This is Election time and we are getting into actual campaigning. Political parties are all busy planning their campaigns, striking alliances, announcing candidates and finalizing election strategy. Energy is being spent in mobilizing resources and producing campaign material for print, electronic and social media. A very large number of well meaning people turn to politics during elections. This is a positive trend. They are motivated by the feeling that they must contribute to nation building. Film actors, sports persons, achievers are being persuaded by parties to join them and in some cases even become candidates. This is also a season for many to switch parties. Switching of parties or defection during election time is called re-polarization of political forces.
Elections are also a great occasion for the mavericks. A maverick per se is independent in thought and action. He is not bound by the conventional rules. He is out of the ordinary. He shrills and at times is outlandish. He knows every trick on how to focus attention on himself. He attracts attention and publicity. He has no qualms about switching positions. He is more colourful on electronic media than conventional politicians. Social media particularly the Twitter has a huge space for accommodating the maverick opinions. Many mavericks are committed to ‘rent a cause’ philosophy. They are on the lookout for causes which they can espouse.
The word ‘maverick has its origin from the name of Samuel Augustus Maverick who was a land baron and a legislator in South Carolina in the 19th Century. He started as a land baron, handled his father’s business and thereafter studied law and opened a law office. During the Texas Revolution he was put under house arrest. He served as Mayor of Texas and held several elected offices. He had a small herd of cattle which was allowed to wander and the term ‘maverick’ was born to imply an unbranded calf.
India has its own share of mavericks. Many of the free thinkers join parties temporarily and then find themselves as misfit. Some have even formed political parties. Their style is unconventional. They make arguments in an idiom intended to derive maximum publicity. A maverick has a habit of making allegations without substance. Conventional politicians are reluctant to join issue with them because a maverick is capable of hitting below the belt. He is a wild card.
I have always wondered how to deal with a maverick. Do you answer questions which a maverick puts to you? Do you meet him when he tries to gate crash into your house? Do you allow him to occupy the centre stage by engaging him or do you ignore him and continue with your conventional style of setting the agenda? That I feel is a safer option. Silence can be the best response to a maverick. Silence is dignified. It saves you the embarrassment of engaging with a maverick on his bizarre agenda.
Narendra Modi therefore was well advised to deny an audience to Arvind Kejriwal.