One, who is bent on making a career in politics or in public life, needs not be put off by the general strand of criticism that politics is the last resort of the scoundrel. He should be bold and wise enough to draw inspiration from the fact that much of what is good and adorable in our private and public life is the result of the endeavours and sacrifices of those who were in the wider realm of politics. These people grew larger than life, making us feel proud of them and going down in history as men of remarkable integrity and creative talent to put things in place with such a sense of cohesion that they do not fall apart still, though there might be some problems coming our way from time to time, guaranteed by the frivolous nature of our strides and explorations. Besides these people who parted with everything they had except their rectitude, piety and integrity and a sense of unusual commitment to the cause they fought for and their love for their countrymen; there are many as there had always been, ready to cash in on what they have built up to make their life more than worthy of living strictly in the materialistic sense of the term by what the gossip mongers will say is a process of deception. One who wants to look on the more practical and prudent aspect of politics of serving the people side by side with serving himself, may well try to make the most of his resources and become fabulously rich.
In the initial years of his ascent, he should have logical clarity to convince people, cry himself hoarse about things adroitly made out to be inimical to the interests of the common people, though he should not sound like he is ranting about what appears to be so common. He should offer a logical analysis of the stand of the party and he has to come up with something of this sort every now and then to spin off the story of how his countrymen have been wronged and turn it into an occasion to tear into the government. It may not be all smooth sailing for him as the aspirants united by the same cause may be a legion and he has to play his cards well. He should try to hone his skill of telling lies that will do him good and learn the art of being brazenfaced. Once one takes a plunge into politics, it is hardly going to be romantic unless he runs into someone of the same species from the feminine gender. He should therefore remember to be on the alert all the time trying to save his image at any cost, sometimes considering the game of mudslinging as a necessary evil and he is sure to experience much of it. Money in politics can be extremely rewarding provided the politician is able to do it in a clandestine manner, putting on the image of a welfare man. The best way to keep out of the ever inquisitive scanner of the media is to emerge as a crusader, taking the cause of the poor and try to be friendly with the media people as a man of good humour and vitriolic speech, though being urbane if the candidate in question is educated and able to talk in an intelligent manner, will surely add coulourful feathers to his cap.
In the first place it is good to be in the party that is in the opposition as an opportunity to show the talent as a rabble-rouser comes conveniently by taking a stand opposed to that of the government. In today’s economy any government is likely to find itself in one morass after another and sometimes quite unstable to be tottering on the verge of a collapse. The leader in the street fighting for the cause of the people has reason enough to be elated as he in never short of opportunities to bait the government with, creating a state of pandemonium. Unless the leader in question is not one from a leftist party, he should avoid showing his weakness for shibboleths as the members of the young generation tend to nauseate at this, though a little bit of jargon with a pitch of vehemence goes well with the leftists. When he has been able to consolidate his position to command the respect of the people as a leader of worth, he may well switch over to the party that is in power to have the necessary influence on the people who handle money, that is, people who are in the business. It would be advisable to target the business people who have a knack for carrying on their trade, flouting the established norms and practices. After the budding politician has been able to consolidate a base for himself among the people of a particular area by working like he is the last man to allow any wrong to be done to the people at large, he should wait for some time to see the effect he has been able to produce on the general people as well as the other politicians of the party. In some cases, a vigorous pursuit of some policies to prove himself as one of probity is essential and that will give him the necessary say in matters that will mould him as the man who could bargain when there is a crisis.
He should be able to tackle a crisis with dexterity and come up with ways to offer a quick solution to it, even if they are for the time being. When a big problem crops up which is sure to do, then he should try to look the other way or try to define his connivance saying that it is wholly a conspiracy of the people who are in the opposition. Keeping it in mind that there will be people from the opposition who will spare no means to pull the rug from under his feet, he should have the flair for making different sorts of allegations against them every now and then, to make matters complicated for them and try to offer sops to the common people to isolate the opposition people from them. The whole process is not quite easy and it may well call for some amount of sacrifice such as missing quite a few dates with the girls he has been able to pick up using the clout he has and the way he can make many things happen just as big guy in movies do. But he has no reason to rue the fact that he has to compromise his personal life as the way he is trying to be personal in the public life he has been chasing could well be more than adequate compensation for him.
Beginning life in a small locality with an adequate number of common people being illiterate, he is sure to make it big as the people will stand by him if he is able to take them into his confidence and convince them that he will stand by them through thick and thin. In a case or two if he is able to mastermind a crisis dragging the people in it, involving the police and then making a dramatic appearance to extricate them from the trouble by playing the role of the savior or taking up their cases in the factories or the trades they represent, he will be the darling of these people and they will never forget him, giving him the bargaining chip he has been trying to get over the years. He should be fearless, though it does not mean that he should not fear his wife, and another thing that he should dread all the time is the cupboard out of which skeletons come tumbling, doing infinite harm to one no matter how smart and mercurial he is. With the judiciary becoming sterner and people becoming too ardent with the enthusiasm to pillory and tear to shreds the corrupt, the fear of the cupboard is legitimate and adequate steps should be taken to overcome this monumental and apparently inevitable stage of the career.
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