Syed Mustafa Ahmad
We have studied in our college that politics is the study of government. It is a branch of education that deals with the structure and functioning of the government. Politics in its practical sense gives rise to Political Science. Political Science is a subject that deals both with the theory and the practical of politics. On paper, we have a process of politics and we name it politics. When this paper process is practised on the ground, we call it Political Science. So, politics and Political Science are close to each other. The basic motive of both these domains is human welfare. They want to make a society where there are avenues for a personality development. Suppression and repression have no place in real politics. But in the present, the real motive of politics and Political Science has taken a hit. In the name of politics, no politics is visible. If this is the situation, there should be some causes responsible for this. It is not like a bolt from the blue. Rot takes time to fix its roots. It is about physical as well as mental degeneration. Let us try to know some causes. The first and the foremost cause responsible for this is that we have not learnt politics. Ignorant people rule over us. They have never read the books of politics. They have a narrow concept of politics. For them, becoming an MLA or MLC, is politics. Winning an election is their version of politics. They cannot think above these parameters because they have never tried to learn about real politics. By hook or by crook, they need a political post. The second responsible for this is that our society is not politically conscious. The members of our society don’t know anything real about politics. They have very narrow understanding of politics. They are lost in their own world and have no inclination towards learning more about politics. The third cause responsible for this is that our educational system doesn’t teach politics in true sense. Politics is taught in such a way that the students never learn anything good about politics. They only know the process of election and some rite definitions of democracy. Apart from these, they don’t know anything. Learning the Preamble and amendments, don’t mean that it is politics. The fourth cause responsible for this is that some good persons don’t learn about politics due to the criminalization of politics. When the democratic principles are trampled upon in a broad daylight, there is no need to learn about it. If a criminal becomes an MLA, he or she is a blot on the name of politics. A criminal trespasses all the legal barriers and wins the day while a genuine person is left behind. He still lives in the fool’s Paradise and waits for the miracles to happen. In our case, our PM is accused of killing a lot of Muslims in Gujarat. Despise this, he became the Prime Minister of India. Amit Shah is also guilty. In this case, the objective of politics is lost into oblivion.
In the present world, we need good politicians like Imran Khan, Tayyib Erdogan, the PM of New Zealand, the PM of England, etc. In our country, we don’t find such politicians. So, we have to wait for long.
The fifth cause responsible for this is that politics has been understood in the narrowest way. It is about earning money. Apart from this, it is about corruption. An MLA accepts bribes in order to fix a job for someone. In case of education, a seat is arranged due to the approach of an MLA. In this way, true politics beats its head against the wall. The sixth and the last cause responsible for this according to my opinion is that the laws are very lenient in our society. Any one becomes a politician in our society. An illiterate person rules over the permanent executives. An MP who does not know anything about politics, teaches an IAS officer the rules and regulations. What an irony! The laws should have been like this that any body who wants to be become a politician, should have completed graduation. It will enable him or her to understand politics a bit. He or she may not open his or her mouth without having a solid background. In the long run, it can change politics a lot. In the present world, we need good politicians like Imran Khan, Tayyib Erdogan, the PM of New Zealand, the PM of England, etc. In our country, we don’t find such politicians. So, we have to wait for long.
(The author is a freelancer and writes regularly for “Kashmir Horizon”.Views are their own) [email protected]