Politics of Stupidity

Is the controversy in Uttar Pradesh a ploy to divert the attention from real issue? One is tempted to infer from what is being broadcasted, shown and reported in the last two days. Whatever Rita Bahuguna-Joshi might have said, that does not accrue that the focus should be shifted on her instead of the persons about whom she spoke.

High handedness in the functioning of Mayawati is something not new to the Indian media nor to the public. Whoever knowing her name also knows what it signifies for. Rita Bahuguna is a novice comparatively whose main claim to fame is that she is one of the important functionaries of the Uttar Pradesh Congress Party. Had the Congress was in a dilapidated state in UP as was the case for over two decades, her tirade against Mayawati would not have attracted any attention. But when she spoke at a rally in Muradabad district, it carried the weight of recent buoyant return of UP Congress to political mainstream with 19 seats in its kitty.

The same measure of weight prompted Mayawati to react against the alleged inflammatory statements by Rita Bahuguna. Activists from Bahujan Samaj Party, whose allegiance with democracy does not go beyond power game, promptly followed suit with torching the bungalow of Congress leader. What a waste, what a loss! Administration also chipped in with its contribution by filing more than 14 cases against Rita Bahuguna.

Let's come to the main point. Rita Bahuguna spoke about a 16 year girl who was raped and then was offered a compensation. She said this is not a proper way of the governance. She was right in at specifics but not at the general level. As successive governments in center and states, mostly of Congress party, have defiantly held same position over the years. 'we have given compensation to the victims and every care will be taken to rehabilitate them,' is the pet answer of any ruling party functionary when anything unwanted happens in the country. Rims of paper and hours of electronic broadcast have been wasted with these statements. We have seen it when thousands of farmers committed suicide in Maharashtra and we have read when people die of hunger in Orissa. Same apathy and same antipathy to real cause has become a hallmark of the system. So what was different this time then?

It was also in line with the followed practice of leap service that discussions have turned towards the probity and tolerance in public life. It should have been rather the safety of the citizens and good governance. Sonia Gandhi has said that the action against those who burned Bahuguna's house will determine the real nature of Mayawati's government stops short of approaching the issue. She could have said that Mayawati should first take action against culprits of rape. But she will not say so because she is more concerned with the impending assembly elections in the state. That is the real cause of worry.