In yesteryears politics was perhaps all about sacrifice and service to society for up keep of sanctity in law and order. Today politics is more about power and personal ambitions, while it is a prestigious family business venture for some, it is also a retirement plan for a few others. The recent politicking in Punjab amidst rife speculations of Navjot Singh Sidhu joining AAP and then his resignation from Rajya Sabha as a BJP MP, initially came out as another opportunistic javelin jump but it was only when it dawned upon the erstwhile cricketer that he would not be anointed as AAP’s CM face for Punjab, did the cricket and comedy man began his crass bravura in the run up to the power corridors.
Blame those theatrics on his recent connections with the AAP or his frustration with BJP and Arun Jaitley’s flop in Amritsar but Siddu paji complaining like a little boy before the media brought out his perforated ego and passion for power out in the open!
It only proves that being popular and being famous are two different things and all those celebratory votes invested in these popular faces does not necessarily guarantee any grace or gratitude back nor does it translate into major transformations for betterment of the society at large.
Sidhu Paji might cry constraints of coalition politics that hindered him from serving the people of Punjab but where was he when people of Amritsar were forced to stick ‘Siddhu Missing’ posters?
We have heard of dual economies but dual employments? Truly sports quota is really empowering but it is still a mystery as to why do stars and celebrities especially the cricketers and actors join politics? Why is it that the vote banks get swayed with the presence of popular or filmy faces? Are we commoners so naïve and gullible to mistake their reel traits as real virtues or do the political Chanakyas who pitch these pretty faces the ones who underestimate the intelligence of the common man?
Are the Sidhu s and Sachins, Jaya Pradas and Rekhas or Govindas and Azhars worthy enough to become our parliamentarians when they hardly attend the parliamentary sessions or have the political acumen or administrable ability! Or is it that we simply do not care enough whether it is a Rabri or a Rekha!?
Yes, our constitution guarantees anybody the freedom to enter politics and many veterans in the South like MGR and Jayalalitha have made it phenomenally big. If you look at the Tamil Nadu politics it is nothing short of a blockbuster movie with a gritty iron lady CM who was a top heroine once and a vengeful opposition party head Karunanidi under whose unruly leadership the members had molested her in the assembly house, following which she swore to come back to the house only after she became a CM! It was then that she draped her trademark black robes and vowed to siege power so firmly that today every party man falls at her feet.
Although I am no admirer of Jayalalitha, her grit and determination is something that the crybaby politicos should learn from!
However, this trend of stars turning into politicians is not confined just to India, even in the west there have been actor turned politicians but unlike India they have to prove their worth there!
People with exemplary oratory and interpersonal skills who possess some political acumen with a natural aura and ability to articulate matters and get people to listen to them have always been natural leaders and it goes on to become a boon more so when these qualities are seen in an already popular face coming from a film or sports fraternity!
Smriti Irani was one such package who not only quit her acting career but also learned to unlearn many things that has today shaped her political path.
But then not everyone is a Smriti Irani who will quit their career and engross completely in the political domain, so the larger question is should these crowd pullers from the glamor world who seek a safe haven under the political domain be allowed to become MPs and MLAs when they are always found preoccupied with their glamor and entertainment worlds? Should our constitution really allow our elected representatives to treat politics as a backup plan or part-time prestige hobby?