Sunday Opinion by Falguni Ghosh

POWER AND POLITICS

Power and Politics are the two synonymous words . As if the twin brothers they exist for a long time in human existence. Politics means a power hankering attitude. Power is also very much associated with politics.

The age of modern Democracy is about 250 years if we suppose to determine it from the freedom of a new nation America in 1776 led by its first President George Washington. Then the process started through the French Revolution in 1789. Monarchy of France was defeated by the commoners and the way of democracy was resolved. By the inspiration of those two major epoch making incidents the entire Latin America snatched their freedom from the imperial Spanish rule.

We all know these historical changes from monarchy and imperialism to democratic pattern of polity. We also have read great Greek Plato’s concept of Republic conducted in ancient times about 2500 years ago. But now the present after the colonial times from 1950 we are in the post colonial era for about 70 years. How the democracy is implemented in our country my question is that and this brief discussion is likely to be going in such way.

After getting freedom in 1947 on part of India a competent modern Constitution was made to take inspiration from England predominantly and some aspects are also taken from other countries. Our Indian Constitution is based on the four pillars—-Media and Press is the 4th among those. But power politics how shamelessly buys media people, media conduct that is a matter of grave concern.
Political parties in power in Centre or on States repress the freedom of press by distributing money only to be in the throne. How the democracy is governed by the system of vote of the people that is exemplary in India. Power corrupts we know and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

The development of a Country or a State in democratic political system depends upon the significant and meaningful participation of the common people. But here in India governing party is only the decision maker as they are selected by the election. What I was talking about—-Media. Media becomes the puppet by the bribes and money of the governing party. From where the money comes? Money comes from the business tycoons. From where the tycoons got money? Yes to squeeze the common mass through their labour.

So government is governed by the plutocrats or the Capitalists. Government then only becomes the puppet of the Capitalists. Government lends money to lead the affairs of the country. That lending is ultimately meant to the people of the country. So how power plays the games on the politics as money determines the might in this Commercial Age.