A View on Political Workers/Local Leaders of Parties Vs People

By:Amit Bhushan
One of the biggest challenges for the current India polity in general which has come to fore due to the rise of a newbie party in the Capital state; but has been overlooked grandly by the commercial mass media is the 'expectation's of people' from the political worker's. The "current expectations" of people from the political workers or locality representatives of political parties vis-a-vis what is the self view of current political workers in major parties is penned below: Current Political Worker/Local Leader's S.No. Aam Admi's View S.No. View A Person who can help identify the wing's/deptt. of the government Person who has local bonding to gather appropriately, from where common man small crowd to agitate for 'any cause' in 1 can get solution/guidance for his 1 order to gather people for the 'show of specific issues for resoluion. In a way a strength' of election bound leader. 'May I help you' desk with appropriate knowledge for proper counseling. Person or group of people who have Person with rapport with government current knowledge of the working deptts. And who can influence bureaucrats structure of various deptts. of into decision making so that donor's government including names and interest are addressed almost immediately contacts where people can approach for while some public interest can be 2 2 their issues and advise ways to cut time progressed or depicted to be progressed and cost; this may include offering due to pol leader's intervention so that extended support for under appropriate party's support based is retained and circumstances for which some grown further due to worker/local leader's incentives may be available action Person who can guide Aam Admi on Person who can collect funds from public how to make specific interventions with or businesses to fund local agenda of 3 authorities and at right levels so as to 3 political parties. This often involve get appropriate response for his cause, colluding with authorities to sniff money out preferably without bribes. of often unsuspecting people. Person who can identify key issues with policy and procedures including Person who manages manupulations of absence of or often cumbersome government structures to favour Political 4 exception handling methods allowing 4 Parties leaders, key supporters and donars bureaucrats to make hay in sunshine so that the parties and local leader's and seek redressal for the same on agenda can be progressed. public's behalf. The political worker/local leader is Aam Admi wants this person to be able expected to represent political parties to question his political leaders in order interests in the area and carry forth that the leaders are more sensitive leader's agenda to sell the same to people towards the needs to the people of the locality to convince them that the 5 5 including their development and same is appropriate addressal for their progress. The local area development needs. Questioning leader is a strict no-no or municipal issues being immediate by workers and should be left to journos concern areas. and rivals only. The leader in turn is sympathetic to worker's needs.

Aam Admi expects the person to have appropriate understanding of laws, policies and procedure being imposed on him by the government including the 6 rationale as well as some of the valid criticisms. He should be able to lecture and debate these to raise awareness and gather support or opposition.

Person is expected to 'show' complete dedication towards political leader in public and carry forth the agenda often frozen in time irrespective of the views of local population. He is supposed to sell this agenda to supporters and rally them around leaders by hook or crook for his 'survival' as a political party's volunteer. The leader can replace him with another official volunteer if deemed appropriate in view of the leader.

In reality such political worker's do not Such people thrive and flourish in exist in India as under current abundance due excellent farming circumstances there is lack of approriate techiques available for the same in support structure for such people numerous political formulations coupled 7 whether moral or financial. The political 7 with financial support and moral apathy for workers are branded 'dalals' and reasons of poverty, lack of education and shunned irrespective of there behaviour; lack of law and order/discipling forces such which could be because of public's as police. strong bias against political class. There can be no denial that the political system in India is rotten. It suffers from not only public apathy but also those of the political leaders. It is rotten because the political workers of yore as well as present breed frequently collude with the 'bureaucrats' to amass power and money in order to sniff out rival politicians as well as there workers. This results in ubridled power for them in the locality with loardship. This has crumbled the availability of any other political support structure for masses that may have offered alternatives. On the part of masses, their immediate concerns for 'self' cloud the thinking to offer foresighted solutions that can shape the nation as appropriate for its rich heritage and civilizzation. While the current political flux may throw in 'some change of faces', it is a change in the polity is the requirement of the day where in political workers and leaders maintain there distance from the bureaucrats and 'gunda elements' and allow 'real political democracy' to thrive and where alternate political ideas are listened to as well as debated appropriately. This may require grandiose changes in how political parties are managed and political process is conducted by them. It may also require further new thinking including in the newbie party which may force it to think in terms of 'say- providing voice to working professionals and self employed' rather than fixation on a 'Bill' or something obscure as 'corruption' and define several ends, means and processes required for Aam Admi in his pursuit of survival as well as for thriving.