The Tribune Analysis: Why top politicians prefer to keep their health/illness a secret

Vibha Sharma

Chandigarh, May 31

As curtains draw on the 2024 Lok Sabha elections with voting for the seventh and final phase to be held on Saturday, the country has been witnessing a peculiar debate—health condition/illness of Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik who has rebutted all speculation regarding it.

While there have been rumours regarding Patnaik’s health for long, the recent trigger was a video of bureaucrat-turned-BJD leader VK Pandian, who is said to be “running the government on his behalf”, trying to hide Patnaik’s trembling hand behind the podium during a campaign speech.

Whether the debate around the “sudden decline in his health” is a case of “pure poll-related politics” as Patnaik and his supporters are suggesting or some “sinister plot” that Prime Minister Narendra Modi claimed during a rally, the fact is health/illness of top leaders, especially those in commanding positions like a President, the PM or a CM, is generally kept under wraps due to various reasons.

“Is there a conspiracy behind this? Is the lobby that is currently running the Patnaik government on his behalf responsible for it?” PM Modi wondered. Patnaik in turn said he was in “perfect health” and that the BJP has been “spreading rumours” about his health for the past 10 years.

Why the mystery

Political observers say this is not the first time the health situation/illness of a top leader is under scrutiny or has become a matter of national interest or debate.

Close aides generally prefer to keep health condition/illness of leaders (and that happens almost everywhere in the world) under wraps because of various reasons. 

For example, even in India not much is known about the health condition of Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first Prime Minister, in his last days, according to books and documents. However, though the health of the head of the government is a matter of national interest, can it also be a matter of national debate? 

That is the big question.

Thwarting political rivals/hierarchy issues   

Political experts say that many times the health is kept as a secret because of perceived threat to the country, to maintain stability in the country, its economy, etc.

However, it may not always be because of the interest of a country or state as many times secrecy is also maintained because of political rivals outside and within the party. “What will rivals in the party do if they find out. It is also a matter of hierarchy. The person close to the said leader may like to maintain the status quo till hierarchy issues are sorted,” they add.

While it may also be to avoid hurting the economy or the stock market, sometimes it may also be a personal/private reason.

“For example, what will people think caused the illness, if some stress or lifestyle issue caused it which may be held against the person in his political career. Some may not want the pity associated with the disease or the condition.

“See, everyone has a right to privacy, but if you are a famous person or a politician the question is can you keep your illness a private affair. Again that matter is debatable as that choice should be up to the person concerned, who to tell and when, and one cannot fault the ill person for that decision,” they add.