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Correspondent

23 August 2024 at 4:29:04 pm

Manufactured Martyrs

The attempt by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) to turn activist Sonam Wangchuk into the next Anna Hazare has exposed how manufactured symbolism cannot compensate for the absence of genuine public outrage. What began as a grievance over the NEET paper leak, one of India’s gravest examination scandals in recent times, has drifted into an exercise in political pageantry, where the cause has been eclipsed by its chosen mascots. Wangchuk’s indefinite hunger strike was plainly meant to recreate a...

Manufactured Martyrs

The attempt by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) to turn activist Sonam Wangchuk into the next Anna Hazare has exposed how manufactured symbolism cannot compensate for the absence of genuine public outrage. What began as a grievance over the NEET paper leak, one of India’s gravest examination scandals in recent times, has drifted into an exercise in political pageantry, where the cause has been eclipsed by its chosen mascots. Wangchuk’s indefinite hunger strike was plainly meant to recreate a familiar script where an allegedly unassuming public figure embraces personal sacrifice and a reluctant government buckles under mounting moral pressure. But history does not repeat itself on command. Anna Hazare’s fast in 2011 succeeded not because fasting possesses mystical political powers, but because it rode a tidal wave of public anger against corruption. Millions identified with the cause. That equation is conspicuously absent today. The platform that ought to have belonged to students who suffered from the NEET paper leak, or to parents whose children bore its consequences, instead became crowded with the usual constellation of professional activists, ideological campaigners and political fellow travellers. The faces dominating the stage were not those most directly affected by the scandal. A movement demanding educational accountability gradually came to look like another gathering of Delhi’s permanently aggrieved activist class. Even Wangchuk appeared to sense the contradiction. During the protest he reportedly lamented that while he was observing an indefinite fast, many around him were happily eating meals, urging at least a token one-day fast in solidarity. Successful protest movements depend upon authenticity. Once the public begins suspecting that an individual is being deployed less as a leader than as a moral accessory for someone else’s ideological project, sympathy quickly evaporates. Nor does Wangchuk arrive without controversy. Questions have been raised over the cancellation of the FCRA licence of SECMOL, the educational organisation associated with him, and over allegations regarding subsequent foreign funding arrangements. Critics have also challenged aspects of the carefully cultivated public mythology surrounding his achievements, from the origins of the ice-stupa concept to the popular belief that he inspired the protagonist of 3 Idiots. These matters deserve scrutiny on their own merits rather than hagiography or character assassination. The greater failure here surely belongs to the protest’s organisers. The CJP has mistaken optics for momentum and symbolism for public sentiment. Instead of allowing the victims of the NEET scandal to speak for themselves, they attempted to manufacture another national conscience by placing a familiar face at the centre of the stage. Political legitimacy cannot be outsourced to celebrity. Nor can mass movements be assembled from social-media influencers and habitual protesters. Anna Hazare became powerful because the public chose him. Attempts to manufacture his successor merely underline how rare such moments really are.

BJP ‘Sampark Mantri’s to check on Sena

Sampark Mantri

Mumbai: The Maharashtra BJP has appointed ‘Jilha Sampark Mantri’ to districts where the post of guardian minister has gone to either of its Mahayuti partners. While the party states that the appointment is purely for the organizational purpose and that the ministers are expected to liaison between the state government and the local party organization, BJP allies are sceptical about the development, especially when the discord between the NCP and the Shiv Sena over appointment of guardian ministers still continues.


State BJP President Chandrashekhar Bawankule made the announcement in this regard on Tuesday evening while addressing the meeting of party MP, MLAs and district heads here in Mumbai. The meeting was called primarily to review the progress on the primary membership front and encourage the party middle order to achieve the target of 1.5 crore members.


While addressing the meeting, Bawankule said that the appointment of ministers is primarily to act as a liaison between the local party units and the state government. With such a liaison, the party leadership hopes to contain discontent within the grass root party workers. Such a discontent among grass root workers of BJP and that of various likeminded organizations of the RSS family had adversely affected the BJP during 2024 Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra. On that backdrop, the party has devised this new system.


However, the effort, which BJP emphasises as a purely organizational exercise, is being seen by its allies as an effort to indirectly pressurise the guardian ministers of the allies. The allies feel that with these appointments the BJP wants to keep the NCP and the Shiv Sena under cheque.


The BJP states that the Sampark ministers are expected to keep in touch with the grass root workers of the party and ensure that none of their issues related to the state government or even the local administration remain unattended. This clearly arises out of the fear that the guardian ministers belonging to the alliance partners won’t do justice to the grass root BJP workers.


While explaining the ‘Sampark Mantri’ concept further, Bawankule said that the ministers shall go to the respective districts allocated to them twice a month and shall address the issues of common people.


Bawankule also said that the immediate task entrusted with these ministers is about boost thing the membership drive. The party has been able to registers about 98 lakh voters across the state till now. It had registered just over one crore voters last time and wants to break its own record by registering around 50 lakh more voters over next fortnight so that the whole tally reaches to about 1.5 crore.


The party also recognized district heads and other party workers who have been able to register more number of voters. “We have devised a special app for membership and one worker can register only 1000 new members. This avoids scope for any fake registrations,” he added.

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