Political developments are far from the spheres of interest in my 65th year. If it was not for the sms from the better half about the interview and her request to record it , I would not have known .Unfortunately, since I did not know how to record programmes , I decided on the next best thing , namely to view it and brief her later.
Was I transfixed - Absolutely ! glued to the set , not because of the wisdom and maturity of the interviewee, but stunned to silence by the manner in which a prospect for the Prime Ministers post completely blotched it. I recollect the speech on TV by his father speaking to the Nation on his taking over, post the assassination. It was the first time that a reluctant and grieving son was entering politics. The talk was faltering , but within months Rajiv Gandhi was equal to the best of the tribe. Here his son is supposed to have been in politics for 10 years ! His three point response to every question , related or unrelated, highlighted his lack of readiness. Is this grand old party capable of only replacing a silent unwilling ,disinterested, ineffective man with an immature,unfocused failed politician?
I wish I could be on the side of those who feel that Rahul is a well meaning sincere and capable leader. The interview convinced me he is none of the three. A well meaning leader would be transparent in his dealings within the party. He would stand up to the old guard who are there, not out of a passion to do good, but loaded with moolah , wishing that there will be one more time to amass wealth. If not , they can always take political Sanyas for a decade and in the interim work on those millions! A sincere leader would never side up with a Party that has as its leader, a jailbird and a shameless , unrepenting one at that. As far as capability goes, his grasp of the economy and international relations seemed pathetic, viewed in the context of his responses in the interview.
There is talk of a churn within the grand old party , a sweeping away of fossils , cleaning the rooms for young committed persons. The first lists that emerged in the past few days talks instead, of a status quo. To me Rahul seems to have given up the battle and whilst not physically tired ( he has hardly stretched a tenth of what a Municipal ward member would exert in canvassing) he is obviously mentally switched off. The imperious dynasty genes seems to be operational . How else would one explain the silence of the younger generation Scindias, Pilots, and a great grandson of the legendary Rajagopalachari? Their brief is limited to sound bytes in English TV. You need to have feet on the ground. Rather than be within the coterie of Rahul , how much more worthwhile if this generation took up State level responsibility first, before seeking shelter in the air conditioned precincts of Parliament and Central party headquarters. Remember the luminaries, Venkatraman, Narasimha Rao, Patil , Tripathi all veterans of their individual States of domicile?
I am a urban slicker, also one who has admitted that his days of active interest in politics is far gone. Very likely the Congress would come back in power, voted in by an inexplicable phenomena called dynasty politics. With Rahul at the helm I can only pray that his advisors would show the pluck to have him work on the principles the new generation are seeking, or send him packing in the interest of our Bharat.
+++14MAR14
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