By D.N. Singh
This had remained a practice in politics for long to oppose the rivals in substance but they were never such times when any leader used to diminish the stature of language or being too personal in his or her tirades.
Language, of course, corrupts politics and such examples in Indian politics are many. However, over last one decade or so the competitiveness in politics has driven some leaders to believe that use of sub-standard language can give headlines but they must know that it does not accord political significance.
Soon after it was made public that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has been appointed as the All India Congress Committee’s general secretary, a plethora of reactions laced the political horizon. Some good and some were so bad that those went beyond a limit of decency.
A Bharatiya Janata Party minister and senior leader like Vinod Narain Jha, in fact, had no business to observe that Priyanka has no political relevance except the fact that she is “very beautiful”. Even residual purists in the field of politics must have taken such an observation with serious exception. But surprisingly there was not a word from his party or leaders to admonish such loose cannons to moderate their vocabulary.
The field of politics is no body’s fiefdom and when we talk of gender equality and all such big rhetoric to ensure empowerment of women, such an observation only reflects someone’s mindset . Is Priyanka the only woman falling under that leader’s beautiful category to be singled out and become a punching bag! There are many in Indian politics who command the both and do good.
Which has obviously not gone well with the Congress as a leader from the Congress party, Sushmita Dev, has taken serious exception to such a remark and given a call to all state-unit Mahila heads to lodge complaint with the police against the BJP leader.
Either Priyanka garners vote or not is a different matter but to foresee things through such a myopic prism is sordid. What is worse that regardless of the party one belongs to use of bad language goes on and on and no effort to struggle against such a trend is also becoming decadent day by day.
Some have gone to use few worn-out metaphors like she being “chocolaty” and which came from a leader like Kailash Vijayvargiya of BJP who subsequently tried to hide behind saying that the reference was aimed at Bollywood actors. Was that also a moral leeway?
Comparison of Rahu Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi that with the epic duo Ravana and Surpanakha was a piece of bizarre attempt from another senior BJP leader Surendra Singh. Which all apparently come within the realm if being malicious in taste.
It is clear that such decline in use of language must have a consequence on politics and which already has happened.
