High Pitch propaganda As the days for elections are closing, the voters are confused and confounded by gimmicks of the parties .The focus of debates is ebbing towards ridicule and absurd. The personal bashing of individuals in fray is nauseating. The real and core issues of governance, policies, reforms, foreign policies, hydra headed corruption at the highest level, inflation, terrorism. Law and order, external threats and security, women reservations and empowerment, inflation and price spiral, atrocities against women and minorities. Imaginary line of poverty, black money playing havoc with economy is relegated to the background. The voters are fed constantly on secularism and communal ism and other trivialities like the choice of P.M candidates. Both National parties exceptionally are hogging the lime light in print, Social and electronic media with the resource of huge budgets at their disposal. The propaganda industries are singularly laughing all the way to their banks making hay while the sun shines. The regional parties are taking the shine out of public gaze in states, where they are a force to reckon with False propaganda and freebies rule the roost .The agenda is to derail the fundamental issues that will strengthen the democratic polity and make India noticeable in the community of Nations, It appears as if it is the monopoly and birth right of two principal parties to rule by turns for all eternity and hence they are fiercely tearing each other thread bare for public consumption only at the time of elections. Thereafter they are best of friends and all recrimination is forgotten and forgiven. It is the voters, neighbours, friends , relatives who are misled emotionally to take sides with half-truths and coated discourses The pandering of schedule tribes, S.C and tribes with reservations in education, services is becoming a permanent feature instead of being originally envisaged for 10 years in the constitutions
The emphasis is on riots of Gujerat, Sikh massacre, Ghost of Naturam Godse, defections of candidates deserting the parties, dangerous exploits of Ram Sene, autocratic tinge of candidates, dynastic rule, the 1962 war with the Chinese, which are out of sync and irrelevant to tackle the problems facing India are resurrected to divert attentions. All the skeletons of candidates, parties form the fodder mill of election campaigns Under sustained propaganda to show each other in bad light takes the front seat and which baffles the voters as to what are the real issues on which their choice should be based, .After all the democratic right of the voters must be exercised to continue the process and choose, what the voter perceives as the lesser evil by a directed path of absurdities The politicians are so enamoured and used to perks, privileges, position, power, that age, health does not deter them. Many an old fogies are convinced on their eternal youth spring running through their veins preferring to die with boots on. Politicians will not make way for the youth and never bow out gracefully and those like Chidambaram are imputed with motives and insinuations. Some are only in the fray to extract pound of flesh, divide votes, to vent out frustrations against the party for denial of tickets and believe in indispensability It is the voters who are facing a perfect dilemma to cast their votes rightly and the more they are confused their disillusionment multiplies and this is the exact methodology of politicians dividing electorate on narrow considerations of caste, religion hatred and lies. The advent of AAP, regional parties, youth and women power will dent the edge of main political parties much to their consternation, discomfiture and surprise, The outreach of new entrants, regional parties is limited with lack of resources, administrative and manipulative skills of creating even ripples of disturbances. The high pitch decibel propaganda of main parties is misleading the voters to a very large extent and that has been their survival strategy for far too long They have seen the writing on the wall and hence hectic parleys and engagements to stitch up and cobble up unholy alliances to remain in the saddle at all costs., Every election throws up new hopes for the voters to fulfil their legitimate aspirations, but sooner than later their hopes will dashed once again the age old rocks of reality. The only redeeming feature this time around is the inclusion of NOTA,only for personal satisfaction and without any effect or bearing on the results. Finally to form and informed choice independently with motivated propaganda is uphill task indeed. Nelson Lopes Chinchinim
