Our Young 'Leadership'

Author(s): Romesh Thapar

Source: Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 19, No. 42/43 (Oct. 20-27, 1984), p. 1811
Published by: Economic and Political Weekly
Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/4373685
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 CAPITAL VIEW

Our Young 'Leadership' of hoodlums who do not understand any pro-

blem, minor and major, and only attempt solu-

Romesh Thapar tions which serve their narrow ends. We are cer-
tainly building up troubles for ourselves as
POLITICAL perambulations apart, there is top cadres of the all-powerful Soviet heirarchy
never before.
now a constant refrain in our demoralised can kidnap for pleasure and convict to remove
As a people, vie habitually pretend ignorance
political life: let's have younger men at the the evidence, do not imagine that our servants
of any aberration that does not directly involve
helm. In a sense, the Congress(I) at the Centre of the people are far behind.
us. This is the distinguishing mark of a coward-
has offered us a recent sampling of this sort I am drawing these parallels, not to provide
ly, unprincipled and directionless life, a ra-
of age-group in Nagpur's 'Loot-Maar' Youth easy rationalisations to the PM about the
tionale for never demarcating the right from
Conference, a rabble looking for 'fun' non- globality of the moral crisis, but to underline
the wrong. Well, the situation that is now on
descript, and without even a spattering of that our rather family-conscious and conserva-
us, and the amoral posturings of the younger
potential brilliance. tive society, self-disciplined in the rural areas,
leadership of all parties, is beginning to stir even
We believe it represented the leader's pen- has been ripped open by the criminals and
the dull conscience of India.
chant for searching out cup-bearers, flunkeys lumpens who have taken over the political
The story of Nagpur's 'Loot-Maar' Youth
and servants. She was at Nagpur, unconcern- parties. Those individuals who are respected
Conference merely captures what is happening
ed, together with her son and heir. But, look and admired for their probity are now few and
at micro level all over the sub-continent. Let
around in other stables, and you will find the far between, unable really to stem the root. And
us always remember, there are varieties of
quality of the younger 'leadership' remarkably if the hard and brutal pornography now circu-
terrorism-and with police connivance.
similar-and most depressing, considering that lating via video sets along the trucking routes
Maybe, the best of our youth. now moving
India is growing younger every year. and through the countryside further cracks the
into the media, into films and theatre, into
The old bandicoots of the Congress culture, traditional rural inhibitions, we may well have
grassroots action and protest movements
and, alas, this culture remains largely infectious, disastrous vendetta scenarios to deal with-
against social inequities, will break the tide of
also dabbled in the good life, but by and large and without the traditional control systems!-
lumpenisation which are witnessing in our
they maintained their dignity in public duties. something that will make the usual 'insurgen-
political life. This is certainly possible, and with
If there were weaknesses, they were part of a cy' look like a picrii
incredible suddenness, but only if their entry
discreet life. And corruption was treated as a It is worth taking more than ordinary interest
into the world of politics is forced with the
crime-if discovered, or revealed. All this was in the biodatas that are served up every now
assistance of a few thoughtful and untarnish-
possible because we were the inheritors of an and then on a prominent politician, a religious
ed elders. Even then, to sustain this transfor-
austere 'right-and-wrong' style set by Gandhi, operator, a terrorist or extremist, or a plain and
mation, the present corrupted framework of
Nehru and Shastri. Today, the reverse is true. ordinary dacoit, looting for fun or in pursuance
politics will have to be changed.
And the sickness trickles down from the top. of an obsession. Almost without fail they list
The political party or formation that clears
We are full of protestation about the corrupt a record of smuggling, murder, blackmail and
the way to a more meaningful mobilisation of
ways of the Antulays, the Gundu Raos, the bullying of one sort or another, and habitual
youth, of women and of professionals-and in
Jagannath Mishras, about an Adik and his violations of the law. Politics, amoral and
-sharp contrast to the strange gatherings of such
behaviour pattcrn abroad, but the living styles
without principles, provides these elements the
categories by the Congress(l), whether of youth,
that pervade political circles within India, and
most perfect cover for their activities.
of lawyers or young businessmen-will give us
particularly among the younger 'leadership, areIn so many states, these elements have
back our faith in the futuire. Until then, it is
much worse. A kind of drunken five-star culture
elevated themselves and become 'lcading
only natural that the speculation about the sub-
marks the socialising and relaxation of these citizens'. In others, the most incongruous
continent of India being turned over to Latin
rulers of tomorrow. Expenses are invariably 'patronise' social work and charity. Regions like
American political culture will dominate our
covered by mysterious funding, probably from Punjab, in their turmoil, present the full pic-
thoughts. After all, for many this is part of
the familiar smugglers, hooch-peddlars and ture of our shame, together with the cowardly
every day exoerience.
local gangsters, and invariably there is an silence imposed by killers or 'extremists', all
lt is unfortunately too easy for a tiny elite
underpinning of desi sex wherever you turn. young and covered in religiousity of one kind
of 'haves' in this country to imagine that there's
The old disciplines-call them inhibitions, or the other.
nothing wrong in them living off the fat of the
if you like!-have broken down on a large scale To argue that we must correct our education
land even though half the population goes to
at the level of the so-called new political elite. and the perspectives that condition our living
sleep in hunger and despair. Lumpenisation is
In a sense, these elements are now hooked to and aesthetics is valid, but why is there no at-
the officially-sponsored weapon for use in this
the worst practices of the western effort at tempt to discipline the value system at the top,
political subjugation. And our younger leader-
modernisation-cum-liberalisation. They mani- at the level of ruling politicians? Unfortunate-
ship is being very specially selected. Who is go-
pulate the 100 million who are living on the ly, it is these elements that have broken the
ing to order the purge, set a new style, new stan-
labours of some 600 million, and do not fear norms, the inhibitions, the discretiorn d the
dards, norms and disciplines? There is more to
any massive retaliation-at least, not for the cautions which have traditionally protu ci our
the future than the endless prattle about an
moment, what with 'Ammas', 'Chaudhuris' and society. Today, naturally, the worst oi ders,
'alternative' to Indira Gandhi.
'Netajis' around. without a doubt, are the young political ieaders,
If the British can become hyprocritical and
the imitators of their elders.
excited because one of their ministers has madeIt is being generally recognised that, _.A bince
his secretary pregnant and is evasive, here the
the emergence of Indira Gandhi's dynastic
When corresponding with the
minister arranges the 'disapperance' of the obsessions, lumpenisation has taken hold of the
woman without any sustained questioning. If Indian system. Increasingly, and speedily, it is Circulation Department, subscri-
US politicians are caught in a net of call girls the lumpen with suction in high places that is
bers are requested to menition their
and mafias, here our 'VIPs' and 'VVIPs' free- setting the tone. From Sanjay Gand} to Rajiv
ly organise 'privileges' for the comfort girls whoGandhi, and embracing all the new recruits to subscription numnbers.
service them, and probably in the state guest Congress(l) political consciousness, it is clear
houses which adorn our capital cities. If the to everyone that we are being run by coteries

I . .1 1

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