'Holier than thou'

Most of us Indians hate our politicians. We choose them to represent us because we have no better alternative. And we believe that it is only due to the checks and balances in the Constitution that our country hasn't turned into a mental asylum with no one in charge.

So when Sharad Pawar, widely believed to be a not-so-clean politician, who is now in charge of Agriculture, gets slapped by a person suffering from mental disorders, most of us are happy in our hearts. 'He has done what we wished to do but couldn't.' is the thought that is buried in most of our hearts.

Anna Hazare just happened to say it a bit louder and clearer when he asked if Pawar had received only a slap. The condemnation that followed stating that violence is not allowed in the Constitution makes me wonder if this is the same person who had advocated public flogging of people found consuming alcoholic drinks. Now, is flogging non-violence?

The 'holier-than-thou' attitude of both the activists and the politicians make me sick. The truth is that there are clean politicians as well as dirty ones, just as there are clean and dirty activists. We tend to concentrate on politicians as they wield considerable power and are always in public view.

Even, we, the people of India, have our own vices. Our own secrets, that we hide from all. No one is really holy. Each individual is an angel and a devil to varying degrees at different times.

So asking if the Minister received just a slap, even if it was meant to be a joke, shows a lack of respect for the rules of what may be called 'good behaviour'. If the people are so annoyed with Pawar, they have the right to vote him out in the next election or file cases against him in the courts. Slapping him or making sick jokes are not the solutions.