Uneasy encounters with politicians
EVEN before the announcement of any election, many business houses and people in government jobs (seeking greener pastures) start ‘investing’ in the prospective winners. I remember an incident when I became a witness to what generally transpires during meetings between candidates and investors.
One day, at 5 am, my boss rang me up and said: ‘Please go to the house of Mr Singh, a former minister, and tell him that I have done his work regarding a cinema hall in a market. I am not able to contact him. Please hurry up, as he will leave for electioneering in his constituency.’
The boss did not give me time for reasoning. One of my colleagues, who was well versed in the art of maintaining good relations with the politicians who mattered, once told me, ‘During the initial period of my service, I went to meet a former chairman of a PSU in the election season. He was surrounded by influential people. Time and again, he looked at me with piercing eyes. Gradually, his looks started conveying hidden anger — I had come empty-handed. He then completely ignored me. He did not tell me to get out, but rather stated that I was getting late for office.’
My colleague added, ‘He did not acknowledge my wishes for his success in the election, perhaps because I had not brought anything for him.’
I visualised a similar situation in my case. I had seldom visited any politician’s house. I parked my vehicle and started walking towards his house diffidently. The security people and the staff had to be respectful to an important officer of the district. After passing a three-tier security, I entered the palatial drawing room. The ex-minister looked at me with contempt, knowing well that I was an ‘uncooperative’ officer. He was sure that I had not come with a bagful of money. But I was shocked to see that some women officers of the district were present there with money. I conveyed my boss’s message, which he listened to with no interest. The entire group was laughing out loud. Flattery was in the air.
‘You will win this time by a margin of one lakh votes,’ some of them predicted. Others said, ‘No, no. Two lakh!’ The former minister said, ‘You know how honestly I have been working. I did this, I did that.’ The group members said, ‘There has never been a more honest minister than sir. Otherwise, you could have earned crores like others.’ They knew the truth but had to become liars to remain in his good books. Someone remarked, ‘Your honesty will be rewarded’.
Everyone knew that the ex-minister had lost the elections three or four times. He said like a saint, ‘Pataa nahin kis manhoos da paisa aa jaanda ae te haar da munh dekhna painda ae (Don’t know which jinxed person’s money lands in my lap and results in my defeat).’
