Samikhsya Bureau
The candidature of Pramila Bisoi for Aska Lok sabha seat from Biju Janata Dal has invited a slew of antipathy mainly because she is not as literate as many of our politicians.
That throws open the debate as what should be the basic criteria or yardstick to become a politician. Honesty, dedication and performance or, on the other hand, education , conceit ,hypocrisy and an ill-conceived political graph which negates all the tenets of fair politics.
Reports often came to public domain in the past that a many members in Parliament or in assembly have criminal records. In some states it has been seen in the past that people having served jail terms have come out to join politics and awarded with prized positions.
There are instances galore when people of very questionable background had been tolerated in this free thinking democracy that we espouse and the society has been condoning the acts of such people but raise eyebrows when a dedicated and committed social worker like the 70-year-old Pramila Bisoi is being brought to focus.
History has it in record that in 1978 two hijackers Bholanath Pandey and Devendra Pandey hijacked an Indian Airlines flight with 132 passengers on board. It was nothing less than a politically designed deadly conspiracy. They demanded some court cases against certain leader be withdrawn and an immediate release of the topmost leader of the party who was jailed.
The worse irony is that once the party came to power in 1980, both the Pandeys were handsomely awarded by MLA tickets! Both became legislators and one of them was subsequently given an MP ticket for Salempur in Bihar.
A list would be too long if one recalls the names of such characters such as Papu Yadavs or Mohammand Sahabuddins or Raja Bhaiyas who were nurtured by the parties to become lawmakers.
Pramila Bisoi, by many yardsticks, outweighs the above history sheeters who were allowed to become a part of the system that rules. Clad in a simple saree wrapped around in the old fashion and far detached from the trendy circle in towns and cities, she has a proven record as an achiever .
