What might by now be clear about the highly trumpeted US presidential elections is that the choice is narrowing down to two worthies — Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. This is aside from the many ifs and buts. What is also clear by now is that, for good or for worse, the American elections are taking several leaves from India’s election fights; the raising of wild allegations, campaign themes leaving aside the fundamentals and coursing through the personal vilification campaigns and the sensational charades, and — by God — there were even street fights this time.
The real fight is yet to start, and the battle lines are yet to be drawn. What went through were the fights in the primaries and general consensus is that Republican presidential aspirant Donald Trump will face up to Democrat hopeful and former secretary of state Hillary Clinton. Projections before Tuesday’s decisive contests in six states have it that it will be Hillary who will clinch the Democrat nomination, and not Bernie Sanders her rival. That scenario would also see for the first time a woman entering the presidential race, and a politically experienced one at that.
In a way, there too, India has shown the way to America by having women leaders running the affairs of the country for decades. American politics warmed up to women a little late, also long after Europe came up with legendary figures like Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s and present day Germany’s Angela Merkel ruling the roost and holding entire Europe under her spell. America can, of course, claim a little mark up in the field of a corporate honcho, Trump, not only contesting but in reality becoming a serious contender. He bashes politicians in his many addresses and openly distances himself from that very tribe.
Hillary has political and governance experience with her, both of which Donald Trump is lacking. Trump more than makes this up with his tongue power. He is admittedly a controversial figure, and what he speaks might not be music to all ears. He has an uncanny knack to provoke adversaries, and that has reached upto a level where he went to the extent of scandalising rival Clintons to a new low.
He rubbished neighbours like Mexico, needled countries like India and China that he said were stealing jobs from Americans, and repeatedly cocked a snook at Moslems, women, journalists and differently-abled citizens. All of which turned the pro-establishment media against him, but the Americans at large, it seems, have taken a fancy to the billionaire business mogul.
He made his money from realty business and built his personal halo from being a long-held debater on national TV channels. There is a refreshing feel about what he says, unlike the stock phrases of the rest of the political breed. All of these however are no guarantee that he will finally walk into White House or work from the Oval office. But, with Trump around, the pattern of presidential election debates has changed and it more resembles the street-smartness of the Indian election campaigns, with a bit of street fights thrown in too.
While India shows the way to the wider world in making a success out of democracy, fact is also that a process of ‘perfectioning’ of the system is ongoing. Evidence is the peaceful assembly elections in Bihar last year. The land of the jungle raj changed its perception of being a domain of muscle power, at least during the duration of the polls, part of the credit going to effective EC monitoring and security deployment.
So much so, there was hardly any disruption to the normal election process. The same scenario was witnessed in Assam during the phased April-May round this year, though several factors there caused worry before the polls. In West Bengal, another battleground where emotions were set to erupt into fights, only stray cases of violence were reported. It showed, overall, a maturing of India’s democratic process, from which Americans can take more lessons in the future.
This is not to say India has already perfected itself.
Unlike the USA with only two parties to choose from, India has a much larger choice. Yet, the average voter is often confused about whom to vote. American elections are all about money power. India has, to its credit, shown the path that a party in power, like the Congress or the BJP with tons of money, cannot be certain of victory.
It’s not only money that works here. On the unfortunate side, this time the campaign preceding the US Presidential election has become completely localized. This is slightly scary because with forces such as the IS, Boko Haram and others getting stronger and the US looking only inwards with no world view, the International Policeman may be fazing out. Such a situation could lead to a world without any superpower. Whether that would be good or bad is for time to tell humanity.
All the same, it is a refreshing thought that what India does today, the world does tomorrow; and that America and its politicians are not far behind in following Indian ways at the hustings.
