SCHOOL OF POLITICS, AGAIN!

Today, Shish was in high spirits.

N: What happened to you? You seem to be very happy.

Sh: And why not? Now, I feel we are getting closer to opening the school of democracy which will further grows to a college and then to a University for democracy.

N: Now, that is a very interesting dream!

Sh: No, it is not a dream. I had a talk with my parliamentarian, educationist friend. He told me that he is coming here to advise us about setting up the school, college and university.

N: Why is he doing it?

Sh: You see, though I do not ‘know’ it, there is a well known perception that there is lot of money in politics.

N: How?

Sh: If you ask me a question like that and want a clear answer, I have to say that I don’t know. I am not supposed to ‘know’.

N: But how do you know something that you are not supposed to know?

Sh: Like what the journalists would say, ‘from reliable sources’. Or like in TV they say, ‘the letter written by so and so 6 months back, is now with your channel’.

N: But you are not a journalist….

Sh: Who says so? Every citizen is a journalist. Haven’t you heard of citizen journalist? I am a citizen journalist. If I am not, I will become one.

N: Ok, ok. So you were telling that there is money in politics.

Sh: Did I say that? But, similarly, there is money in education also.

N: Ok, I don’t want to ask you how you know it. I just take it that, ‘they say….’ So, why is it relevant?

Sh: It is the most relevant. Politics and school – both together as a school of politics, can be pretty powerful. Don’t you think? And that is what is attracting my friend to come and start it here.

N: But we were talking about school of democracy, not politics.

Sh: But, where is democracy without politics?

N: What I want is a proper school of democracy. Not some money-making venture…. It has to be clean.

Sh: Of course, it will be clean …..

N: But Shish, it is not as easy as you think. We need lots of staff. From where are you going to get them?

Sh: Oh, that is not difficult. I have a friend who knows many ex- members of parliament and assemblies who are experts in everything about parliamentary democracy - including staging a walk-out, rushing to the well shouting slogans, disrupt proceedings etc. etc. There are lot of these people sitting idle, having lost the last elections….

N: Forget them. They shouldn’t come in the proximity of our school… We should talk about School of Politics or University of Politics – Not Politics of University!