Oscar Levant once said cynically of a politician, 'He'll double-cross that bridge when he comes to it.'That is one of the large number of quotations on the integrity and honesty of a politician. That is no longer an unfair stereotype or a joke for people in the know. Everyone thinks so. Then why do we still send more and more dishonest MPs to the parliament? In fact the last Loksabha has more than 150 MPs with serious accusations like murder against them. Even the aware voters of West Bengal have elected a very large number of criminal MLAs.
Why do Indians settle for things instead of reaching for things? Why have we come to a pass where we take pride in our ability for “jugaad” rather than doing something by the book? Why does the “chalta hai” edict get adopted by every new generation? It is most likely because it is easy. To fight for something or to make a stand takes effort and courage. Collectively as Indians, we are showing remarkable lack of both.
In the west, when politicians contest elections, they go out of their way to showcase their families and their “regular” lifestyle. It is because the voter in the west thinks that a person who can identify with them, is more likely to understand their problems. Makes sense, doesn’t it. Moreover, when you elect a politician, you are trusting your motherland to him or her. Wouldn’t you rather know everything about them, including their private lives (generally speaking)? You really want to know if you have the right person making decisions which will have tremendous impact on the lives of our families.
When Atalji was elected, all we knew about his private life was that (in his own words) he was a bachelor not a “bramhachari”. A man like that will NEVER get elected President in the USA. However, in India, no one questioned his value system. Of course in his case, we knew about his public life and his achievements due to his very long and illustrious career. We also know that he has an adopted daughter whom he has raised well. Therefore in his case, there was a semblance of normalcy.
Manmohan Singh is a great family man, an academic and an honest person. At that level, we have never had a person more qualified for the job. Before becoming the PM, by most claims, he had a good run as a Finance Minister in the Rao government (there are some doubts about how much credit should be given to him though). However, he has never won a general election. A good person, he lacks the ability to lead a country. The way he has dealt with the corruption issue is making us believe that his love for power is stopping him from doing the right and the honorable thing.
That brings me to the point I wanted to make. Congress insiders are doing their damndest to make Rahul Gandhi look like a Prime Ministerial candidate. Let us examine this man as they would in western democracies. His education credentials are not clear at all. They would like us to believe that he has degrees from exalted places but there no records substantiating that. This guy has never held any kind of public office. He has never created anything or any wealth. He has never had to prove himself to anyone because of his name. General Secretary of Congress is not an accomplishment because he is still not answerable to anyone. He is enjoying all kinds of power with no responsibility. When things get hot, he and his mother recede into the background. His henchman come to fore and fight dirty. The only thing they keep harping on is his youth but he is more than 41 years old. That may be young compared to Karunanidhi and Pranab Mukherjee but that is not really young. Bobby Jindal became the Governor of one of the most conservative states in the US at the age of 37. That is young and remarkable. From what we have seen so far, Rahul Gandhi is a man given to irresponsible statements, a loose cannon. His utterances in front of foreign diplomats (as per Wikileaks) have been most irresponsible. Per some reports, Congress insiders claim that he is not coachable in the matters of politics. He is a very rich single man closing in on middle age. He has never dealt with problems of raising children or providing for his family. Do we get a sense of responsibility from him? How can we expect him to feel the pain of the aam aadmi from his perch. One evening of daal roti in controlled environs will not solve this problem.
India is at crossroads in time. We are on the verge of becoming an economic success story. New prosperity and ancient culture will be very hard to balance for the society. We live in one the worst neighborhoods in the world. Security of the nation is of supreme importance. The world economy is faltering and we have a very young and a rising population. We need a statesman who looks at the next generation and not a politician who looks at the next election. India deserves a man or a woman of character, vision, gravitas and courage. A good looking playboy just won’t do.
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