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The people’s disgust
for the government’s policies was reflected in the complete rout of the NDA
alliance and a total disaster for the BJP. In the four states, out of a total of
794 assembly seats the BJP won only eleven seats; the alliance won just 78 or a
mere 10% of the seats. Their aggressive anti-people economic policies; their
vicious attacks on people’s movements; their total sell-out to the imperialists,
particularly the USA; and their deep involvement in all corrupt deals .... have
shown them up for what they are. Their hindutva frenzy was not able to capture
even a small percentage of the hindu vote in these states.
The ‘pollsters’ with
their biases and myopic visions proved entirely wrong. In a bid to promote the
saffron alliance they predicted a sweep for the Trinamool and a neck-to-neck
battle in Tamil Nadu. All poll forecasts showed Mamta Banerjee and Karunanidhi
with hiked up preferences for chief ministership. Yet, both were swept away in
the polls. Clearly, the media and their hacks acted more to push the electoral
campaigns of certain political outfits rather than give poll forecasts.
But what was the
alternative before the people ? There was none. So, to throw the saffron gang
out, they voted for the main opposition in the area.... i.e., the same corrupt
Congress(I) that supports all the BJP’s economic policies; the same highly
corrupt ADMK; and the highly opportunist ‘Left’. In fact none of these
parliamentary outfits have any real difference with the disastrous policies of
‘economic reforms.’ Only the speed with which they implement it may somewhat
differ. Yet, in most cases even this does not differ much. Whether it is
Jayalalitha, Ghelot, Digvijay Singh, Krishna, Vilasrao Deshmukh, etc., they
implement economic reforms in their respective states with equal enthusiasm as
the BJP.
And as far as the
Left front goes, its speed of implementation of the same World Bank dictated
policies may differ, but it supports its essence. Ofcourse, it must make much
noise to show opposition, just as the ‘swadeshi’ lobby of the RSS does. This is
only to maintain their respective support base. In effect they do nothing to
mobilise the masses against these policies. Its policies in West Bengal and
Kerala, where they had been in power, prove this. And as for their euphoria over
its victory in Bengal, they have used it to hide their total rout in Kerala
where they won a mere 29% of the seats — that too, inspite of the serious
factional fights within the Kerala unit of the Congress(I).
The only place where
a real opposition existed was in Assam. Here the ULFA (United Liberation Front
of Assam) called on the people to boycott the elections. And inspite of the
AGP’s fascist terror and stage-managing the massacre of poor hindus (Bihari
labour) in order to discredit them, the ULFA struck again and again at AGP
targets. They vociferously attacked the fascist and communal politics of the
AGP-BJP combine. They demanded freedom of the Assamese people from the yoke of
the Indian rulers. The BJP-AGP made desperate attempts to whip up communal
passions on the Bangladeshi ‘foreigners’ issue, but failed miserably. The BJP
won only a few seats, while the ruling AGP got just 40 out of a total of 126, or
a mere 32% of the seats.
Besides, as with all
elections in India, a large section (40 to 50%) remained passive and did not
vote — they are, infact the silent majority, as no party gets more than 20% to
30% of the total votes cast. And of the voting percentages a sizable section
comes from rigging and use of brutal force, indulged in by all parties. The BJP/Congress
type parties do this crudely, while the CPM is the most refined and clinical in
their rigging methods. Besides Mamta’s ability to discredit herself by her
antics of swinging from BJP to Congress (and may be back again), there is no
doubt that the CPM’s well-oiled electoral machine and its muscle power added a
substantial amount to its votes in Bengal. If one considers all these factors
nearly half the voting population does not vote.
Yet, passivity is no
answer to this electoral farce. In effect, silence means consent. An active
boycott alone shows one’s opposition to this fraudulent system. This gigantic
hoax is perpetuated for the sole reason to dupe the people and give a pretense
of democracy, which, in fact, does not exist. It acts as a safety valve
allowing people’s pent up anger to get dissipated in voting against those in
power at the moment. Today, the very fact of a regular anti-incumbency vote
indicates that these elections are a major method to dissipate people’s anger
against government policies. If this pent-up anger was not regularly released
through anti-incumbency voting, it could turn into a ‘dangerous’, volatile
revolutionary outburst. Ofcourse, they have other methods to divert people’s
anger — like communal hatred, anti-Pak hysteria, etc — yet the electoral process
too is an important diversionary factor. It is then that the media too gets into
high pitch, whipping up the electoral euphoria.
Elections come and go
at regular intervals, but people’s living conditions only continue to
deteriorate. And in this period of globalisation/liberalisation this
deterioration is rapid no matter which party is in power. It makes little
difference to people’s living standards, whoever may rule .... the BJP,
Congress, CPI/CPM, or the numerous local satraps, they are all the same. Only
their methods of rule, the manner in which they serve the ruling classes may
differ a bit. Some may use aggressive hindutva, others soft hindutva, and yet
others some fake secularism. In the present conditions of acute economic crisis
and vehement attacks on the people, the ruling classes show increased preference
for the aggressive hindutva or hindu fascist method of rule. They feel that,
this is their only hope to ward off people’s anger against their despotic rule.
But this too has its
limitations. The crisis and the narrowing economic cake is accompanied by
intense struggles for power. Today the factional fights within the rulers are
getting ever more intense. The Tehelka disclosures, the regular scrambles
amongst the NDA alliance partners; the arrests of political opponents in
corruption or other charges; the physical liquidation of opponents at the local
level; and even the dog-fights within all the parties, including the BJP.... all
are an indication of the growing instability of the rulers. This maniacal
infighting and crude scramble for power, combined with open corruption, disgusts
the people even further, and no hindutva hysteria can cover their dirty faces.
Yet, the people see
no alternative, so either vote for one or the other crook, or remain passive.
But, there is but one alternative to the present muck and filth of parliamentary
politics. That is the revolution. The revolution to change the socio-economic
system and set up a genuine democratic system as a first step towards an
equalitarian society built on a socialist foundation. Though the process has
started, and has achieved some strength in a few pockets of the country — like
AP, NT, DK, Bihar — it is yet to assert itself as a viable alternative before
the country as a whole. For a brief period, in the 1967-70 period, it did arouse
the entire country with a new hope. But, Naxalbari, was snuffed out through
brutal terror. But, today, it is once again rising. A thin ray of light is
shattering the darkness. New people’s power is growing in vast areas of central
India; a people’s guerrilla army has been formed; the CPI(ML) has risen from the
ashes, to hold its 9th Congress after a three-decade gap; and revolutionary
politics, even if in an incipient form, has spread to over 11 states of the
country.
Yes a new hope is
growing; but it is yet to grip the vast masses of the country. Once this is
achieved, the people will have a real alternative, with no need to swing from
one party to the other, or just remain passive. They will then treat with
contempt this electoral farce; they will despise the political riff-raff who
pose as leaders; they will throw rotten eggs (and may be bombs) on the face of
these hypocrites that come begging for votes; and they will boycott not only
their meetings and gatherings but the entire electoral process. It is then
that each individual will begin to get really counted; as it is only then that
they will arise as self-confident individuals, asserting their basic rights —
not as mere faceless votes, lost in an ocean of inhumanity.
The dawn of a new era
is breaking; the first rays of light begin to glow from the very heart of
central India. The monsters who rule us today can no longer hide under the cover
of darkness and subterfuge. A new awakening is tearing asunder the layers of
falsehood by which this vermin mask their venomous faces. The people and the
people alone will make history, while the pompous rats of today will be dumped
into the dustbin of history. |
