I am quite a feminist when it comes to my personal views on women and their empowerment. So while writing what I am just going to, I hope I do not ‘greatly’ rub up the wrong way and offend any feminist sensibilities of my fellow blog readers and more then that my own self, when I say that politics and statecraft have been, and are predominantly male domains.
Somehow I hate meeting politicians and bureaucrats. Though I haven’t met many in my short freelancing career of two years but whoever I have met has ended up giving me some or the other reason to detest the complete bandwagon of the political and bureaucratic system.
I had not planned any formal meeting today. The hot and sunny day today had to be all about doing a fitness interview with one of the finalists of Miss India contest, a story for the campus page and another something on relationships.
But as they say, what you don’t think in your wildest dreams happens. I bumped into this tall hefty guy, roughly about 32 years of age, who asked me about one of the correspondents while going downstairs.
“Towards the left,” I said.
The correspondent was rushing for his story and asked me to interview this guy regarding one of the front page issues in the paper. Though the interview wasn’t very important since, he had to give me a few justifications on the behalf of the administration, which was only going to bind a few strings for that correspondent’s next story.
He was a bureaucrat with the administration though not at a very high post but at a level where he knew what went on in the government and he being a small part of it was here to meet the correspondent.
The interview hardly lasted 7 minutes and by the 8th minute it was all about his off the record views which lasted for the next 15 minutes.
“Well don’t quote me on this one but things are not as bad as they seem to be. Its just about making a few mutual arrangements these days.” He said.
“Well I know that and I believe we all, including the citizens know that.”
The discussion carried on for a while but his last few justifications were mind-boggling. Though we are quite familiar with these things and read about them in papers but such directness in my face? I had never faced truth in such a naked way. It seemed as if somebody was continuously throwing acid on my face and I was just sitting there watching him, neither able to run away, nor able to hit him back.
“Well madam, the hours are long, the work is demanding, the routine monotonous and the pay poor. So where do these politicians and bureaucrats go for leisure. I think they are very human and prey to the same temptation and lure of flesh that afflicts us mortal men.”
The word ‘us’ was another surprise in his kitty and I actually pondered for a while as to Was it true? Afterall this guy had so much conviction in his tone.
Not paying heed to the conflict inside me he continued. “Thus there is a sharp, short, tactful extra marital association with the lady of the night, one who is easy, decorous and well versed with the art of pleasing. She is not necessarily a whore but, admittedly she has no great moral pressures about lending her body in return for the dubious distinction of mingling with power. And let me tell you women journalists are in great demand.”
“What?” I could not stop myself
But he went on, “And I think it is ok also. The men who are guiding the nation need to be the men of the world in their widest sense of that term. I think the amorousness can be justified because these men shoulder immense responsibilities. If his carnal appetites are full, of course he will govern better.”
With this he ended his ‘speech’ and went away leaving me staggered, surprised, ‘enlightened’ (pun intended). A somewhat putrid feeling overcoming me. With such simplicity he had justified everything.
What the hell is happening? Is it right or is it wrong? And more then that what can we do if at all we think it is wrong? Who is this man of power cheating on? His women and family? His country or for that matter nobody (since it is his personal life). I am still raking my brain and trying to get out of the trivia that has suddenly overcome my mind.
The only answer that comes to me is that we cannot have a right to confront any ‘man of power’ who has a mistress tucked away somewhere, but if, with this he preaches morality and his personal liaisons have an effect on his professional conduct then the citizenry and the fourth estate has every right to brazen out at him.
But the complete effortlessness and ease with which this guy justified everything is something that remains with me.
