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Punjab Polls Outcome:
Defeat of Arrogant Feudalism
Chaman Lal
Except for the defeat of many stalwarts on both sides, Punjab poll
results have sprung no surprises. Media projections have been more
or less been vindicated and Akali Dal has also not got very high
approval rate from people at large. Of course, biggest surprise of
the poll outcome is the rise of BJP, which should cause worry not
only to the Congress, but even to Akali Dal. It can start eating
into its own base. Akali Dal has just increased its tally by five
seats and Congress party’s position has just been as that of Akali
Dal in 2002.
People actually have not much to choose these days, as there is
little difference in the programmes and conduct of most of the
parties, whether at Centre or at state level. But in absence of real
alternatives, people have learnt some realistic lessons. Most
important of these lessons being to defeat that incumbent
Government, which takes people for a ride during its five years of
rule. In the context of five years rule of Amarinder Govt. in Punjab,
literally it was Amarinder and not Congress government due to which
people suffered all kinds of brutalities. Whether it were peasants
or workers, employees or students, all were treated in a high handed
manner, even the young girl students were not spared of police
brutalities, as is now in the records of many electronic media
archives. The forcible taking over the land for the Trident
industry, without any regard to peasant concerns, dealings with
students and unemployed youth only through brutal lathi charges were
the order of the day in these five years. Using most foul and
intemperate language for political adversaries like Parkash Singh
Badal, chief Minister for three terms, just showed the mindset of a
man, who lived as a ‘Maharaja’, even despite the fact that the
nation abolished all princely titles way back in seventies.
With impunity and total disregard to Indian Constitution, not only
slavish minded Congressmen, even the government officials used these
obsolete and unconstitutional titles –“Maharaja’ and ‘Maharani’ for
Amarinder Singh and Preneet Kaur in government advertisements. Even
before the polling was held in February 2002, government officials
had started knocking at the doors of Amarinder Singh and he in no
uncertain terms had started announcing his one point agenda of
personal vendetta in a most arrogant feudal style, thinking of
himself as a real ‘Maharaja’ of British colonial times. Akali
misrule of 1997-2002 had created favourable atmosphere for Amarinder
to act like Raja Gianender of Nepal, whom Nepalese people have now
shown his true worth. Not that Badal family or his ministers had no
blot on them. Soon, Amarinder Singh himself faced same accusations
of corruption which he had been heaping on Badal. Accusations
against Amarinder were in fact even worse than those faced by Badal.
All Left parties refused to have any truck with the Congress in
Punjab.
Urban Hindu population drifted away from Amarinder Singh and
resulted in the rise of an almost defunct BJP in Punjab. Keeping
Rajinder Kaur Bhattal in his camp by sheer arm twisting made
Congressmen behave like slaves before him. Amarinder, in his feudal
arrogance, could never show any respect to any legacy of Congress
which could have protected some of Congress base.
He
reduced the Congress organisational leaders to zero by making BIS
Chahal, a thoroughly controversial petty official, as the most
powerful man after him in the Punjab government. His relationship
with him is shrouded in certain openly talked secrets and created a
storm in the Congress at one time. Such misuse of authority was many
times censured by even judicial courts.
The
fall of Amarinder and the rise of Badal does not automatically bring
relief to people. It has to be seen as to what extent the Badals
observe democratic norms and polite language in their political
behaviour. The elder Badal is an astute politician and a graduate of
pre-partition F C College Lahore, with some suaveness, but the same
cannot be said of younger Badal, who, though educated in US, is
having traits similar to Amarinder Singh. How much he would be
tempered in his conduct, only time will tell. Meanwhile, the
election results have brought in some respite from a thoroughly
arrogated feudal mindset, but till what time will it last is a only
a guess. Perhaps after sometime, people will start waiting for 2012.
That's the fate for We, the People.
(Chaman
Lal is Professor, Centre of Indian Languages at Jawaharlal Nehru
University, New Delhi, one of India's most intellectually throbbing
hubs. He is also the president of the JNU Teachers Association.)
14 March, 2007
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