Thought for
the day
“Gray hairs are signs of wisdom if you hold your tongue;
speak and they are but hairs, as in the young.”
-
Rabindranath Tagore (Indian, 1861-1941)
Word of the
day
Snarky
(n)
Nagging, irritable, testy
(Source: Dictionary.com)
Shri Nārada Uvāca
Does AAP truly represent the common Indian citizen –
generally ethical, aspires Ram Rajya, vows high morals but not incorruptible.
Follow the leader
Dear Mr. Modi, BJP under your leadership has invoked the legacy
of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who is commonly projected as the symbol of
national unity and integrity in post independence India. In past 66years there
have been occasional academic debates as to who between Nehru and Gandhi would
have made a better prime minister. However, in common people’s consciousness
the matter has become totally redundant. It is evident from the fact that in
most elections post 1950’s, no party has sought to use his name for political
mileage (except BJP briefly in 1990’s during L. K. Aavani’s Rath Yatra).
In our view, Sardar Patel is an important figure in India’s
political evolution and as such would continue to occupy a prominent place in
the history of modern India. But invoking his name in current socio political
and economic context may not yield intended results – neither for BJP which is
highlighting his occasional communal bias and using his name to implicitly
criticize Nehruvian socio-economic policies and Nehru’s family; nor for
Congress which has tacitly deserted him long ago.
It would therefore be more advantageous to follow the legacy of
most acceptable and marketable leader – the Father of the Nation – Mohandas
Karamchand Gandhi.
We met a dozen of old Congressmen (all 80+ in age) in past four
days to share our views on the relevance of Gandhian socio-economic model in
current context. All of them fully subscribed to our view that Gandhian
Socialism adapted to the current context could only offer a sustainable
solution for India’s economic development conundrum.
“Salt and Khadi were the two most effective metaphors used by
Gandhi to illustrate his socio-political and socio-economic philosophy”,
suggested one octogenarian lady from a reputable industrial family.
“Salt is the best representation of inclusiveness – perhaps the
only thing that touches the lives of the entire nation every day; besides salt
has special place in all religions – generally implying commitment,
incorruptibility, perpetuity, and purification”, she explained.
“Khadi on the other hand is an emblem of self-reliance,
sustainability, self-enterprise, austerity and empowerment.”
BJP has experienced that politics of exclusion could take it
only thus far and not beyond. Similarly, putting a fancy façade and selling it
for Shining India has also not worked in past.
Most people today recognizes that a change in political
administration is in order, as it might help breaking the negative feedback
loop we are presenting finding ourselves trapped in.
But the change unfortunately would not come by merely changing
the nameplates outside sprawling bungalows and plush offices in the Lutyens’
New Delhi. We perhaps need to change the socio-economic growth paradigm itself.
The Father of the Nation could be of great help here. No need to carry any
guilt here – the youth of the country has forgotten and forgiven Nathuram
Godse. Just follow the “Leader”.
Also read:
Letter to Mr. Narendra Modi
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