The nation doesn’t only want to know. It also grieves and seethes in anger. More rarely, it rejoices and celebrates. Last few days have seen all the mood swings. Baahubali 2: The Conclusion broke all box office records. It wowed audiences not only at home, but also in distant lands. This ‘achievement’ overshadowed the launch of South Asian Satellite that showcased India’s prowess in the realm of rocket science—literally. We couldn’t help wondering whether our priorities aren’t terribly mixed up. Heroism of mythic proportions, alas, are confined to expensive ‘special effects’.
In real life, Maoist miscreants continued to slaughter men in uniform with impunity and there was no respite in stone pelting by youngsters—manipulated by master puppeteers in the Valley and beyond the borders. It did feel more than a little incongruous that the affairs of BCCI were considered as newsworthy as the martyrdom of Indian soldiers and innocent civilians. The return of Arnab Goswami was announced with predictable resounding Breaking News about Lalu Yadav’s allegedly incriminating conversation with the real life Bahubaali from Siwan. This, too, did not last long on the small screaming screen. Charges of bribery flung at Arvind Kejriwal by a cabinet colleague obliterated all else from headlines.
Yogi Adityanath continued to smile benignly, refusing to yield any ground or commit anything substantial to tough-talking anchors who seemed more than happy to have been granted an audience. Mulayam Singh Yadav, Mayawati, Azam Khan are nowhere to be seen these days. Opposition, sinking in a whirlpool of its own making, is clutching at straws such as Mamata Banerjee to rebuild a United Secular Front. Tamil Nadu remains in a state of flux sans a leader of Amma’s stature to provide a sense of purpose. The issue of ‘Imposition of Hindi’ can’t galvanise the people in a mass movement against the Centre today.
The Supreme Court in one fell swoop has rendered Lalu and his opportunist allies extremely vulnerable. Neither the secular sword, nor the shield can protect him from the rigours of a retrial. Not many in the present generation remember the details of the Fodder scam and the brazen efforts at cover-up. We are bound to hear loud cries of ‘vendetta’, but it would be wise to wait for the law to take its course. Time is running out for Lalu.
While these interesting events are unravelling, Rahul Gandhi has once again become the ‘Invisible Man’. Congress worthies such as Capt. Amarinder Singh continue to make reassuring noises that give him time, he will grow (up?) to be a fine leader, but who is listening? Neither ‘The Nation’ nor ‘The Republic’ is interested in the comatose Congress.
Soon enough there will be more interesting diversions—identity parades organised for presidential and vice-presidential candidates. The world will continue to move oblivious of our aspirations and exertions. Ever anxious to receive foreign pats on its back, India will most likely ‘move down the freedom of press index’ or will be castigated for ‘mistreatment of its minorities and/or human rights violations’ by people who have themselves ruthlessly muzzled dissenters and have bloodstained hands.
It needs to be stated clearly, lest we are misunderstood that we ourselves are to blame for avoidable embarrassment. The government has failed miserably to punish hooliganism by vigilantes and roguish elected representatives who mock the rule of law. There has been no sign of any strategic response to threats to India’s security—internal or external. Routine condemnation of ‘dastardly acts’ and promises of ‘fitting response at the time and place of our choice’ have eroded the government’s credibility almost totally.
The ordinance that the President signed recently, giving teeth to the RBI to discipline delinquent public sector banks with huge non-performing assets (read bad loans that are impossible to recover and need to be written off), has shocked the citizen by exposing the magnitude of the problem. Extradition of villains such as Vijay Mallya isn’t going to fix it. The remedy may turn out to be worse than the malady. The lists of ‘defaulters’ include some of the most illustrious names in the private sector.
How one wishes that our indefatigable newsmen and women were focusing on the state of agriculture and manufacturing, rise and fall, and maybe rise again of entrepreneurial stars in global arena, experiments and innovation in our labs, than on antics of sports administrators sitting on burgeoning coffers or global conquests registered by escapist fare. But then, don’t the people always get the news that they deserve? It shouldn’t surprise anyone that most breaking news is heartbreaking. Things aren’t likely to change in near future.
Pushpesh Pant
Former professor, Jawaharlal Nehru University
pushpeshpant@gmail.com