Vox populi
As the elections draw near, different newspapers and magazines indulge in carrying analyses by the experts conjecturing which party would come into power and form the government. The electronic media also does not lag behind in prophesying the destiny of the major national parties in the forthcoming elections. But given the prevailing situation and the previous experience, it has become impossible to portend the mood of the electorate with the result that all expert opinion of the ‘opinion poll’ is blown to the winds. Once a magazine of national repute predicted victory on 90% seats for a particular party while even its president had not expected such a clean sweep. When asked about the far less number of seats secured by the party after the results, the party chief said it was only a media premonition and that he never made any such claim.
But if you really want to have a glimpse into the voice of the people, it can be had
THE VOICE OF GOD, THEY SAY, IS HIDDEN IN THE VOICE OF PEOPLE. THAT IS WHY, PERHAPS, KINGS USED TO MOVE DISGUISED TO GATHER FIRST-HAND INFO
from the gossip sessions of the elderly villagers sitting in village chaupaals or other common places.
“Nihal Sihan, Kejriwal has done wonders, yaar. At least, it should be an eyeopener for the Congress which crossed all limits of corruption during its rule. Now the janta needs an honest leader like Kejriwal,’’said Kishan Singh, the village carpenter.
“You are innocent, Kishneya. When you are in power, everyone behaves the same way. A single Kejriwal can’t do anything here. Which magic wand he has to clean these stables? This is all politics and nothing else. The Congress is still an old and experienced party,’’Nihal Singh replied.
“What will the country gain from the Congress?’’
“At least the loss will not be that much. Well, let me tell you a story to make my point clear: ‘A donkey had a wound on his back and a number of flies were sitting on it. A fellow donkey sympathised with him and shooed away the flies with a single swish of its tail. It made the donkey flare up.’’’ “Why, what angered him so much? Rather he should have thanked him, taaya.’’
“Well this is what you fail to understand, bhateeje. ‘These flies,’ he said, ‘were quite surfeited with my blood and sitting calmly but those which would replace them would suck my blood anew. Similarly, the Congress is already fulfilled to some extent but the new rulers will first think of filling their own coffers and worry about the people later.’’’
This is how the common man airs his views. The voice of God, they say, is hidden in the voice of people. That is why, perhaps, the kings used to move around disguised in the past to gather a first-hand information about the vox populi.