Small parties abound in India. They're based on region or caste. They serve one leader. But they also serve a purpose. They heed local issues. They reflect ground realities. However, their limited constituencies relegate national perspectives to unimportance.
There are two parties with pretensions of representing India, Congress and BJP. Neither has significant presence beyond half a dozen states. Come parliamentary elections and these all-India pretenders adjust with small parties. Untidy power-sharing bargains are struck. After elections, unstable administration and misgovernance lurch forward again. That is Indian politics today.
The small parties face agonising choices in selecting an all-India partner. Should they go with the Congress or the BJP? Are white caps better or black caps? For votes, is it worse to kill Sikhs or to kill Muslims? Is dynasty better or parivar? Is pilgrimage to 10 Janpath better or to Nagpur? Is it better to say one thing while in government and its opposite in opposition, or one thing in opposition and its opposite in government? Tough choices!
But for better or worse, things are slowly changing. Democracy does create, inexorably, a level playing field. All parties post Independence were led by forward castes. Caste facilitated class. The forward castes practiced casteism but with subtle refinement. Thanks to elections, the deprived caught on. The Dalits and the Backwards introduced casteism that was not refined but brazen, not covert but overt. It may not have improved governance, but it did change things.
The democratic steamroller is moving again. Dance bars have been banned in Mumbai. This has caused widespread resentment. Why? Surely, concern for the plight of the dance girls cannot be the main reason. The reason is new economy. The reason is new media with its intrusive nose poking everywhere. The reason is new awareness. The reason is democracy.
Dance bars open doors for the middle-middle class to live entertainment. For the first time, new economy is creating a huge constituency fuelled by consumerism. The common man wants to participate in the lifestyle of the rich and famous. Both the Congress and the BJP opposed the dance bars. But their leaders frolic in Page Three binges. People have seen through both parties. Small parties should stop looking up to them. They should look at the new voter. New economy needs new politics. A vacuum needs to be filled. Small parties should identify the common ground they share. Then forget coalitions and focus on a federation. And contest parliament under one common symbol. They would win.
(Puri can be reached at rajinderpuri2000@yahoo.com)
