editorial:
Political violence is rare in Sikkim. So rare, that instances of political clashes come as aberrations even in the heat of election campaigning when politicking becomes the most aggressive and hostile. Even during those times, political muscle flexes in anonymity, torching vehicles in the dark of the night and fleeing without trace. And yet, disturbing hostility was bared at Singling in West Sikkim last Friday. A youth, identified as being close to a disgruntled camp of former ruling party members, was targeted with a murderous assault and another, seen as having perpetuated the attack, set upon by an angry mob. Even the area MLA was targeted, and although he made away in time, his vehicle was vandalised. Both the youth have sustained grievous injuries and after the politics over the incident has played out, will have to deal with the trauma and the haunting memories on their own. In a hierarchy-obsessed Sikkim, the attack on the Minister’s vehicle is such an extraordinary departure from normalcy that it has caught everyone off-guard and at a loss of words on how to condemn or defend [depending on which camp is commenting on the issue] the incident.
Also, what cannot be lost sight of is the fact that political violence in Sikkim has almost become unique to the West district in its severity and consistency, with the other districts reporting only the rare flare-ups. This is something which the agencies charged with looking out for the law and order situation should study and understand.
About the episode itself, if one looks beyond the flurry of allegations and counter-allegations which are bound to inundate public space in the coming days, one will realise that at fault is an amateurish politics which prioritises superficial, personality-driven and ego-centric displays of political strength over a support which gathers strength from ideological commonality or shared aspirations. Because political positions in Sikkim are still decided by personal hurts or individual feelings of denial or vice versa, the vocabulary of politics is garnished only with personal attacks and individual justifications. What this ends up delivering is a shallow politics of hate; one which refuses to recognise anything virtuous or noteworthy in the other. With political positions so aligned, dialogue, so necessary in a democracy, becomes impossible and confrontation becomes the only medium of interaction. This vehemence to put down the other is obvious in the language deployed by political parties across the board to condemn anything the other group says and manifests occasionally in the barbarism of physical violence as the one which visited Singling on Friday evening. Violence, one needs to accept, is the only product of politics driven by personal positions instead of ideological grounding. The people need to understand this and demand better of their leaders, even those they do not otherwise support. As for the political leaders, they need to realise that violence never goes down well with the people at large, who have traditionally responded to it in two ways – joining it to ensure that they beat down challenge before it hurts them, or by distancing themselves in disdain from all the parties involved. Sikkim requires the participation of all its people to stay on course, so it cannot afford to allow any of these situations to strike roots.
It is important for the ruling party to realise that it cannot win the support of all the people, but it can, with its impartiality and the occasional magnanimity, win everyone’s respect. It should also realise that there are many factors which decide political alignments in Sikkim and not everyone not making overt displays of support towards it hates them or wants them removed. Those opposed to the party in power should, in turn, realise that with their constant berating and chest-beating, they run the risk of not being taken seriously any more by the people at large, while at the same time raising the level of indignation among its ranks to breaking point when outbursts of physical violence start coming more often. The Singling episode is a one-off, it is unlikely to be repeated anytime in the near future, but if the right responses are encouraged, a repeat can be delayed for even longer.
Political violence is rare in Sikkim. So rare, that instances of political clashes come as aberrations even in the heat of election campaigning when politicking becomes the most aggressive and hostile. Even during those times, political muscle flexes in anonymity, torching vehicles in the dark of the night and fleeing without trace. And yet, disturbing hostility was bared at Singling in West Sikkim last Friday. A youth, identified as being close to a disgruntled camp of former ruling party members, was targeted with a murderous assault and another, seen as having perpetuated the attack, set upon by an angry mob. Even the area MLA was targeted, and although he made away in time, his vehicle was vandalised. Both the youth have sustained grievous injuries and after the politics over the incident has played out, will have to deal with the trauma and the haunting memories on their own. In a hierarchy-obsessed Sikkim, the attack on the Minister’s vehicle is such an extraordinary departure from normalcy that it has caught everyone off-guard and at a loss of words on how to condemn or defend [depending on which camp is commenting on the issue] the incident.
Also, what cannot be lost sight of is the fact that political violence in Sikkim has almost become unique to the West district in its severity and consistency, with the other districts reporting only the rare flare-ups. This is something which the agencies charged with looking out for the law and order situation should study and understand.
About the episode itself, if one looks beyond the flurry of allegations and counter-allegations which are bound to inundate public space in the coming days, one will realise that at fault is an amateurish politics which prioritises superficial, personality-driven and ego-centric displays of political strength over a support which gathers strength from ideological commonality or shared aspirations. Because political positions in Sikkim are still decided by personal hurts or individual feelings of denial or vice versa, the vocabulary of politics is garnished only with personal attacks and individual justifications. What this ends up delivering is a shallow politics of hate; one which refuses to recognise anything virtuous or noteworthy in the other. With political positions so aligned, dialogue, so necessary in a democracy, becomes impossible and confrontation becomes the only medium of interaction. This vehemence to put down the other is obvious in the language deployed by political parties across the board to condemn anything the other group says and manifests occasionally in the barbarism of physical violence as the one which visited Singling on Friday evening. Violence, one needs to accept, is the only product of politics driven by personal positions instead of ideological grounding. The people need to understand this and demand better of their leaders, even those they do not otherwise support. As for the political leaders, they need to realise that violence never goes down well with the people at large, who have traditionally responded to it in two ways – joining it to ensure that they beat down challenge before it hurts them, or by distancing themselves in disdain from all the parties involved. Sikkim requires the participation of all its people to stay on course, so it cannot afford to allow any of these situations to strike roots.
It is important for the ruling party to realise that it cannot win the support of all the people, but it can, with its impartiality and the occasional magnanimity, win everyone’s respect. It should also realise that there are many factors which decide political alignments in Sikkim and not everyone not making overt displays of support towards it hates them or wants them removed. Those opposed to the party in power should, in turn, realise that with their constant berating and chest-beating, they run the risk of not being taken seriously any more by the people at large, while at the same time raising the level of indignation among its ranks to breaking point when outbursts of physical violence start coming more often. The Singling episode is a one-off, it is unlikely to be repeated anytime in the near future, but if the right responses are encouraged, a repeat can be delayed for even longer.
nowhere in this editorial, is there any mention made of the need for a vibrant opposition in a democracy.
ReplyDeleteby using words like 'occasional magnanimity' to describe the model behavior of the ruling dispensation, the author is betraying his own feudal tendencies.
what is being witnessed in sikkim is a natural outcome of an unnatural state of affairs.
the lack of a viable opposition. of course opposition does exist. however, due to machinations of the state, they aren't allowed to make any meaningful presence felt in politically relevant arenas.
due to a systemic policy of official inspired harassment (such as punishment transfers, show cause notices), the temptation of money , vote rigging and manipulation and sundry other causes, democracy in sikkim is stifled for a lack of its vital 'oxygen'- politically relevant opposition.
so long as there is lack of opportunity for meaningful articulation of dissent, such incidents will rise.
in the mean time sikkim can look forward to becoming the most policed state in the country.
what is the political alignment here in Sikkim that's being talked.....every body gets sold and bought easily. Money power is the main alignment here. Doesnt the editor know of the instances of money being paid for RTI applicants to shut up!!!
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