Mr. Digvijay Singh,national spokesperson of the Indian National Congress (the majority party in the ruling coalition) claimed recently that Mr Rahul Gandhi is ready to be the Prime Minister of India.These words of wisdom come shortly before he,upon some grandiose realization said that right wing Hindu extremists were responsible for the Mumbai 13/07 carnage;even before Mumbai ATS probing the attack could gather any credible clues.While personal political vendetta has been a part of the India's political ideology since long, motormouth Singh's endorsement of Mr. Gandhi for the impending North Block deserves to be seriously revisited.
If exuberance of youth were to be the eligibility criterion for Government's high offices,a sizable chunk of India's unemployed population would have been working.To give him his due,he's suave and carries his dimpled stubble with laudable elan.He's young(at 41 yes,in Indian politics),inherently good looking (some stray music and lifestyle channels regularly have him in their 'most eligible bachelor' listings) and obviously attempts to reach the grassroots(Bhatta Parasaul arrest,Padyatra).
If pedigree,a thoroughly personal propriety ,were to be a qualifying benchmark and lineage its upper limit,a certain Mr Abhishek Bachchan would be the more substantial superstar he's made out to be,and hence Mr Gandhi would sleepwalk into the PMO.Sadly for him,national interests are independent of pedigree and the promises it generates.They are in direct proportion to how our politicians fare in the Parliament-the sacrosanct edifice of democracy. Now consider this,
Number of questions asked-0
Number of debates participated in-0
Attendance-47%
Excerpts from a horrible report card of a horrible student? These telltale figures are performance indicators of Mr Gandhi , touted and desired by many as the PM in waiting.As the General Secretary of Congress and chairperson of IYC(Indian Youth Congress) and NSUI (National Student Union of India),he deserves to do better.Forget Parliamentary performance,this dismal record would happily allow a school or college Principal to debar a student from taking his/her exams.He did slightly better in his first term in Lok Sabha (2004-09); his attendance then was 63% against national average of 70%,he had asked 3 questions in 5 years during Question Hour,as opposed to the all MP average of about 180 each.He had participated in 5 debates, the LS average being 30.This time around,that is in the 15th Lok sabha , Mr Gandhi hasn't asked a single question yet(against a national average of 119 questions per MP),is yet to participate in a Parliamentary debate (there have been 16 already,before the current Monsoon session),his 47% attendance is a poor contrast against the Lok Sabha average of 77%,and significantly the Lok Sabha meets for only about 65 sittings in a year now.Legislative duties are not a matter of choice,and it is di riguer for a MP to participate in Parliamentary proceedings.Being a reluctant participant doesn't put the Gandhi scion in good light,even as he hogs the national limelight.
Though 41,the caprice of youth has apparently stayed with the Gandhi blue- blood,which explains his premature ,presumptuous and preposterous assumptions; he claimed to know of mounds of "dead bodies,around 70 odd" in Bhatta Parasaul village,soon after his return from the hinterland.All that the forensic experts could manage were mounds of manure.no charred bones,no mangled flesh as he had fantasised.On his famous 'Padyatra' to prepare groundwork for next year's Assembly Elections in Uttar Pradesh,Mr Gandhi had this gem to share,"UP is run by dalals(brokers)". A nonchalant BSP reiterated that UPA II was run by his mother,Mrs Sonia Gandhi! 'Yuvraj' had jumped the gun,again.After Mumbai 13/07,he addressed a waiting media and fuming nation,"99% of terrorist attacks are foiled,can't guarantee for 1%..." The comment was met with severe derision in political circles and was shredded to smithereens, quite expectedly,by hungry broadcast media.No details were shared of the "99%" foiled attacks, neither was there any explanation for "1%" that after all, still claims lives.
Face value aside,he comes across as an amateur, gullible politician still learning the basic tricks of the trade.His party's oft repeated excuse of him being too busy with "party responsibilities" to take a role in governance doesn't hold much ground either.Does that, in the first place absolve him of his Parliamentary duties?Does that allow him to continue misinforming the nation unapologetically? Importantly,is he deserving,as of now for the premature push being given to him for the country's top job,and doesn't that reek of feudal, patriarchal mindset of the largest democratic party of this country?
No wonder crowds love him for his overtures but does that translate into results? He campaigned for Congress in 2007 UP Assembly polls.Congress managed a poor 22 seats with only 8.53% of votes share.A case of exaggerated,overbored and slightly misplaced magnetism?Irony or illusion?Is the Rahul Gandhi phenomenon all hope without homework?Is it an imminent oasis or a heartbreaking mirage?Too many uncomfortable questions for a ghost Parliamentarian cum poster boy born with the proverbial silver spoon and attending 5 debates in 7 years. Blinkered optimism and misplaced enthusiasm, the proposition of Mr Rahul Gandhi-a work in progress,as the Prime Minister of India is an enticing catastrophic bait that the Congress would do well to avoid.Hold your horses people.
PS: If style,spark,charisma,chutzpah and panache were the lone criterion,don't one of the famous(and arguably better informed) Khans of our movies qualify for the top job?You see they are identifiable,charming,adored the world over and are rated higher than Mr Gandhi in 'hottest male' listings!
Face value aside,he comes across as an amateur, gullible politician still learning the basic tricks of the trade.His party's oft repeated excuse of him being too busy with "party responsibilities" to take a role in governance doesn't hold much ground either.Does that, in the first place absolve him of his Parliamentary duties?Does that allow him to continue misinforming the nation unapologetically? Importantly,is he deserving,as of now for the premature push being given to him for the country's top job,and doesn't that reek of feudal, patriarchal mindset of the largest democratic party of this country?
No wonder crowds love him for his overtures but does that translate into results? He campaigned for Congress in 2007 UP Assembly polls.Congress managed a poor 22 seats with only 8.53% of votes share.A case of exaggerated,overbored and slightly misplaced magnetism?Irony or illusion?Is the Rahul Gandhi phenomenon all hope without homework?Is it an imminent oasis or a heartbreaking mirage?Too many uncomfortable questions for a ghost Parliamentarian cum poster boy born with the proverbial silver spoon and attending 5 debates in 7 years. Blinkered optimism and misplaced enthusiasm, the proposition of Mr Rahul Gandhi-a work in progress,as the Prime Minister of India is an enticing catastrophic bait that the Congress would do well to avoid.Hold your horses people.
PS: If style,spark,charisma,chutzpah and panache were the lone criterion,don't one of the famous(and arguably better informed) Khans of our movies qualify for the top job?You see they are identifiable,charming,adored the world over and are rated higher than Mr Gandhi in 'hottest male' listings!
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