IN THE GUISE OF PUBLIC SERVICE (17/02/2016)

Every Monday as the chartered bus, which I avail to reach office, enters the inner circle of New Delhi (the VVIP area which houses all the seats of power in New Delhi is referred as Inner Circle) new graffiti pasted over the old ones, at various public places, welcomes citizens. I wonder what happened to the flagship programme of the present dispensation i.e. Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan? Every political party, including the political party which conceived the idea of “Swachh Bharat” Campaign, are engaged in dirtying the public places and in the process also dirtying the minds of citizens with their filthy messages which these graffiti carry. Most of these graffiti carry political slapsticks berating political rivals. As in circus, where clowns play the same game over and again, clowns in this political circus also do not have anything new to offer and therefore I do not take them seriously. This game of political one-upmanship continues without break This Monday; both the elderly rival political parties had pasted posters at public places riling their younger brother i.e. the party which is ruling the Government in NCR. While one political outfit decided to observe 12^th February- the day the present State Government completed one year in office as “छलावा दिवस” (Deceit Day) with the slogan “एक साल दिल्ली बेहाल” (A year of Suffering) the other political outfit cried “हर दिन नया बवाल एक साल केजरीवाल. दिल्ली हो रही बेहाल, विधायक हो रहे मालामाल (Every Day a day of Anarchy One year of Kejriwal. Delhi is suffering while its legislatures are getting richer)

I remember not long back the Central Government bemoaned that it could not get to enjoy even the initial honeymoon period which is customarily allowed to a new Government in office before its policies and programmes comes under the scanner of public at large and media in particular, for criticism. The same is true with the Delhi Government as well. The brunt of people’s verdict, which dismissed both these political outfits to the rank of a non-entity in Delhi, is getting reflected in the ire of the big brothers who are leaving no stone unturned in being critical of their younger brother. Public Display of Lamentation (PDL) exposes the immaturity of both the big brothers. The success and failure of a Government is judged by public every five years but in this political circus the game starts from day one with each one pointing an accusing finger at other. “Politicians all too often think about the next elections. Statesman thinks about the next generation” (Linda Lingle). However, the bottom line remains that successive governments, irrespective of the political dispensation, have been brought to its knees time and again, being unable to contain price of commodity as simple as onion and pulses, while making lofty promises to solve the problems of the masses. Hence the public take the liberty to enjoy such rhetoric. No one is spared. This exactly is the beauty of democracy where no one introspects but only criticizes. So much in the name of public service. God help the nation!