Making of the likes of Kanhaiya Kumar

The sudden rise and rise of the likes of AK (Arvind Kejriwal) to KK (Kanhaiya Kumar) in our polity is not a new phenomena. We the people of India, by our opinionated discussion and debate on the media, social or otherwise, knowingly or inadvertently, are champions in catapulting such folks into the limelight, handing them a political career on a silver platter.

 

No wonder I can smell a Congress rat behind all this. If one connects the dots, s(h)ame can be ascribed to the caste based agitations recently held in Gujarat, Andhra and Haryana, where the party and casteism is still a formidable force. Used to long years in power and sucking the blood of the nation like leeches, providing an ecosystem created for with their Cronies, which has a long list of beneficiaries that includes but certainly not limited to pliant bureaucrats, crony capitalists and petty DALAALs (middle layer beneficiaries), who benefited immensely from the vulture culture cemented by Congress. These parasites now restless, are back in business with a bang.

 

Something conspicuous hasn't escaped my notice - the overwhelming majority of the intelligentsia, the supporters of BJP and its right wing policies are upper caste Hindus. The backwards, lower castes and the minorities at large are suspicious at them. They still look for Congies, Commies and their Cronies for succor and as their savior. Congress is very apt at playing these political games - no wonder they along with Commies (in Bengal, though the Communist top brass are mostly upper caste Hindus) enjoyed long stints of power.

 

Coming back to Kanhaiya Kumar, a note of caution to him. A balloon which rises too fast, can fizzle out too soon. Public memory can be too short, they along with the media will move something fresh and saleworthy rather than newsworthy.

 

Kanhaiya Jee, this is not 1966 when selling poverty was fashionable in the era of bank nationalization. Now poverty is far from the epidemic proportion it was once half a century ago when India had to sustain of PL-180 grain sacs as manna dew from West and Communism, a concept now way past its expiry date, was sold as the panacea for poverty.

 

Disagreeing with Capitalism which is not free from lacunae and has its own shortcomings is perfectly fine, so also espousing freedom of speech and fighting for the downtrodden. But banking on a proven failed ideology to fight poverty is not fresh, rather sounds as stale an idea, as a stale Roti (bread) is rejected even by the stray dogs these days.

 

So rather than raising empty Communist slogans in swanky JNU or Jadavpur, relinquish your Jhola (shoulder strapped bags mostly made from cotton) and please work among the poorest of the poor in Bastar or Bankura. Service to the poor is service to God. Media can make you the star for a day or month, but to sustain such stardom you need to go way above and beyond petty rhetoric and histrionics.