As soon as we read/hear or think about Politicians we create a picture about them and carry a fixed perception about them. I am no exception with these crooks, but when it comes to my personal experience I beg to different (slightly).
My mother was in politics with Congress and was elected as a Zilla Parishad member. By luck she was selected as the Chairperson for "Women and Child Welfare" department of the Zilla Parishad. It was then I came to a direct contact with so many big shots of politics viz, Sharad Pawar, Najmah Heptullah, Ratnappa Kumbhar (Member of the first core committee on formation of Indian Constitution), RR Patil (Home minister of Maharashtra), Alexander (Then Governor of Maharashtra) many collectors and CEOs etc (I am not praising myself...but the fact is when one is in politics his/her circle increases).
One such incident happened that I shall remember for my life. It was Sharad Pawar's rally in Maharashtra against the then Shiv Sena Govt in Maharashtra. He had come to "Hotel Panchsheel" in Kolhapur and all of us (our Zilla team) went him to meet at the hotel before the rally. He asked my mom as to what I am doing these days? She said that I am in college. He turned to me and said "So you will be a graduate in some years? I said " Yes, I am in B.COM - I year and hopefully I shall be a graduate in next two years. He said “Study very hard and do something for our state" I nodded!
After two years he was back at the same hotel and we went again to meet him. Just after looking at me he instantly said “So you are a graduate now! Right! “I was shocked totally. How the hell and more importantly why the hell he remembers me? Not only that he remembers me, he recovers that I was in first year when he met me the last time and now that after two years I must have completed the course and that now I must be a graduate! I couldn’t say a word and just said "Yes, I am a graduate and recently got the degree!
His Personal assistant said that Sharad Pawar is like a computer and he knows and remembers names and numbers of at least 40 thousand people. He does not require computers/organizers to remember such things. His rivals says that he is actually the richest Indian and can extinguish the total loan of India with a blink of an eye and yet after doing so he shall be left with a fortune which shall remain with him for his next 50 generations!
Point that I am making here is that no doubt that politicians are hard core corrupt, but still it requires tremendous skill and heart to do what they do and reach where they are. These people are so shrewd and live with no conscious at all…but how hard that would be? In a normal office presentation we sweat hard to deliver and these people do it in front of thousands and lakhs of people. We do it to influence few people, they influence the nation. ( I am not touching as to how they do it, just its not that easy to be a crook too - LOL)
During my mom's tenure I had travelled to many offices like Zilla Parishad, Collector's office, Panchyat samitees, Secretariat and saw the state of affairs of my state and country and how actually the work gets done in our offices. Our govt runs many schemes for the people and if implemented with honesty, these schemes really have the capacity to turn things around. The department my mom was chairperson for had just started a scheme to grant sewing machines to the needy woman. There are hundreds of norms that have to be fulfilled but the one who makes it to the final list is set to get a sewing machine which shall bring about some sort of income source in the hands of the needy. My mother strived very hard to get 8 very very poor women in her constituency and those lucky women were handed over the machines in a ceremony. Now those women have their own small business of "Piko, fall to sarees (don’t know what is called), stitching clothes, dresses, shirts etc etc. Their lives have turned a lot. From earning nothing they are making a Rs.200 per day. It’s not a very high amount in these days, but certainly something good for a survival. Again, their husbands that were wasting their lives in getting drunkard are now helping their wives to run the household business! It only says that politics if taken for a noble cause can do wonders for the country and its politicians can actually can change the future of the motherland and the reverse is also true!
I am really proud of my mother for touching lives of so many people and being honest through her entire tenure. It changed my perception towards politics even though very slightly.
Thanks for reading the post and I do welcome comments from you people.
Enjoy.
