How Low Will We Stoop

     Why don’t we leave the near and dear ones of our political opponents out of political quarrels?

     Some years ago, India’s political discourse reached a point where, whenever debaters ran out of valid arguments, they would stoop to hurling abuse at their rivals’ family members—especially on women and children who had absolutely nothing to do with politics. The more cowardly choice of targeting those who could not or would not retaliate seemed to come naturally to such people.

     Suppose the wickedness of such remarks were represented by shades of grey. Mild offences would begin with light grey, more malicious ones with darker shades, and the utterly contemptible and unacceptable would lie just short of pitch black. If those responsible are not checked at the very first signs—the lighter greys—they gradually become emboldened. At every subsequent opportunity, they descend further into darker shades until they eventually reach the ultimate: almost-black depths of public discourse.

     It reflects a profound shallowness of character. It reveals a poisoned mind that would rather go for an opponent’s jugular with a verbal dagger than present a reasoned argument. The expression pea-brained could well have been coined to describe such thinking.

     The situation had become so distasteful that I posted an appeal on the then social media platform, Twitter, urging politicians and their supporters to stop this vulgarity. Nothing worthwhile is gained by it except bringing disrepute upon the entire political class and diminishing the dignity of Indian political discourse in the eyes of the world.

     So much for our much-celebated civilisational ideal of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam”—the belief that the whole world is one family.

     I wrote that appeal without entertaining any illusion that it would produce dramatic change. Yet it was important that politicians know how deeply many ordinary citizens were repulsed by such behaviour. Public representatives should hear the voices of those who object to the erosion of basic decency.

     It is bad enough that, after elections, democracy often settles into a familiar pattern where the rulers and the opposition quickly resume their political battles, treating the nation as their exclusive arena for conflict. The voters—supposedly the true sovereigns in a democracy—quickly fade into the background. One side becomes “they,” while the other becomes “we.”

     Until the next election, that is often how things remain.

     This reality also raises an important concern regarding the proposal for ONOP (One Nation, One Poll). If the entire country completes all its elections within a span of four to six weeks, the electorate may effectively lose one of its few recurring opportunities to register its approval or dissatisfaction with governments. At present, elections to different legislatures occur at different times, allowing voters to periodically express their views on public policies and political conduct.

     With ONOP, that democratic barometer would largely disappear. We would be left with:  

             1. At Poll time: politicians on their best behaviour.         
             2. With Polls over: the people scarcely matter for the next five years.

     The tweet to which I have referred deliberately mentioned individuals from different political backgrounds. It was never about defending one party or attacking another. It was a heartfelt appeal that politicians leave the loved ones of their rivals outside the battlefield of politics.

     Among those I mentioned were Mrs. Sonia Gandhi, who has often been targeted simply because she is the mother of Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi; Mrs. Smriti Irani, whose residence’s front door was reportedly pounded upon in her absence, terrifying her young daughter who was at home; Mrs. Jaya Bachchan, who has frequently been subjected to personal attacks; and Mr. Narendra Modi, whose elderly mother became the subject of offensive remarks despite having no role in politics herself.

     Today, that disturbing trend appears to have gathered momentum once again—with even greater intensity and shamelessness. The abuse has grown uglier, the threats more sinister, and, on some occasions, even rape threats have been shouted openly before television cameras. The fact that such conduct is being recorded no longer seems to deter the perpetrators.

     If public life has reached a point where holding political office—or being politically connected—is perceived as offering protection from the ordinary consequences of the law, one cannot help but ask:

     How low are we prepared to stoop?

     Much lower, and we may well find ourselves entering the ground head first.

     Entering our own graves?

     Possibly.

                                                                            *****

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