Singing to the same tune

There is heartening news from the US: four Senators have brought out a CD of country, Western and gospel songs. The general elections offere...

There is heartening news from the US: four Senators have brought out a CD of country, Western and gospel songs. The general elections offered an excellent opportunity to our own politicians to do the nation a similar favour. Not a single candidate took advantage of the window of opportunity. Well, the next time round8230;

The theme, decidedly, has to be nation-building, for the politicians of this great land have no other avocation. They are simply immersed, head to toe, in this noble activity.

If you think the proposal will flounder because of a lack of agreed agenda, you8217;re just plain shallow and incapable of seeing beyond the scum at the surface. It is widely known 8212; you only have to take a look at the manifestoes in this election 8212; that even those who claim to be poles apart are determined, if voted to power, to rule out corruption, hatao garibi and bring the poor above the poverty line.

They shall foster national pride in all citizens, provide free education, especially to women, and reserve seatsfor them in the legislatures, provide jobs to the educated, ensure health for all by 2000 AD, ensure adequate return to farmers, look after government servants, boost industrial production and contain inflation.

Could there be anything more noble or exalted? Definitely not. The greatest praise should be reserved for the unity with which all parties claim to strive for these ends.

Songs bodying forth such aims and ideals are bound to touch all hearts, moisten all eyes and bring on the melting mood even among the stubborn and the cynical, who always smell a rat and mistake white for black.This political album should be a mixed bag of bhajans, shabad, aradhana, quawwali, ghazal, Rabindrasangeet and Carnatic classics, in the voice of the leaders. Background singers like Kumar Sanu, Jagjit Singh and Alka would be too discordant. Lata and Asha are out of the question besides being out of context.

With the twenty-first century hovering on the horizon, the style has to be modern. We could profitably borrowfrom Baba Sehgal, Daler Mehandi, Sunita Rao and Shweta Shetty to get in tune with the times. With adaptations by Anu Malik and Bappi Lahiri, the album could well surpass Candle in the Wind, taking into account the fact that our very sizable population is steeped in nationalistic fervour.

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There must be a panel of anchors, which should include V. N. Gadgil, Sushma Swaraj, Laloo Yadav, Jaipal Reddy and other visible talking heads of the national parties. Background music should be provided by Mamata Bannerji, Sadhvi Ritambara and Renuka Choudhary.

Music is the voice of the soul, they say. In the case at hand, it is sure to reduce national stress levels, reduce poll expenses, spread harmony and create a general sense of bonhomie among politicians and the public. The latter, in fact, is in greater need of relief than the latter.From their agendas in the recent election, it is clear the all parties are equally good. Not one of them advocates any course of action that is morally repugnant. Their function is togive the voter a choice to give full play to his whims and fancies.

In the rightness of things, the album should conclude with abject obeisances to the voter and the Almighty: quot;Voter, debtor tero naam/Humko sampatti de Bhagwan.quot; But, even though both voter and the Godhead, the principal centres of power, have been duly appeased, the record company would do well to get the project cleared by the Election Commission before they start stamping vinyl.