India is a country with diverse
traditions, cultures, religions, languages etcetera., and
this strange conglomeration surprises
the world. We take pride in espousing our oneness
through “ Unity in Diversity “. Though
put to test
time and again
due to political overtures, the strength and survival of our
integration has always
matured and graduated
with high grades.
Bharat, as a
nation has contributed so much
to the world,
encompassing arts, science, technology, astrology, medicine and so on.
It is
all history and
very well acknowledged
by the universe . It
does not require
any further elaboration.
Leaving alone the above said formal achievements and innovations which
deserve due credit, the present
day Indian polity
and society has
invented some other
intriguing formulas that may be one of
its kind in the
world. They may be prevailing and
practiced in some other impoverished, poverty
ridden nations, but will
be a total misnomer
in the industrialized, developed
western counterparts. These formulas
are not ornamented
by fame but
clothed and covered
by shame. A couple
of them ( one each from South and North India ) are
elaborated below :
1. Tirumangalam Formula : This formula got evolved during the
by-election to the Tirumangalam constituency,
in Tamil Nadu. Even though the theory propounded by this formula was in
existence and practiced before this by-election, the underlying
concept got popularized only after this battle of ballot. Buying votes for
money / selling one’s vote for money
is the crux, the underlying principle governing
this formula. It was carried out with systematic precision
and astounding perfection that the detestable practice of distributing money to
lure the voters gained strong foothold
in our elections after that. Of
course, it cannot be said that all votes were purchased by the political
parties, ( both the ruling and the opposition ), as their focus was directed
towards the poorer and vulnerable sections of society, whose votes are
decisive in determining
the outcome in
any poll. So
electoral polity in Tamil Nadu,
got a new invention which was christened as the “ Tirumangalam Formula “. Now this formula has become a
regular feature in
every election, be
it to the
state or the
centre, and during the post
run-up, the television news
items will regularly air
video clippings of cash distribution by rival parties, and wads of
currencies being seized by the
election commission and
police officials, to the
chagrin of the
viewers spread across the globe. The
fallout to this
hideous practice has
seen the voters
demanding money explicitly from
the political big-wigs
and their election
managers, and in some clusters, complaining
that they have
not . got their “ rightful
due “. What to say of this? This is the
present picture of
reality in Indian
elections, whichever state
they are
held. The quantum of
distribution may be
high or less,
depending upon the
state that goes
to the polls, but
it has come
to stay and
enact its play.
Despite the best efforts of the election and law enforcement
officials, it still holds sway, and could
not be done
away with. The electorate should show political maturity
and display mental
determination that they
will not cast / sell
their votes for money. Until
then, this detestable practice will
not die down
but continue to
live.
2) Bihar Examination
Formula : Indians
know that Bihar
is a different
and difficult state to run,
given its high
crime rate and
poor law and
order situation. Both problems arise due
to the grueling
poverty that plagues
that state on a perennial
basis. Nearly a
month back, television viewers had
the unfortunate opportunity
to see a
video, focused on a
school examination centre
in a backward
district of Bihar.
It was a
different visual “ treat “.
The school by
itself had a
decrepit, worn down look with
the outer walls
not even having
a decent coat of
cement plastering. And
presto, many spider men were
seen scaling, crawling on the
walls, moving from one
end of the
school to another, without the
fear of falling
down. They seemed to be
on very sound
footing, and clung to
their position without any
application of glue
to their anatomy.
What were they
up to and
who were they?
The men were
parents and relatives of the
students taking the examination inside the classrooms. They were lending a totally different “
helping hand “ to their wards, to
ensure that they come
out with flying colours by
scoring high marks
in the examination,
only that their inimical support to
their loved ones
turned out to
be a loathsome
sight. Thanks to the
advent and the
reach of the
media, the nation saw with shock
and chagrin, text books,
notes, guides being
passed on by the
“ good Samaritans “ to their children
inside the classrooms, and they on their part, dutifully
copying the same unabashedly, without a trace of ignominy or guilt. All this got
enacted in full
public view ( with even uniformed
policemen turning a different eye to what was happening around ) and went viral
with almost all Indian television channels playing it
again and again. The disgusting event was also aired by some foreign
news channels, taking India’s
fame to greater heights, for a totally condemnable, wrongful reason. If
this is the
way examinations are
conducted in some schools of Bihar, then
what would be
the ability and capability of these erring students when they pass out and join
the mainstream?. How would they
face the challenges of
the modern world ?. Further what would
be the state of
affairs and standard
of probity when
they occupy government
positions ? One only
dreads to think
Another very disquieting feature was
that the very next day after the mass copying was aired, a former Chief
Minister of Bihar gave a hilarious interview to the press that if his
party is voted
to power again,
then he will
freely allow the
students to take
the text books and other
study materials inside
the examination hall, so
as to ease
their burden to a
great extent. What
an exhibit of “ matured
statesmanship “!! Bravo – for
all the wrong
reasons. “ Yatha Raja, Thatha
Praja , “ – “ Like King,
Like Subjects “.
Will
this not go
to cast a
doubt on all
Bihari students, irrespective
of whatever background they
come from, and
bring disrepute not
only to them,
but to the already
damaged image of
their state. Will they
not be looked down
with suspicion, or will
not their academic
prowess be suspected ?
The impact of the video was so huge,
that the Government of
Bihar went on
a damage control mode, stating
that henceforth all efforts would be made towards preventing exam
malpractices and that
stringent punishment would
be meted out
to both the “ Donor “ and “ Donee “ of copying material. Trust
this is enforced verbatim.
Jai Hind ============
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