SPIRITUAL LESSONS FROM RECENT POLLS

Last week, electoral results were declared for four States and a Union Territory. Political leaders, mediapersons, analysts and spin doctors are all giving explanations as usual, based on some kind of a backward calculation leading from results to causes. Needless to say, they all went wrong and now want to go right.

However, there is need to go deeper and explore reasons outside the realms of socio-political boundaries that we often limit our thoughts with in such matters. The first lesson is that voters are not a piece of statistic, or a member of caste or a class only. They are first and foremost individuals who see, think, feel and act. Of course not in the right way all the time, but mostly. And exceptions in the form of die-hard supporters are also there.

But human beings are emotional and not mathematical models and the results of the recent elections reflected this angle more than anything else. While the poll arithmetic, the fallacious yet most popular and supposedly scientific basis for predicting electoral outcomes went awry largely, the individual stamped his seal on the ballot decisively. In fact, this has always happened, only the so-called analysts will not believe or not like us to believe. And rightly so, because they might lose their jobs. So it is thriving on lies, damn lies and of course statistics as famous British Statesman and Premier Benjamin Disraeli had said.

So what do these election results have for the spiritual-minded? First and foremost is the lesson that was given long back by Vidur, the wise man of the Mahabharata. To quote: “Ideas and policies also have a life like human beings.” May we extend this to political parties? Perhaps yes, if we carefully assess how the fate of the oldest party swung this time.

The second lesson came from Bengal. It reiterated in rather unambiguous terms that the age-old wisdom which said that there are no permanent friends and enemies in politics, only permanent interests, is right. So two long-time rivals joined hands. But there is also a corollary to this. It is from the Ramayana that says only noble intentions make alliances work. Alliances driven only by self-interest ultimately get exposed.

The third lesson comes from Assam and it is validation of the hypothesis formulated long ago by US President Abraham Lincoln: “You can fool some people all the time, all the people some time, but not all the people all the time.”

Down South in Tamil Nadu, the return of the incumbent Chief Minister proved that rules do not always work and don’t take anything for granted. So the present Government broke an over three decade rule by returning to power. Kerala results established that change is the only certainty. From Puducherry, the lesson was that the law of averages catches up, after all.

Politics then is the art of the possible, as the German strongman Otto Von Bismarck had said.But sometimes seemingly improbable results raise questions on this assertion. The answer is that possibilities and impossibilities change with time. And as far as politics is concerned, this element of time may not be too long. British Premier Harold Wilson had rightly said: “One week is a long time in politics.” The results are then lessons for both winners and losers. Reading too much into them may not be wise.