OJ's Corner : Reflections

Face the dynasty politically

At the moment, the opponents of the Nehru family dynasty appear to be bankrupt politically, for they draw their sustenance in hitting it below the belt.

For one thing, India is not a dictatorship as several of the Afro-Asian entities which became independent during the same decade as we achieved freedom from British imperialism.

Neither is it a one-party monolith looming large over the masses like in the erstwhile Soviet Union and its allies. Incidentally, we have seen a lot of intellectuals singing paeans for them, who after the break-up of the system bemoan they were not aware of the inner crack. At least they have seen through the game.

Strong with a multi-party, regional-gravitational political landscape, and yet having a nationally-thriving and all-inclusive administrative set-up, this country cannot be taken for granted by rabble-rousers.

Nor is it a military-centric edifice as in some of the Afro-Asian banana republics. In such entities, their regimes can continue on the plank of referendum alias people’s mandate.

India is a vibrant democracy where its illiterates are also vocal about their rights compared to many of the other nations.

Therefore, let those who continue to wallow in their smear campaign against the so-called Nehru dynasty face up to the facts and deal with them politically.

It is not for nothing that the rivals are after Maneka Gandhi’s son to do their bidding, in the hope that Sonia Gandhi would launch Rahul Gandhi soon to the national political spectrum.

By all means let them campaign for the welfare of the people and leave the Nehru dynasty alone from personal attacks. Can anyone diminutively interpret the contributions made by Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi to nation building?

True, there were other great leaders who worked for the welfare of the people in equal measure and the nation is grateful to them.

Now also, please carry on with positive politics, leaving aside nagging questions and improprieties.

The NDA, which is at present in a shambles, should resuscitate itself to take on the Congress, the Left and others, regionally as well as nationally.

The BJP is not in a comfortable position with Vajpayee’s old age, Advani’s unacceptability, Rajnath Singh’s low profile, Narendra Modi’s vitriolics, and Uma Bharti’s departure.

The second-rung leadership has been hanging on the coat-tails of senior leaders who themselves are out of reckoning now. Gen-Next in the BJP is next to nothing as of now.

Don’t panic and throw stones at Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi. Congress needs a rallying point which the Nehru progenies are providing.

We had leaders like Morarji Desai, Charan Singh, V P Singh, Chandra Shekhar, P V Narasimha Rao, I K Gujral, Deve Gowda and A B Vajpayee who discharged the functions of the Prime Minister. Now Dr Manmohan Singh is at it in all sincerity.

Dynasty is not that impregnable in Indian environs, but let the cracking up be not premature.