On this day, July 22, 2012, around 1630 Hrs, it’s confirmed that Mr. Pranab Mukherjee is our democratically elected 13th President of India. Can Mr. Pranab Mukherjee be called as the new age Cicero, the latter being the so called first professional democratic politician apart from being many other things of Rome around 100 BC who had been kicked up to be brought down by the Caesar.
What is the significance of this election and its result? What is its import, as an Indian citizen?
This Presidential Election in India has been in headline of the media for some time now, and as a student of society, it always looked to me for wrong reasons. In local media, it was grossly portrayed as the election of a Bengali as the first citizen of the country for the first time. It may be factually correct claim, however, it also exposes the under-belly of the image of cosmopolitan Bengali who has traveled all through the world for long time and has accepted the ‘world’ view as their own, thus, have long disowned the image of a conservative parochial thinking being.
From my childhood, I grew up knowing that Rajendra Prasad and S. Radhakrishnan, both were academically product of Calcutta, and soil of Bengal could claim some glory for their intellect and principled politics for the country.
Even when Jyoti Basu was unable to wean his party from disallowing him to go for taking the charge as Prime Minister of India at the turn of this century, the hullabaloo in the name of ‘first Bengali’ did not happen in such scale and height.
And the worst part one may remember that Mr. Pranab Mukherjee never promoted himself as a Bengali in Indian politics, nor projected himself as a leader of Bengal unless the ‘high-command’ wished so. So what are we to ask ourselves in context of Mr. Pranab Mukherjee’s election as President of India, the ‘Bengalis’ of 21st Century, that are we loosing it or gaining it, in terms of values and respect?
The Presidential Election in India this time has also exhibited the limits of democracy and dignity in politics. Two hard core politicians fought this as a political battle to the hilt, and have shown their training and competence in electoral politics that we Indians have been learning, and how well we have learnt it in last six decades. Each and every procedure were followed, but after going through the motions, both of the candidates brought out what they have learnt during their long political career, stooping to the level of an election for municipal councilors. No time was lost in forgetting why one has to relieve oneself from all kind of affiliations, offices and professed ideologies prior to contesting in the election as President of India. In fact, if one marks carefully, it will be seen that all kind of primordial affiliations were brought to the fore, offer of offices were dangled, and professed ideologies were twisted to suit the purpose. So what are we to ask ourselves in context of Mr. Pranab Mukherjee’s election as President of India, the ‘Indians’ of 21st Century, that are we loosing it or gaining it, in terms of devaluation of institution and ethics in democratic politics of India?
The Presidential Election in India, for the first time has felled such a high profile, powerful and mainstream politician without any bad blood. Cutting across colours and party, support for Mr. Pranab Mukherjee was very broad-based, and one may argue that this reflects the maturity of Indian polity and the strength of consensus politics. One needs to sift through a little and may well come back unnerved, by understanding the common minimum agenda of this maturity and consensus politics of broad based support. Being the chief trouble shooter of Congress Party for so long, Mr. Mukherjee has left a long trail of obliged politicians in India. The wheeling-dealing of real-politic beckons the politicians the most because it is the only space of self aggrandizement and preservation. But one may wonder, first, why Mr. Mukherjee agreed readily to go for voluntary retirement from active politics, and second, politicians of varied background, not known for long memory about their obligation, can stick together in paying their last respect? Here, it becomes pertinent to look into the political economy than only the politics of the country to unravel these strange mysteries. Mr. Mukherjee despite being the biggest asset for the Congress party in its being in power, has unknowingly becoming the biggest burden for those who are actually are ruling the country. For Sonia Gandhi and Dr. Manmohan Singh, Mr. Mukherjee had been the biggest stumbling block in their own separate agenda, one being the carrying forward of lineage, and other being the appeasement of the far off masters- the World Bank and the IMF. The latter being the most urgent and important.
If one remembers the years of inception of structural reform of Indian economy, under the PM Narsimha Rao and FM Dr. Manmohan Singh, you may not miss the fact that the relationship between these two most important persons was anything but cordial. One may not know but had Dr. I. G Patel agreed to take charge as FM in 1992-93, then Dr. Manmohan Singh would have become history by now.
But providence and impeccable ability of Dr. Singh to remain in the right side of the power has brought him this far, and in the last leg of his tenure, it is but urgent that he has to give the final push on behalf of the World Bank and the IMF to open up what ever little remains untouched of Indian economy.
By 2014 India has to be fully board of the global bandwagon, and to that end it is the responsibility of MM2 (Manmohan & Montek combine) to do the needful. However, Mr. Pranab Mukherjee, being an old-school politician and economist, did not allow himself to be rushed at the diktat of the World Bank and the IMF, so he had to go. And UPA3 is possible only if it is without any external instability generated in the economy of India by the World Bank and the IMF. And by 2014, in UPA3 GenX in Congress will be ready to take over charge from Dr. Manmohan Singh, and this is where lies the interest of Mrs. Sonia Gandhi. In ensuring UPA3 in 2014, Mr. Mukherjee’s election as President of India has also served to tie a few loose ends. It has demolished whatever little credibility that BJP had as a national party in opposition. The cross-voting further nailed them as a unit. The Left in India, though had sold their soul long back for being in power in democratic politics of India, claimed at least theoretical autonomy under the chairmanship of Prakash Karat, exposed their poverty of philosophy and became a laughing stock when they took the Yechurian decision to support Mr. Mukherjee because Bengal CM had then decided not to support him. The bluff called ‘omnipotent of local parties’ was also called by Mr. Mukherjee’s election as President of India. The powerful regional satraps of India fell in line like disciplined soldiers when they realized fast that in felling Mr. Mukherjee as President of India may well act as an insurance to bring them goodies in the uncertain days to come in Indian politics.
On this note, one needs to ponder, who is happiest Indian today with Mr. Mukherjee’s election as President of India? It needs to be seen if Mr. Mukherjee’s fate awaits the wilderness in which Cicero had to end his career. Or is that as the word – Pranab – which means the mystic conglomeration of the power of the Universe epitomized in the word ॐ has really ensured unification of real power in India, or is it that even in his exit scene Mr. Pranab Mukherjee gave Congress a new lease of life at the cost of the country called India.
