How Moral Victory is Misnomer in Politics These Days

By: Dec 30th, 2017 12:29 am

Prof N.K. Singh

Former Chairman International Airports Authority of India

Himachal has recently gone through a clean campaign and change of government without soiling its name in the campaign and change of government in a smooth manner. Strangely no one after the results of election were announced for two states talked of Himachal as it was quiet. The Congress lost decisively with grace and no one in the Centre bothered about the party in state where Virbhadra Singh was valiantly fighting alone like the boy on a burning ship. Had he got the support from organisation, he could have delivered much better for the Congress.

But there was nothing in this election that could be less than moral. In fact during election campaign also there was peace and both parties fought with following norms of conduct as promulgated by the Election Commission. The biggest loss for the BJP was that Prem Kumar Dhumal, party’s face and CM candidate besides state party Satpal Satti lost their seats. Entire strategy was planned and fought by the CM candidate and yet he lost to his own protégé. Nevertheless, the party smoothly managed the transition in democratic spirit. It was strange contrast to Gujarat where nothing moral was left although claimed moral in the end.

But Gujarat was different cup of tea and all sam dand dand bhed were employed. It was desperate fight by the Congress which used all tricks yet lost. They claimed moral victory that seemed ridiculous as they had violated all norms of morality. The question of morality has been debated over the decades in the history of politics. Even in ancient times the morality in conduct of war and peace was a hot subject as revealed in Ramayana and Mahabharata.

Many great intellectuals dwelled on this subject. Chanakya for example wrote the treatise Arth Shahstra based on his own experience in winning a kingdom for Chander Gupta Maurya. In contemporary scene, the question was forgotten till the slogan shouting by the Congress after losing Gujarat election and calling the outcome, a moral victory. What was moral in Gujarat win no one explained it except that a party that was written off in Gujarat has staged a comeback. Although it was a defeat in the election, yet it denotes the change from lack of challenge to the BJP in its stronghold, to a contestable situation where both parties can be described as worthy of fight. But there is nothing moral in the outcome, it is a change in the political scenario that should be taken as a laudable change for the opposition Congress in the state.

Why search for moral credit whereas the morality was thrown to winds in Gujarat in the manner in which the election was fought. The advice of Election Commission was flouted by both the parties and two other local outfits. Abuse and innuendo were used in abundance and how it could be a moral victory of the party which was defeated and even for the party that won. Many even indulged in downgrading the Election Commission for example A. Kejriwal saying that EC takes commission from Modi that is why it is called Commission. It is outright slur and ill thought out comments.

Chanakya who prescribed the rules of state craft did allow use of less than moral methods quite in contrast to means advocated by Nicolo Macheavelli fifteen century philosopher who advocated use of underhand methods to further the interest of state. In case of Chanakya, it was clear that Dharma had to be kept high in the conduct of war and peace. Chanakya advocated less than moral methods only rarely and only in the interest of furthering objectives of the state not for personal gains. Morality still was above self advancement and lies.

The uses of words are gradually losing exact meanings that were originally in the vocabulary of right thinking persons. What is not moral is now moral for some and similarly anti- national word is losing its meanings when JNU students talk of breaking India and Afzal Guru long live and still claim to be nationalist. Hardik Patel and his associates talk ill of Marathas who fought with British and praise British who used Dalit soldiers to fight the Marathas. There are no standard meanings of martyrs or terrorists that are interchangeable for some. To claim moral victory of Congress after Gujarat defeat was laughable and not truly representing the outcome of election.


Keep watching our YouTube Channel ‘Divya Himachal TV’. Also,  Download our Android App