political scene and class, thereby looting both the people and the state exchequer.
But does the blame for this imbroglio lies only on these mafiosi? Probably not. “We, the people” have too easily left our battleground to these power traders. Becoming more attracted to their packaging rather than their product, we have too easily, rather too willingly, fallen prey to their offering of mere slogans, which are almost always empty of real deeds. As merchants of such illusions, these so-called politicians pretend to follow certain road maps of development. But to follow roads on maps does not mean following the real roads leading to progress and growth.
So what ought to be the fundamental relationship between politics, politicians and people? In a diverse country like India with mounting economic inequalities, politicians need to be pluralist rather than populist. Instead, they are generally demographic manipulators having a narrow head and a broad mouth, which they use not only to swallow public resources, but also to promise the moon.
People deserve socio-economic opportunities not just to survive, but also to thrive in their lives. Hence, politics without competent politicians is no solution at all, but producing and educating politicians by people’s vote is the right step forward.
Give up vindictive agenda
One after the other we are electing governments that believe more in fighting their adversaries than in fighting adversities the masses face. Governments can neither be run by vindictive agendas nor with pure assumptions without taking facts and figures into consideration to accomplish a systematic outreach.
What our political masters tell us all the time — in the media, in the orchestrated political gatherings and in advertisements — is nowhere the reality. Their most important goal is to stay entrenched in power rather than invest power in the polity.
More than half of the Indians are in the grip of poverty, whereas our so-called leaders are becoming richer day-by-day with their magic wand of drugs. In Punjab, when our children cross the age of 14 and go to Class 9, their mothers have a single worry as to how to keep them away from drugs. And when they are 16 or 17, they worry how to send them abroad to earn their living. Why can’t our leaders create employment opportunities and favourable conditions in Punjab?
Last week, the Punjab assembly witnessed an unprecedented spectacle of MLAs occupying the House, hurling shoes and using abusive language against each other. People hadn’t elected these representatives to desecrate the temple of democracy. Even in our protests, honour and dignity must always be given the upper hand.
So politics, particularly in Punjab, demands a complete renewal. The need of the hour is a brand of politicians who are dedicated performers, who are the product of an amalgamation of idealism and realism, who can steer people towards an economical, political and social renewal beyond lie and vicious money grab that consecutive regimes in Punjab have been offering. That alone is the ticket to a stable and secure future of Punjab. It is both the prerogative and the privilege of the people to accomplish it.
letterschd@hindustantimes.com
(The writer is a former Lok Sabha MP. The views expressed are his personal)
