Emperor in Delhi

by confuzzled dude Sat Jan 07, 2017 10:01 am

THE eminent British Professor of Government had observed thus while making an assessment about a specific aspect of politics in the United Kingdom, particularly the impact and sway that different Prime Ministers had on the governments they led, especially on fellow Ministers in their governments. While doing so, King also points to a phenomenon he terms “theatre of celebrity”, which involves premeditated creation of a celebrity personality, which in turn is employed to enforce dominance on fellow politicians as well as the larger polity. King’s argument that such an administration is “unlikely to remain on that basis for long” does not make any reference to a specific time frame. In other words, there is no quantification in terms of years or decades.

Indian polity over the past two and a half years clearly fits in with King’s exposition of a specific trait of political dominance. In fact, the domination that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has enforced over members of his Ministry as well as the larger government machinery is a striking manifestation of King’s observations. Modi’s fellow Ministers, including seniors with decades of political experience and standing, have been virtually reduced to courtiers. Important Ministries and departments, including External Affairs, Finance, Defence and Home, are run practically on the diktats and direct intervention of the Prime Minister and the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). The sidelining of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, a senior BJP leader, and her Ministry is conspicuous. Other seniors, such as Rajnath Singh and Nitin Gadkari, have held on somehow to whatever little authority they have in their Ministries, albeit with periods of intense disquiet. The “theatre of celebrity” is in full play, aided and abetted by a powerful propaganda apparatus to which have been coopted some important media organisations and senior journalists.

http://www.frontline.in/cover-story/big-brother-in-delhi/article9456559.ece?homepage=true

by silvermani Sat Jan 07, 2017 12:34 pm

That is a good assessment but doesnt the same hold good for the congress party? The nehru family is the royal family in the party and the rest are all commoners. In various regional parties also there are superstar politicians with everyone else in their party clearly a few rungs below them.

Emperor in Delhi

Emperor in Delhi

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