My Wanderings - 8

Politics as the word implies in dictionary is the business or science  of wrangling etc. and pleads  moves and maneuvers  concerned with the acquisition of power or getting ones way e.g. in business. It is actually a game of winning sympathies by brainwashing people and sacrificing  principles in the name of  compromise at the alter of democracy, which signifies Govt. of  the people, by the people and for the people. It is well said that politics is the last refuge for scoundrels. Therefore, no man with conscience can survive in it. Politicians or leaders are the creation of time which survive under the  aura of public image wielded around them. No sooner their public image is tarnished  than they loose the magic of influence they may have created on  the general masses. As no person is hero to his wife or valet, because being in close proximity with them they are fully aware of their weaknesses. It is only their public image that makes them hero's in the eyes of public. Therefore it is  necessary for them to maintain their public image for survival  and foremost duty of opposition party to tarnish it in order to ditch them  and consequently replace them  by their own candidates. Now it depends upon the logic of arguments cleverly  substituted by both the parties  to justify their point of view which can influence the masses to great extent. Tongue is a double edged knife which  can cut both the ways. If a person is convicted  on some clues by prosecution, the defence can prove him innocent on  the same clues, if pleaded properly. Ethics in politics  is always  sacrificed  for the sake of so called logic in it.  Ethics is an abstract term and non existent in politics and  logic is so called because it is only a  clever bid of presenting the argument in better way to influence the masses like hypnotism.  Therefore, any argument made in the right direction can make the Careers  of politicians and vice versa.
This reminds me of a book entitled 'Animal  Farm' written by George Orwell, which is a political satire. All the characters in this book are different  animals representing diverse classes in society. They free their farm  from the domain of Man and form their own administration. But in due course of time the animals   who worked hard for the independence and development of Farm and once regarded as hero's are turned in to villains by brainwashing the common masses  on the behest of some other animals.  It is a smart tale of how old hero's can be converted in to villains for the benefit of others.
Moreover some body has aptly said it that ' There are no permanent   friends and foes in politics but pertinent adjustments.
We have usually seen politicians  of different parties in order to grab power compromise their contradictory ideologies to  form coalition Governments. Yesterdays enemies become friends today because of the mutual interest in formation of government. They forget the earlier  rivalries , the dirt they  hurled on  each other and the accusations they made on each other. The greed of power persuades them to forget everything and they come closer, sometimes even to the surprise of their voters.
In a recent election, a politician defined politics as the art of managing contradictions. The quotations and definitions can be tailored to suit the convenience of a politician to achieve political ambitions, but stark reality is that compromising ideals and contradiction with the main objective of grabbing power defines the essence of politics. Therefore, politics is also art of compromising ideals for gaining power.
I had also a little experience of politics in my earlier period of service.   It was relatively on marginal level. I was elected Assistant Secretary of the Staff Association , zonal office unit with a huge margin of votes. After sometime members of our association were not satisfied with our work , particularly of our secretary. They started signature campaigning   against us. I thought it my moral duty to resign from the post. But our Secretary and big leaders of the association were not interested in breaking the unit and persuaded me not to resign. As my conscience could not tolerate it any more, I resigned from the post to the much resentment of higher leaders. Then new elections were held and a new secretary of the same party was elected by  manipulations and rigging of  the elections despite of the fact that no member had voted in his favour.