Wariness and Hope in UP

by ATUL KUMAR THAKUR

Neither Jeremy Bentham’s utilitarian search for “maximum happiness†in a democracy, nor the Marxists’ approach for classless society within a complete socialistic state fits well to idealise the Samajwadi Party’s sudden, emphatic and unpre-cedented rise in the recently held UP Assembly election. Instead Machiavellian aspirations seem more closely working behind the modestly deserving transfer of the baton to what was once an unholy entity and is now a slightly better option, even if it still believes in the efficacy of crime and criminals!
Whose first sign is in the induction of the well-known history-sheeter, Raja Bhaiya, in Akhilesh Yadav’s Cabinet. If one also notes the hooliganism of flamboyant Samajwadi Party workers in Lucknow and various other parts of the State in the wake of their unexpected poll victory, the fallacy of change has been exposed quite early. At this point, arguing against the statistical over-performance of the SP is really daunting but the same dilemma would be haunting one in case of the failure to realise that the political change in UP is not very genuine unlike the one in Bihar in 2005.

If then Nitish Kumar was chosen along with the BJP as the last hope in crumbling Bihar, it was because the situation demanded such a change as the State had reached a new low because of the corrupt RJD, indifferent Congress, distracted LJP, weak Communist Parties; so it had to be an inevitable occurrence. But the same is still not true in UP with the BSP garnering 26 per cent votes even in the face of an anti-incumbency wave unlike the principal Opposition parties in Bihar which were on the brink of extinction in the last Assembly election held in 2010. That shows that the BSP will remain a major political force in UP despite its fall and for securing the SP in the wake of the BSP’s potential revival in future, Akhilesh would have to fight hard against his own party’s shortcomings besides ensuring governance and investment in the State instead of luring people with harmful freebies alone.

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AS the young scion of an almost family-runparty, Akhilesh too didn’t have any magic wand to outclass Rahul Gandhi but his symbolic gestures of averseness to crime and sacking of that infamous liability, D.P. Yadav, at the last moment worked miraculously in the SP’s favour. Earlier too he played a sensible part in sidelining Mohan Singh, throwing Amar Singh out of the party and curbing the parochial ambitions of old party cadres including two of his uncles who have lately conveyed their discomfort with his leader-ship. As an ageing father and leader, Mulayam Singh Yadav couldn’t have a better time than this to secure his family domination over the SP. And, of course, Akhilesh was the sole hope for him (some thought for the hapless masses too), and history was made differently in haste!
Moreover the BSP has shown in the recent past how India’s democracy could be both participa-tive and a spoiling platform for identity activism. Over the years, under the excessive personified command of Mayawati, the party was turned merely into a shadow of its earlier self and ironically, its core was afflicted with all the feudal traits to act against those who had once forged and propelled the Bahujan Samaj movement. That led to a destructive resentment against the party and finally its broad base of support having been fragmented, the masses were alienated and they rejected the BSP as a party to rule any longer in Lucknow.
However, in a snapshot, the consistent follies of the Congress led to its loss of at least seventyfive seats thereby increasing the one-sided support for the SP. Rest the BJP and RLD fought and gained as per their capacities; so the shocks and awes in their camps are naturally restricted. State politics acts like a mirror of Indian democracy; this has been proven again with the verdict of the UP elections...the basic functional ideas won over the structured and exaggerated political shrewdness of the BSP, Congress, BJP, and RLD!

So far known for his clean and progressive image, if the new Chief Minister as per his promises would have no interest with being the antithesis of his own party’s practising ideologies, then indeed his stint will make the people hopeful. For now, it would be desirable for him to keep the maligned segments within the party and outside on their toes, so as to concentrate on the much-needed developmental priorities. So far, he has a clean image and that’s encouraging even amidst the approaching uncertainties of performance lying ahead. If he is able to win the small race, he would surely be more acceptable as a leader among the masses.
As a grooming prudent practitioner of grassroot politics, there is need for him or anyone else in the fray not to confuse statistical supre-macy in absolute terms; instead for gaining permanency, political ideas should always chase the long-term capabilities that lie in securing a consistent mass base. He is more fortunate than Nitish Kumar in Bihar, as he has not succeeded a bankrupt State economy but still many chall-enges are quite identical; so looking on the Bihar model of revival would not be a wasted attempt for him. Beyond the essential execution of govern-ance policies and infrastructure development, fetching industrial investment would be a challenging task for Akhilesh Yadav.

Here a conscious effort has to be made from his side, as the erstwhile rulers did immense harm to UP’s industrial prospects in the past. Notwith-standing this fact, the old paradigms would be desirable from the mass point of view, and so it would be healthy for the new government too. After all, the reasons for jubilation have come from the people and rationally it should be repeated if the blowing wind was really pragmatic.

In my preceding piece (‘The Boisterous UP Election Scene’, Mainstream, February 11, 2012) on a similar theme, I was close to my opinion of an SP-led government in UP but in terms of numbers neither had I speculated nor did I feel it essential to do so. For me, the basis of change was after feeling the fragility of the political acts performed by all the parties barring SP—this was the sole party in the contest that had a fresh and clean leader to offer. Between wariness and hope, the new leadership was accepted; for the rest, time will set the course in UP!

The author, a New Delhi-based journalist, blogs at www.onesstandpoint.blogspot.com and can be reached at e-mail: summertickets@gmail.com