Internal vs External Political Control

The current political scenario is far from the ideal which we must aim at. Of the two main national parties, the Indian National Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party, the former is under the control of a dynasty and the latter under the control of an external organization as is increasingly evident. Both conditions may be interpreted as internal affairs of the parties concerned, but they are not. Such controls may be necessary for the survival of the parties but are damaging to the polity of the country. Therefore, they are a public concern.

Political parties in a vibrant democracy should be free from any control, within or without. They should be free to function within the parameters of their party constitution and their political and economic ideology. Unfortunately, though the parties have a written constitution, they adhere to it only in letter while in spirit they are dictated by an unwritten constitution. There is no such thing as a supreme leader or ‘supremo’  in the written constitution, only president, general secretaries, etc. but the unwritten constitution, sometimes more supreme than the written one, has ‘supremos’ in place. This is not a feature restricted only to national parties but a predominant condition in almost all regional or semi-national parties. We have so many ‘supremos’: Sharad Pawar in the NCP, Jayalalitha in the AIDMK, Karunanidhi in the DMK, Mamata Bannerjee in the TC, Mulayam Singh in the SP, Mayawati in the BSP, and the list could go on including Micky Pacheco in his GVP. And most of these supreme leaders also have dynastic ambitions if they are blessed with politically inclined offspring. So the Congress is not alone in its propensity for the dynasty. Shall we call it the popular political culture of India? Call it what you may, but we must admit that this culture needs correction.

The dynasties within parties are more of an imperative for the party’s survival than a requirement of the state or the nation. New political leaders spring up to meet the needs of the times as has been amply manifested in the sixty-six years of independent, democratic India. The people have proved their mastery in changing governments whenever required. But the political parties in India, unlike their counterparts in other countries, have not been able to rise to the occasion whenever a change in leadership is called for. The process has usually not been smooth; internal elections have been avoided by building up a fragile consensus which does not last long; and inevitable splits have followed. It is the fear of these expectations that deters the party members from going for internal democracy, thereby opting for dynastic succession. And when this process continues over a long period of time, it becomes the TINA factor: there is no alternative, as it has happened in the Congress. The dynasty is required to keep the party together. The party is required to keep the country together. But the party could also keep the country together with another acceptable leader if only the infighting that may follow could be avoided. But the egos of politicians, like of many others, are bigger than the interests of the nation.

The Communist parties are cadre based and driven by ideology, however obsolete it may be. They are led by the collective leadership of the politburo, with the general secretary on the top. All other parties need to take a leaf from their page at least in this respect.

Having commented on the functioning of leadership in the Congress and other parties, let me now examine the functioning of the Bharatiya Janata Party. On the face of it there is internal democracy but the party has always been accused of being controlled by the RSS, the holding entity of the Sangh parivar. There are many other organizations in various spheres which are offshoots of and affiliated to the RSS. I don’t see anything wrong in that although I do not subscribe to the RSS ideology, being a democrat and a liberal, who firmly believes in diversity and detests uniformity anywhere. But I do see something very wrong in the external control that the RSS exercises over the BJP, a recognized political party. The BJP may be the brainchild and the offshoot of the RSS, and may have been nurtured by it. But now the party has grown and spread, and is aspiring to rule the country. It is now necessary that it exists independently of the RSS, and not be dictated by the parent organization. The way the parent organization has imposed its choice first in the selection of the BJP President and now its prime ministerial candidate is most unhealthy for democratic polity. The way Rajnath Singh has gone about consulting the RSS and proclaiming its choice does not speak well of the BJP leadership. 

An important question now arises. Will every choice that the BJP makes continue to be dictated by an external organization? When the people elect their representatives to the next parliament, they are supposed to take the party, its leadership and the candidate into consideration, not external factors. The parliament is supreme and the parliamentarians must be guided by the constitution, the good of the nation, and the good of all citizens. If external organizations that have not been voted to power have control over elected representatives, then it will be a sad day for democracy and for the nation.

Strong internal control of a party is bad, but external control is worse.

Published in The Navhind Times, Panorama 15.09.2013    

Festivals Which Evoke Nature

The major religious festival season is here once again. It begins tomorrow with Ganesh Chaturthi, and  will pass through Dusserah, Diwali and Feast of St. Francis Xavier before the year ends with Christmas. With Id celebrations included, the season covers almost all traditional  communities in Goa. It is a long period of time for joyful interaction, peace and goodwill which can have a salutary effect on us in Goa, if we allow it to.

Among all the festivals of Goa, Ganesh Chaturthi and Christmas have two significant commonalities. Both being family festivals, members of every family return home to be with their near and dear ones, to partake in the religious ceremonies together, to strengthen family bonds, to enjoy delicacies made with love and devotion, and have the pleasant feeling of being at home nurturing their roots. In most cases it means returning to the villages where nature still holds sway though in a receding way. And what better months than beautiful September or cool December to be, oh to be in Goa. 

Come September and the villages of Goa abound in flowers of more hues than the colors of the rainbow.  The butterflies not only woo the flowers but compete with them for an array of colors. The fragrance of flowers finds its way to the homes and to the altars. And the birds sing their welcome songs to the season, partaking in their own way in the festivities, occasionally disturbed, much disturbed by the sound and smell of crackers. 

Come December and the Goan winter is at its peak. Shorter days and starry nights. The cold, starry nights can bring people closer together and spark more romance than candlelight dinners. No doubt so many weddings take place in December and so many babies are born in September. Don’t call me naughty if I say it could be divine planning. However, I must add that the tranquility of cool December does get disturbed by over commercialization, excess tourists with “no room at the inn”, the consequent ubiquitous litter, and the high decibel noise-cum-music at nights with or without deafening crackers.

The second commonality is more significant: synthesis of natural elements in the divine depictions within our homes. Chaturthi comes when nature’s bounty is at its peak, specially after a good monsoon as this year’s. Natural products in the form of a variety of flowers, vegetables, fruits and rare plants are brought home as an offering as well as to decorate the ‘matoli’ where the Ganesh idol is placed.  We are reminded of the mighty elephant and the tiny mouse which add the diversity of the fauna to that of the flora. With the discouragement to the idols made of the plaster of Paris and encouragement to those made of clay gathering momentum, we are on the right track of returning back to clean and green celebrations of Chaturthi. The celebrations undoubtedly have a deep religious meaning to the Hindus. The cultural and social significance of the festival is not limited to the Hindus only but is shared with them by other communities in Goa. The unity and harmony that pervade the serene surroundings of the ‘makhar’ and ‘matoli’ touch human hearts irrespective of religious customs and beliefs. The goodwill and the good wishes generated move beyond religious boundaries.

Christmas comes at the end of the year when the old is passing and there is a yearning for the new. Our short winter soon gives way to a short spring. In the midst of the cold we look for warmth, in the midst of the dark nights we look for the stars. We find  the first in warmth of our family and friends, we find the second in the star hanging over each crib in almost every Christian home. The shepherds watching their flock by night, the bovine creatures in the crib, the wise men guided by a star, the camels in the sand, the mountains touching the sky, the green grass specially grown by children to place it around the crib,  the dry grass or hay to place the image of baby Jesus – all these remind us of the splendor of nature on a silent night. The message of peace on earth is shared by Christians with all women and men of goodwill. We need the simplicity of the child to appreciate the awesome beauty of creation.

Festivals are a great time to feel inspired, and to share delicacies, smiles and good wishes. Chaturthi and Christmas are also a great time to restore our bonds with the divine, with each other, and with nature. I am sure all other blessings will follow.

Happy Ganesh Chaturthi to one and all.


Published in The Navhind Times, Panorama 08.09.2013