Everyone these days has a political opinion and expresses it. So I thought I should too..... through the entire day, I saw the map of India going saffron.....
The BJP ran a well coordinated election campaign, with Modi as their star campaigner and Amit Shah as the chief organiser. The opposition on the other hand, has been fragmented and feeble in their approach. It was a contest between one clearly identified leader in BJP versus ten or more leaders vying for the top spot in the opposition.
The Congress did a good job of putting their manifesto together but there was really no place for ideologies, vision or any other substantive issues in this election. That an election is fought and won or lost in this manner does not do credit to democracy at all.....and that requires some examination. In that sense, everyone turned out to be a pappu!
The subtext of this election, in my view, has also been differing ideas of what India as a nation needs to be and the majority in India chose the BJP's. The chowkidar tagline caught the imagination of many Indians who felt that they needed a strong Prime Minister to safeguard the country and its interests.
Some other things that stood out for me - communal and caste based politics is here to stay - no running away from it, calling out identities that should be irrelevant in a modern day democracy and further deepening the divide.
Every party that has been around for a generation or more promotes dynastic politics. Most candidates were sons, daughters, nephews, nieces, wives or husbands of politicians. A Kanhaiya Kumar or Atishi Marlena have no chance in hell to make it big in politics.
That there was much mudslinging and name calling made this an election worth forgetting. But again, this has gone into our beings that I do not see us being able to retract from it. Facts have taken a back seat and everyone is a feku!
We have many challenges ahead as a country to deal with. An economy that is not exactly in robust shape, joblessness in a country with a relatively young population, environment crises and climate change looming large, agriculture in shambles are amongst the important priorities that will take imagination and definitive action beyond mere rhetoric to address.
If we are to make India a place to be proud of, liberals and middle class like me need to be less elitist and accept the changes that have come over our country. Friends and family that live abroad need to also step out of their privileged lives and see the realities of India more closely rather than just be drawn by empty rhetoric that makes India look good to outsiders. And, those of us who are in a majority need to be magnanimous and protective towards our fellow countrymen.
