“Politics” this word has become an infamous word now-a-days. The basic definition about Politics has under gone change in recent past. When referred, people imagine some dirty politicians craving for power and doing everything and anything possible and trying their best to pull each other down, just to be in power. But, if we go back in history, there can be many instances found where politics has been used as a tool to achieve goals, good or bad. Some people also say that politics is a drainage system, just full of waste and rubbish. But my stance on politics is different.

I feel that politics prevails everywhere, in life of each one of us. Knowingly or unknowingly we are a part of it. I view it as a tool or a weapon for us to defend ourselves, sometimes to attack the enemies in a battle called “Survival of the fittest…” In his book Mein Kampf, Adolf Hitler mentions the years and years of politics that England played to remain the front-most power in Europe. They engaged all the aspirants to fight among themselves so that nobody becomes powerful enough to challenge them. This is a political game they played to remain powerful, not attacking enemies directly, but making them fight among themselves so that they remain the ultimate winner.

Another instance could be of our great Indian Hero, Shivaji Maharaj. When he was under the arrest of Aurangzeb, it was not easy for him to escape from his clutches as the latter was too powerful to defeat. But Shivaji struck the weakness of Aurangzeb’s security and made a loophole in it and escaped. The unlawful escape from the captivity can be viewed as an offence from Aurangzeb’s point of view, but for benefit of his people and his kingdom Shivaji had to do. It was not an act of cowardice, but he actually proved that Wit is mightier than Swords. His intention behind it was well justified.

The point I am trying to make here is that, everyone is allowed to use politics in their life as a tool, but the purpose behind it is what actually matters. Today people have made a dirty definition for politics and simply bad-mouth the people involved in it. If we feel that it is a drain, then we forget that we need to enter in a drain to clean it. Today politics has become a race for the survival of the fittest. The one who can play this game best is the winner. Some play vote-bank politics while some try to be extremists and try to get votes out of it. Hate speeches and many more things have now become the tools. Austerity is now gaining importance in this sector. But why should one blame them? When the ultimate power is in our hands, why to allow them to play such games? Not to forget, we are the fittest to survive. If we play politics too, where would they go? They cannot escape and can be our slaves if we play “Vote for No-body” politics.

Coming to smaller scenarios involving our daily life, we come across politics in offices, our housing societies and many more places. In today’s world one has to be well skilled and efficient in playing politics not with a dirty intention though, but at least to protect ourselves from games and treacheries that our rivals may play against us. Like some people may try to use you for their selfish needs. But to retaliate to it and not to allow that person to use you as puppet, there is nothing wrong if you play tactics against that person. “Iron moulds Iron” (Loha Lohe ko Kaatata hain) is really applicable in such cases.

To sum up, we need to change our perception about politics. Just cursing it will not really help. Nobody in this world shall ever stop you from being a part of politics or using it for your purpose. It is just that the efficiency and expertise you show in it is what really matters. If you deliver your best then you are benefitted to a great extent. We can think of our life as a Chess-board. A different kind of chess board where one can use treacheries, game plans and strategies to break their counter-parts on the enemy’s side.

The burgeoning number of political parties is an issue which should rightly concern all of us . Of all functioning democracies and India being the largest, it also faces the largest threat on this account. It is doubtless necessary for a vibrant democracy to have political parties to champion the causes of people but in India the number of parties which are in existence at this point of time is simply mind-boggling. The number of political parties both at the national and regional levels has registered an unprecedented growth. And exercises at electoral reforms so far have failed to dampen the ebullient spirits of our political leaders in forming parties. The regional outfits have outshone the national parties in this regard.

A majority of these regional parties are formed with an ideological veneer by a person who is clever enough to give it a regional content of an emotional character which helps tremendously in arousing mass emotion and by riding piggyback on it he sets out to achieve his personal agenda and thereby establishing his own fief. He fiefdom consists of his family and a band of hangers-on who swear by their loyalty to him .In return when he succeeds in a big way his followers are duly rewarded with ministerial berths and other offices. Existence of such parties in the Hindi heart-belt is too common a phenomenon to deserve particular mention. In a scenario when the results of an assembly election is tight, the regional parties suddenly grow in larger than life importance and greatly succeed in driving a hard bargain at the cost of the people.

In the South the picture is no different. In Tamil Nadu the establishment of a particular family's rule is almost complete. Perhaps it would be appropriate to recall the events during the formation of the second UPA Government when DMK chief was ridiculously trying to gift the nation a few members as ministers in Dr. Manmohan Singh's cabinet!

West Bengal which at the vanguard of the Leftist movement in the country has so-called left parties in innumberable avatars just to champion the cause of the poor! It defies all logic to explain why these parties are in such great numbers if the ideological moorings are the same!

One year have been passed after the election of Barak Hussain Obama to the president ship of USA. Also one month is remaining to complete his first year in White house. Within this one year Obama had received by many world leaders at their own countries. But Obama hadn't received any well known personality in his country. Probably it is due to recession followed hidden , undeclared economical emergency. Thus in recent day, our Prime Minister Mr.Manmohan Sing had got the golden chance to be the first chief guest of Obama after his crowning to White House. Now our medias and media persons are in research about what Mr. Manmohan had gained by this four day visit to USA.

Actually the media was very inquisitive about this visit. The reason behind their curiosity was the political tsunami that took place in India following the sign up of nuclear treaty and strategic Co-operation treaty between Mr. Manmohan Sing and the then US President Mr. George W Bush. Both the treaties were discussed all over the world and in India it gave rise to many controversies also.

The treaty caused to withdraw the support that the left front has been giving for four years to Manmohan Sing lead UPA government. But dramatically Samajwadi Party of Mulayam Sing Yadav offered their condition less support which retained the government in seat and helped to complete the full five year span. Actually Mr. Manmohan Sing was very lucky to get this support unexpectedly. Left front calculated that the withdrawal of their support will create pressure on UPA government and would return to the line of their vision. But the alliance changed unexpectedly and what left front expected didn't work. Instead they lost one of their talented parliamentarian Mr.Somanadh Chaterjee who was the Speaker of Loksabha then.

Manmohan Sing was very confident after crowning in for a second term. In the recent election in India he had to defeat the fascist alliance NDA (National Democratic Alliance) lead by Bharatheeya Janatha Party (BJP) and the left alliance led by Communist Party of India (Marxist) - CPI(M) who were their tea partner for the last four years. In a totally unexpected wave Congress(I) lead United Progressive Alliance (UPA) whirled away both of the above alliances. The confidence gained from this victory encouraged Mr.Manmohan to visit the new hero of White House ,Mr.Barak Husain Obama.

Before leaving to USA , Manmohan Sing had an interview with Washington Post. In that interview he cared very well to control his tongue and uttered words that gives pleasure to his host country. Even a baby knows that USA had great trouble in continuing their military power in Afganisthan. But our poor PM  had told if US fails in Afganisthan it will create far spreading effects. He also pointed that if it happens ,the internal wars will increase in Afganisthan . Hence US and the whole global community had to extend their all helping hands to Afganisthan without any interruption. His opinion clearly reveals the chain on his tongue. What Mr.Obama expected was also the same support.

This is the eighth year of invasion of US Army in Afganisthan and still the joint troop of USA and NATO was unable to rise their flag above Taliban Militants. Hence USA is continuously requesting India to provide her military support in Afganisthan. The geographical and climatic conditions of India and Afganisthan being more or less same Indian soldiers can fight against Taliban effectively. If Indian troop comes US can withdraw their own soldiers gaining an image among US citizens. But hope Manmohan Sing will not jump into that trap thoughtlessly.

A lot of papers have been signed in White house by Obama and Manmohan Sing. Most important among them being the joint fight against terrorism. But the concept of terrorism in both countries are entirely different. To US terrorism is the civilian protest in Afganisthan and Iraq against US army. Also US categorise the fight of Hamaz against Israel to free their own homeland as terrorism. Actually in these countries people are fighting for the independence of their motherland from foreign invaders like India did years ago against British people. Now, regarding India terrorism is the Pakistan supported activities in Kashmir. Also India accuse all the lightning bomb blasts and attacks in different cities of India as carried out by some terrorist groups like Lashkare Twayyiba rooted in Pakistan and counted as terrorism. India has the opinion that if a bomb blasts any where in India, a narrow root of it will be coming from Pakistan. But Pakistan gets all these assistance from USA. To demolish Taliban from Afganisthan and to conquer Usama Bin Laden and Mulla Umer who are the real headaches of US Army. Pakistan's support and co-operation is highly essential for USA in this matter.Hence they give enormous help to Pakistan in the form of weapons and other war materials. India gets anxious on these since she believes that she will be the first victim of these weapons instead of Usama Bin Laden and Mulla Umer.

The investigative agencies of US warns India about another attack like last years Mumbai terrorist attack  (26/11).The planning and organisation of attack is carried out by none other than Pakistan based terrorists. India's main demand to US is to force Pakistan to take sincere efforts to stop terrorism. US helps Pakistan , where terrorism grows and prospers. So India requests to US to rethink on their arms help to Pakisthan. But Pakisthan accuses that India provides help to Baloochisthan people to fight against Pakisthan. So the tug of war continues and US keeps silence since they get the best market for arms between these exaggerated fears.

Eventhough India had signed the well propagated Nuclear Treaty with US , the promised helps are not received yet. According  the agreement US had to supply enriched Uranium to India. But US steps back from this since India hadn't signed Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) yet. India can't sign CTBT unless China and Pakisthan sign it. They will not sign till India signs. So a dead lock condition exists there.

By his recent visit to US ,  Mr. Manmohan aims condition less help for nuclear energy development. But a single clue regarding it  hadn't received even after the "most successful visit". Also Obama hadn't uttered a word on India's prolonged cry to be a permanent membership in UN Security Council. If US supports India in this matter, naturally China and Pakisthan will oppose the movement. It will break US's trade link with these countries.

Obama makes Indians delighted by declarations like, US wants to be a good friend of " the emerging power of twenty first century" , India. At the same time when India request support to its Security Council post he keeps silence. Thus prime minister's visit to USA helped only to have some agreements to improve the co-operation in the areas of Science and Technology , education and environmental issues.

Politicians always say that they are there to do serve the people which is more popularly known as "Praja Seva".  No other word would be more appropriate to a politician than "Praja Seva" if you look at the meaning of the word from a different angle as it is our Praja which does Seva to our politicians. A few example of our Praja does Seva to our politicians are:-

How people retrieve politicians caught in scams:- If a politician is caught in a scam, he defends himself in front of the people saying that he has been victimized since he belongs to a particular caste. Our people waste no time in coming under the emotional black mail of these politicians  by holding rallies in support of politician and by burning vehicles and public property to show our support to our dear politician. Our Praja in their endeavour to do Seva to our politicians, conveniently forget that the losses incurred on account of destruction of property need to be borne by us.

How people rescue politicians families from cases:- If a politicians son is caught in an accident or charged for misbehavior by law and order authorities, then the politicians comes to his sons rescue by appealing to the people saying that  his son has been falsely charged with allegations since he belongs to the minority community. The politicians and their entire families go overboard in doing whatever they want in their lives whether ethical or unethical because they know for a fact that they are assured of their Seva from Praja.

People help politicians in getting their statues constructed:- If a politician wants to boost his ego by getting his statue constructed then again he appeals to the people by saying that when we can have status of people belonging to forward castes, then what is the problem with installing statues of politicians of backward castes.  Again people waste no time in getting the wishes of their leader fulfilled at the expense of crores of rupees, which actually belongs to people themselves but which they do not realize.

Our Praja do not have any time in doing Seva for themselves or to their families, their colleagues, their society  or in the environment they live in, but they have plenty of time to do Seva to their dear politicians and their families and in fulfilling as their wishes and desires.