The Election Commission has decided to issue a notification asking for the numerous elephant statues and also the statues of Chief Minister Mayawati to be covered as part of the election code in the run-up to the Uttar Pradesh Assembly election. This is straight out of Alice in Wonderland. Does the EC really think those statues will affect the outcome of the election? Does the EC really believe that the electorate is that stupid and brainless as to be affected by the presence of statues of a few leaders? Are statues the only reason why people vote?
So, overall, this is a laughable edict. By covering the elephant statues, does the EC really think it is doing something to ensure a free and fair election? And, what about the real elephants? What if Chief Minister Mayawati decides to show wildlife documentaries on TV all day long as part of a ‘conservation programme’ — never mind that there are no elephants in the State? And what if there are special screenings of the Hindi film, Haathi Mere Saathi in theatres? Or, if the radio plays the song from the same film, Chal, chal chal mere haathi all day long. But, perhaps, the poll panel is doing its job — or showing that it is doing its job. This is an election theatre.
Do see the absurdity in this proposal when taken to its logical conclusion. The Congress symbol is the ‘hand’ — the human hand. Does this mean people’s hands will have to be covered? I mean, they walk into the polling booth with two symbols of the Congress per person. This is subliminal advertising — is it not? I suspect the people will have to either cover their hands with gloves — or boxing gloves perhaps — but that would make it too obvious.
And, what about those numerous statues of Jawaharlal Nehru, Mrs Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi — will they be covered too? What about some of their pictures in Government offices? And, actually, the picture of Mahatma Gandhi whom Congress evokes not so subtly as part of its campaigns will also need to be covered. Especially in those currency notes — regardless of whether they are passed off as bribes for voters. May I propose Sodexho coupons or, perhaps, credit cards?
And, by the way, Bangalore and other cities have JNNURM printed all over its newer BMTC buses. ‘JN’ stands for the initials of India’s first Prime Minister whom the Congress never fails to invoke. And there are the many roads named after quite a few Congress politicians — mostly members of the party’s first family. What of them? A temporary name change, perhaps? There are also a thousand schemes named after various members of the first family all over the country. Whitewash them, perhaps? And there are buildings, hospitals, bus-stops and bridges which sport the names of the members of the dynasty. Should they be all covered up in packing material?
And, that is just the Congress. What about similar edicts in future elections? The MNS in Maharashtra, if I am not mistaken, has the ‘railway engine’ for its symbol. So, are we planning to shut down Mumbai’s local trains during the run up to the BMC election? Or will we have trains sans engines? And, what of the lotuses? The Baha’i Temple is a huge concrete lotus in the heart of the nation’s capital. And, what does one do about the pesky sun — the thing rises each day. I wonder what the EC did about it in the run-up to the Tamil Nadu election — given that it is a symbol of the DMK? And, then, if I remember right, the bicycle is a party symbol too. Do bicycle riders keep the cycles at home or cover them up and ride them? The AIADMK has ‘two leaves’ as its symbol. I shudder to think of the implications.
A quick glance at the election symbols will indicate that the symbols are everyday objects by and large, designed for easy recollection across linguistic and cultural barriers. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_political_party_symbols_in_India). Parties can and will make bigger things out of them just as the Congress has perfected the art of naming various Government schemes across the country. So, the first thing to do is to perhaps reverse those naming conventions and move on to a more apolitical nomenclature.
Overall, the EC does have a point. But then, the ruling party should not be allowed to politicise names of buildings, bridges, roads, schemes — because, needless to say, all these have subliminal effects. Of course, no subliminal effect is as great as cash transfers during elections or fatwas issued by certain communities. The Election Commission would do well to focus on the real things that affect the outcome of polls than on the statues in ‘Mayaland’.
