The future of the Jan Suraaj Party can be predicted. Nursed at infancy by the alcohol lobby the party can hardly be sober. If elected to rule it would get intoxicated with power and in the inebriated state it would be a wonder if any of its decisions is going to be right, writes Dr H C Pande
Alcohol has been known to power machines to function, and, empower men to malfunction. The new entrants to its domain of influence are the political parties. In India the emerging political parties no longer come into existence through the ‘Char Aana’ membership contributions from the members of the public, but through the liquid cash of the Liquor Lords. The latest party to take birth is the Jan Suraaj Party, which on
the foundation day itself, which, by the way, happens to be Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday, announces that prohibition is prohibited. This very first declaration of the party is sufficient to reveal the party’s cardinal principle, that means do not matter, only ends do,the age old fig-leaf of the political left. How deceptive is this theory was revealed by the prominent Yugoslav Communist party leader Milovan Djilas in his treatise ‘The New Class’.
In a nutshell, he stated that, invariably and soon enough, the means become the ends.
There are examples galore across space, and time, however, just two examples here (in space ),and, now (in time),of political parties would suffice to prove the point. Aam Aadmi Party, which is just over two decades old, opened its innings with the new liquor policy, a return gift to the Distillery Dons for filling the party coffers. The alcohol lobby itself could not have formulated a more rewarding policy. The policy enunciated greater number of sales outlets, lower legal drinking age, increased Bar hours, and one bottle of liquor to be given to every customer for every bottle of liquor purchased. As if this was not enough to fatten the pockets of Booze Barons, the policy allowed the manufacturer, wholesaler and the retailers to be one big happy family, a monopoly.
Here is a country where the population, largely, comprises of ,teetotallers. Only a few can afford to imbibe even ‘Desi daru’ let alone ‘Indian made foreign liquor’. Many a family have been ruined and continue to be destroyed by being hooked on to this ‘elixir of escape’ from reality. It is true that there is shortage of funds for the developmental needs of the country, however raising funds by preying on human frailties is surely unethical. Dishonest means right from the start of AAP, have transformed ,an old Wagon R into a fleet of luxury SUVs, and, the no bungalow, of the ‘no bungalow for me’ proclamation into a Rs.50 crore Sheesh Mahal.
The future of the Jan Suraaj Party can be predicted. Nursed at infancy by the alcohol lobby the party can hardly be sober. If elected to rule it would get intoxicated with power and in the inebriated state it would be a wonder if any of its decisions is going to be right. Adopting questionable means right from the start is like introducing a wrong gene in the chromosomes resulting in a DNA defining a defective genetic code.This genetic defect can be disguised but cannot be removed.
(Prof. H C Pande is Vice Chancellor Emeritus , BITS, Mesra)
