Mr. Ghising – A Politician But Not A Leader

G K Chesterton once wrote, `He may be mad, but there’s method in his madness. There nearly always is a method in madness…. `, and in case of Mr. Subash Ghising, never were more true words ever spoken. Don’t get me wrong, I am not implying that the current caretaker of DGHC is mad; all I am saying is that, no matter how eccentric his acts may seem to outsiders, he is the most methodical politician around. A master strategist, he always succeeds in outwitting his opponents, commands absolute loyalty from his follower; and is perhaps the only well known Gorkhali in not just India but nearby countries (Nepal, Bhutan, and Bangladesh) too.

The raise of Mr. Ghising to absolute power in Darjeeling has always been questioned by political analysts and his detractors. Those who believe in conspiracy theory say that the Gorkhaland agitation was actually orchestrated by the RAW following orders from the then Prime Minister Mr. Rajiv Gandhi; some even say that Mr. Ghising is just an actor and there is someone else who does the actual play back singing. I don’t support or refute this claim, as I am not interested in understanding how he came to power. I am more interested in understanding, how he has managed to hold to that power for so long?

A tragedy for Darjeeling but an advantage for Mr. Ghising is the absence of opposition. To speak the truth, I seriously believe that lack of a real opposition and alternative, not only allows but also encourages Mr. Ghising to act as he pleases. Most of you may say `this is not true, we do have opposition`, ABGL? CPRM? CP(I)M? Congress (I)? please think seriously `do we really have an opposition? ` Do you seriously consider them to be an opposition to Mr. Ghising? I think not.

Whenever he seems to be loosing the ground beneath his feet, Mr. Ghising following the golden rule of politics, i.e. `when in doubt yourself, confuse others`; comes up with issues that are mind boggling and he has always been successful in making people focus on something which is completely irrelevant.. Try to remember the past 15 years; whenever there is election round the corner, Darjeeling has had the most number of issues to deal with, that are more important than mere elections; courtesy Mr. Ghising. All time favorite Gorkhaland, Leasehold land, Ceded land, No Mans land, Hague, Article 371, Sugauli Sandhi, and now Schedule Sixth. Sincerely, this man is a powerhouse of strategy and he always does his homework well; by the time the opposition even found out the meaning of all those words, Mr. Ghising repeatedly won elections and to give the devil its due, he still continues to outsmart his detractors.

Like all good politicians, Mr. Ghising has the gift of the gab, i.e. he is a very good orator; and he uses his talent to the hilt. More than any other politician in Darjeeling, he understands the people best; because majority of people in Darjeeling either don’t understand technical jargons or don’t care at all; he does not make great speeches, there is no need for that; he does what he does best, i.e. he talks those things that people want to hear, and talks in such a way that the things he says are understood by all. Thus, he is always popular among the masses.

His comments on religion may seem absurd to people around, but believe me there is logic behind why he does that. Marx once said `religion is the opium of poor`, and no one understands it better than Mr. Ghising; and he uses religion to his advantage. When he realized that many people in Darjeeling followed Sai Baba, he claimed to have had visions and in constant touch with the religious leader. Absurd you may say, but for me it makes absolute political sense; if, just by claiming to be in touch with some one without having to prove it, you gain votes; what will you do? Many of us would do what Mr. Ghising did or is doing. As far as idol worshipping and all the recent stunts go, it’s even easier to understand, he wants us to act like tribals. Well! It’s a different matter altogether that many of us were never tribals, and we find it hard to digest, not worshipping the idols.

His talk and discourses on many issues have hidden meanings and signs. Try to remember couple of year’s back; who was the first person to suggest that the King of Nepal could impose emergency in the country? Bang!!! On target!! none other than Mr. Ghising. When he made this statement, the media went crazy and laughed at the audacity of Mr. Ghising`s naiveness. Six months after Mr. Ghising made this statement, the king did impose emergency and the turn of events (emergence of Maoists as a powerhouse in Nepal) allowed Mr. Ghising to demand scheduled six designations for Darjeeling hills. Do you still think that it was just a coincidence? Sorry, but I beg to differ; each and every move Mr. Ghising has made as of date, has proved time and time again that he is a shrewd politician, as good as any in the region (south-Asia).

However, a good politician may not always be a good leader. These two words though used synonymously (politician and leader); do not mean the same; and its high time that we the people of Darjeeling realize this fact. Most of our people still take Mr. Ghising to be the leader, and that’s where we go wrong. He is no more our leader; rather he is a shrewd, cunning, smart and ruthless politician. If we understand this distinction between a politician and a leader, then I believe we can bring about a change. Because a leader is one who leads, not one who manipulates, a leader is concerned about the welfare of his people, not his own; and most important of all a leader emerges, we don’t need to elect or select him/her. But in case of Mr. Ghising, he is no more our leader, he is just another politician, and we - the people, have the power to throw him out. And no matter how long the voices of common people are crushed, the will of people has always been indomitable.

Finally, I leave you all with the immortal lines as stated by another shrewd politician, G. W. Bush. `I believe that God has planted human heart the desire to live in freedom, and even when the desire is crushed by tyranny for decades, it will rise again.`

Hope! I made some sense.