A tale of high morality | Faraz Ahmad

There was a leader of a political party who committed adultery upon his mentor and friend’s much married wife and produced a child from this liaison. He rose to the highest position in the country. By then everyone knew of this extra marital affair and its outcome. The lady became his mistress, not wife and her poor husband was banished to Agyatvas (oblivion). Everyone knew who the leader was and which party he belonged to but I prefer not to mention any names here for this party preached morality all the time.

Another leader of this party, as a chief minister of a state which prided in protecting their womenfolk from the immoral heretics, set his state police stalking a young, woman, more than half his age. He had abandoned his wife and did not acknowledge his marriage for long. A police officer asked to set the police upon the girl, stated this in an affidavit submitted in the court and leader of another party read out the entire affidavit in a state assembly. This leader was thereafter inducted into this party of “high moral ground†and made an office bearer. All this never came in the way, of this great leader too reaching the pinnacle of his political career. None dare ever mention this in public or question about who he spoke to or phone at night or whether it mattered that he was already married.

A third leader: His ex-daughter-in-law held a press conference accusing him of attempting to have sexual relations with her. There was no enquiry about this. But she was quietly settled abroad and we heard nothing about this anymore. No one dare raise any questions about this. Because raising a finger at those preaching morality is a crime in a moral party.

A fourth leader, a bachelor all his life ostensibly to serve his party with full dedication, settled in the house of a young party leader, the daughter of his best friend and party comrade. None dare raise a finger about his character. This leader was often cited by the party for uprightness. As for the young woman, all kinds of snide remarks were thrown at the woman and she was shunned and pushed into oblivion by the party of highly morality soon after.

There was a leader against whom a young journalist of yore lodged a police complaint of rape. Nothing happened to the leader. No police enquiries, leave alone any worthwhile investigations while the world mocked the woman. Proves how highly moral people we are.

Naturally then if some half a dozen women make allegations of sexual harassment and molestation against a leader, why should it matter to the party and why should we believe them. They must be having some political axe to grind. Wonder whether some rapist or molester at some point of time could cite this as a precedent to seek discharge. But for that he has to be a political leader of a highly moral party like these gentlemen.

Another leader dedicated to the party dispensed with marriage and family to serve the party. He died in harness and upon his death a socialite claimed she was secretly married to the late lamented leader, laying claim to his worldly possessions. She was rudely cast aside and the party took away all his worldly possessions including some big almirah. No one knew why that almirah was the source of such acrimony between the party and the lady as to go public. But none raise a finger on the great leader.

However, this safety valve works in such a moral party only for male leaders not for women, even their own leaders.

Once a rising star leader of middle rank, had a secret affair with another upcoming young leader of the party. Around that time, she was admitted to an expensive nursing home run by another party leader and the party insiders started rumours that she was pregnant and went for an abortion.

Similarly, when the story of an underworld Delhi man of Dawood Ibrahim broke and he was arrested the rumour mongers circulated a photo of the fastest rising woman leader of the party with this sleazy underworld land grabber, forger and what not. There is a long unending list of maintaining high morality here.

But morality is only a Teflon coat upon men. A woman leader dare to be different, she better explain her conduct publicly and face the prying eyes of the inquisitor.

Note: Any resemblance to characters, organisations living or dead is simply incidental.