Jawed Khurshid - MediaEye
HallaBol – a concept popularized by late
SafdarHashmi, a human rights ideologue and NukkadNatak exponent, has gained
currency among various outfits – political as well as apolitical.
Mumbai is now witnessing the same, albeit
with a Halloween twist, as droves of flag fluttering bikes vroom past in
threatening proposition. Are they part of the same old political process that
visualizes transition post election sans any tantrums?
Political parties have undergone a sea change
since independence. The iconic austerity that marked every general election,
then, is missing now. Earlier, men in khadi used to visit electorates in their
constituencies with folded hands and customary smiles, requesting for their
votes. Now it has been replaced by bike shows, shakti-pradarshan (through rallies, dharnas and bandhs or strikes) andtod-phod (destroying public properties).
Expressing dissents on policies is a natural
right and granted to every citizens in democratic polity. Can anybody question
this? Those who do are labeled as despots and autocrats, and rightly so. They
become part of ignominious history, like Libya’s Gaddafi and Egypt’s Hosni
Mubarak.
Ironically, for today’s democrats the
yesteryears’ people-centric approach remains a hangover. They provide various
sops to keep electorate in good humor; the major economic benefits literally
fell into the kitties of nation’s economic majors. FDI may trigger employment
and provide semblance of orderliness to retail sectors but it is the corporate
who will be the real beneficiary.
The general election is round the corner and
with this the politicos have upped their ante in a horde to outmaneuver each
other. The bike shows or halla bol to bolster their presence on city’s
electoral map are greatly disturbing. The chaos, long jams and at times
conflicts between political opponents too emerge, which has an ominous portent
– that may mar the peace of this cosmopolitan city.
Today the gizmos have occupied the people,
particularly the youth’s imagination. Facebook, twitter, et al are there to
connect to the people particularly the genX, most political parties are eying
for. This would ensure wider reach and exposes one to more interactive sessions
a far cry for disturbing hulla bol.
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