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Role Reversal

What is it about the throne of Hindustan that whoever sits on it begins to look the same?

For years, we criticised the Congress for being corrupt, inept, communal. For half a century it ruled India, and ruled it disastrously. It led us down the road to bankruptcy and disgusting, venal politics. So much so that politics itself acquired a bad name and the Gandhi topi became a symbol of outrage and contempt. All the goodies were hijacked by a powerful political elite that fed off the State and ensured that no one else came near office.

It was this political elite that built and nurtured the nexus between corrupt leaders, pliant bureaucrats and wicked businessmen, who jointly looted India in the name of social justice and Garibi Hatao.

During the Congress years we saw the rise of men like Dawood Ibrahim and Romesh Sharma who presided over the desecration of Delhi and the canonisation of pimps and thugs. They came in different guises. Some, like Dhirendra Brahmachari and Chandra Swami, sneaked in as gurus and godmen. Others, like Win Chaddha and the Jains of the hawala case fame, came in as businessmen. Still others, like Ottavio Quattrochhi and Satish Sharma, were plain carpetbaggers. With them came along this huge, slithering slime line of smaller reptiles. Spanning business, politics, media. Creepy crawlies who claimed they could get anything done if the fee was right.

Congressmen claimed that the money they earned from their dirty, rotten rackets went towards funding politics. Actually it went towards propping up bogus industrialists who, in turn, set up companies that went swiftly bust when the political fortunes of their mentors declined. The list of such businessmen is long and well known. Just as a long and well known list of criminals hung around the top Congress leaders to protect their ill gotten fortunes. These thugs were useful when riots had to be organised or entire villages punished for not voting the way they were ordered to. For rogue businessmen, there were simpler punishments. FERA, TADA, MISA, COFEPOSA and a whole line of complex tax laws that can be interpreted in different ways. These kept the business community in control and party coffers brimming over.

We all knew this was happening but it took years to break the stranglehold. When V P Singh, angry with Rajiv for having called him a traitor, called his bluff. He broke away from the Congress and successfully set up a new political formation spanning the entire Opposition. Including the BJP. This formation began to look like the real alternative till its inner contradictions felled the government and Singh joined hands with the Left to form a third front while the BJP went Right with Hindutva and the rath yatra.

Seizing this opportunity, the Congress sneaked back to power with a minority government and Narasimha Rao, a brilliant if somewhat underestimated strategist, managed to complete his full term after bribing the JMM MPs. But that was the last Congress government at the Centre. We have, since, seen two third front governments propped up the Left and this is the second BJP-led Right coalition in power, the first having survived for 13 days.

But now that the BJP appears well and truly ensconced in power, it is interesting to observe how closely it has begun to resemble the Congress. The thugs and crooks are all back in business, stalking the corridors of power. So are the pimps. The funny thing is that they are not exactly a new lot. Most of them are the same rogues who were hanging around the Congress. They have simply switched sides for the time being.

The bureaucracy has also most adeptly changed its stance, realising that the BJP is now here to stay for a while. So it has relinquished its rigid position on most issues and is pretending to be as pliable as it was during the Congress years. It is already bending. Soon it will be crawling on all fours.

The BJP government, too, is beginning to look like the Congress. You can see stupidity and uselessness writ all over its face. Corruption and communalism will soon join them for the downslide has already begun. Pokhran 2 may have been a mistake but, if we were quick off the mark, we could have still saved our face through skillful international relations. Today, we have few friends left in the world community. Media relations have reached an all time low, within India and overseas. The economy is in a frightening muddle. Industry is going through an all time low but no one cares. Even worse, no one is ready to admit this even after the RBI governor has blown the whistle.

The floor managers in Parliament do not know their job. We take one step ahead with a bill, only to take two steps backwards immediately. One day we are abusing Pakistan. The next day, China becomes our enemy number one. Minister after minister announces his own policy without consulting the Cabinet. Most of these policies never see the light of day because they get checkmated by opposing lobbies. Now, in a stupid and inexplicable move, we have made a fool of ourselves before the whole world by sacking our Navy chief!

In this disastrous scenario, we are stuck with a government that has not taken one single intelligent decision to reverse the trend. Given the amazing fund of goodwill for Atal Bihari Vajpayee, this was the easiest thing in the world to do. But no one cares. I do not know if Vajpayee can play the fiddle but, if he does not act swiftly to build his Cabinet into a more proactive, more cohesive, better performing A-team, he will soon begin to resemble Nero.

As far as India is concerned, it has already made up its mind. All polls show that our voters already believe that this government lacks talent, maturity, trustworthiness. But what is infinitely worse, it lacks wisdom. It lacks the wisdom to act when it should and not act when it should not. For instance, it refuses to act when the economy is hurtling downwards and a few brave steps can easily changed the sentiment if not the tide. But there is no one in the government today who can recognise a crisis when he sees it.

On the other hand, Vajpayee's D-team is busy tilting at windmills. Sacking the Navy chief. Prostrating before its more belligerent allies. Defending Fire. Proscribing political plays. Banning lotteries. Playing footsie with Parliament on Prasar Bharati. CTBT, patents, IRA: everything remains on hold as we amble along aimlessly, not knowing what is important for India, where we want to go.

Frankly, does the Government know what it wants? Does it know who its friends are? Is it prepared to go beyond pious promises to achieve what is known as effective political strategy? Or will it forever remain a prisoner of its more belligerent wings, the RSS, the VHP and the Bajrang Dal? Vajpayee wants 49 per cent foreign equity in the insurance sector. The BJP insists on 26. Vajpayee condemns the attack against Christians and invites Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen. The VHP provokes more violence against Christians and attacks Amartya Sen and Mother Teresa as evangelists for the West. Vajpayee pleads for more dollar investments. The Swadeshi Jagran Manch condemns the economic colonisation of India. Even Jayalalitha and Mamta are more understanding than the enemies within that the poor man has to contend with.

Curiously enough, there is a role reversal for the Congress. It is looking younger, fresher, smarter, cleaner, more intelligent in the Opposition than it ever did in power. It has moved extremely cautiously in recent months and, instead of looking greedy and pernicious, it is slowly polishing its image to look more mature, more trustworthy, more capable of leading the nation. Funny I should say that. But that is what a longish stint in the Opposition does to you. It tames you, teaches you to be more circumspect.

That is why it would be a good idea if this government lasts its full term. The BJP will reveal its true colours, for better or for worse. It will quickly learn the simple fact that you cannot run a nation with cronies or medieval slogans. To stay in power, you must deliver. To deliver, you must recruit men and women of ability into government and politics. You must stop relying on cretins to do your bidding. Otherwise, India will pick you up and throw you out into the dustbin of history. As it did to the Congress.

Meanwhile, the Congress also gets enough time to shed its ugly reptile skin and emerge as a reliable and trustworthy alternative in government instead of being seen as a party of only crooks and carpetbaggers.

Pritish Nandy

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