Why can’t politicians have fun seriously

Why can’t politicians have fun seriously

Recently a video of Rahul Gandhi at a club, attending a friend’s wedding in Nepal, went viral. The video became an occasion to sit in judgement on whether he is a serious politician. What is the role of a “serious” politician and does the politician in question fit the bill — I leave that part to people and party workers to decide. However, one segment of the reactions to the video clearly translates into this rather unreal expectation from politicians — that they can’t take time off to step out for lunch, dinners, social gatherings or to be seen amongst friends and family beyond work. It’s this notion that I choose to address.

Politicians are censured and reprimanded for stepping out of some imaginary Lakshman Rekha that draws the line on how they can dress, talk and eat in public. When I joined politics, I was advised by well-wishers to not share my personal life — details of my family and friends or holiday pictures on social media. I chose to disagree. I would be a hypocrite to hide an aspect of my life just to adhere to some expected standard of how society perceives its leaders. However, the few times that I have shared bits and pieces of my personal life, I have received repulsive comments on social media platforms, where the bots get unleashed. Hence, it is no wonder that many politicians choose to keep their lives private. Unfortunately, it is the era of mobile phones and surreptitious video recording that make it almost look like a crime to be seen to be letting your hair down.

In many countries it is considered normal for the head of State to take time off. As the profile and demography of politicians gets younger in a young nation, we need to embrace the idea of a changed way of political life. Wouldn’t it be nicer to have politicians share some moments of their private lives, those spent amongst their friends and family? Why should they look and behave like uptight killjoys, 24×7? It is the reality of today that the youth don’t connect with politicians. It is so because they can’t relate to someone who is always politically right. The definition of a ‘serious’ politician needs to be challenged and changed.

In the same vein, it should be normal to have politicians across political divides to enjoy some moments together. I recall an incident during an education summit in Doha in which Alka Lamba (Congress), Nupur Sharma (BJP) and I (Shiv Sena) took part, along with many others. After the summit, we went on a city tour and clicked a selfie together. In all sincerity, we posted it on our social media platforms. Little did we realise that it would go viral for months, with many commenting about how we were holidaying at some unknown destination instead of working for the people. While I found it very amusing, I ended up defending myself to many.

I believe it is time to stop putting politicians on a pedestal and tie them to the ideas of ‘tyaag and balidaan’. More importantly, political opposition should be based on issues; reducing the narrative to commenting on personal lives is the lowest form of opposition. We politicians are as human as anyone else. Stepping out for a breather is something every profession and organisation encourages as long as it doesn’t come in the way of work. Ever since the pandemic happened, there has been a constant emphasis on mental health and fitness, and creating awareness about work-life balance. As a society, we need to normalise politicians having a personal life without being critical, unless it involves behaviour that is banned by law. Wouldn’t people prefer to see those in political lives as one of their own, facing similar challenges, similar time constraints, similar work-related stress?