Tokenism in Indian Politics

Photo: courtesy pib.nic.in.

Indian Politics is rife with tokenism.

Token =
1. a metal or plastic disk that can be redeemed or used in designated slot machines . 2. something of sentimental value.

We shall now take up the case of West Bengal.
A change of guard has taken place.
The Firebrand Mamta Banerjee has taken over as the new Chief Minister.

Her Chief Ministerial Chamber has been renovated with about Rs. 200,000. She has replaced the Chief Ministerial Cushion Chair with a wooden chair. Some painting of walls with 'white' color.

So far, so good.

Ms. Mamata Banerjee has issued a cheque for Rs. 200,000 to reimburse the 'funds-starved Bengal'. Her desire is to bear the cost herself personally.

She is paying this amount, apparently from her personal pool, representing the sale of her paintings for Rs. 10 million.


BLOGGER'S COMMENTS
Where are the art connoisseurs who will pay Rs. 10 million for paintings of politicians?

The Trinamul Congress arranged an exhibition-cum-sale of Mamata Banerjee's paintings at Gallerie 88, in April 2011. Industrialists bought 95 paintings for Rs. 10 million, which works out approximately at Rs. 100,000 per painting. What for? What were they expecting in return? By April 2011, the prospects of Trinamul winning the election and Mamata becoming C.M. have become clear and established. Hence, Rs. 10 million is too small an investment, considering that the names of the buyers of her paintings, would have gone to the notice of Ms. Mamata Banerjee.

It is also said that some hotels in India and abroad are going to display Didi's paintings on the marquees of their visitors' lounges.

The Former Prime Minister V.P. Singh also enjoyed some media limelight as a painter. He painted a cat , a goat. a crow with backdrop of Marine Drive. a defiant beggar about to be crushed by a well-healed foot. (source courtesy: vpsingh.in.). Former Prime Minister I.K. Gujral was not a painter. But his brother Satish Gujral received some limelight during his brother's Prime Ministerial tenure.

Prime Ministers and Chief Ministers could be painters in a different sense. They can emerge as painters of rosy pictures if their own party is in power, and grim pictures of the financial situation/law and order situation, if some other party is in power.

Example: Indian Railways suffered from a grim financial future, with its deadstock and rolling stock in a dilapidated condition, with few track replacements taking place. Mamata Banerjee presented deficit-less railway budgets keeping the people of India in darkness. At the same time, all the normal sleeper reservation berths were converted into 'tatkal' charging steep premia.

Mamata Banerjee has spoken repeatedly about the financial morass of West Bengal. She will continue to coo the same tune for another five years. Speeches and words sell among innocent voters. But people do not buy paintings whether made by politicians or by fine art professional painters. Exceptions: Paintings of Gods and Goddesses; Babas and ammas. Politicians have, therefore, to sell their paintings to businessmen and industrialists.

Mr. K. Chandrasekhara Rao , the President of TRS Party (Telangana Rashtra Samithi) spearheading the Separate Telangana Movement is another person who is engaged in a similar type of fund collection drive. His technique was : He would go to a business house / industrial house. A crowd of his followers accompany him. He offers to do some paid labor such as cleaning garbage or digging small trenches or carrying some cement/sand/metal chip basins. He does some symbolic work. He gets payment in thousands/hundreds of thousands of Rupees. Crowd threatens to rampage the factory machinery or furniture, if their leader is not offered work or money.


The political leaders in United States employ a different method. They organise lunches/dinners sharing the table with the candidate/President/Celebrity. The dinners are paid for by the invitees/participants. Ticket prices can be high.

We have a proverb in my mother tongue Telugu: 'E rAyaitEnEm paLLUDagoTTukOTaniki'. Approximately it means : Type of stone will not make any difference, if we are to break our teeth.

The catchword, therefore, is: "Buy a painting today. Approach for a favor tomorrow.".