Gurdaspur Diary: Genuine contenders and phoney pretenders in poll season
James Gleick’s chaos theory states that the outcome of a phenomenon cannot be known because of the variables involved in it. Likewise, nobody, not even the best of soothsayers and astrologers, can predict which party will carve out a win in the forthcoming parliamentary elections. Results apart, in this time of heightened political activity, everyone it seems is hankering after party nomination. This brings us to the question: Why cannot there be some regulations through which genuine contenders can be separated from the phony pretenders? These days, at least in Gurdaspur parliamentary constituency, the pretenders are vastly outnumbering the legitimate ticket-seekers. In fact, a majority of these so-called political leaders appear to be severely lacking in some of the most essential qualities of a good leader, such as integrity and accountability. They, in fact, are followers of Gerson’s Law which states: An advantage should be taken in every situation, regardless of ethics. It is no coincidence that over the years, the word politician has acquired many negative connotations. In fact, there should be some minimum educational qualifications for people who want to make it to the parliament and state assemblies. Sadly, in India, we have none. And that is the tragedy of modern Bharat as it embarks on a journey of becoming one of the largest economies of the world. These pretenders must be told that a fool with a tool is still a fool! In Gurdaspur, one such AAP ticket aspirant reveals some ‘important’ things in his application form. One is that he is an “avid animal lover”. His second qualification is that his “sister-in-law is an elected councillor in the Batala Municipal Corporation”. And the third is that “he has got good grasping power”. What this gentleman grasps is anybody’s guess! In the 2022 elections, another such figure got the nomination. He would often sleep through the day and then hire a rickshaw at dead of night. His three prized possessions were some anti-sleeping pills, a ladder and some life-size posters. The ladder was meant to scale high walls while his posters were meant to tell the world that he had arrived. Needless to say, he lost his security deposit. In the last few weeks, some AAP pretenders have already met Arvind Kejriwal at his Delhi Civil Lines residence. That was before their boss had got a new address in Tihar jail. Batala-based surgeon Dr Satnam Singh Nijjar compares this breed of people to those who put a lock on something you own, against your wishes, and do not give you the key. This means they are not doing it for your benefit. They have their own interests at stake. It is high time political parties develop a mechanism to separate the grain from the chaff, the genuine from the fake. Can anyone cite the example of the Bangalore Political Action Committee (BPAC), a body which aims at providing good governance, fairness and promoting successful public service candidates at all levels. Taking a cue from the ongoing IPL, Howzat?
Drone trouble in Gurdaspur and Batala
Ahead of the elections, the security apparatus in the police districts of Batala and Gurdaspur has been strengthened. Flag marches, led by the respective SSPs, Ashwini Gotyal and Harish Dayama, have become a norm, rather than an exception. Such exercises are being held to instill a sense of confidence in residents. So far so good! However, nobody is speaking about how to keep the Pakistani drones at bay. Carrying payloads of narcotics, these flying machines are indeed giving the police and the BSF many a sleepless night. Senior officers are clearly at their wit’s end trying to figure a way to stop these incursions. Here’s wishing all the best to the security agencies. Here’s also praying that drones pose no serious trouble till the last vote is cast. (ravi dhaliwal)
