I hardly ever talk of politics - primarily because I prefer not talking about what I do not know. (Eh! What do you mean that, if that were true, I should not be talking at all? I do not quite get that!) But, after hearing Arvind Kejriwal talk to his party MLAs of avoiding the trap of becoming arrogant, I could not restrain myself. I mean, does the man seriously think that it is possible to be both honest and not arrogant in today's political world? That, too, in Delhi which has raised the practice of "Jaan-Pehchaan" to the status of high art?
"Arre! I just asked my nephew to get my Chintu a good job in the government. Can you believe it - he refused. He talks as though I am Ambani offering him a bribe. Corruption is one thing but if a man will not even come to the help of his family what good will he do to the country?"
"He has changed. Now that he is a big-shot why will he bother about small people like us?"
See - Power corrupts. Now that our man has got a position of power, he cannot even avoid being arrogant to his family.
"I thought he was a friend, yaar! We have been family friends from childhood. Now he will not even arrange for me to get a contract from the PWD."
"Now he is a politician. They have no friends or enemies - only interests."
"What I cannot digest is all those speeches he gives about honesty in governance and all such crap. I mean what has that got to do with this. Even in business we go by peer networks."
"Who knows? Money speaks everywhere nowadays. You thought he would give it away for free?"
There you go - you can be arrogant as well as dishonest in the minds of your friends. Honest and humble? NEVER!
"Your Montu is now a politician. He can help my son get a transfer to a plum posting."
"Montu says he will not do such things. He says corruption starts here."
"Corruption-worruption! Just tell me you do not want to help my son. No need to give speeches. And, if your Montu really believes such things, he does not live in the real world. What will happen to this country with such incompetents ruling it?"
Ah! Yes! There IS an option. You can be honest and not arrogant PROVIDED you are incompetent!
See - Power corrupts. Now that our man has got a position of power, he cannot even avoid being arrogant to his family.
"I thought he was a friend, yaar! We have been family friends from childhood. Now he will not even arrange for me to get a contract from the PWD."
"Now he is a politician. They have no friends or enemies - only interests."
"What I cannot digest is all those speeches he gives about honesty in governance and all such crap. I mean what has that got to do with this. Even in business we go by peer networks."
"Who knows? Money speaks everywhere nowadays. You thought he would give it away for free?"
There you go - you can be arrogant as well as dishonest in the minds of your friends. Honest and humble? NEVER!
"Your Montu is now a politician. He can help my son get a transfer to a plum posting."
"Montu says he will not do such things. He says corruption starts here."
"Corruption-worruption! Just tell me you do not want to help my son. No need to give speeches. And, if your Montu really believes such things, he does not live in the real world. What will happen to this country with such incompetents ruling it?"
Ah! Yes! There IS an option. You can be honest and not arrogant PROVIDED you are incompetent!
Just yesterday I was wondering why there was no blog update from you off late :) while I would say your view is realist, and as the party grows thes issues are bound to creep in however right nw I guess people are just fed up of the congress and BJP and want an alternative
ReplyDeleteIn December I am in Chennai for the music season Seeta and my social media interactions drop off to zero! Which is why I am not either active on my blog or on other people's blogs either. This time I am striving for a target, which is why I am showing a modicum of activity.
DeleteBtw, this was intended as a tongue-in-cheek on how people do not see what they are themselves doing as being corrupt - and end up contributing to corrupting the people in power.
Yup realized that, but if our country is consistent at anything than it is this behavior for sure! :) enjoy the katcheris :)
DeleteI am enjoying them! And, yes, that is the only area we are consistent in :)
DeleteWhen I read about AAP going back to the public to get their opinion on forming the government, I coudnt help but think of you. Hopefully a new post comes up on the AAP reality show :)
DeleteHahaha! I am not really into politics Seeta! This was an unusual departure for me
DeleteFinally..good to hear from you....But if AAP takes up the Congress alliance..Then we are back to ground zero anyways :)..Lets see...The News would be out by today noon..
ReplyDeleteDecember is one of the months I go silent in, Soham! Relief for all my readers :)
DeleteHah...exactly the reason why I am not in politics angling for the Prime Minister's job. Heaven forbid but what if someone were to call me arrogant?
ReplyDeleteTrue! Some truths should never come out in public, Rickie :)
Deletehaha My father who was a bureaucrat always says that the biggest bane of our country is the bhai-bhatijawad culture. When one guy does well in life, he is expected to uplift the entire family or possibly the community using 'any' means at his disposal. You have aptly demonstrated that corruption has permeated the moral fabric down to the smallest entity. A nice post after quite a break! Hope your Chennai trip is going well!
ReplyDeleteAs well as expected, Rachna! Thanks!
DeleteLoved the whole post and especially how you wrapped it up with "You can be honest and not arrogant PROVIDED you are incompetent!" :D
ReplyDeleteThanks Jairam! Tied up in a ribbon, was it? :)
DeleteA combination of honesty and competence!!!Such people can afford to be arrogant.
ReplyDeleteHmm! In Politics you cannot be perceived to be arrogant :)
DeleteVery interesting!
ReplyDeleteThanks Ariel!
DeleteA real true picture of the way things are. All the conversations and assumptions and allegations are mirror-images...
ReplyDeleteReminds me of the ANYWAY poem. Do read it, if you haven't already.
People love to point flaws, still be good, kind, humble...ANYWAY! :)
Hahaha! Yeah True!
DeleteHa Ha Ha - Nice. One can only be two of honest, competent and well loved.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely TF!
Delete"Corruption is one thing but if a man will not even come to the help of his family what good will he do to the country?" Haha. Wish Laxman could have cartoonised this wonderful line. In fact, this post is full of Laxman-like gems.
ReplyDeleteThanks KayEM! I just thought in Hindi and translated it all :)
DeleteHaha! How you manage to bring humor into the most serious of subjects fails me
ReplyDeleteThanks Ashwini! That is high praise!
DeleteThat's what I mean - that Kejriwal was being too idealistic :)
ReplyDeleteYes - let us see if that happens :)
I don't know if kejri's was being realistic.
ReplyDeleteBy his flip flops,arrogance has tied up himself in knots.
BJP and CONGIS are in this game for long enough to let him go far
Hmm! Let us see
DeleteI wonder, the people who have voted for AAP, what do they think when they jump the line or drive on the wrong side of the road and yet manage to give dirty looks to the one on the right side of the road (mentioning just two among the other mundane things)?
ReplyDeleteThe same as the people in my post thought I suppose :)
DeleteGetting a favor is treated like a birth right in our country ha ha. In Chennai Suresh ?
ReplyDelete:) True! Yes Jaish! I am here till 19th
DeleteSometimes, well most of the times, arrogance works when it comes to saying "No" and I guess it is needed in politics. How else will the buaaji understand that her bitwa cannot get a management seat? Well said!!
ReplyDeleteThanks Pooja! AND when you say No however politely, it is always taken as arrogance :)
DeleteAAP is over exposed and at times they are not sure of how to respond and hence the kind of responses and outcomes. They got enough support and they could have planned better. They could have thought out the possible options in various situations, which is one thing I think they did not do very well. They are promoting the notion of change, lets give them a chance, Shall wE?
ReplyDeleteHey! I am not panning AAP here - I am only asking the relatives and friends of AAP MLAs to refrain from trying to bring them down to the level of other politicians :)
DeleteThe AAP MLAs might be honest but their families will not leave any stone unturned to make them corrupt. It is just a matter of time.
ReplyDeletePrecisely my point, Amit :)
DeleteGuess what! I searched for arrogant AAP in google and found your post.
ReplyDeleteYou got a good SEO rank for your first politics post :-)
I can't believe how much AAP has changed in a month and half since you wrote this post.
Anyway, I think this is a different sort of first for me - dropping comments.
I would like to say, I read your posts regularly and like it a lot.
All the best for blogadda awards.
Woohoo! REALLY! I am amazed. That's certainly a first for me.
Delete