Congress bent on lowering standards of Indian politics

By Paras Nath Chaudhary

Developments in Goa, Jharkhand and Bihar have once again confirmed that whenever the Congress is in power, political shenanigans and manipulations of a kind that seriously distort the political scene are inevitable. All democratic principles and practices are consigned to the garbage can. The governance takes a back seat and crass private interests and whims are pursued through gross misuse of the public offices. Judiciary is put under pressure, governors are cynically used and bureaucracy becomes a pathetic pawn in the hands of the politicians. Constitution, a document, that spells out the nation's ideology is shredded to smithereens. Briefly put, Indian polity turns authoritarian and the country is reduced to the status of a banana republic.
The rule of law and governance in accordance with the provisions of the constitutions are basic to the existence of a civilized society. The moves aimed at undermining them may have far-reaching consequences for democracy. It is in this context that the apex court has intervened in Jharkhand and disapproved the manner in which the Soren government has been formed there. The court has gone so far as to call it a fraud on the constitution. The comments of the highest court of the land are extra-ordinary and if the Congress is left with any sense of shame, it should apologize to the nation for having subverted the constitution. But the Congress arrogant and short on modesty is least expected to do so. Instead, the party in league with the communists who are ideologically committed to repudiate the principle of separation of powers has mounted a smear campaign against the bench. The party is once again indulging in a dangerous game. Way back in the 70s, a member of Indira Gandhi's cabinet Mohan Kumar Mangalam had openly asked the judiciary to adopt the political philosophy of the ruling party and this had raised hackles in the political circles. Left to its own devices, the party would do away with the judiciary and exercise power without any limitations. The congress shows no feeling of regrets and contrition when it does things that violate the constitution.
    One dangerous thing the congress is indulging in is unscrupulous employment of the term secularism to achieve its narrow political goals. Secularism is a well defined term and there is no scope for putting a private meaning into it. But this exactly is what is being done in Indian politics today. Every wrong thing, it seems can be done if it is done in the name of secularism. Some parties are using it as a weapon against their opponents. The term is also being used as a substitute for solid and meaningful politics that requires to be undertaken to mark separation between the BJP and the non-BJP parties. There is a singular lack of intentions among the parties to prosecute good politics and they find it easy doing it through destruction of the sanctity of the political language. This is fraught with risks and this is bound to weaken democracy. Argumentative abundance is the essence of democracy and the terms and ideas being used by the parties need to be debated. The parties will do well to remember that the democratic arrangement unravels if reasoned argument is given up for empty p clichés.
Recent developments have yet again proved that the Sonia is not as innocent and sacrificing as she is being made out to be by her spin doctors. On any index of suitability and temperamental equipment for democratic politics, Sonia Gandhi is way behind. She is too petty to practice democracy. She is so arrogant that she barely allows Manmohan Singh to function as the head of the govt. Her residence at Janpath has become a center of wheeling–dealing and conspiracies. Most pundits and commentators are of the view that the future of democracy and freedom in India is dim as long as the Congress governs the country.

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