The rigorous political exercise in Odisha to fool its people

Tribals have been continuously betrayed in the name of development

Bhubaneswar | May 24, 2017

Last updated May 24, 2017 07:40:11 PM +0530

Blame-game, said to be an old BJD practice, has taken centre stage in Odisha now and is being used by leaders of both parties to pull off their counterparts from getting close to people. Federalism seems to have become a farce as even ministers, who are very much part of the government, have indulged themselves in the game to ensure electoral points for their respective parties in the 2019 elections.

Suddenly, villages have gained enormous importance in Odisha politics even though in rhetoric, in meetings held in the big towns of the state. While the state chapter of the party in rule at the centre, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BIP), has become aggressive since its unexpected gain in the last rural local body polls, the ruling party in the state, Biju Janata Dal (BJD), has suddenly jumped into the race track for a makeover and to regain power in the general polls to be held in early 2019.

As reflected in news and commentaries on Odisha politics during last few days, both the parties are into rigorous public relation (PR) exercise to win over the trust of people who are going to vote in the coming general polls. Each of the parties have deployed their leaders and workers to bang at the ears of people with narratives of their success in bringing change in the system and bringing welfare to the people who hardly have any importance in Indian democracy except casting vote to make road for political parties to the power.

While BJP has announced, during its national executive held in Bhubaneswar last month, to go to the booths to strengthen relationship and explain them what the Modi government at the centre has done for the welfare of the people, BJD President and the Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has recently announced the “Ama Gaon, Ama Bikash” (Our village, our development) campaign based on the three “T” formula – Team work, Transparency and Technology.

Blame-game, said to be an old BJD practice, has taken centre stage in Odisha now and is being used by leaders of both parties to pull off their counterparts from getting close to people. Federalism seems to have become a farce as even ministers, who are very much part of the government, have indulged themselves in the game to ensure electoral points for their respective parties in the 2019 elections.

Taking the ongoing crisis faced by onion farmers of the state because of sudden fall in price as an example, the official statements of the union agriculture minister blaming the state for not approaching the centre for any aid to overcome the crisis is just an irresponsible statement and an attempt to take his shoulders away from the responsibilities toward the distressed farmers of the country. Blaming the state for the crisis may bring some gain for BJP in the state but it is not going to help the affected farmers overcoming the troubles they are facing now.

And, apart from the state, isn’t it the responsibility of the union government and its agriculture ministry to reach out to the distressed farmers and help them overcoming the situation?

One should expect that villages and people living in them getting importance in politics certainly is a good sign for people, democracy and the socio-economic health of India. But, in this particular case, the drives to connect people with the parties and their workers may not help either the state or its people because the only motivation behind all these has been the desperation to capture power.

Rather, ordinary people living in the villages may be fooled to help fulfil the power aspirations of either of the political parties.

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