People's Democracy

Feeling Edgy About "Feel Good"

The fragility of the Vajpayee government’s “feel good” factor was thoroughly and completely exposed during the course of this week centering around the vacillations on the forthcoming Indian cricket team’s tour of Pakistan.  For full four days, the home ministry, under L K Advani, appeared all determined to defer the tour before the elections.  The reason was quite simple.  Advani and many in the BJP feel that in case of India’s defeat in Pakistan, the “feel good” euphoria being generated as the backbone for their electoral victory may simply evaporate.  These concerns clearly confirmed the fact that there is actually nothing in tangible and concrete terms to “feel good” about.  If the electoral fortunes of the ruling party are to be determined by the outcome of a sporting event, then surely such a party cannot rule the country!  Their efforts to ensure that the bubble of euphoria built on falsehoods and illusions must not be allowed to burst before the polls must be busted. 

In the process, it is, indeed, unfortunate that the security of the Indian cricket team, which is the legitimate concern of the entire country is sought to be trivialised.  The home minister has now thundered that it is Pakistan’s job to provide security and that India will not take any measures to send its own security for the team.  On its part, Pakistan has assured adequate protection. But to rule out categorically that India will not take any measures and thereby any responsibility for the security of the cricket team is, indeed, most unfortunate. 

Worse, this contains a veiled threat and a sinister diabolic thinking.  The whole country would be outraged if anything were to happen to our cricketers.  It would, indeed, be a matter of utter contempt, shame and disgust if the team were to be exposed to avoidable threats. This must be avoided at all costs.

It is, indeed, nauseating to see this government use everything and anything to advance its electoral prospects.  The campaign of disinformation on “India shining” through a plethora of advertisements containing disgusting untruths continues unabated. This, despite the Chief Election Commissioner’s caution.  His appeal for observing political morality have fallen on the deaf ears of this Vajpayee government.  Till now, the country was not aware that the prime minister suffers from this disability as well!

If the results of a cricket match were to determine the fortunes of this government in the coming elections, then they have lost the war before the battle has begun.  By now, the people have seen through the campaign of orchestrated euphoria that they have tried to create to bolster their electoral fortunes.  Their bluff is being called on all fronts and on all claims (see elsewhere in this issue, page 3).  People are being asked to believe that during the course of the last five years, if they have grown older by five years, it is because of Mr. Vajpayee’s government!

With still more than two more months to go for the elections, more skeletons will appear from this government’s cupboards.  The people shall vote on the basis of their conditions of livelihood and day-to-day experiences and not on the basis of the web of lies that is being constructed by the government’s propaganda. Apart from all other important reasons, the unscrupulous and brazen manner in which this government is advertising itself based on disinformation of the basest variety, in itself, calls for the defeat of these forces.  All patriotic Indians committed to safeguarding the secular democratic republican character of our country must give a united expression by defeating these forces in the coming elections.