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Non-Performing Actors
Jagmohan Singh
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Elections
are in the air in India as many of the states are in the throes
of it. As is happening in the recent past, Bollywood film stars
as candidates and for electioneering are a common sight. With a
majority of the electorate uninformed and the politicians
determined to keep them that way, cine stars are still crowd
pullers. This open letter is to remind the aam-aadmi that they
are all Non-Performing Actors. |
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Navjot Singh Sidhu, Daler Mehndi and
Hans Raj Hans regale the crowd, BJP’s Delhi
Chief Ministerial candidate Vijay Kumar Malhotra waits with
folded hands.
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Dear Kirtpal
Singh
Waheguru Ji Ka
Khalsa
Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh!
You must be
wondering why the elections come so soon. Actually they come after
five years, but the five years come too soon as there is hardly any
sea-change to your life for the better and so the five years are
always round the corner.
While you
continue to work diligently and do hard labour, trying to eke out a
living in these times of recession, your excitement grows at the
sight of a Navjot Singh Sidhu, Shatrughan Sinha, Dharmendra or
Shamsher Singh Mehndi. It goes a little out of bound seeing the old
dream girl, Hema Malini.
You may like to
eat beef, but in case you eat beef after the election speech of
Navjot Singh Sidhu, your relatives will have to say a lot of
prayers, because that would have been a serious offence, nay a sin,
and will take you straight to hell.
I have seen you
many a time sitting cross-legged with your right palm on your cheeks
looking upto the dais where actors promise you the moon. I have seen
the momentary glint in your eye, relishing that time as the key
moment of your life.
As you may have
observed in
India elections
and icons go together. In recent times, as issues and policies have
taken a back seat in most elections, it is the size of the campaign,
the extent of the rhetoric and the popularity of the icon as the
campaigner is all that matters. Despite being outdone for many a
time, you still have not understood the game or have you?
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You may like to eat beef, but in case you eat beef after the
election speech of Navjot Singh Sidhu, your relatives will have
to say a lot of prayers, because that would have been a serious
offence, nay a sin, and will take you straight to hell.
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I am sure you
remember someone called Vinod Khanna who wanted to change the
backwaters of Gurdaspur, riding high on the campaign trail of the
right wing Bharatiya Janta Party. You made a mistake. You mistook
the star to be messiah. Your relative in Mumbai was taken in by
Govinda traveling in a local train from Borivili to Virar. He
thought that finally we have an aam-aadmi, aam-savaari MP.
Today, even his party does not want him, and as far as your friend
is concerned, he is still waiting for the last Churchgate local.
Your brother in
Delhi now
has a crooner attempting to become an MLA. He has the blessings of
the euphemistically named Indian Obama –Mayawati.
In your home
state
Punjab,
there has been a strict code of conduct being followed by leaders of
the main party, the Shiromani Akali Dal. Its present leader,
Sukhbir Singh Badal, inspite of his education is determined to keep
it that way. The state of
Punjab has
elected Members of Parliament, who do not perform in parliament as
parliamentarians. In fact, they are not expected to perform. Those
that perform are either thrown out of the party or lose their next
term.
 According
to statistics collected by Indian Express in 2007 for the
Parliamentary budget session, “While the overall average
attendance rate in Lok Sabha was 21 days in the 32-day session, the
younger MPs (49 years or less) had an average attendance of 19 days.
Members between ages 50-65 years and the seniors (age 66 years and
above) had a better attendance record and averaged 21 days each. .
In all of 2006, 25 per cent of MPs did not participate in any
debate. Out of the 75 per cent who participated, half spoke less
than three times in Parliament in 2006 — not even an average of
speaking once a session.”
So, it is a
little surprising that veteran parliamentarian and Speaker of the
Lower House of Indian Parliament –Somnath Chaterjee, despite the
seat that he occupies and the respect that he commands, he could not
succeed in influencing or persuading the Bharatiya Janta Party and
the Left parties to talk about issues that concern your life –SEZs,
water rights, land rights, inflation et al. During all
debates, most parties totally forget about you.
Bollywood star
politicians put in only as much attendance in parliament as would
not cancel their membership; some of them register membership too by
proxy. If a public spirited NGO were to do some thorough research,
they could find Members of Parliament ‘in the house’ and ‘elsewhere
too.” Raising concerns in parliament and upholding the rights of
constituents is too much to expect from them. In fact, they were not
hired for that purpose.
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As you may have observed in India elections and icons go
together. In recent times, as issues and policies have taken a
back seat in most elections, it is the size of the campaign, the
extent of the rhetoric and the popularity of the icon as the
campaigner is all that matters. Despite being outdone for many
a time, you still have not understood the game or have you? |
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You remember the
last time you took loan and could not repay it, some years ago; the
bankers had come to your house saying, “your account has become NPA.”
What NPA –you had grudgingly asked? The portly banker had loudly
replied, Non-Performing Asset. You could not understand it. Well,
the banker has to take money from you, so it is an asset, but since
you cannot repay, it is a non-performing asset.
If Hans Raj
Hans, the genuine sufi singer cum religious leader of sorts, slated
to contest from the Jalandhar parliamentary constitutency as an
Akali Dal nominee, will be any different, only time will tell. Till
then, keep watching the skies, but the next time you attend an
election rally of the dream merchants, remember that they are
Non-Performing Assets, sorry Actors.
Your friend in
need and deed
Jagmohan Singh
Jagmohan Singh
is a human rights activist and columnist based in Ludhiana. He may
be contacted at jsbigideas@gmail.com
26 November
2008
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