It is not only the media, TV channels in particular which can be accused of using inappropriate or intemperate language which contributes to the vitiation of intelligent dialogue in a democracy. Now the offices of the Governors and Chief Ministers can be included in the list of those who will be seen responsible for the degeneration of India’s democracy in times to come.
The case in point is that of the letter written by the Maharashtra GovernorB. S. Koshyari to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray asking him to open places of worship, given the festival season time of the year.
Writing to CM Thackeray last week, Guv Koshyari had said:
“I wonder if you are receiving any divine premonition to keep postponing the reopening of the places of worship time and again or have you suddenly turned ‘secular ‘ yourselves, the term you hated?”
By no stretch of logic or reason this can be defended as being of the standard expected of correspondence between the state head and chief minister.
As if it was not low enough, in his response, Uddhav Thackeray retorted saying he does not need a “certificate” on Hindutva from the Governor.
“Do you mean that opening up religious places is Hindutva, and not opening them means being secular? Secularism is a crucial base of the oath you took as Governor. Do you not believe it?”
“Sir, you mention Hindutva in your letter, but I do not need any certificate or any teaching on Hindutva from you. My Hindutva does not permit me to welcome home a person who called my Maharashtra or Mumbai Pakistan occupied Kashmir.”
After Uddhav Thackeray received the letter, Maharashtra government’s partner NCP’s chieftain Sharad Pawar wrote to PM Modi complaining about the use of inappropriate language. But that did not deter his coalition’s Head honcho Uddhav from returning the favour to the Guv and doing it even better – making it even lower and directly personal.
Historians in times to come will not be kind to this invitation to the death of democratic standards being served up in a highly slanderous and depraved manner by these modern architects of today’s political India. In a country – which seems to be shifting ground from being mixed economy to more Americanized India of the future, the focus seems to be on only one thing – money. Hence the brazenness that surfaces in all shapes and forms is usurping space once reserved for standards of excellence expected from those holding high offices.
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