Just a couple of weeks back, a South Goa MLA was reported to have said, “this is a sick government with a disease of troubling the people and destroying the environment.” Which government he was referring to is probably left to the imagination of the public.
If a People’s Representative insulated with official privileges is feeling so agitated, helpless and disappointed with the governance, one can imagine the plight of the ordinary citizens. There is hardly any doubt that citizens are feeling troubled and choked by the pathetic condition of basic State infrastructure and rising lawlessness. But what exactly is that sickness which has affected the government?
The political rot and the disastrous development policies are sold to people as the path to a ‘Swayampurna Goy’. The absence of the spirit of inquiry and scientific temper keeps the Goan community clueless about the disease which actually ails Goa’s politics and culture. For a society which cannot decipher fake news from authentic news and democracy from pathocracy, what better can one expect from the leaders it keeps throwing up?
The disease related to money and power is as cunning and baffling as alcoholism or drug addiction, and can only take society downhill if not arrested promptly. This sick political governance is far too arrogant and shameless to be threatened by street protests, media exposes and law courts alone. This needs to be simultaneously addressed with mental health interventions to tackle the personality disorders in leadership, which are said to involve long-lasting and all-encompassing disruptive patterns of thinking, behaviour, mood and relating to others.
What we as citizens are experiencing is classical political abuse and the psychological impact is similar to that of interpersonal abuse - which over a period of time develops a co-dependency in victims of abuse. The chronic lies, false promises, trivializing of serious issues, denial of rightful information, manipulation, polarisation, abuse of state machinery to humiliate, intimidate and control, and the gas-lighting of critics with labels such as ‘tukde tukde gang’ and ‘anti-nationals’, are definitely not behaviours which reflect a healthy leadership from those occupying public office. The victims of abuse are being driven into questioning their own sanity, and gradually into believing that these toxic behaviours are about clean and able politics.
According to psychologist and a mental health expert, Elena Cherepov, “Political abuse is understood as the deliberate misuse of a political position for the benefit of power itself, and the use of it for institutional discrimination and maltreatment of dissenting and marginalised groups.”
Such leaders have an outsized sense of self-importance and position themselves as saviours who will ensure justice and protection against a mythical enemy. Political psychologists, such as Dr Steve Taylor, have been warning that abusive personalities are more attracted to positions of power.
The personality traits of abusive leadership which were categorised under the Dark Triad - narcissism, machiavellianism and psychopathy, which sound crude, are now referred to as the ‘Dark (or D) factor’ by some experts. The D-factor, according to new psychological research lists nine malevolent personality traits namely, egoism, machiavellianism, moral disengagement, narcissism, psychological entitlement, psychopathy, sadism, self-interest and spitefulness. These dark personality traits are said to result in ‘the general tendency of placing one’s own goals and interests over those of others even to the extent of taking pleasure in hurting others – along with a host of beliefs that serve as justifications and thus prevent feelings of guilt, shame, or the like.’
While every person may possess one or the other dark trait to some degree which may not be disruptive, the dysfunction is said to arise with ‘the general tendency of disregarding, accepting, or malevolently provoking disutility for others - accompanied by beliefs that serve as justifications in order to maximize one’s individual utility.’
In a democracy, political abuse is not a one-sided problem. Abusive political leaders cannot survive in positions of power without the tolerance and cooperation from citizens. Abuse is notorious for generating intrinsically complicated relationships between abuser and victim - in this case the citizens. Elena Cherepov, referring to studies on abusive political regimes, says that “we must not place all the blame on the leader: kings are played by their entourage.”
Recognising and admitting political abuse becomes difficult in a society which normalizes abusive behaviour from elders or leaders, whether in family, religious and academic institutions or workplaces. Just attempt drawing the attention of a fellow Goan to his/her violation or illegality and observe the sick response you will receive.
When coveting neighbours' goods and neighbours’ wife and the false sense of entitlement are tolerated and celebrated as a sign of social empowerment and economic prosperity by families and communities in Goa, will it not logically and naturally find its way into the Parliament, Assembly and Panchayats? We see how some groups blackmail the government into supporting their unethical and illegal trade practices under the banner of protecting local livelihoods.
According to Dr Taylor, what is more troubling is the “abdication syndrome”, when common citizens view leaders the way children see their parents - incapable of harm or behaving negatively. Studies also show that democracies tend to vote for such toxic leaders who lack human emotions like fear, nervousness, embarrassment and guilt, and project a sense of confidence, making them appear extremely charismatic.
The treatment for Goa’s political rot and sick governance has to begin with the people. Stop putting sick leaders on a pedestal and worshiping them for the crumbs falling from their table. If democracy has to survive and people’s rights in governance respected by political leaders, citizens will need to keep the community interests and welfare above their selfish political preferences and agendas.
(The author has worked with community initiatives related to Drug and Alcohol Abuse Prevention, HIV/AIDs Prevention, Panchayati Raj, Anti-Corruption, Environment Protection and Social Justice)