Bharat Baazaar

The days in the Indian Political Market are buzzing with comments of intense absurdity and miniscule billings. Attaching any importance to quotes of ministers or spokespersons would be like walking on the waters, hot water indeed. Aam junta weighs all the politicians on the same scale and hardly a difference exists between two such personalities except the parties to which they owe their allegiance (or loyalty, which is much in vague) in the political arena. Much malice and mud slinging is the order of the day.

Very recently (24th May 2012), our then Environment minister, Mr. Jairam Ramesh (alumnus, IIT Bombay, Chemical Engg, 1975 batch) usurped vehemently that IITs and IIMs are not world class institutions but rather the students getting admitted (or the ones who are passing out of it!!) into it are. This raised a furore and a flurry of ugly scenes on the television channels with defending and rival advocates out in the open to settle all scores- all by the functions of the mouth and none through actions (or statistics). Though statistics may sound bitter- and their veracity: at times questionable, but they do account and they cannot be outrightly rejected or tagged rubbish.

Tomorrow, the big HAND of Congress- the sankatmochan* - Mr. Pranab Mukherjee will file his nomination for the post of the President of this sovereign nation. He has been at the helm of a lot of scariest situations but none more acrimonious than this one. A sinecure post-  yet it has been able to arrest the momentum from equally competent topics like inflation, scams, etc. in a way as to make the others a mere laughing stock. Few questions that rake up my mostly unused brain are:

• Was clearing Mr. Mukherjee not going to hamper the election preparations of Congress in 2014?
• Why a seasoned leader (having seen 40 rains) would vouch for presidentship when his capabilities would be better utilized as a minister in yet another powerful portfolio.
• Is this to project the miserably insecure Mr.Gandhi as the candidate at the helm?
• Are the other factions in Congress more powerful than that of Pranab Babu and they have been successful in carrying out their procedure?
• Was it to alienate Ms. Mum Ta Banner Jee (who knows- if writing her name would bring me bad fortunes, enough to land me in jail or send some goons to my place, or so on!!) from Pranab Da who might have provided the economic stimulus package she was looking forward to. Was he this strong??
• How the name of an incumbent PM can be floated/tipped for the post of President? And that too by an ally who are just an anthill. They constitute a mere 4% votes in the Presidential election's say !! Their chauvinism has been rightly nipped in the bud. One like from me..
• How the equations turn amorous between bête noires (as they say that there are no permanent foes and friends in politics)? Hands are needed after all to balance the cycles!! 
• A number of scams- enough to make all the population lakhpatis** - suddenly breath life trapped under the debris of unenthusiastic breaking news.

A lot of similar other unnecessary, unwanted questions try to peep the world- outside the cool abode of my brain- but I don't find answers to satiate them the least.

Who has the answers??

* Sankatmochan : Refers to God Hanuman and roughly translates to one who relieves someone from problems (akin to Bruce Willis of Die Hard fame).
** lakhpatis : One who has 100,000 rupees.