Clouded Sonrise

We call them sons of soil, the proverbial torchbearers with whom rest the restless expectations of all and sundry. We find in them, hope and pragmatism, prospects as divergent as they are. We ascribe to them, in a subconscious throwback to our patriarchal prejudice, the onerous task of anchoring the dynastic juggernaut. No, it’s not a prosaic narrative that rues and argues the politics of gender, or for that matter, the gender of politics. It’s not an effort to debunk the di rigueur, nor is it a rabble rousing enterprise aimed to dismantle the demi –gods.

For starters, let’s be intelligent and intrepid to honour our infatuation with them. They are suave, articulate, well dressed, reasonably well read (well yes, maybe) and almost always well groomed. They are so unlike us, and going by conventional wisdom on laws of attraction, that is what sets us up. In our part of world, this besottment is as deep seated as our history. So when a dimpled debonair marches into dusty wastelands and announces himself the new political prince, we are too loath to let it pass as a fancied palaver. That Rahul Gandhi’s political report card presents novel shades of red is a different debate in itself. Recently, when Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the 23-year old President of ruling Pakistan’s Peoples Party (PPP) accompanied his famous father to India, the analogical moorings of the overzealous mavens went into a familiar adrenaline- infested overdrive. As the young Bhutto warmed himself to not- so- young Gandhi, the regular rant of next generation reforms began to assume form and shape. There are some uncanny similarities other than their Oxford education though. Both of them belong to two of the more corrupt nations with dismal Human Development Indices, both are politically naïve, traditionally good looking, have dissenting cousins, considered leaders in making by the lobotomized lobby of their earnest admirers and both share the unfortunate family history of losing people to extremism. Will Bilawal be to PPP what Rahul has been to Congress? PPP would do well to hope otherwise.

Rahul’s poor parliamentary attendance and limited participation in debates have raised serious questions over his efficiency and political acumen. His impassionate rendition in numerous public meetings in the run up to Assembly elections too proved futile, as Akhilesh Yadav, the soft spoken Socialist scion of SP stole the thunder without any chauvinist chest thumping. Riding high on his ‘Kranti Rath’, the young Yadav connected with the masses, even as a hapless Rahul and helpless Congress failed to connect the dots, yet again. This brings forth another pertinent query- what constitutes loyalty, and is lineage an essential precursor to our (read Indian) loyalty? It may sound abstract, but the connotation isn’t devoid of its share of relevance and realism either. Take the case of so many of our celluloid stars. A lot of them, given their arsenal wouldn’t have ‘made it large’ but for their famous surnames. There is something more to this surname symbolism than mere nomenclature. It’s the pedigree that precedes them and lineage, in its varying sobriquets, succeeds them. More often than not, the apocryphal assumption of them having inherited the prodigal talent intrinsic to their glorious ancestors is accepted as self evident. Dynastic hegemony is not a simplistic social catchphrase anymore, it’s a psychological syndrome fostered by a cultural conundrum of hero worship, one that stymies free and fair system of operations. Throw in a bit of caste, a bit of religion and a bit of region, and you get the catastrophic spectacle of a dithering democracy, perched precariously on a precipice.

What is it with our premature and often compulsive obsession with everything new and relatively young? The death of nuance and critical, analytical faculties breed conceit, a self destructive proposition,  that not just insults our intelligence in elevating the greenhorns to timeless greatness in first place, but also makes it infinitely impossible for them to do justice to whatever they indeed possess. Our fetish for euphonious Gandhis, Pilots and Scindhias has ensured that the struggles of the real recalcitrants goes largely unnoticed. Despite their revered inherited leadership skills, youth politics in India is widely considered an acronym for sham, shindig, noise and nuisance. Even the Anna Hazare’s ‘movement’, that many believed was symbolic of a generational shift spurred by the youth, eventually ended up being a classic case study for PR failure, thanks to both, the abundance of disillusionment among the participating youth (many of whom simply sauntered about the Ramlila grounds for a free lunch, without an inkling of Lokpal or legal jurisprudence) as well as the absence of a sound leadership to shepherd the mob and its overflowing sentiments.

In all fairness, the problem lies not as much with the youth themselves, as with the way we sermonize, demonise and/or idealise them. Thirty five percent of our population is below 20 years of age; while this does speak of a globalised, liberalized and vibrant underbelly itching to let itself go, it must also serve a reminder of sorts to assess the education and employment opportunities being accorded to them, if at all. They are national asset, and ought to be treated that way. They are not ‘sons’ of soil or carriers of political patriarchy; there is more to them than trite caprice and celebrated surnames. They are the templates of demographic dividend, and clichéd as it may sound, the harbinger of larger social change we often lust for. They are not utopia, they aren’t meant to be. They are as much like you and me. The trick is to just let them be.

PS: Running the hazard of pricking the sexist bandwagon and being branded a cynical feminist notwithstanding, a realistic observation asserts itself- Agatha K Sangma, the 31-year old lawyer and Minister of State for Rural Development is the youngest MP in the 15^th  , i.e. the current Lok Sabha. She has been going about her business with characteristic élan and without the charade that shrouds her more famous colleagues. Some points to ponder.

UP and away

 Past couple of days has been unusually dour on Lucknow. The unexpected    rains have ensured a resounding re-entry of chill and gloom in the State capital, not known for a harsh February. For the politically, philosophically and psephologically inclined, these could well be signs of things to come.

A prospect pregnant with hope and uncertainty and answering to the name of ‘change’ is perceptible. Slowly but surely the biggest drama at Indian politics’ largest theatre is beginning to play out, and by all accounts it promises to live up to the top billing. Country’s largest state is going to polls and the quadrangular (comprising of ruling BSP, SP, Congress and BJP) clash for authority might well result in some strange, unforeseen post-poll formations, making Delhi 2014 an intricately interesting proposition. First however, the prelude.

The ruling BSP that came to power five seasons ago on strength of its brilliantly crafted social engineering finds itself embroiled in multiple high net worth corruption charges. Many believe that the promises made to the upper castes were conveniently forgotten once Ms. Mayawati assumed office. Her trusted quartet of Shashank Shekhar Singh, Naseemuddin Siddqui, Baburam Kushwaha and Satish Chandra Mishra didn’t do much to alter the inherent caste equations and as the ambivalent populace grew further disenchanted with her, a seemingly dispassionate Mayawati confined herself within the precincts of Mall Avenue, her official residence. Top it with the ever burgeoning NRHM scam that has already consumed a few CMOs, and the heady cocktail is ready to be served. Mayawati’s repeated offensive against a certain Rahul Gandhi hasn’t gone down well with many either. Often seen as a personal vendetta than a political debate, her rancid rhetoric has been repeatedly dismissed by Congress, who has minced no words in calling the current BSP Government the most corrupt ever.

Responding with allegations of widespread corruption in the implementation of MGNREGA scheme, the Congress scion transgressed physical and mental trammels to march into Dalit heartland with a bevy of promises to boot. His rubble- rousing Padyaatra in the dusty epicenter of national politics was an obvious effort to reach out to, and eventually reap the harvest of grassroots. It generated apparent consternation in BSP ranks, already battling anti-incumbency.

Talking of Rahul, it’s his biggest litmus test yet. Given the degree of personal and professional energy he has dutifully invested in these elections, Congress would be contemplating a comeback in the Hindi heartland after a 22-year abeyance. Its desperation is incredulously palpable. From the unabashedly explicit minority (read Muslims) appeasement to ‘caste’ing candidates of a particular pedigree, it has entered ballot battlefield with all its guns blazing. After promising a 9% sub-quota for Muslims and in the process getting a mouthful from the Election Commission, Congress has appointed Union Steel Minister Beni Prasad Verma to gobble Kurmi votes whereas P L Punia, Chairperson of National Commission of Schedule Castes has been entrusted with the task of wresting and arresting the ‘most backward caste’ votes. A fine show here and we might witness a paradigm shift in Rahul Gandhi’s role at Raisina Hills. Expecting Congress to sweep Uttar Pradesh might well be a fantastic chimera, but its role of a possible playmaker cannot be ruled out. It would do well to finish third, and if SP grabs either of the top two slots with a fairly decent margin, a SP-Congress alliance might well be on the cards.

Samajwadi Party, on the other hand, rejuvenated by the exuberance of its very own tech-savvy, environment engineer-heir apparent is busy playing its trusted MY (Muslim-Yadav) card. After snubbing Congress over the sub-quota issue and promising his loyalties with Mulayam (who has ensured 18% sub quota for Muslims), Imam Bukhari has made it clear that appeasement itself is a long drawn process. With English speaking Akhilesh, SP is trying frantically to shed its anti- English, anti- computers image and reposition itself as a modern, youth oriented socialist party. Like Rahul, this is Akhilesh’s first major assignment, and larger, proactive responsibilities might come knocking for the Kannauj MP post polls. His strong anti corruption stance -he denied ticket to tainted DP Yadav- backed by a suave, hands on approach have earned him generous plaudits; but will kind words translate into kinder votes is something perennially perilous to predict. Congress has, more than once vowed that it wouldn’t side with ‘goons’ (read SP) at any cost might be music to many, but a SP- Congress combine in UP would considerably reduce Congress’ dependency on its in- house bête noire, the TMC in Delhi, as a result of which contentious issues that have been pushed to backburner, viz. land acquisition, Pensions Bill, FDI in multibrand retail (a decision on which has been postponed till the election’s results are declared) and the much debated Lokpal Bill can be revived and resolved.

The fourth player in the grandiloquent quadrangular quagmire finds itself enmeshed in the most unwanted situation. Bereft of ideas, devoid of charisma and guilty of political doublespeak, the BJP seems to have developed an eerie knack of shooting at its own feet. The flight to failure took off last year with an ill timed rath yaatra by its restive patriarch, even as its own CMs were facing graft charges. Meanwhile, as talks of rift between Gadkari and Modi gained momentum, the BJP effected a legendary faux pas. It inducted BSP discard and NRHM scam’s prime accused Babu Singh Kushwaha in its ranks, and all hell broke loose. The Congress, rubbing its palms with narcissist-sadist glee jumped on the critics’ bandwagon, even as the BJP appeared a divided house on the issue. It was a welcome relief for BSP too, who, wary of anti incumbency had gone on a sacking spree, and whose anti corruption grandstanding now stood vindicated. The BJP has expectedly opposed the minority sub quota, citing communalization of society and fragmentation within Hindu OBCs as its primary reasons. The pseudo -seculars in doing so, did their reputation no harm, more so when Mr. Advani tried to replay the Hindutva-Ram Temple card on poll eve.

Will the generation old issue still find resonance among masses or will it be summarily debunked to realms of redundancy is an interesting and intriguing prospect. From polarization of electorate on communal lines to prospective fissures within beneficiaries, from policy of promises to promises of policies, from factions within parties to fragmentation of state itself, UP 2012 is set to unravel varying concepts of political opportunism, caste calculus and social algebra, the results of which might well decide the fate, face and façade of Indian polity, come 2014. The innocuous rains in Lucknow might well be the brewing insidious storm.

PS : If Muslims constitute 18% of UP’s population and SC’s 20%, what’s the percentage of Mayawati’s statues in the state?

Lessons from Hisar

The recent results of Hisar by - elections have raised a plethora of pertinent, pestering questions. While the Opposition is elated more at Congress’ failure than its own success, the civil society’s stakeholders are busy composing paeans on vindication of their anti corruption stance, which eventually turned out to be an anti Congress one.

Amidst the bulging trajectory of reigning competitive moral uprightness, Congress has come with a candid confession; they never believed they could win Hisar, so they haven’t lost it in real terms either. If puerile smugness and obsessive obduration ever desired personification, this was it. Contributing to the clamor was the Prime Minister himself. Usually reticent, reclusive and circumspect, Dr. Singh asserted from the IBSA summit, where he was representing the nation then, that the mandate must not be viewed as a referendum against Congress. Pearls of worldly wisdom or prosaic political symbolism? The jury is out. Perhaps the coming months would solve the conundrum, considering that five more states, including the strategically vital Hindi heartland, Uttar Pradesh go to Assembly polls next year.

Most certainly, the Congress core committee would have discussed, in all its glorious graphic details, the causes of this ignominy. Perhaps its only prudent to dwell on its effects too. What if the anti Congress anti corruption spills over to the States waiting for elections, and if it does as a trickle down effect, would the PM’s remark still hold good? For a government stuck neck deep in corruption quagmire and ensuing political slugfest, wouldn’t the precariously phlegmatic vision then be proved perilously myopic? In its face saving bid, isn’t the Congress making desperate self effacing attempts instead? Ever since Anna Hazare’s twin fasts awakened the candle wielding middle class, Congress through its eloquent spokespersons has repeatedly pressed the self destruction button. Sandwiched between Hazare’s fasts, ruling dispensation’s manhandling of a certain cross dressed Baba Ramdev also came under heavy fire from various civil society and human rights groups. Considering the mass hysteria these misadventures fostered, Hisar was pre –imminent, and if it sets a precedent, we might as well witness a change of guard at the Centre.

Congress, in current context appears willfully engaged in mud slinging maneuvers, subsequently giving credence to the anti corruption anti establishment raucous rancor being passionately pitched by its biggest bugbear of late, Messer’s Anna Hazare and Co., and therein lies its funny faux pas. Having chosen to be ridiculously reactive instead of pragmatically proactive, Congress party has in past quite nonchalantly, frittered away its vantage position. Hence  Hissar.

The lessons to be learnt from this fiasco are many. Smugness, for starters is a strict no entry zone. Acceptance and acknowledgement of ideas, ideologies and failures with stoic equanimity needs to be incorporated as well. They sat characters are built in the most arduous of times. If Congress ever needed an opportunity to underscore the steel in its spine, such a time has announced its arrival. The calculus of success and failure aside, history, as is its wont, throws up an interesting trivia; Mr. Jaiprakash, the losing Congress candidate in Hisar is not the eternal loser after all. He had thrice won the same seat, his last victory coming in 2004. So for Congress to suggest that Hisar has never been their stronghold and hence its loss is essentially of academic relevance is a symptom of its self composed and imposed selective amnesia. It amounts to another dubious doublespeak, given their blue blood scion’s famous road trips to UP, a state that hasn’t had a Congress government for well over a decade. Does that translate into the fact that UP too is a loss cause for Congress, and if it is, what do the numerous covert and overt attempts to placate the region speak of? Embellished with an army of celebrated cerebral powerhouses, any vague verbatim emanating from Congress backyard is bound to attract social censure.

Lastly, and they need to concede this, corruption at Centre is indeed a real issue. Its all too well to ride a moral high ground and accuse Ms. Mayawati of misappropriation of MGNREGA funds (no matter how credible the charges turn out to be), however it does make the party incumbent  to act on its own Chief Ministers, most notably in New Delhi and Goa.

For a government whose mid- term report card can be euphemistically described as chequered, the Hisar case study assumes greater relevance. Will the Congress learn and unlearn its lessons and discuss ideas and not individuals, will it ever cease to be the victim of its own vituperative, vindictive verbose and attempt instead to satiate the imploding poignant political quandaries, only time will tell. Until that happens, may the better sense prevail.

IMPACT OF GLOBALISATION ON INDIAN SOCIETY: ISSUES AND CHALLENGES

20 years is a long time, measuring up to a generation, almost. For those like me, born a shade before this generation leap transpired, the idea of globalization has always been an issue of immense intrigue.

                        Imperialism, capitalism, modernization; globalization is all this and more. It’s appropriately a socio-political economic process that has converted the world into a proverbial global village, but doubts remain over the viability of this freshet of consumerism which has become the force behind Government’s neoliberal policymaking. A market driven approach works in developed economies where internal inequalities are next to nothing, but in a country like ours, the idea of globalization only fuels the prevalent skewed power equations, as a result of which it divides the society into stark gainers and losers. This is not to suggest that globalization is the marauding monster we must detest, it’s just that it works in the Indian scenario with a fair degree of moderation. It has successfully dissolved physical boundaries and obliterated the importance of nation states, it has made earth a flat planet, given us immense choices, exposed us to the inexorable explosion of innovations and possibilities and in the process, made the rich richer and happier. This, on the flip side has sounded death knell for unorganized sectors, trade unions and farmers.

                                Farmers across the world have been the biggest losers because of the inefficient price mechanisms while trade unions lose because of the corresponding loss of bargaining power. Globalization is creating more losers than gainers and the losses are not just economic. But translate into losses of lives, case in point being the increased number of farmer suicides across India in recent years. With the Government’s expenditure on agriculture successively declining and its focus shifting towards cash crops (a classic neoliberal practice), farmers are pushed into the irreversible debt cycle, culminating in years of bondage and eventually, suicides.

                        In agrarian economies like ours, globalization is doing its bit in promulgating ethnic hegemony and fostering economic divide. Rural economies have collapsed, agrarian crisis has amplified, inequality has intensified while public expenditure in agriculture has shrunk to less than 2% of the GDP.For every millionaire that we produce, there are 700 others who go without food. For a country whose 60% population depends on agriculture, the price of neoliberalism has indeed been very high.

                        The solution lies in alternate globalization that depends on human rights’ movements, women rights’ movements and pro environment movements. Globalization is welcome in the Indian society but not at the cost of unemployed peasants, landless laborers, dying farmers, hordes of hungry millions and debt inducing suicidal agrarian policies. The concept of flat globe has oodles of eye appeal, but the sight of countless, nameless dying souls-the victims of globalization- is too high a cost to entail.

WHY POLITICS MATTERS?

The mood in world’s largest democratic republic is pensive. Everybody is angry and almost everybody wants to light a candle. Everybody (including the burgeoning misnomer called ‘middle class’ represented by the fashionable ‘civil society’) is of the view that politics is at the heart of corruption –a term conveniently used to generalize everything wrong in the society.

                This wisdom spawns from the deep seated cynicism, which in turn manifests itself in unsavory externalization and eventual marginalization of the bigger and more dangerous problem-what ails politics?Yes,politics does matter, especially in a country where State assumes humongous and homogenous powers bestowed upon by its people-the very edifice of a democratic structure. Politics is the manifestation of people power, their needs and desires and a suitable method of facilitating the creation of a systematic mechanism to further their cause; in terms of public policies, agendas and manifestoes.

            Sounds a diabetically succulent chimera-good responsible politics. Aren’t politicians and polity per se supposed to be the active evangelists, perpetrators and protectors of all that ails the social fabric? Yes and No. While cynical, myopic and blinkered political bashing is increasingly becoming our alter ego, a word of caution is more than welcome. To put the onus entirely, (un)fairly and squarely on a systematic mechanism and to proclaim and promulgate that the buck finally does start and stop there is a classic case of narcissistic-fascist ideology, based on the idea of an exclusive abstinence from the malaise and its medicine. The proponents of this view believe that corruption is the root cause of all the ailments, politics is at the heart of corruption and the only way to snap this corruption-politician nexus is creation of better laws. While it sounds good and appears fashionable, this constricted, stigmatized, skewed vision of apparent vibrancy is only an extension of our proclivity of externalization.

                        Poor and opaque systems of accountability, verification and prosecution and staunchly centralized decision making sites create a celebrated chasm, that diabolic dichotomy which festers filthy socio-economic contrasts leading to corruption by means and for means. To blame corruption as the sole reason for the stark naked inequalities thus becomes a slightly shaky proposition; it is instead a symptom of the central malaise that affects us. Then, to say that corruption is nestled and protected by politicians is true and false in equal measure. Politics inevitably will find itself interlinked even with the most apolitical issues, and yes, corruption exists in apolitical circles too. It’s all too easy to debate if strong regulation reduces corruption, but heartbreaking as it may sound, politics is, and can never be controlled by legislation; for legislation itself is approved, endorsed  and sanctioned by political bodies, and this circularity is omnipresent. This doesn’t imply that laws are nothing better than voluminous legislative literature, of course a democracy exists due to the existence of a system of checks and balances, but to believe it to be the one stop shop for every political infirmity would be personification of the exaggerated optimism at its very best.

                                Top has to be self regulatory and politics has to be a self censuring activity. Evils of politics can be countered by more and mature politics, effective politics, a better kind of politics, and this breed of hitherto unknown, unheard politics requires a public re-orientation to be seen. It’s present in the daily struggles of ordinary citizens to alter and balance power equations. If politics is the heart of every evil we love to hate, it’s also the heart of every change wish want to see. Undoubtedly it’s one of the more chequered social activity, but to be fair to it, the good breed of politics transcends the trammels of formal, sacrosanct structures of politics, much like the results of the kind of ambiguous, ambivalent brand of politics we love to hate.

                        Politics is not, as many believe, the bridge between the immoral and the illegal. What is morally wrong can never be politically right. Politics deserves better than the unwanted pariah treatment so often reserved for it, it deserves a hearing and an informed participation. Jaundiced views and choleric critique might make for an engaging read, but in effect it’s far removed from the constructive cataclysm we lust for. Politics matters for all this, and more.  

SHOULD PROSTITUTION BE LEGALISED IN INDIA?

If you can't amend it,accept it.That seems to be the mantra of the noble minds rooting for legalizing prostitution in India. Their defense: its world's oldest profession (so probably it needs to be preserved),legalizing it will bring down the rate of human trafficking,spread of Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs)  etc. and many progressive economies have already legalized it(The Netherlands,Canada,Wales,Australia, Israel etc).Some with an economic bent of mind suggest that if the prostitution 'industry' be recognized, it would contribute constructively to national GDP.Sounds seductively speculative.

                                         Well its not going to be yet another prosaic assimilation of what our much hyped value systems preach,nor will this write-up deal with the hypocrite conventional social framework of a chaste 'good' girl.What bothers the pulp out of me is that with the 'world's oldest profession' getting legal sanctity,will it not create the mad rush among women, and men,young and old,poor and not so poor for the highly lucrative career (alternate or full time,depending upon your commitments), one that doesn't require any textbook erudite nor an inherent personality trait.Its baffling how and why the proponents of this novel idea of legalizing prostitution missed this underlying remedy for unemployment.

                                     Technically speaking,prostitution is not illegal in India; public solicitation is.Legalizing prostitution would presumably legalize public solicitation too,and without riding a moral high ground,lets think pragmatically,would we relish living in a neighborhood dotted with ladies soliciting overtly or covertly with hackneyed pimps in tow,sharing their spoils? Personal dignity is indeed independent of person's choice of profession,but would a civilized society,or any society for that matter respect a career of prostitution.By no means should this translate to social ostracisation,but prostitution as a legalized vocation calls for social censure.Its easy for us to sit in cushioned environs and speak of social stigma when most of us sheepishly whisk our children away at the slightest mention of sex.A uniform social order is alright,but going by that constricted solitary logic and myopic vision,doesn't it precedes the calls for legalizing burglary (since the police force is understaffed),bribery(since corruption is our middle name),adulteration in foodstuffs(since we are immune to it anyway) and piracy (since we love our cinema ever so much)?Doesn't it guarantee, in due course of time a crime free state,since all the 'crimes' would be a part of State legislature anyway?How's that for an 'inclusive' democracy?

                                          Will legalizing prostitution improve the living conditions of the famous GB Road and Sonigachi?The answer lies somewhere in that term called political will.The law doesn't prohibit sex workers to ask for better living conditions nor does it abstain Governments to address their plight.The habitual nonchalance of governance can't be a reason to legalize anything that falls within the purview of constitutional definition of 'criminal activity' .Will it stop human trafficking?The answer is a resounding no. Law abiding citizens that we are ,given our proclivity to push and shove and spit and cuss at every given or created opportunity,to think that a lengthy legislative literature would miraculously abdicate us of our inherent virtuoso  is the stuff mooney,lobotomized teenage dreams are made of.Once legalized,it will be lot easier for unscrupulous agents to traffic gullible girls (minors included) into flesh trade,hoodwinking them into believing that its alright to shun their extreme penury for a much higher paid 'legal profession'.What happens to these girls when they decide to call it a day?Retirement bonus/pension from the Government/patrons?New job?Changing the definition doesn't alter the  demeanor and with a CV that proudly mentions the world's oldest profession as the incumbent's solitary experience and expertise,wonder which public pr private enterprise will favor them.If that's still a stigma,then so be it,but legalizing it won't erase it.Never.As far as the spread of STDs go,awareness camps by NGOs and initiatives by the Health Ministry can cut down the risk,probably more effectively than creating yet another law.

                                            In a nation where morality,a highly individualistic and subjective factor becomes a defining systematic phenomenon,the copycat idea of legalizing prostitution is inherently and intricately flawed.Whether hey do it by choice or otherwise,objectification and harassment of sex workers is strictly unacceptable.Dignity is an individual's propriety and is independent of cliched trammels of social definitions.That however doesn't legalize the act.The evangelists of the supposed revolutionary cause would do well to channelize their reserves towards ensuring better life and after life of sex workers ,rather than legalizing their misfortunes and asking them to live and die with that celebrated cross.The thin line between the immoral and the illegal does exist,and the advocates of prostitution must not be willfully and blissfully ignorant to its glaring existence.Sometimes there are no grey areas, only black and whites and some red lights of course.

PS : In a free world of legalized prostitution,a strapping, shaking teenager approaches a cop coyly ,"That pimp across the subway asks for Rs.1500 while the 'rate' is Rs.1000.This is corruption!"

RAHUL GANDHI : POLITICAL PRODIGY OR CELEBRATED CHARADE ?

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!