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Law-ly-pop Politics


Cartoon Courtesy: R K Laxman
I just realized that almost every single politician visible on the daily dose of our Mainstream Media is a qualified Lawyer of some kind – criminal, celebrated, experienced, technically (read politically) sound, elite and media savvy, legally correct, knowledgeable (of all the escape routes and legal loopholes and clauses – basic qualification). Normally, it is the Mafia and the Underworld that is known to have “employed” a battery of top notch lawyers not only to take care of all their dirty business and keep them safe and outside the prisons; but also to advise them on property deals, hawala businesses (money laundering), tax havens and investments across the world, criminal laws and procedures etc and finally, to officially and legally represent them in public. Do we see some kind of a similarity building up here? If the answer to this is in positive, which indeed it is, then let us accept the fact that we are simply being run by a Political Mafia. We as a country in fact are being run by Mafia with their respective lawyers in a court-room without a Judge.

The Political Mafia bosses actually cherry-pick and “employ” the most crooked lawyers to be at their service and command, making them look like “democratically” elected party workers raised through the long hierarchy running across millions of party cadres. These “Men-in-Law” are then often allocated the role of party spokesperson or projected as the media-face of the party – to shamelessly and legally deal with the uncomfortable questions and unpleasant situations every single day, created by their own “employers” sitting inside the Parliament. Their only job is to justify all the actions (or inactions) of their masters. Any action or a decision, right or wrong, is duly justified in legal parlance and technicality that has nothing to do with the Truth, Humanity, Civilized Society or any other such legally invalid consideration. Then as an additional responsibility and a necessary qualifier to their progress within the ranks, these appointed lawyers also protect and serve the party bosses in their individual capacity, with timely legal help and advice. Considering their long years of service and loyalty to the high-command, some of these lawyers are then offered a seat inside the parliament and even a portfolio. All this drama is crafted to perfection and made out as if these esteemed Lawyers have “arrived” democratically and on their own merits.

I can draw up a list of at least a dozen such high profile names but there is absolutely no need to get personal here. We know the jokers so well, thanks to our mainstream media, these Liars visit the drawing rooms of every common Indian household, every single day, blatantly lying and shamelessly smiling; and yet they get away with all the visibility and attention. Our media incidentally contributes heavily in making them what they are today, actually out of nothing at all. They are invited to the prime time debates and talk shows every day; some of them even rudely bash up the anchors for taking too much of their time as other channels are waiting for them, back to back. On any given day, one just has to surf 3-4 leading English news channels (leading in TRP terms and not in content) to simply enjoy this reality drama. Same faces, same crooked smile, same shirts, same legal technicalities, same jargon and above all, the shameless and blatant “in your face” lies; only the channel logo and the anchor is different. I wonder, what makes a CNN-IBN different from TIMES-NOW to HEADLINE TODAY to NDTV? There is a lot to talk on this issue but may be in another post, apologies for the digression.

The point I want to drive home is this – The days of “Law-ly Pop Politics” are over. All this was fine until now and India somehow (some say “Ram-Bharose”, meaning with the help of God) managed to crawl and survive through 60 long years. Going forward, India badly needs the services of serious people with deep understanding and knowledge of Ground Realities, Economics, Policy Making, Foreign Affairs, International Diplomacy, Rural and Agrarian Economy, Urban Development, etc. This will never ever happen with the elite goons & cronies from Doon School; nor with the uneducated thugs and rowdies from the hinterland; nor with religious fanatics and Babas; nor with the “high-command” (even in its new younger avatar, that is still living with the legacy and Socialist roots of grandparents and has failed to offer anything new so far), and surely not with the help of their toady lawyers.

The moment I look at it from this new lens, a completely new requirement and an urgent need of a new leadership emerges. I ask myself – what these guys and their lawyers are doing here? We surely do not need lawyers making important policy decisions on our behalf. We need specialists. The answer is among us. We, the people of India have to now come forward, if these guys have to be replaced and sent back where they once belonged. Surely we can find among ourselves a few hundred people (actually speaking, Leaders) with the desired knowledge and skill-set that is required to run this country any better. So now it is up to us, it is in our own hands, we get the leaders we deserve, we reap what we sow. We all can find like-minded groups and forums and platforms of our own choice and start building upon those initiatives and support them. This will not happen tomorrow, not so soon and may take a long time. But at least we make a beginning somewhere and a sincere effort in this direction could offer a better India to our children, hopefully.

If not, “All Ij Well” of 3 Idiots will soon become “All Ij Hell” for a billion idiots!

Comments

  1. Nice one. Gives a different perspective than what I hold. You are right about advocate spokespersons. They have been employed by their parties for that very reason and I must say they are doing a fairly good job. But in my opinion, these spokesperson advocates are usually left to defend govt decisions rather than being actively involved in policy making. If I were to choose between an educated Kapil Sibal to a Raj Thakeray or Mayawati, I would choose the former. Not only because he is educated but seems to be doing something right.

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  2. @Giridhar:
    They have been employed by their parties for that very reason and I must say they are doing a fairly good job.
    Dear Giridhar - Thks for writing in. This is actually very subjective as it depends on what is our definition of a "good job". In my opinion, they are doing a good job to protect and support the corrupt politicians and their failed socialist policies. Any other Criminal Lawyer would do it to his client as part of his profession and for a fee and we should have no problem with that. But these guys are not in the profession of a criminal lawyer - they are in public service and serving the nation and not a client - you and me pay for them. I am talking about the ones with the portfolios.
    Regards / Ashish

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  3. @Giridhar: these spokesperson advocates are usually left to defend govt decisions rather than being actively involved in policy making.
    Dear Giridhar: Agree with you. But there are two types of these creatures -
    a) spokespersons
    b) ministers with portfolios,
    Govt decisions are based upon policies. So the ones who frame policies (like Spectrum Raja and PC) and the ones who protect them (like Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Manish Tiwari) are all together in this crime.

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  4. @Giridhar: If I were to choose between an educated Kapil Sibal to a Raj Thakeray or Mayawati, I would choose the former. Not only because he is educated but seems to be doing something right.
    Dear Giridhar - We need to build options. Kapil Sibal is working for the most corrupt party on this planet. All those who work and support corrupt policies, politicians are equally to be blamed, including our PM. We need to divide the nation into BLACK and WHITE forces. Lets work towards building up the strength of WHITE forces. Kapil Sibal may be good as an individual but he still serves the Black forces.

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