Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, who is facing the heat in the cash-for-query case, is also fighting another battle – this one to save her reputation and right to privacy over attempts by trolls – paid and unpaid – to tarnish her image over her relationships and her behavior in private while attending parties.
There were questions galore over her “drinking habits” after photos surfaced showing her holding a glass of wine at some small gathering. The aunties and uncles, always ready to pick a fight over non-issues that they view as an affront to their “Bharatiya sanskaar”, ere quick to pass judgment over her lifestyle. The same people conveniently forget tht their own kids may be doing the same, often without their knowledge. Don’t our politicians deserve to live their lives as they want?
Earlier, in 2021,social media was abuzz with a one-minute video of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s push-up challenge during his visit to a school in Kanyakumari. The Gandhi family scion had accepted the challenge of a Class 10 student to do 15 push-ups, later himself upping the challenge to one-hand push-up. He later graciously declared the young girl winner of the contest.
He even joined a group of students in a group dance. While many were impressed, there were many who questioned his moves.
Many were similarly unimpressed, and said so in no uncertain terms on social media, with his decision to go for a swim in deep sea waters with some fishermen from Kollam in Kerala.
“How can Rahul Gandhi be swimming like this while his party is drowning in the wave of well-orchestrated political moves by the Bharatiya Janata Party,” many liberals wondered.
When some Congress politicians tweeted pictures of Rahul Gandhi in his wet T-shirt to point out he has well-toned abs, indicating that he spends time in the gym, many people offered slide remark, basically saying he if were to spend the amount of time that he spends in the gym on his political work, Congress might be in a much better position, numbers-wise, than it is now.
All this only brings to fore the double standards we as a nation seem to have when it comes to differentiating between the politician and the individual that he or she is.
Why don’t we want our politicians to be normal human beings, something that we tell our own children to be almost on a daily basis? Why don’t, for example, take it too kindly if a male politician wears a Jeans and a T-shirt at a political rally or meeting instead of the shabby-looking dhoti-kurta or kurta-pyjama? In fact, we even applaud if the kurta is torn or has a small cut somewhere visible! That could be the reason why many of our politicians who, we know to be millionaires, move around in mid-ranged SUVs or even smaller sedans, while their children zip around in the latest Mercs or BMWs.
When will India, if ever, accept, without getting offended, a female politician coming to office or Parliament on a regular basis wearing a pant suit or a miniskirt instead of a sari as is the unwritten rule now?
Don’t forget, we are the same people who can’t stop gushing when former US President Barack Obama perfectly shoots a basketball while on campaign trail.
Aren’t we confusing the way our politicians dress with their ability to perform as our elected representatives?
Many took offence when Delhi chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal hugged his wife Sunita in a public display of their love and affection after his party’s spectacular win in the 2015 Delhi assembly elections.
Why is it that in 21st century India, one which we wish on a daily basis would become modern and advanced like most of the West, we still have a problem with our politicians being normal human beings? How many of us will allow it to slide past if we see the mainstream politician, especially a big one important one, having a drink or two in public? After all, we all do know that many of our political leaders are actually Bacchus lovers?
In 2022, when West Bengal chief Minister Mamata Banerjee posted a video on her facebook page of her singing a song to welcome Goddess Durga on the occasion of Mahalaya, many netizens found fault with her singing the popular song out of tune. But more importantly, comments on her Facebook page also asked her to give them jobs not songs. How are the two things even comparable one could ask?
But then in the great, duplicity-ridden world of Third World democracies like India, how dare our politicians try and not be politicians 24×7?
We routinely elect actors, singers, artists, sportspersons to our legislature. But we erupt in anger if the same people, after their election, spend their time doing what they were doing before getting elected. Have we forgotten how unhappy some of us were when cricketer–turned-commentator-turned-laughter show judge-turned-politician continued to be part of a show comedy show even after becoming an MP? Or how many, including his political foes, lambasted former Indian cricketer-turned-BJP Lok Sabha MP from East Delhi Gautam Gambhir when he continued with his assignment as commentator despite getting elected an MP?
“He has so much money, why does he have to do this? Why can’t he be completely involved in his political work? Why does he need more money?” These were some of the questions posed to Gambhir.
Many even dug out his election affidavits to show how rich Gambhir really was. We conveniently forgot or chose to ignore the fact that the Lok Sabha functions for less than a hundred days every year. As long as he keeps his constituents relatively happy, why can’t Gambhir spend his remaining time as he wants to?
Isn’t it somewhat true that we want our politicians to be like that relative at a North Indian wedding, who has some old pent-up anger, often hurt at some perceived or imaginary sleight, and therefore refusing to join in the festivities?
The nation of prudes expects its leaders, including those still young or young-at-heart, to behave as per our double-standard of politically-correctness in public.
No holding of hands or any display of affection towards your wives – and, let’s not have any boyfriends or girlfriends, or husbands in public, no push-ups, no drinking, no adventure, no singing or any love for arts. Basically, become a brahmachari, even if , in private, away from public eye, you lead the most decadent life.
