Gone are the days when politicians would speak truth to masses. The present working of politicians in the world makes one easily believe that politics is the game of cheats and it is a luxury and comfort for politicians at the cost of the interests of masses. We scarcely come across any politician who speaks truth nowadays.
And it is generally believed that two-facedness, double standards and deceit are their special characteristics, although they swear by principles, and ideologies. But there is no doubt that if wished and determined, politics can be made ethics based.
Politicians like Washington, Luther, Lincoln, Gandhi and others have shown that politics can be agreeable and complementary. It is sure that as long as political leaders do not work on honest lines, there can be no genuine social or moral progress. The politicians have a big role in bringing excellence in the society because they are fortunate to enjoy popularity among the public.
The politicians or leaders should not think that they have only the right to rule people, but they have a just responsibility to guide people in the right direction and lead them towards goodness. Material advancements should not be the only concern of politicians but their duty is also to set the system of the society right and push it towards sound progress.
The poet of the East, Iqbal (RA) is right when he says in his eternal verses,
“Juda Ho Din Seyast Se Toa Rah Jati Hay Chengaizi”
Iqbal is very clear in these lines that politics without principles and integrity brings tyranny and barbarity and suppresses goodness and justice. No religion of the world says that politics is not a part of the religion and they are separable.
The politicians of today take refuge in the so called democracy and under its garb legitimize their misdeeds. Any democracy today merely reiterates the story of a struggle for power, for perpetuating the power and to keep any kind of opposition away. Political parties symbolize nothing more than a bitter rivalry and greed for power. Rules, regulations and principles are thrown to winds and selfish aims and motives are achieved at any cost.
The politicians of today try to keep values and politics separate because they know that civility does not allow the adoption of short term aims but prefers values so that a better moral order and social system is established. In today’s political order values are least bothered and the symbols of goodness and righteousness have undergone a radical change.
It is witnessed that values and principles are being sacrificed for the sake of expediency and selfish gains. The current political atmosphere in most parts of the world is devoid of moral sense; opportunism has become a matter of faith with politicians.