Nuke cacophony rages on...

I just changed my status message in my Gmail chat to Nuke Cacophony. At New Delhi, the rattle around the N-deal has become unbearable and the drama turned dreadful. Political analysts have a field day. Television has serious stories to chase, finally. Politicians of all hues are trying to sniff opportunity. Congress is desperate to save the government and an embarrassment to the Prime Minister; Left seems to have hit a dead-end vis a vis more options it can throw at the UPA; BJP thinks inflation coupled with this confusion would add to the disenchantment of the middle class; Samajwadi Party wants to bolster its position as it has been out of power matrix in both Uttar Pradesh where it ruled till Mayawati took over in 2007 and in Centre.

It seems imminent Left would attempt at snuffing UPA out of it breath but the grouping and the government it supports would survive with SP drippings. The government would complete its full term and elections would not happen before 2009.

However, the cacophony that rages on leaves common people dumbfounded and makes them wonder if this is what political parties and leaders are best at doing. Little surprise India’s is called a queer country with, what Newsweek said in its special issue (July 7/14, 2008), a “messy democracy.”

I wonder what this question compromising India’s national security means. Those who raise the question perhaps wish to send the impression, and a messy one, that the democratically elected Prime Minister of the country and his able Cabinet have stooped to a level where they do not care what’s right or wrong for the country. It’s understood when you ask for a fair debate – the UPA is as responsible for the haze over many finer points of the Nuke deal as the Opposition parties – but taking it to levels of ridiculous accusations is nothing but a slap on the faith of people.

I am sure many of us did not expect such pervert bickering of politicians on such crucial issue as the Nuke deal. And the sad reality is that its end does not seem in sight. Not till the Prime Minister has come back after attending the G8 Summit on July 10.