On ground, in Panchkula and areas around, the ordinary voter is not happy… The recent election drama has let down the supporters of various parties in a big way. Of course, the Indian elections are never without the usual theatrics and unnecessary hoopla. My children voted for the first time and even though one always feels every vote counts, this time though we were left wondering if our vote even made a difference.
While in conversation with the shopkeepers, the labourers, the farmers and the working class – they all wanted change and were extremely vociferous in voicing their opinions and sentiments. Disgruntled is the right word to describe them all. Haryana has had the worst governance with Khattar and gang with no development, slow progress and backward reforms. He exists primarily on goon power and that’s how he is back in the saddle again.
The fact that people wanted change…people wanted Khattar to be replaced and people were looking for better governance but in return have been left cheated and back to square one says much about the games that are played at the expense of the common man.
In its years in power, the Khattar government in Haryana has seen a hat-trick of administrative failures, which has led to much violence, damage to public and private property and spillage of blood. The state has stagnated at all levels and there has been a lack of vision and governance.
Khattar is known to be sleeping with the enemy at all times and his personal relationships with the likes of Ram Rahim and Kanda leave much to be desired. His crass behaviour, loose talk and gender bias statements have led people to have anti-establishment sentiments and with good reason. His scathing and inappropriate comments from time to time only highlight the controversial man that he is.
A man that lacks vision, has misplaced focus, displays no sense of being a leader should not have been brought back as a Chief Minister. There is a reason that he hasn’t swept the elections with a majority – the higher ups should have paid more attention to such minute details that are responsible for the broader scenario of a state that will once again return to being run very much is sync to a headless chicken.
Money may buy you votes for now… But when the situation on ground remains stagnant, there will be upheaval again. We are in a Catch-22 situation as we have a non-existent opposition that comes out of its hibernation in spurts and gasps. They need to move out of the ‘Gandhi’ zone into the ‘Regaining Control’ zone and standing on their individual strengths. Competition has been lopsided and their campaigning quite lacklustre in comparison. But every person on ground has an opinion and that is the voice of the people. The voice that needs to be heard but one that is hushed up by dirty politics, power wielding babus and twisted games. Political ambitions of leaders vis a vis personal gains instead of state development is the part that needs to be addressed urgently. The lure of money has unfortunately overpowered loyalties.
While it has been a ‘bumper crop’ Diwali for those that made up the extra seats/numbers support for the party in power, it is nothing but the Blues for the rest of us. And, lighting six lakh diyas on the banks of the Saryu is definitely not the answer in bringing back the light and the sparkle!! All that glitters is not gold indeed…
~ You can fool all the people some of the time and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time ~