The Opposition Politics –Top Down doesn’t work, is yet to be realized

The Opposition Politics –Top Down doesn’t work, is yet to be realized​

By: Amit Bhushan Date: 7th Feb.2018

The competition among Opposition Netas to create ruckus in House/s and on street to grab eye-balls seem to be on rise. This is even when the Elections in the Western state clearly depicted otherwise. The Netas ‘starring’ on TV shows lost by a healthy margin; many chose to openly rely on ‘outsider’ support for street-rallies but again of limited help; and the older caste-equations formula was fully tested in the urban, semi-urban areas as no ones’ sure if it really worked, but won’t spell a word and continue to behave as ‘pundit’. Of course the political need for ‘Jugaads’ amongst Netas would continue to keep such ‘pundits’ busy. What perhaps worked was Netas with rather solid ‘ground presence and actions’ being able to leverage ‘mass-anger’ to electoral fortunes by behaving as if in possession of some magic-potion. The rural areas gave a much clearer signal then semi-urban areas while urban areas probably understood need for ‘reforms’ rather better. This magic-potion requirements will of course put pressure on the party leaderships to search for formulas, which can possibly do the trick and sell with the masses. For now, corruption and mal-governance including stifling of voices and murder of democracy etc. are a good talking point since nearly politicos prefer to take action without discussions/deliberations and providing solutions becomes a responsibility only when one is in government and preferably a Mantri in the same.

The government’s effort for a positive campaign by enlisting its achievements and ignoring street protesters want to deny ‘news space’ for such politicos since any government action gets better coverage with clever Netas hobbling with Journos to derive mileage out of the same. There would however be a need to map challengers to such Netas within their constituency strong holds regards what was the practices and outcomes in past vis-à-vis the present, something which ‘talk-show’ Netas of ‘all parties’ tend to avoid and thus the ‘Game of Thrones’ is played on expectations and perceptions. But taking initiative to reach-out to masses is something the Netas forgot long back and this included the then ‘opposition-and-now-government’ Netas as well which led to the ‘rise and rise’ of corruption. This creates as well as is creating a space for new Netas and parties and the Capital is only a testimony for the same even if nearly all established party and Netas want to live in denial and continue to put pressure on this ‘space’. Even in the Elections in the Western state, rise of independent Netas had to be supported for ‘claiming victory’ by the ‘opposition’, although once victorious this tends to be forgotten easily in politics. Thus instead of understanding the ‘contours of victory’ as well as the ‘internal challenges and threats’ to it, each of the party and Netas want to behave as if it has already been achieved and let their re-assurance be contagious to other party Netas as well as for the voters. Then of course we have the commercial news media with Idol-worshipping Journos ever wanting to prop-up identities at the spur of the moment, taking over some of the Netagiri mantle from the Netas themselves and doing the rest. This is even more likely to segment and fragment the ‘victory’ for any Coalition to be of any comfort with expected advantage to one knows who in such circumstances. A sure way to hasten 'change' would be government focus on its rhetoric rather than governance which does seem to be the case & now some parties and Netas milching it effectively. Let the ‘Game’ evolve…

 

[Swaswati Borpuzari]

The concept that opposition politics from a top-down approach does not work is a widely acknowledged yet often under-realized phenomenon in modern democratic societies. This paradigm suggests that the effectiveness of opposition parties is significantly diminished when they rely solely on leadership-driven strategies, rather than fostering a grassroots, community-centric engagement. In many countries, opposition leaders often find themselves isolated from the very people they aim to represent, engaging more in elite-level negotiations and media spectacles than in substantive, on-the-ground activism. This disconnect can lead to policies and platforms that do not accurately reflect the needs and aspirations of the electorate, thereby failing to gain the necessary support to challenge the ruling party effectively. Moreover, the top-down approach can stifle innovation and creativity within the opposition, as it centralizes decision-making and limits the input of diverse voices. For opposition politics to truly thrive and contribute to a robust democratic process, it must be inclusive, participatory, and deeply rooted in the concerns of the people. Only by building a strong foundation at the grassroots level can opposition parties hope to mobilize a broad base of support and effect meaningful change. This realization, however, is still nascent in many political contexts, where traditional power structures and hierarchical systems remain deeply entrenched. Transitioning to a more bottom-up approach requires a fundamental shift in political culture, one that values the input and engagement of all citizens, not just the elite few. Until this transition is fully embraced, the potential of opposition politics to drive positive societal transformation will remain largely untapped.