Restraint amidst the rot

By appealing for dignity in electioneering, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee has clearly sought to elevate himself above a particularl...

By appealing for dignity in electioneering, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee has clearly sought to elevate himself above a particularly fractious fray. As the contest for the right to lead India into the next century deteriorates into an obfuscating mudslinging match, his sobering critique of personal swipes by cabinet colleagues and opposition leaders alike could not have been more welcome.

With the first phase of polling just days away, yet the conclusion of the 13th instalment of the biggest democratic exercise still more than a month away, it may perhaps be a trifle too optimistic to hope that the prime minister8217;s words will be mindfully heeded.

A straight face-off between Vajpayee and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, a stretched out polling schedule resulting in campaign fatigue, an electronic media ever on the lookout for chirpy soundbites, battle-weary candidates somewhat confused about what exactly they have to offer an electorate fed up with annual elections8230; a host of factors have made thedebate about the basic issues facing the nation conspicuous by its very absence.

Be that as it may, Vajpayee8217;s statement makes for good politics. By administering a rap on his colleagues8217; knuckles, he has not only fulfilled the responsibility incumbent on a sitting prime minister seeking re-election, but also sought to put a brake on seemingly sexist jibes at Sonia Gandhi that co-uld so easily boomerang.

Besides, by casting himself as the elderly statesman distressed over the tenor of the campaign, he has taken the sting out of the Congress attacks increasingly targeted specifically at him. Keenly aware that in the popular perception this is an election for a prime ministerial candidate, the grand old party, while affecting moral outrage over every jibe at its leader, has been busily shadowing the prime minister.

If its newspaper advertisement targets his bus ride to Lahore, its spokesperson is all aquiver over alleged bunglings in a sugar deal. Of course, no proof is offered while levelling chargesabout complacence in Kargil or wrongdoings in import deals. Indignation over quot;baseless chargesquot;, it seems, is a one-way street.

And so, will Vajpayee8217;s words of caution bring about a change within and without his party? Will, as a consequence, the political class turn its attention towards the real issues of poverty, unemployment, population, infrastructure and security? At the cost of sounding pessimistic, the answer must be in the negative.

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If attacks on Sonia Gandhi8217;s perceived inexperience can degenerate into personalised tirades in the words of less eloquent speakers in the NDA, the Congress8217;s disinclination to offer a vision of the contours of the government it hopes to offer the people of India does not help matters. Politicians may be crying foul, but they only have themselves to blame.