In name of public opinion

The drama over nuclear deal has seen various political parties making some weird claims. So far the Left and the BSP had suggested that the Muslims are against the deal with the US. Today Rahul Gandhi claimed that the youth are for the deal. I really wonder how the politicians can make such silly and generic claims. How few people sitting in Delhi or Amethi make claim about 1.1 billion Indian?!

This is a typical syndrome among politicians. They claim to know the pulse of the public. It was the same politicians who have over the years made decisions which had no link with the popular mandate. Take for example the re-election of Dr Abdul Kalam as the president. While most of the people wanted him back in the Rastrapati Bhawan, the politicians in the Left and Congress wanted a puppet as the president.

There has always been a tussle between the press and the political fraternity on the same topic. While the politicians make their claims based on their ‘judgment’, media does so through silly methods like a sms poll. Even most serious issues like a murder case is put to voting. The stupidest of all are the reality shows. Sometimes I do land up watching them, thanks to my mother. I find the anchors making claims like the ‘nation has voted’. Who the hell has time and money to vote for such silly programmes? And there are so many of them now. One of my teachers, who used to be a producer with a well known channel, agrees that many a times she would have to send text messages from her own phone!

It’s time to find a reliable method of finding the mood of the nation. May be a referendum like the European nations on important issues is the need of the hour. I can understand that in a big country like ours, it is a costly affair. But some sort of mechanism is required. Why not have permanent machines like ATM installed where public can vote on issues and can even recall their elected representatives. The election commission needs to be a separate body with cadres like the all India services. It’s been long that politicians and media has shoved the opinions of the selective few down the throat of the masses!