Shobhaa’s Take: The booing brigade

As the old saying goes, “Can you say ‘boo’ to a goose?” Well, in India, we don’t waste our precious time booing geese. We reserve our boos for chief ministers. Each time the Prime Minister steps out to attend important functions in states that are still hanging on to their own non-BJP leaders (with time bombs ticking away), the crowds make sure nobody but Narendra Modi is heard. The heckling starts as soon as the other bloke gets hold of the microphone… and does not cease, till the poor chap hastily winds up his speech and retreats to lick his wounds.

Mr Modi, on his part, does make a half-hearted attempt to control vociferous hecklers from his party, by raising his hand and gesturing to the unruly, ill-mannered mobs to keep quiet. But he is frequently ignored. There are those who are making noises and claiming this sort of disruptive activity is nothing short of a “rape” of the system. Hyperbole has piled up on more hyperbole, as three miffed chief ministers (Prithviraj Chavan, Hemant Soren and Bhupinder Singh Hooda) have retired hurt to their respective corners. Mr Chavan sulked and boycotted a Modi function — a “bhumi pujan” of a Metro project in Nagpur, while BJP spokesperson took that as a cue to criticise Mr Chavan and accuse him of a “breach of constitutional propriety”. There were also the predictable charges by BJPwallas — childish, at best — aimed at non-BJP leaders who are “jealous” of and “threatened” by Mr Modi’s popularity.

Critics of the Booing Brigade have been reminded over and over again that the surging crowds come to listen to Mr Modi and nobody else. If that is the case, why bother with niceties and invite anybody? But having invited the chief minister, surely it becomes obligatory for the Prime Minister to ensure his supporters maintain some level of decorum? Civi-lised conduct? Or is heckling the new weapon to brow beat those who are from other political parties? It certainly seems that way.

Booing opponents is not a BJP invention. Booing is an age-old form of silencing or intimidating those one does not wish to validate. It happens on sports fields, during theatre performances, concerts and on several other public platforms where people gather to judge, comment, debate, disagree. That much is true. And yes, it is also pretty democratic. Can a citizen living across the border, think of booing any political leader in public without facing serious repercussions? I am all for booing. It is the least harmful form of protest. But I do have a major problem with this kind of orchestrated booing without any provocation. It is important to underline that there is something pretty nuts out there that can be called “Booing Protocol”. By all means boo, but please follow a few basic rules. At least pretend it’s a spontaneous act!

What we have seen this week appears to be a well-thought-through strategy to diminish and embarrass non-BJP chief ministers who are still around, trying their best to do their jobs, with elections in their states hanging over their heads. From what one hears, their speeches do not qualify as “inflammatory”, nor aimed at the Prime Minister. Why not show enough grace and good manners to allow the chief ministers to say their pieces during official functions?

Eventually, it’s the people of their states that will decide which party to vote for.

Hecklers may dent a meeting or two with their booing. But will they seriously influence the vote?

It is a given that Maharashtra is all set for a change — whether or not Mr Chavan is allowed to occupy his kursi for much longer. No matter which combo the BJP picks (more masala flavours if it partners Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, less spicy if it sticks to the Shiv Sena), it looks like the Congress will be history in Maharashtra. To that extent, the Congress can reconcile itself to an imminent defeat, regardless of whether Mr Chavan boycotts Mr Modi’s functions or not. BJP vice-president Mukhtar Abbaas Naqvi has piously declared, “This kind of negative politics (boycotts) will not help the Congress.” Mr Naqvi is right, of course. At this stage, nothing is likely to help the Congress. That’s a given.

But it is worth reminding Mr Naqvi and other BJP leaders that booing and heckling will not show their party in a particularly charming light, either. Every political party displays its own peculiar culture — especially when it wins in as spectacular a manner as the BJP recently did. Here’s hoping Mr Modi himself takes the initiative and stops party loyalists from indulging in crass public conduct. If he does not intervene, it will be rightfully said that it is ultimately the leader of the party who sets the tone and comes up with an acceptable code of conduct.

Mr Modi cannot shirk this responsibility. If his worker ants continue with crass booing, it will be left to the people of India to warn the BJP that they expect far better from the party (and leader) they voted for with such hope and optimism. Booing opponents was not part of the deal.

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