Many years back , perhaps in the late seventies (or early eighties) , Shri Ashok Mitra , then finance minister of West Bengal shouted these words - I am not a gentleman, I am a communist- to the bureaucrats , possibly to make them fall in line. He was roundly castigated and a debate ensued . Now, Mr. Mitra was personally a genuine Bhadralok (gentleman ) learned , erudite , austere and along with that uncompromising (a little too much) . He was a rare example of a civil servant who also excelled as a Marxist thinker, politician and minister. Still he had to bear the brunt of universal opprobrium on his statement and for lowering the level of politics.
Anyone who recollects or considers his statement and dwell upon the present scenario of political discourse in the country will realise how much lower it has become now. Our country is now headed by a person who mocks his predecessor by jibes of having a shower in the bathroom in raincoat. He refers to the wife of an opposition politician as 50 crores kaa girlfriend and generally abuses the opposition in his farcical street-corner style speeches.
To many of us his speeches and actions would appear to be childish, classless, petty, vulgar and deplorable. But the fact remains that they are also being lapped up by many and there are enough people who appreciate him and his style of speech. That points out to the lowering of the standards in public discourse, rather a free-fall. While castigating him, we cannot forget that the responsibility for that also devolves on us, we the people, for elevating this man to the pinnacle of power.
The trend of irreverent and comical style of speeches has always been lapped of by the Aam Aadmi but the element of indecency combined with twisting of facts and history is a recent phenomenon and coincides with the term of the present government in Centre ;that everybody will agree. Some will even justify it with a brave front saying this is the dismantling of Lutyens Delhi culture using the word with a sneer just like the other misused terms sickular , liberal and presstitute.
The general refrain from the supporters is - “He’s not a bigot, he’s just politically incorrect. He speaks the truth without bothering for niceties.” But it is very important for us to ponder on this aspect of indecency in public discourse. We must bring back the value of respectfully disagreeing with one another without vitiating the atmosphere with acrimonious insults. Lumpen in politics were always there ;. they lend muscle to the parties. But the political discourse was never so much vitiated with inanities and abuses . Had these abuses been followed up with stern action at the ground level to root out the cause of abuse, it would be welcome as a rough but decisive action. But without any such effort this abusive content only serves to lower the standards further and encourages the lumpen elements.
If this is a sign of changing times , then it is a portent of some catastrophe that is waiting to happen. Riding a tiger may be easy, getting down from its back is difficult.
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