Musing on the recent political developments in Karnataka over a glass of the potion that rouses mystique qualities in the mind, I thought of the peculiar way we call the Final Decision Making Body of political parties as the High Command.

Actually, the phrase High Command means the highest leader in an organisation and is used commonly in military where the Commander – in - Chief or the senior - most officers are called the High Command. This compound word naturally has a ring of hubris and absolute brutal authority. Therefore, when it is used in the civilian organizations or by the political parties, that too in a democracy, it connotes that the Command and Control of the party lies with some individual.

I had heard this word being used by the Congress party members and read about it in newspapers, not so much during Nehru's days but during Indira Gandhi’s days. Who else could be the High Command at a time when "Indira was India and India was Indira?" Being the ruling party, had the Congress High Command (read Indira Gandhi) become the Democratic Dictator? A paradox? Well, that is possible in a functioning anarchy, to borrow John Galbraith's phrase to describe Indian democracy.

Now, to come back to the High Command of political parties, the question any liberal-minded person should ask is: Should this phrase or name High Command be used by print and electronic media at all? Can’t we media people substitute that abominable, military word High Command with some other word or phrase compatible to the spirit of our democratic political system?

I remember the days during Nehru, reading often in the newspapers the word in acronym CWC for Congress Working Committee, the highest decision - making body, being used.

From the editing point of view too, I would prefer CWC rather than the High Command, for the former takes less space of the costly newsprint than the latter! This, speaking as a print journalist and also a democrat. The name or phrase High Command is anathema to me as it suggests some big boss sitting somewhere and unilaterally taking a decision. It smacks of dictatorship. Beware. Remember 1975 - 77? Communists have a better, more democratic (!) name for their High Command — politbureau.

History is replete with proof that written and spoken words have tremendous power to influence, mesmerize and drive people to move in the direction of a dictator. An illustrative anecdote:

As the war clouds were gathering over Europe, just before the Second World War, Winston Churchill went to meet Hitler in Berlin at his 3rd floor office. Churchill asked Hitler whether he could get implicit obedience from his soldiers to fight the war. Hitler smiled, his weirdest smile, and shouted, "Guard!" The guard, appeared before him, clicked his boots and snapped a taut salute. Even as he was doing this drill, Hitler shouted, "Jump from the window." To Churchill’s astonishment, the guard was gone!

Be that as it may, there is much heart - burn and disappointment in the Congress camp and also JD (S) in the State about the decision of the Congress High Command in rejecting the Governor H. R. Bhardwaj's recommendation to the UPA Government led by Congress to dismiss the BJP government in Karnataka and impose President's rule. Opposition in Karnataka, both Congress and JD (S), was blinded by its one - point agenda to bring down, not so much the BJP government as B.S. Yeddyurappa.

Corruption was used as a weapon for this purpose and no doubt, like all politicians, as also all latter year Chief Ministers, B. S. Yeddyurappa too is corrupt, say allegedly corrupt. And people of Karnataka know this. Therefore, branding Yeddyurappa as corrupt is like the kettle calling the pot black.

Not surprisingly, despite Police complaints, support from the Lokayukta and the Governor himself, Yeddyurappa could not be made to resign on his own or removed by other means. The poaching of 16 MLAs from BJP to bring down the government in a no - confidence motion engineered by JD (S) with tacit backing from the Congress, backfired as we all know. Finally, the matter going to the High Court and then to the Supreme Court and the judgment are now passe.

Though the Supreme Court judgment was a victory for the 16 MLAs, it was not a victory for JD (S) and the Congress, though they had that illusion. The 16 MLAs said “enough is enough” and decided to support Yeddyurappa and the BJP.

It is here once again that a final assault on BJP and Yeddyurappa was made with the help of a blatantly partisan Governor who, for the second time, recommended the imposition of President’s rule on frivolous and constitutionally untenable grounds. But UPA did not have majority in Rajya Sabha to get the President’s rule approved.

The Centre dragged its feet in taking a decision unnecessarily, creating an unsettled political situation in the State and giving room for agitations and road blocks, causing difficulties to Karnataka people and tourists.

And finally, the UPA government said NO. But qualified this No - President's - Rule with a face - saving “advisory” the kind the foreign governments give to the tourists visiting India! So be it.

On the flip side, we have one State - level Kannada newspaper with a new editor blaming Congress for not imposing President's rule and blaming BJP for not removing B. S. Yeddyurappa. This editor had the audacity and gumption to write that the Congress High Command Sonia Gandhi is weak because, like Indira Gandhi, she was not an "accepted" leader, but only an "appointed leader". Similarly, the BJP High Command Nitin Gadkari. Therefore, asks this learned editor: How can this kind of people have the power of command? They are in that position because they are put there by some.

Well, well, well. Sure, in his view, if Sonia Gandhi had imposed the President's Rule in Karnataka, she could be considered as the High Command with the power of command. Similarly, if Nitin Gadkari had dismissed B. S. Yeddyurappa from the Chief Ministership of Karnataka, he could be considered as the High Command with the power of command. What perverted logic!

Politics is a circus. How much do the spectators know of the performance compulsions of the artistes? When the ring master cracks his whip menacingly with a twang to make the lion perform, he also knows that one wrong move and the lion will either maul or devour him. Only the High Commands of political parties know this. Therefore, journalists and editors should neither be prejudiced nor tendentious in their writings, unless otherwise there is a reason for it. Did you get me Steve?

Just because the High Command did not take a decision to the liking of the party with vested interest, the High Command cannot be called "low command" as described by this editor.

To prove his point, this editor has given the example of Gujarat where the "leader of farmers," Keshubai Patel had 30 % of the State population belonging to his Patel caste. There was corruption charges against him and the BJP High Command of Vajpayee - Advani dismissed him and appointed Narendra Modi.

The suggestion, apparently, is that Nitin Gadkari of BJP High Command too could have done the same with B. S. Yeddyurappa who has only 18 % of his Lingayat caste people in Karnataka. What a dark wish. What is sauce for the goose cannot be the sauce for turkey. Karnataka is not Gujarat. And then the editor seems to have got the figures wrong. The Lingayat population in Karnataka is 22 % and not 18 %. And in Gujarat, the Patel population is 20 % and not 30 %. Fudging accounts and statistics to prove a predetermined point is unethical.

The editor also laments lack of first class leadership at present. But we don't need dictators. Not even benevolent dictators. Have you even seen a vegetarian tiger? Anyway, when did we have first class leadership in our State? Probably in Kengal Hanumanthaiah. But he was dislodged. S. Nijalingappa. He never got elected with popular votes. Devaraj Urs? He was accused of institutionalizing corruption in Karnataka.

According to this editor, may be, we got first class leadership in Dharam Singh and H. D. Kumaraswamy. The present one, B. S. Yeddyurappa, of course, is already neck - deep in corruption charges. So where do we go from here looking for first class leadership? Ask the editor who has rubbished the present Congress and BJP High Command, simply because one failed to impose President's rule in Karnataka and another failed to dismiss B. S. Yeddyurappa from the office of Chief Minister.

Jai Karnataka