Election Season upon us

Its become all too familiar now with a set pattern having emerged. With elections around the corner (And yes that too the mother of all polls, UP Polls in early 2017), a spate of “incidents” have started receiving coverage in the national media. Some unrelated incidents (read incidents that would in normal times would have died down in a whimper) are being blown up and linked to create a grand narrative. This (and the more shocking reaction) and This are the concerned incidents.

So this entire episode concerning Mayawati is about a politically incorrect remark allegedly made by one of the BJP party functionary when making a reference to her practice of alloting tickets to contestants with the highest bids. (Hang on here. Isnt the prostitutes who should really take offence to these remarks ?? I mean they are in the profession out of sheer desperation.) Well, some things are left unsaid. But then the BJP (Dont think its intentional because if it is then stupidity) has developed this habit of shooting itself on its foot. Mayawati and her party have sounded the poll bugle

Moving to the next incident. It involves a group of people beating up another group of people. The media wants us to believe its part of a grand design against the lower castes as the group getting beaten up happened to belong a lower castes. Well, isnt it a crime? Plain and simple. Law enforcement would deal with it. Why blow it up? Why should the lense of caste be brought in here? Would it have been looked at through casteist lenses had elections not been around? And after having coloured it with casteist angle why generalise it??

Came across this piece yesterday. The author picks off on the second incident. He really lets his imagination runs wild here.  In the piece, his main argument rests on dropping the last name for protesting the caste system? He goes on to broadly generalise his argument further by listing some unrelated acts of crime (are non – dalits not at the receiving end of criminal acts in India?) and by rattling statistics (one of it being the high proportion of Dalits of religious minorities?? Now whats that? Arent other religions free from this caste evil? He busts his main argument point here and these poor guys too would have to shed their last names) of unmentioned sources. The rest of the article is plain pointless. I have taken time out to comment on the obviously poorly reasoned article above as it appeared in a paper like Mumbai Mirror and i expect them to maintain certain standard. And similar posts are all over the place.

Politicians have vested interest in keeping the caste fire burning in india, despite its effects waning due to urbanisation. If not religion then surely caste will win votes. Scare mongering is the golden rule. Religion based and caste based appeasement politics was thrashed by the average indian voter in 2014 which stunned its patrons. Like the proverbial worms during the monsoon season they have emerged again.

Availability of jobs is the biggest issue and if it is to be addressed the voter has to continue rejecting the above evils which politicians and the media are so trying to bring back in the limelight by spinning a narrative of victimhood and oppression (remember “church attacks” during delhi elections? and “Dadri” before Bihar. Is this the thing before UP polls? Stay calm and enjoy the circus!!