Why should Rahul meditate and Ignore congress sychophants?
“Why do I think Rahul will one day make a good prime minister? This half-Italian, quarter-Parsi, quarter-Kashmiri pandit is modest, bright (but fortunately not too brilliant—always a handicap in most professions), hardworking and shrewd. He knows which buttons to press, who to rely on, the kind of talent to surround himself with. In a young, globalised, forward-looking India, Rahul Gandhi is in the right place at the right time.” So wrote a Gandhi family acolyte Minhaz Merchant in DNA on May 21, 2006.
Prior to this astro-political oracle I, a one year wonder Congress and AICC member, (1997-98) happened to meet in mid-2005 an important cog in 10 Janpath. He sounded equally astro-prophetic: ‘you have missed the bus sir, by quitting politics. Rahulji is taking over soon.’ I felt flattered but did not have the creeps in stomach to chew politics again, which require anything between 5 to 10 crores to make a Member of Parliament.
The cacophony has not abated since than. Besides the inner intention of Smt. Sonia Gandhi, a fond mother and the supremo of the Congress Parivar, no less a person than Tony Blair, the former Prime Minister of UK spoke thus, “I think he (Rahul) is one of the most talented, able and insightful of the younger generation of politicians worldwide, but how he ends up in your politics again, that’s for you, for him and for his party to decide. But I think he has got first class mind and great commitment to India…You know, over the years we’ve talked about party things, obviously, I did a big party reform programme for the Labour Party in the UK. And you know he’s one of those politicians that can take a step back and look at what I call the big picture and he’s definitely someone who does that.”
Blair had met Rahul in Delhi on March 20, 2008 and made the comments to CNN-IBN correspondent Vidya Shankar Aiyar. Besides being a PhD in International Business and a senior producer of CNN-IBN Vidya Shankar is said to be a nephew of Mani Shankar Aiyar. Coming all the way from Blair one cannot dismiss the comment as an act of “Indian chaploosi.”
Thereafter, political personalities and media commentators have continued to pelt pebbles on political reservoir either to count the ripples and gauze if Rahul has the potential of succumbing to their astro-political-oracle or he has the capability of turning on a political tsunami.
Bruce Loudon, South Asia correspondent of The Australian quoted Sonia Gandhi on April 05, 2008, “The day Congress party workers decide to go to jail, Rahul will go to jail with them. “Without such sacrifices for the aam aadmi (the broad masses), achieving change might not be possible. She says: ‘The need of the hour is agitation and struggle.’ The correspondent went to add, “the scion of one of the world’s great political dynasties appears poised to assume what many see as his birthright - accession to the post of prime minister once filled by his father, Rajiv Gandhi, his grandmother, Indira Gandhi, and his great-grandfather, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.”
According to PTI Arjun Singh fired the next arrow on Baisakhi day by articulating the need for Congress projecting Rahul as the next Prime Minister. The media and opposition reactions since than have muddled the water but failed to bismirch the image of Rahul.
While Sharad Pawar and Karunanidhi joined Arjun chorus Renuka Chowdhury moved in quickly on behalf of 10 Janpath to shield Rahul by issuing a statement on April 15 and asserted that Arjun’s statenmnet was in no way an indicator of lack of faith in the leadership of Manmohan Singh. Soon after Renuka’s damage control effort Arjun Singh paid obeisance to the Congress supremo and reiterated, “What is the harm in projecting Rahul? I really don’t take back my words. I have said nothing against the Prime Minister.”
The cocophny was also joined by Diggi Raja from Madhya Pradesh. The Asian Age of April 24 quoted him, “Rahul is fully competent to occupy the post of Prime Minister.” Digvijay reminded the media that his views should not be treated as act of sycophancy.
Around the same time Congress MP E M Sudarsana Natchiappan created a furor by describing Rahul as the “Yuvraj of people and the Yuvraj of my party.” Balbir Punj, the BJP MP retorted that if there was a “yuvraj” there should also be a ‘rajmata.” Obviously he hinted at Sonia Gandhi.
Describing Rahul as ‘yuvraj’ is not against the political etics of the Congress. History is witness that Pandit Nehru nursed the ambition to crown his daughter and Indira had even ditched her daughter-in-law in favour her son. What is the harm if the family owned party to anoint Rahul as the next PM? After all the Congress supremo has very carefully sidelined her “Indira-look-alike daughter” with a view to honour the Indian legacy of a son walking into the shoes of his father.
The astro-political-oracles and pebble-throwing are likely to continue. That is the wont of the Indian National Congress. However, the readers should notice what senior political commentator Pankaj Vohra has to say, “Political games have already started within the Congress and attempts are being made to undermine the position of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. It is clear that a number of political heavyweights within the UPA including some belonging to the Congress party have tried to send out a message in the election year that there was a need to project somebody else other than Manmohan Singh for the prime ministership when the parliamentary polls get declared.” He feels that “the Congress is one party where most things are done through signals and hints and not through direct actions. Rahul Gandhi’s name could be a shield to escape disciplinary action but it is evident that some leaders want to convey their views through this kind of politicking.” Hindustan Times April 25, 2008.
Vohra is not an anti-Nehru-Gandhi protagonist. His track record supports his pro-Congress proclivities.
Why should India be surprised at the subtle attempts and hints projecting Rahul as the next Prime Minister? I do not see any reason. This humble author was once upon a time associated with the “learning process of Indian realities” of Rahul’s late father Rajiv Gandhi, christened at birth, “Rajiva Ratna Birjees Nehru Gandhi.” This name was noted by Shrimati Indira Gandhi in Rajiv’s baby book as recognition of her father’s dynastic dream and ‘matter of sentiment.’ Indira…Katherine Frank.
Unfortunately Rajiv did not get enough head air to learn piloting a complex country like India. Destiny had put him in a seat for which his navigational training was not complete. Rest is history.
Pankaj Vohra’s comment that, Congress starts with ‘signals and hints’ has a historical ring of truth. Similar signaling, hinting and subtle maneuvering had taken place between 1963 and final accession of Indira.
Welles Hangen NBC bureau chief, Delhi had interviewed several political personalities including Indira before writing his book After Nehru, Who. Both Hangen and Inder Malhotra, (Indira Gandhi-p. 81), a friend of Firoze Gandhi, had agreed that the problem was not After Nehru, Who; but Who after the brief successor of Nehru. They had made precise forecast that Shastri might fill in the gap and prepare grounds for Indira’s succession. There were grapevine parlour and media-corridor talks that Nehru wanted to provide a brief buffer between him and Indira. That happened naturally after Shastri’s untimely death. It is well known that even as a minister for Information and Broadcasting Indira had gathered a band of loyal acolytes and perceivably opposed Shashtri.
These silent signals were followed by Kamraj Plan that drastically weeded out political rivals who could pose challenge to Indira. Though touted as a cleansing operation Indira’s arch political rival Morarji Desai described it as Nehru’s plot to install Indira Gandhi as his successor. The Story of My Life, Morarji Desai.
However, during these developments Indira was displaying ‘to be or not to be’ attitude in her communication to her friend Dorothy and Marie Seton, the author of Panditji. The same attitude was shown in a Meet the Press event in New York in April 1963. It must be added, though, Indira had declined the crown for the third time when Shastri himself met her after 3 days of Nehru’s demise-“ab aap mulk ko sambhal lijiye,”
However, two instances highlight all was not hunky dory between Shastri and Indira. When she was given the news at London that Sardar Swaran Singh was being made Foreign Minister she blew out as to how a decision could be taken without consulting her (read Inder Malhotra). Later during the Madras language riot in 1965 she flew in there and commented, “Do you think this government can survive if I resign today? I am telling you it won’t. Yes, I have jumped over the Prime Minister’s head and I would do it again whenever the need arises.” Inder Malhotra p. 95.
She openly criticized Shastri in a November 1965 interview telling Kuldip Nayar that Shastri had ‘swerved from the right path.’ Kuldip Nayar, Between the Lines.
The story, thereafter, is simple and complex. Few political observers remember the hectic parlays and confrontation between the Syndicate and the Young Turks and the support rendered by President Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan that made the South Block seat secured for India Gandhi, assuring preservation of the dynastic line.
The brief story has been retold, as I was a witness to certain pages of the history, to connect myself with my young friends in the Blog World and mindless opposers and supporters of the idea of Yuvraj Rahul Gandhi taking over as the next Prime Minister. The Bloggers have little touch with reality and the young generation has no time to look back into history. History is mother of all futures.
To understand why Congress acolytes, Sonia, Rahul and others are playing the very same old Nehru family favourite game of pebble throwing, suggesting, signaling and hinting my young friends may have to look back into history. Mere Blogging won’t help.
I must remind my young friends the famous lines from Julius Caesar, Scene Two, and Marcus Antonius’s famous funeral speech:
“You all did see that on the Lupercal
I thrice presented him a kingly crown
Which he did thrice refuse,
Yet Brutus says he was ambitious
And sure, he is an honourable man.”
The difference between Antonius and Congress acolytes is very basic. Antonius lamented over the corpse of Caesar to defeat his political rivals like Decius Brutus etc and not to honour his friend. In Congress there may be a few hidden Antonius’, but there is no Syndicate and Morarji around to pose any semblance of threat. Rahul’s succession is likely to be hassle free.
Do I sound biased against Rahul? No. I am in favour of youth and a young leader should take over the reins of the country. But that Youngman should not be necessarily another Rajiv alike, simply because his family owns a party.
William Pitt had taken over the reins of England at the age of 24 years and 205 days. The critics had sneered, “it was a slight to make all nation stand and stare: a kingdom trusted to a school boy.” Yet Pitt ruled at a time when French Revolution, Napoleonic Wars and fallout of the British defeat in America and emergence of and independent country in the former colony had shaken the very foundation of the kingdom. Pitt was a great success.
All that I suggest to young Rahul that besides discovering India under SPG protection (his great grandpa had discovered India while in Yarvada jail) he should shrug off the signals, hints and whispers of the Congress lichens and look within: can he be another Pitt, can he rescue the country from its caste and communal curse, can he revitalise and unite global economy with our dead rural economy, can he restore internal order and can he restore our lost pride in the geopolitical and geostrategical sphere of influence? Can he make India more powerful than China and Pakistan put together? Can he replace the British Establishment, which manage India in the avtar of IAS, IPS etc services and other incarnations of baboodom?
If he realises he can be another Indian Pitt, I will be the first to welcome him. We need weeding out the political leeches and lichens. We need the youth but not another flyer who does not know navigating in the choppy political sea of India.
May 31st, 2008 at 5:38 pm
Rahul is a dull idiot. I have been in Youth Congress and found him acting in more haste than his uncle and father. He is impulsive and has very little intellect. God save us from the misfortune of being ruled by another dull-head.
June 15th, 2008 at 8:39 am
Rahul magic has failed. I had been in YC for four years, seen rahul from a close quarter. He lacks understanding of the country and its complex problems. Congress is in the habit of worshipping the Gandhi family, but Rahul is not good for leadership.
June 25th, 2008 at 9:07 am
It is a nice exposure of Rahul the dumb son. I wish Dhar writes more articles on political affairs. We are sick of these bandits and con-artists.