Murmu's win, Cong's zealous protests and scam again: A week of few highs and many lows for democracy

The Congress party's hyperactive mode on the questioning of Sonia Gandhi only confirms their fears as the party seldom displays such zeal for other opposition partners or issues that relate to common citizens

This week the nation is celebrating the profound moment when a woman from the tribal community took oath as the 15th President of India. Draupadi Murmu's rise to the highest office reflects strengthening of our democracy and the media is already agog with stories of how her elevation is inspiring countless others like her to dream big. But there are other images and snapshots doing the rounds as well. Such as stacks of hard cash piled up like potatoes in a Kolkata home and Congress party workers protesting the ED's questioning of their leader Sonia Gandhi in the much talked about National Herald case.

These second set of images are as much about the weakening of democracy as the first set of its strength. One may well ask why street protests by leaders and workers of a national political party indicate weakness? But before we come to that, let us take a look at the images from Kolkata that have been doing rounds. The bundles upon bundles of cash are obviously ill gotten money. Who keeps 'white money' in this manner? Though every bribe is a crime, what makes it even more distressing in this case is that, as per Enforcement Directorate, they are proceeds from a teacher recruitment scam.

Other incriminating evidence such as admit cards of applicants, question papers and details have also been recovered. It is a given that young men and women from middle class and lower middle class families who worked hard day and night to secure a government teacher's job must have been deprived of the lifetime chance to accommodate those who paid bribe.

Partha Chatterjee and his associate Arpita Mukherjee symbolise the worst side of democracy because democracy dies a slow but sure death when opportunities of empowerment are snatched away from the needy and deserving. Though the jury is still out as to how such a massive scam was possible without the knowledge and support of the top leadership Mamata Bannerjee. As the probe continues we will hopefully know how deep the rot is.

Coming back to the protests by Congress, the party has a right to raise its voice for its leader who is also the interim president. But the first reaction it triggers in the mind of a common observer is how and why does the Congress become so hyper when it comes to defending the Gandhi family and where does this energy vanish for the rest of the year? That Congress men and women, young and old, were trying to outdo each other during the street protests and courting arrest vociferously has not escaped the attention of amused viewers.

As the just concluded president election and the upcoming vice president election has confirmed, opposition unity still remains a far cry. And the biggest reason for this fragmentation is the lack of trust in the other parties about the Congress' ability to take on Narendra Modi. The Congress party's hyperactive mode on the questioning of Rahul and now Sonia Gandhi only confirms their fears as the party seldom displays such zeal for other opposition partners or issues that relate to common citizens.

However, Congress is hardly alone in this. From Samajwadi Party to DMK to Shiv Sena to JDS and Akali Dal, dynasties are facing a reality check even though some like the DMK may still be in power. As the Maha Vikas Aghadi experiment has shown, dynasts are finding it more and more difficult to keep their flock together. This is particularly true of second generation dynasts who neither have the gumption for struggle nor feel the pulse of the people. Thus they fail to command the kind of loyalty that the elder generation did.

While dynasts try to hold on to their fiefs, what should concern all of us as citizens is that dynasty cripples opportunity for those who wish to rise through the ranks as the top echelons will always be reserved for a particular surname. Mamata Bannerjee's distancing from Partha is a case in point. Partha is not her kin. Hence, regardless of the fact that he has been her close confidante from the beginning, he can be shunned before he pulls down the top leadership.

The revolt of Eknath Shinde is symptomatic of the disease. His rising against the Thackerays was as much about foisting Aditya on the seniors as it was about ideological deviation. The unease in other parties, right from Kashmir to Tamil Nadu, will increase as the aspirational, go-getter generation claims its rights.

But then the Indian voter is also emotional and values family and legacies. So perhaps it is not game over. At least not yet. But to survive the tide dynasts will need to open up their party leadership to the deserving and make a clean break from corruption which invariably begins from and ends at the top.

(Smita Mishra writes on politics and current affairs)

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of OneIndia and OneIndia does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.