On death and dying: our down-to-earth politicians

In the run up to Karnataka’s election campaigns, you are bound to come across the phase “mannina maga.” Loosely translated into English as “son of the soil,” it is a label that politicians plaster all over their campaign propaganda. Its purpose in political rhetoric is to show just how close your friendly neighborhood member of legislature is to the common man.

The moniker, however, acquired a whole new meaning over the last month, when these “sons of the soil” were dragged down by a series of land scams. The irony, which has had punning headline writers rubbing their hands with glee, has not been lost on the public.

From B.S.Yeddiyurappa to Deve Gowda, they’ve all done a pretty unconvincing Bill Clinton on the news channels, with outright denials accompanied by copious weeping. There are more tears in their press conferences than a whole season of that soppy telly soap your mum has on every evening. The question really is: how much credibility would you give anything a politician says, especially if his initials are B.S.?

But like the five stages of dying, the denial turns to anger. The mud-slinging over land grabbing begins. Accusations over who started de-notifying land are all you hear. Of course, the media is there to catch it all, as it allegations fly thick and fast between the BJP, JD(S) and Congress camps.

The anger is short-lived. In our times of political pragmatism, deals have to be cut quickly. The rage gives way to bargaining. The BJP take stock of their loyalists and work out ways to buy the outsiders onto their side. Money exchanges hands as legislators trade political lineage. Old favors are called in, and quid pro quo is the lingua franca in the party circles.

The evidence, however, remains incriminating. No amount of “legitimate” documents waved at television cameras can prevent our politicians’ sins from catching up with them. The Lokayukta have a whole filing cabinet of land records that say otherwise.

And this is when all the media dust begins to settle.

The bargaining segues into depression. We haven’t heard from Yeddy for quite a while now, apart from the occasional religious visit. Of course, he is under instructions from the party’s high command to keep a low profile. Their damage control department works overtime to salvage what’s left of the battered BJP reputation. The land scams have pretty much stuck the BJP’s name in the dirt.

So there you have it. The five stages of the dying political careers in Karnataka—this is how the spiral descends.

Shock and denial. Check.

Self righteous anger. Check.

Desperate bargaining. Check.

Depression accompanied by a sudden religious impulse. Check.

All that’s left now is acceptance.