Our politicians are more to be pitied than censured. Lesser mortals would cringe at the kind of multi-tasking they have to do.
The hapless persons cannot sleep easy, since they have to keep their ear to the ground and make the right noises at the right time in the public sphere. They have to cope with diametrically opposite demands from different sections of the public. They have to persevere. They have to be fleet-footed and switch sides when it suits them.
Some of you may recall the case of John Bickersdyke who switched over from being a Liberal to a Unionist. Think of such eminent personalities as the Hon’ble A B Filmer and Roderick Spode, who have to be a model of respectability; their past should bear the strictest investigation. Their misdemeanours – financial, social or entrepreneurial – have to be kept hidden from the public view. Their encounters with angry swans have to be kept under wraps. Hell hounds of media have to be kept off the scent of any Eulalie-type endeavours.
At all times, when commenting on something, they have to be politically correct. Very frequently, they have to make speeches full of empty rhetoric, a task which could leave many in a befuddled state of mind. Often, they have to listen to addresses of welcome in stuffy halls through the better part of a night. They must kiss babies, even if they happen to be dribbling by the sides of their mouths.
They have to undertake arduous journeys to far off villages, sit on the ground and have meals with their sympathizers, and even sleep in cottages with minimal facilities. They have to keep smiling while hugging world leaders who are otherwise sworn enemies of the state.
Here are some cartoons from the stable of R K Laxman and Sudhir Dar which capture the perils of a political career.
A career in politics is invariably a high-risk one. However, one cannot complain about the returns on investment being low.
(Related Posts:
https://ashokbhatia.wordpress.com/2019/03/29/psmith-and-mike-discuss-politics
https://ashokbhatia.wordpress.com/2015/05/25/this-is-it-part-1
https://ashokbhatia.wordpress.com/2015/05/29/this-is-it-part-2)
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