Rahul must prove he is worthy of his surname
by Ashish Tripathi
by Ashish Tripathi
28 January 2011, 09:49 AM IST
http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Introspection/entry/rahul-must-prove-he-is-worthy-of-his-surname
While replying to a query, he said that politics is "sacrifice" and not a "career" and asked the youth to join politics if they want to correct it. But, will the Gandhi scion follow what he says and start by correcting the distortion of history done by his party?
The case in point is a book released on Congress's 125th anniversary. The book blames the late Sanjay Gandhi for the Emergency imposed on India in 1975 and gives a clean chit to his mother, Indira Gandhi, the then prime minister. A lot can be read between the lines in the book, which demeans Sanjay, who at one point of time was worshipped by Congress leaders. The same lot has now set a new record in sycophancy by equating Sonia Gandhi's refusal to take the PM's post in 2004 as an act on a par with high moral standards in politics set by Mahatma Gandhi. But by calling JP's Sampoorna Kranti movement as unconstitutional, the book has insulted millions who fought and made sacrifices to protect democracy from tyranny during the Emergency. Will Rahul explain how a mass movement for restoration of the constitutional rights of the people can be termed unconstitutional?
In fact, it's high time Rahul and the Congress acknowledged the fact that JP, and not Jawaharlal Nehru, was the political heir of the Mahatma in true sense. The spiritual and social legacy of Bapu was inherited by Acharya Vinoba Bhave. JP dedicated his entire life to the Sarvodaya (uplifting all) movement started by Mahatma Gandhi and carried forward by Acharyaji. JP's concept of Sampoorna Kranti, or Total Revolution, was an application of Sarvodaya principles to politics and social life. If politics means sacrifice, as said by Rahul, JP was the real politician. He never took a public office and worked for probity in politics. He believed in "lokniti" (people-oriented politics) instead of "rajniti" (politics for power). The aim of the Total Revolution movement was not only to overthrow a corrupt regime, the then Congress government under Indira Gandhi, but also to reform the society and the individual.
In his letter to the people of Bihar in 1975, JP explained what Total Revolution meant: "Total Revolution has four aspects of work — struggle, construction, propaganda and organisation... In the present situation we should concentrate on the constructive aspect. For example, the main plank of our programme should be to turn the mind of the people and the youth against evils like dowry, caste-discrimination, untouchability, communalism, etc. and to work unitedly for social and cultural integration. The Total Revolution is permanent evolution. It will always go on and keep on changing both our personal and social lives." JP believed that the corrupt system will not change by merely replacing a government. Nor, he felt, enactment of laws could eradicate social evils. The Total Revolution he advocated was to change the system by changing the self.
Like Gandhi, JP was in favour of a democratic system in India based on Gram Swaraj (self-rule at village level) instead of the western model of parliamentary democracy. The model suggested by Gandhi and JP is best suited for India and Rahul must acknowledge it by rising above party politics. In "A Plea for the Reconstruction of the Indian Polity", written for the Akhil Bharat Sarva Seva Sangh (Kashi) in 1959, JP pointed out defects of Indian polity, which stand true even today. He said that more often governments elected under universal adult suffrage are minority governments. Statistics prove that JP was right. The average voting percentage in India is less than 50%, that is, out of 100 elegible voters, less than 50 vote. In a multicornered contest, a candidate getting 20 votes out of 50 who have voted can win the election. This means that a party can form the government by getting only one fifth of the total votes. This does not include 50% of the population below 18 years of age.
Another serious anomaly of the parliamentary system, according to JP, was that the elections are manipulated by powerful and centrally controlled parties through money and propaganda. Demagoguery, according to JP, was another major defect of the parliamentary form of democracy. "The need to ‘catch' votes creates an unlimited opportunity for indulging in half truths, even outright lies sometimes; for exciting the passions, more often than not, the base passions; for arousing false hopes by making dishonest, but pleasing promises. Hardly any issue of public policy is presented to the people in its true light; everything gets distorted by the partisan demagoguery. The consequence of all this is that the real interests of the nation are sacrificed," he said. JP's observation stands true for all the political parties today. The parties divide people in the name of caste, class, faith, language, etc, to get votes.
JP also pointed out that in the parliamentary form of democracy ordinary people elect the government but have little say in formation of policies. "The central executive is so overburdened with work that it is compelled to depend more on bureaucracy… The latter in course of time gather more power for themselves leading to autocracy, which is difficult to fight because it ‘works in the shadows'… The only answer to the problem of the bureaucracy is decentralization so that people directly participate in administration and control the civil servants…The people's administrations might make mistakes… there might be inefficiency as well... But as they themselves will be the sufferers, they will learn and improve things… Moreover, during the British rule did we not say often that the good government was no substitute for the self-government? Is that less true now?"
JP's views on political parties aptly describe the situation prevailing today. "The citizens who cast votes for parties have nothing to do with the running of the parties… Even the enrolled members have no say in inner administration… Parties are run by caucuses that are beyond democratic control… Party rivalries give birth to demagoguery, depress political ethics, put a premium on unscrupulousness and aptitude for manipulation and intrigue. Parties create dissensions where unity is needed and exaggerate differences where they should be minimized… Parties often put party interests over national interests because centralization of power prevents the ordinary citizen from participating in government…The parties, that is to say, small caucuses of politicians, rule in the name of the people and create the illusion of democracy and self-government," he said.
JP described the election system we have as "very expensive and appallingly wasteful". On examining JP's argument, we find that the elections are a major cause of corruption today. Parties need funds to function and contest elections. For this, politicians take money from the business class and return it by way of illegal favours after coming to power. Mining licence to loot natural resources, acquisition of land for hi-tech townships, 2G scam and Radia tapes are a few examples of how the corporate-media-politician nexus is robbing the country. Such a system also gives rise to demagoguery. Hence, JP wanted to replace "general elections" with a "communitarian system in which elected houses are continuous in nature, with a part of them being renewed periodically". "The demand of democracy is that a citizen should participate in the ordering and running of his life," he said.
For this, JP suggested a democratic model with the village at the centre: "The highest political institution of the local community should be the General Assembly – the gram sabha – of which all the adults should be considered members. The selection of the executive – the panchayat – should be by general consensus for a defined period of time. The panchayat should function through sub-committees charged with different responsibilities. There should be no bureaucrats in the governance. Villages should generate revenue, decide expenditure and plan their development... it should be the responsibility of the gram sabha and its panchayat to ensure that no one in the village goes without food, clothing and shelter; no child without primary education; everyone receives primary medical care. There will be hiccups but villages will learn from mistakes."
According to JP, "The next storey above the panchayat samiti would be that of the district council, which would be formed by the representatives of panchayat samitis of the district. The district councils would be responsible for better coordination between villages and govern issues outside the jurisdiction of panchayats. Representatives of the district councils would form the state assembly. The members of the state assembly would elect the state government whose job would be to oversee and support the functioning of the district council. The state assemblies of the country would bring into being the Lok Sabha. Thus the political institution at each level is an integration of all the institutions at the lower level." In JP's model, the state was responsible for issues like law and order, social equity, higher education, etc, which require a bigger approach.
JP knew that the success of his model was a colossal task requiring thousands of voluntary workers over a number of years to accomplish it. He said: "The heart of the problem is to create the ‘spirit of community', without which the whole body-politic would be without life and soul. This is a task of moral regeneration to be brought about by example, service, sacrifice and love. Those who occupy high places in politics, business and other professions would have to lead by personal example. The task also is one of social engineering, needing the help of the state; of scientists, experts, educationists, businessmen, experimenters; of men and women; of young and old. It is a task of dedication; of creation; of self-discovery. It is a task that defines India's destiny. It spells a challenge to India's sons and daughters. Will they accept the challenge?"
So, are we ready to accept the challenge? All of us need to ask this question to ourselves. Shifting to JP's Gandhian model of governance may appear to be difficult today but it is not impossible. The process of Sampoorna Kranti can be started at the individual level. The emphasis on changing the individual as an essential feature to create a movement for changing the society and subsequently the polity has become more relevant today, particularly when corruption has been institutionalised in every sphere — be it politics, executive, legislature, judiciary, military or media. Here I think Rahul Gandhi can lead by example by adopting a zero-tolerance approach towards corruption, even if it results in the fall of the UPA government. This will be a "sacrifice", or real politics, as per his own definition. I am confident, if he does so, people will elect him back to power. And then he would be truly worthy of calling himself a Gandhi(an).
Sharma M C L says:
January 28,2011 at 12:54 PM IST
Congress is a bunch of looters and well dressed dacoits. They choose a chicken and make him or her the leader of their party, prime ministerial candidate or even president so that people could be easily fooled that Congress is a party of soft spoken nice politicians. Behind the veil of Chicken leaders, the looting and dacoity goes on.
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Ashok Gupta says:
January 28,2011 at 10:53 AM IST
Matching Rahul Gandhi with a Sarvodya Leader like Jai Prakash Narayan itself is wrong. J.P was a man with total sacrifies in his life while keeping nothing for himself while R.G is born with a silver spoon in his mouth. I recollect a recent reply of Rahul Gandhi to one of the students answer to his question. The question from Rahul Gandhi to a girl student was, 'Why do you want to join politics? Her reply was' to serve the nation. Rahul immediately said." No body is here in politics for sacrifices to the nation but for winning the elections and to come to the power. In fact he made the mockery of the girl student reply. But now you are writing a different reply to almost the same question, which talks of double standards by Rahul Gandhi. This is a known fact that now this Italian family is here just to rule and loot the nation and in the process 'make the whole country and its people so much corrupt that they can't raise their voices against corruption. 'This is a state where the country becomes slave after sometimes because moral degradation is so much that the common man can't raise any voice against this and come out of this. Regards.
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KKK says:
January 28,2011 at 01:50 PM IST
Rahul inherited his surname from Feroze/Indira/Rajiv, not from MK Gandhi. And he has proved he is worthy of his surname by inheriting Indira's autocracy and Rajiv's incompetence. What more do you want?
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Sughosh Bansal says:
January 28,2011 at 11:50 AM IST
Debating the past is futile and many people will agree to disagree based upon their own perception. As of now Rahul Gandhi is touted as the next PM. Is is worth the material which goes into an effective PM? The recent happenings around CWG, Corruption, Inflation, Economic Development and the views of Rahul (or absence of them) clearly shows that he neither has the ideas, nor worthwhile comments. He has still not proved that he is an effective Manager. You keep the sycophant followers aside and you will conclude that he not an effective leader worth following.
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KKK says:
January 28,2011 at 01:54 PM IST
For Rahul to say that politics is sacrifice and not a career is really funny, considering that he has made it his career and has never sacrificed anything in his life! Let him give up his official residence, his SPG cover, his foreign trips, his Italian passport, and his Swiss bank account (?) --- then he can talk!
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KKK says:
January 28,2011 at 05:22 PM IST
Rahul is what he is because of the blindness of the voters, who think that having Gandhi's surname also gives Gandhi's qualities. Rajiv Gandhi benefitted from the same foolishness!
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Prabhakar says:
January 28,2011 at 10:43 AM IST
Rahul to prove or we have to judge if he is worthy of his surname? Book released by Congress - is that history of India or self praise by a political party? Gandhi, Nehru, JP and others were great thinkers (in addition to being in politics), not sure if present day politicians know much (or anything) about them. How they can contradict or support some thing they don't know.
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Kuldip Gupta says:
January 28,2011 at 05:53 PM IST
Rahul could make Politics as a career because of his surname.He would had been a miserable failure in anything else.Che Guerra had said that in most of the democracies elections are won by feudal landlords. 70% of the so called young MP's are Baap ka Beta MP.They have all reached Parliament courtesy their family linkages.Rahul suggesting young students to make Politics a career or sacrifice is bunkum.Without the support of criminals aka Political Parties it is impossible for a young man to make a career.Political Parties would support sons of Political Leaders,criminals alone.
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RANJAN SRIVASTAVA says:
January 28,2011 at 07:00 PM IST
Many political leaders, like Narendra Modi, Mayawati, Nitish Kumar, Lalu Yadav etc are/were CMs without Gandhi name. I K Gujral, Gowda etc are not Gandhis. India is still a place full with opportunities for everyone to rise to the top, in any field. The journey for many may be in second class, unreserved coach but the destination is there for everyone. Giving so much importance to any name, Gandhi or whatever, shouldn’t be nation’s calling.
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Dr. D. Prithipaul says:
January 29,2011 at 01:00 AM IST
JP, Vinoba Bhave were the equivalent of the forest rishis of yore. After them the vaan-prastha politician become extinct. All the Brahman Prime Ministers did not know how to set the example of disinterested karma and leave their chair after having done what they had to do and could do: Radhakrishnan, Nehru, Narsimha Rao, Vajapayee. AS bhaktas of secularism, they failed to rise to the ideal of the renouncer. While the three greatest kings of India - Ashok, Chandragupta, Harsha - left the throne and retired to the forest, the corruption of the virtue of renunciation became evident with the whole nation going ecstatic with Sonia's "renunciation' when she parachuted MMS as PM. She did not renounce. She actually held on to the real power. That misplaced praise showed to what extent the anglicised middle class has, beside the obligation of sycophancy, been alienated from the values which for millenia venerable men and women had upheld while conferring an exalted status on Indian civilisation. At this stage of his career Rahul Gandhi does not have the moral and intellectual abilities to qualify him even to understand what JP stood for. Meanwhile the mix of democracy, sycophancy, administrative pusillanimity are indications of the way in which India drifts towards the Wasteland. The economic exuberance of the nation hides its spiritual indigence, of which MMS is an apt symbol. He may have initiated the economic revival. But intellectually he does not seem to be more than a mere phantom. With his adamant silence in the midst of so many problems, he takes comfort in an amoral passivity, while the SC carries out what ought to be his basic duties.
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Parbat Singh Panwar says:
January 28,2011 at 11:39 AM IST
Rahul has meekly confessed ,what he is, due to Gandhi.A good point.
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Rajeev says:
January 28,2011 at 05:53 PM IST
Maritial bond is the best way of reconciliation between people of different beliefs and understandings. I realy wish that Rahul should be married to a lady with Right of Centre nationalist conservative ideology (e.g.some BJP/Shiv-Sena leader's daughter). This would ensure that he comes back to his (paternal) roots and at the same time provide a centrist leadership in the Congress. Everyone would be happy in such a scenario. Would it happen -I cant predict!
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T Lal Verma says:
January 29,2011 at 10:47 PM IST
We have been reading since childhood that " a man is known from the company he keeps".So Rahul cannot be different from his company/ colleagues many of whom are either involved in corruption cases or are protecting the corrupt directly or indirectly. Unfortunately Rahul doesn't have his independent identity. Whatever he is , is because of Gandhi family. His real worth can be known only when he becomes independent of Gandhi dynasty. As a person he is no doubt excellent.
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S L Gera says:
January 29,2011 at 10:09 AM IST
You have burdened the young man with too much of information. Rahul Gandhi, of late, seems to be polluted by the politicians and advisors around him. His image of an upright politician is diminishing because of his recent loose utterances. His silence on the black money and Swiss bank accounts has bracketed him with those who have been befooling the people. If he wants to be crowned, he must join the Union Government as a minister in the PMO. But I have my doubts that he would be able to make much difference in the governance of this country which needs a major overhaul to provide a government which can assure maintenance of law and order, security of life, corruption free government machinery or so to say the government hat works. I feel the old guards would hardly allow Rahul Gandhi to run the government the way he would like as these sycophants would always mislead him to grind their own axes. I feel that if Rahul Gandhi really wants to rid this country of various ills, he should join BJP and then run his writ on the government.
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mvrangaraajan says:
January 28,2011 at 05:21 PM IST
What Rahul Gandhi has got to do with Gandhi(an)? The youngsters after college or professional courses should sacrifice what? Career, money, loan repayment, family life, obligation etc.? Politics is a career but a very difficult career; especially after 1964 it has become an highly impossible career for common man. Some time back it was said that Rahul would be good prime minister. This statement is based on what premises? If that is so why the present govt. is not seeking his advice ? He could very well be inducted as Deputy PM for some time. The surname Gandhi is not unique to Mahatma Gandhi or the ruling class. It is a common surname.
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KKK says:
January 28,2011 at 05:19 PM IST
Rahul's dadi at least had competence and a popular touch to go with her autocratic streak. Rahul has neither -- maybe he has gone on his Maino nani!
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KD says:
January 28,2011 at 04:58 PM IST
Ashish, only a 2-3 days ago, Rahul had said "ab congress mein bhai-bhatijawad nahin chalega". And you say Rahul had said that he owes his position to 'Gandhi' surname. Isn't it a GLARING case of Bhai-Bhatijawad? What moral right Rahul has to make such remarks when he himself is from that quota? And you write an article on him comparin him to the greats like JP. I strongly condemn you for this treachery. For your information, Rahul has a blank pot over his shoulders. If you have any expectations from him, you must be the most stupid joker.
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mshagv says:
January 28,2011 at 06:50 PM IST
Next election will be his test.
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CHOTE says:
January 29,2011 at 07:30 PM IST
IT'S PITY THAT WE ARE STILL QUABLING WITH THE SURNAME OF "GANDHI".GANDHI AND NEHRU WERE THE MOST CORRUPT PERSONS IN THE CONGRESS PARTY. GANDHI WAS BEATEN IN ALL INDIA CONGRESS IN 1932 BY NETAJI SHOWING THAT HIS POLICY IS NOT RIGHT FOR INDIA. NETAJIS NAME WAS NEVER MENTIONED IN FREEDOM STRUGGLE. CONGRESS STARTED REWRITTING THE INDIAN HISTORY SO THAT THEY ARE SAFE IN POWER STRGGLE.BALLABH BHAI PATEL WAS ELECTED TO BE THE PRIME MINISTER DURING INDIAN INDEPENDANCE BUT IT WAS GANDHI WHO ASKED HIM NOT ACCEPT THIS POST AND GIVE IT TO NEHRU.INDIRA GANDHI'S HUSBAND WAS MUSLIM AND IT ITIS AGAIN GANDHI WHO ADVISED NEHRU TO CHANGE HIS SURNAME OVERNIGHT TO GANDHI SO THAT THERE IS NO UPHEAVEL IN INDIA. SO YOU CAN SEE HOW CORRUPTION IS INJECTED BY THESE TWO PEOPLE. SO DON'T BLAMEDCORRUPTION HAS BEEN INJECTED BY THE BRITISHERS. AMONGST 1.3 BILLION PEOPLE INDIA CHOOSE TO BRING AN ITALIAN TO BE THE CONGRESS PRESIEDENT. WE LIKED TO BE RULED BY FOREGNERS. IT'S REAL SHAME. AND NOW RAHUL INHERTED THE CROWN FROM THEIR FATHER /MOTHER/ GRANDFATHER TO RULE INDIA. INDIA IS AGAIN RULED BY FOREGNER.IF YOU OPEN THE CORRUPTION PAPER THERE WILL BE NO GANDHI NO NEHRU AND ALMOST ALL THE MINISTERS WILL BE IN PRISON AND BY WHICH INDIA WILL BE MUCH BETTER OFF.
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Vikas Bhargava says:
January 28,2011 at 04:03 PM IST
Rahul Gandhi is on the top congress post simply because there is not anybody else who actually is repected and trusted by most congress workers. It is childish to expect Mahatma Gandhi like charisma and quality from someone like Rahul. Times have changed today India needs shrewd politicians who are honest too. We do not need policies which are framed by a Mahatma simply because they are outdated. Can you ask our armed forces to sit at home and practice non-violence ? I wonder what Mahatma Gandhi's solution would be too Islamic world wide terrorism and fundamentalism. Rahul is much better than so called than followers of jai prakash.
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umesh says:
January 29,2011 at 10:24 PM IST
Yuvraaj is nothing without his sycophants who even stage manage his meetings. Recently in UP he was interacting with YOUTH. This so called youth were hand picked people from NSUI who were asking rehearsed Questions. This guy reminds me of George Bush as a leader who will put his foot every now and then. It is unfortunate that a party like Congress are dependent on this family. This guy doesn't have the quality you need in a leader. His nautanki's with the dalits are only for fooling the masses whom his family has deliberately kept uneducated and poor so that his kind of politics will succeed. It is a proof that Indira Gandhi gave a slogan of Garibi hatao and did nothing.
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satparkashgupta says:
January 28,2011 at 07:42 PM IST
Rahul Gandhi simply has to call a spade a spade .Times are changing . There is no role old styled ,self-serving, crookish politocians .He should apply his mind and adopt the path of sincerity like his father and should not comit any blunder like his father comitted twice .He can be remembersd for generations . Ball is in his court . He got it luckily . He is to play it carefully and judiciously.
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aman says:
January 29,2011 at 11:29 PM IST
you wrote it well ashish and tried your best to drive home the point to.but their is a problem with journalism too!when dynasty is eulogized and compared with people who started and became a mass movement it becomes denigrating to the latter.it has to do with the ideology of TOI too which wants to keep its doors open to family party and swim in right waters once BJP gets back into the saddle!Rahul gandhi carries the burden of "gandhi" as you stated rightly,but he is also a low iq guy,as one can see in his demeanour,utterances.their idea of sickularism and appeasement of a community which thrives on violence since inception is reprehensible.every 20 years this family party under the gandhi tutelage washes its sins under someone's else carpets!YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?Hope my logic made some sense and you can read between lines and words Ashishji.
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Chitu SHAH says:
January 29,2011 at 12:38 PM IST
Why are we talking about rahul? Who is rahul? We have great leaders like narendra modi to lead the nation. When will indians stop chamchagiri.
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Kamesh says:
January 30,2011 at 09:58 AM IST
Rahul's remark that politics is a 'sacrifice' is the biggest joke of the century. I wonder why no one asked him his definition of 'sacrifice' and what has he 'sacrificed'? The brat and his family don't own a car or a house and yet they travel in the costliest transports and live in the palatial houses. Not only that the three - mother, son and sister- have got 3 separate Govt bungalows allotted to themselves. He is not qualified to get a decent job and is leading a lavish life on public money - is that what he calls his 'sacrifice'? As to his intelligence, the less said the better. Both mother and son read out from the papers written by others. Sometime back in one of the blogs here, one had taken a pun that in the Congress Plenary Session he (Rahul) recited his old speech (just like a boy who knows only 2 essays). I am aghast at ASHISH's attempt to compare this idiot (Rahul) with JP. For one who is a firm believer in Gandhian ideology this is the most sacrilegious comment to put Rahul (the most CORRUPT son of the most corrupt mother) on the same platform with JP. Ashish, as a Gandhian, you owe an apology to the nation.
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shamik says:
January 28,2011 at 08:21 PM IST
Indian democracy operates on the superficial level there are static power centers in the country which operate in isolation with masses Our obsession with the “surname� has only widened the gap between the rulers and the common man. To call India a democracy itself won’t be correct though it would offend a lot of people who have put their heart and soul in working for the country but the fact remains that a democratically governed country shows certain pattern of equality of in public life none of these pattern are shown in more than 60 years democratic governance today being prime minister of India is not a case of Merit but a case if controlling some powerful sections and by virtue of the “surname� Rahul is doing that pretty well I don’t know what needs to be proven .
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A. K. Roy(Patna) says:
January 28,2011 at 01:12 PM IST
Very good post after long, but not compatible with the personality of Rahul. He is the weakest chain among all the Nehru family members in power. Your articulation on democratic system will go bouncing above his head.The person whose political guru is sycophant like Digvijay Singh how you are expecting he will understand the socio-politic analysis made by Gandhiji, Acharya Vinoba Bhabe, and Jaiprakash ji. This country again demands the so called "unconstitutonal" movement to eradicate the menace of corruption,nepotism,favourotism, appesment and communalism.
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Sachetak says:
January 28,2011 at 04:49 PM IST
Rahul's remark that politics is a 'sacrifice' is the biggest joke of the century. I wonder why no one asked him his definition of 'sacrifice' and what has he 'sacrificed'? The brat and his family don't own a car or a house and yet they travel in the costliest transports and live in the palatial houses. Not only that the three - mother, son and sister- have got 3 separate Govt bungalows allotted to themselves. He is not qualified to get a decent job and is leading a lavish life on public money - is that what he calls his 'sacrifice'? As to his intelligence, the less said the better. Both mother and son read out from the papers written by others. Sometime back in one of the blogs here, one had taken a pun that in the Congress Plenary Session he (Rahul) recited his old speech (just like a boy who knows only 2 essays). I am aghast at ASHISH's attempt to compare this idiot (Rahul) with JP. For one who is a firm believer in Gandhian ideology this is the most sacrilegious comment to put Rahul (the most CORRUPT son of the most corrupt mother) on the same platform with JP. Ashish, as a Gandhian, you owe an apology to the nation.
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Sudhir Panwar says:
January 29,2011 at 12:05 PM IST
Rahul Gandhi,knows well that preaching is an essential part of today politics.Not only Rahul or congressman you may count the heads among the MLAs and MPs who are in public life for service purposes.In last 63 years we have learnt better that what are the ways of flouting so called election onme of the most important process of election.It is a new trend that for every shortcomming leader blame public.The call made to youth by Rahul Gandhi to join politics is meaningless unless you create the condition of decent life through equitable growth and opportunities.Rajiv Gandhi when he was prime minister narrated that only 20 paisa reached the poor now similar statement from rahul gandhi but when people empowered you through votes why action is not there.All tainted and would be tainted are with you as colleagues in party and Govt where is the scope for honest young person.
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Saha says:
January 29,2011 at 10:32 AM IST
There is a total lack of substance, sincerity, morality and knowledge of domestic as well as foreign affairs. It most certainly was not a relative of Mahatma Gandhi who was caught at Boston Airport with $100,000 and PM Vajpayee had to intervene to keep him out of jail. Many more such felonies might have been covered up in India. An Omar Abdullah clone cannot India any real direction.
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S.Balakrishnan says:
January 29,2011 at 10:53 AM IST
The article if entitled a tribute to the vision of JP would be a better read. Rahul Gandhi is who he is not because what he had done but because of his dad and forefathers. He has done in his life to receive this limelight. His comments are meaningless since he castigates corruption but is preaching for a party that has condoned and participates in the corruption. No India citizen unless he is Rahul Gandhi is free from the burdern of corruption for everyday living. The congress party has institutionalized it and even the PM did not stop 2G spectrum when it was perpetrated and did everything in his power to suppress information about it to the public. Rahul has no place in Indian politics and should gracefully get out of politics or prove that he is worthy on his own merit by spending every minute of his life to educating people of Amethi and Rae Barelli who elected him. The illiteracy in these places show how incompetant he has been so far.
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ashish says:
January 28,2011 at 04:16 PM IST
Like his late ( lamented ? ) grand-mother, if his chamchas dub Rahul is India and India is Rahul, then his entry and work in politics will be a real service to the nation ( i.e. himself ) and he need not sacrifice all that he has ( which you are asking him to do before speaking on the matter ) after all, it is his i.e the NATION's property !
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Kuldip Gupta says:
January 28,2011 at 09:08 PM IST
Mr Vikas did you read the blog and comment or just read a couple of lines and commented.One has to read Gandhi at least a 100 pages on him or by him to qualify to utter his name.The author has analysed JP quite sensibly.JP had both good and bad followers.Lalu is one of the bad ones.The good followers never became famous as he did not hanker for Power.Post 1977 he could had taken any seat of power.He was just not interested in the so called seat of Power.
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Prashant says:
January 28,2011 at 11:41 PM IST
Rahul Gandhi has had a frivolous mind and opinion across the issues involving matters of national importance. This can be seen in the statements that he has made but somehow brazenly he has also been a source of hope that things might change in the Indian polity due to this gentleman. But apart from his words, his actions has been limited when it came to the issues of national importance. May be he is going through a grooming phase, which is good again. Here I would like to say that lord Krishna has a son Samba who exactly looked like him, so he used to play prank to the people and was very naughty. His arrogance and indifference rose to an extent (during the course of a prank in which he morphed himself as a pregnant lady by tieing clothes around his belly)that one of the sages said that the clothes around his belly would turn into Iron and would the cause of the death of the complete clan of lord Krishna. I being a firm believer in the Indian spirit remain sceptical that Rahul gandhi should not turn into Samba and rather should lead with full conviction to set things right. The non governance has not been detrimental to the growth story of India because of the Intellectual capital the country is generating and the baseline being the HOPE for a brighter future, Once that id eroded no amount of politically correct measures can undo the damages done. So beter wake up when we have the time and ability to set things right.
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Pankaj says:
January 29,2011 at 05:38 PM IST
You mean Rahul too have to hatch scams worth billions of dollars to prove that he is a true Gandhi and a true Congress politician ;-)
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KD Agarwala says:
January 28,2011 at 09:06 PM IST
Rahul's remark that politics is a 'sacrifice' is the biggest joke of the century. I wonder why no one asked him his definition of 'sacrifice' and what has he 'sacrificed'? The brat and his family don't own a car or a house and yet they travel in the costliest transports and live in the palatial houses. Not only that the three - mother, son and sister- have got 3 separate Govt bungalows allotted to themselves. He is not qualified to get a decent job and is leading a lavish life on public money - is that what he calls his 'sacrifice'? As to his intelligence, the less said the better. Both mother and son read out from the papers written by others. Sometime back in one of the blogs here, one had taken a pun that in the Congress Plenary Session he (Rahul) recited his old speech (just like a boy who knows only 2 essays). I am aghast at ASHISH's attempt to compare this idiot (Rahul) with JP. For one who is a firm believer in Gandhian ideology this is the most sacrilegious comment to put Rahul (the most CORRUPT son of the most corrupt mother) on the same platform with JP. Ashish, as a Gandhian, you owe an apology to the nation.
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satparkashgupta says:
January 29,2011 at 12:03 AM IST
In old times , even a young lad of 14 was crowned as a king . He used to carryout his work with the help of well known noble laureats (10-14)of that times . So , he also have to find out real noble laureats of our time .Only then he can succeed.
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neha says:
January 29,2011 at 06:35 PM IST
He got his name from Sonia & Rajiv Gandhi. He is as useless clueless and hopeless as they are so he is definitely worthy for the last name
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Mandeep samana says:
January 28,2011 at 01:58 PM IST
Rahul can be a hero in present form of democracy. But if we have to go for JP's model of democracy we need to find some other pioneers which wont be from some clan having heavy sirname but would be from villages or cities. Rahul's work is entirely for congress not for country.
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Manoj says:
January 29,2011 at 12:51 PM IST
I dont understand why there is so much hype on Rahul ghandhi, looks like we are hell bent down and want the dynastic rule never end in India. Throw ayaway these Rahuls and Ghandhi from indian Politics and congress from power for next 50 years, then only this country will grown, progress and get back its self respect. Scams after scams, failures after failures what these Ghandhis has think of us if there is any respect of indian in the world thats because of the work of the individuals not by the acts of the Indian Govts. The cant built the infractures, they cant control the populations, they cant control the corruptions, they have weakened all the investigation agencies, Judicial system is about to break down with the load of the pending cases, Naxalites and terrorism they cant control, Kashmir is troubled then what these Ghandhis has done for this country???
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RANJAN SRIVASTAVA says:
January 28,2011 at 06:15 PM IST
The current crisis is due to a void of dialogue between public servants and the people. Government of the people, by the people, for the people, will be the fulcrum of any model of the future governance. However, what needs to be conceptualized is the framework of governance for the future. The gigantic changes heralded by technology (internet, mobile communication etc) in the 21st century have forced us to not only review the existing models but also envisage a non-hierarchical model. Government formation, by whichever way, will not matter if the governance is interactive and in dialogue with citizens.
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Gope Lalwani says:
January 29,2011 at 01:44 AM IST
After the Bihar debacle Mr. Rahul Gandhi looks more like alice in wonderland. He is like a boy whose mother wants him to do engineering but the boy can't even make out difference between algebra and zebra. In fact we have never seen him talk or participate in any live debates. If he has to succeed he has to establish a straight dialogue with the people on the lines of his grandmother and great grandfather. Only time will tell whether he assumes a new avatar or sinks like the "Titanic" in the waters of Indian Politics.
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Mohammed says:
January 29,2011 at 12:01 PM IST
What has Rahul Gandhi done for the country? Someone please enlighten me. Why do the media keep insisting on him? Why so much disproportionate coverage on Rahul? Please, he is nothing but a little child. He cant even run his own house.....how is he going to run corrupt inefficient India?
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KD says:
January 30,2011 at 10:01 AM IST
If you don't know who JP is/was, it is better if you don't know at all now or in future.
http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Introspection/entry/rahul-must-prove-he-is-worthy-of-his-surname
While replying to a query, he said that politics is "sacrifice" and not a "career" and asked the youth to join politics if they want to correct it. But, will the Gandhi scion follow what he says and start by correcting the distortion of history done by his party?
The case in point is a book released on Congress's 125th anniversary. The book blames the late Sanjay Gandhi for the Emergency imposed on India in 1975 and gives a clean chit to his mother, Indira Gandhi, the then prime minister. A lot can be read between the lines in the book, which demeans Sanjay, who at one point of time was worshipped by Congress leaders. The same lot has now set a new record in sycophancy by equating Sonia Gandhi's refusal to take the PM's post in 2004 as an act on a par with high moral standards in politics set by Mahatma Gandhi. But by calling JP's Sampoorna Kranti movement as unconstitutional, the book has insulted millions who fought and made sacrifices to protect democracy from tyranny during the Emergency. Will Rahul explain how a mass movement for restoration of the constitutional rights of the people can be termed unconstitutional?
In fact, it's high time Rahul and the Congress acknowledged the fact that JP, and not Jawaharlal Nehru, was the political heir of the Mahatma in true sense. The spiritual and social legacy of Bapu was inherited by Acharya Vinoba Bhave. JP dedicated his entire life to the Sarvodaya (uplifting all) movement started by Mahatma Gandhi and carried forward by Acharyaji. JP's concept of Sampoorna Kranti, or Total Revolution, was an application of Sarvodaya principles to politics and social life. If politics means sacrifice, as said by Rahul, JP was the real politician. He never took a public office and worked for probity in politics. He believed in "lokniti" (people-oriented politics) instead of "rajniti" (politics for power). The aim of the Total Revolution movement was not only to overthrow a corrupt regime, the then Congress government under Indira Gandhi, but also to reform the society and the individual.
In his letter to the people of Bihar in 1975, JP explained what Total Revolution meant: "Total Revolution has four aspects of work — struggle, construction, propaganda and organisation... In the present situation we should concentrate on the constructive aspect. For example, the main plank of our programme should be to turn the mind of the people and the youth against evils like dowry, caste-discrimination, untouchability, communalism, etc. and to work unitedly for social and cultural integration. The Total Revolution is permanent evolution. It will always go on and keep on changing both our personal and social lives." JP believed that the corrupt system will not change by merely replacing a government. Nor, he felt, enactment of laws could eradicate social evils. The Total Revolution he advocated was to change the system by changing the self.
Like Gandhi, JP was in favour of a democratic system in India based on Gram Swaraj (self-rule at village level) instead of the western model of parliamentary democracy. The model suggested by Gandhi and JP is best suited for India and Rahul must acknowledge it by rising above party politics. In "A Plea for the Reconstruction of the Indian Polity", written for the Akhil Bharat Sarva Seva Sangh (Kashi) in 1959, JP pointed out defects of Indian polity, which stand true even today. He said that more often governments elected under universal adult suffrage are minority governments. Statistics prove that JP was right. The average voting percentage in India is less than 50%, that is, out of 100 elegible voters, less than 50 vote. In a multicornered contest, a candidate getting 20 votes out of 50 who have voted can win the election. This means that a party can form the government by getting only one fifth of the total votes. This does not include 50% of the population below 18 years of age.
Another serious anomaly of the parliamentary system, according to JP, was that the elections are manipulated by powerful and centrally controlled parties through money and propaganda. Demagoguery, according to JP, was another major defect of the parliamentary form of democracy. "The need to ‘catch' votes creates an unlimited opportunity for indulging in half truths, even outright lies sometimes; for exciting the passions, more often than not, the base passions; for arousing false hopes by making dishonest, but pleasing promises. Hardly any issue of public policy is presented to the people in its true light; everything gets distorted by the partisan demagoguery. The consequence of all this is that the real interests of the nation are sacrificed," he said. JP's observation stands true for all the political parties today. The parties divide people in the name of caste, class, faith, language, etc, to get votes.
JP also pointed out that in the parliamentary form of democracy ordinary people elect the government but have little say in formation of policies. "The central executive is so overburdened with work that it is compelled to depend more on bureaucracy… The latter in course of time gather more power for themselves leading to autocracy, which is difficult to fight because it ‘works in the shadows'… The only answer to the problem of the bureaucracy is decentralization so that people directly participate in administration and control the civil servants…The people's administrations might make mistakes… there might be inefficiency as well... But as they themselves will be the sufferers, they will learn and improve things… Moreover, during the British rule did we not say often that the good government was no substitute for the self-government? Is that less true now?"
JP's views on political parties aptly describe the situation prevailing today. "The citizens who cast votes for parties have nothing to do with the running of the parties… Even the enrolled members have no say in inner administration… Parties are run by caucuses that are beyond democratic control… Party rivalries give birth to demagoguery, depress political ethics, put a premium on unscrupulousness and aptitude for manipulation and intrigue. Parties create dissensions where unity is needed and exaggerate differences where they should be minimized… Parties often put party interests over national interests because centralization of power prevents the ordinary citizen from participating in government…The parties, that is to say, small caucuses of politicians, rule in the name of the people and create the illusion of democracy and self-government," he said.
JP described the election system we have as "very expensive and appallingly wasteful". On examining JP's argument, we find that the elections are a major cause of corruption today. Parties need funds to function and contest elections. For this, politicians take money from the business class and return it by way of illegal favours after coming to power. Mining licence to loot natural resources, acquisition of land for hi-tech townships, 2G scam and Radia tapes are a few examples of how the corporate-media-politician nexus is robbing the country. Such a system also gives rise to demagoguery. Hence, JP wanted to replace "general elections" with a "communitarian system in which elected houses are continuous in nature, with a part of them being renewed periodically". "The demand of democracy is that a citizen should participate in the ordering and running of his life," he said.
For this, JP suggested a democratic model with the village at the centre: "The highest political institution of the local community should be the General Assembly – the gram sabha – of which all the adults should be considered members. The selection of the executive – the panchayat – should be by general consensus for a defined period of time. The panchayat should function through sub-committees charged with different responsibilities. There should be no bureaucrats in the governance. Villages should generate revenue, decide expenditure and plan their development... it should be the responsibility of the gram sabha and its panchayat to ensure that no one in the village goes without food, clothing and shelter; no child without primary education; everyone receives primary medical care. There will be hiccups but villages will learn from mistakes."
According to JP, "The next storey above the panchayat samiti would be that of the district council, which would be formed by the representatives of panchayat samitis of the district. The district councils would be responsible for better coordination between villages and govern issues outside the jurisdiction of panchayats. Representatives of the district councils would form the state assembly. The members of the state assembly would elect the state government whose job would be to oversee and support the functioning of the district council. The state assemblies of the country would bring into being the Lok Sabha. Thus the political institution at each level is an integration of all the institutions at the lower level." In JP's model, the state was responsible for issues like law and order, social equity, higher education, etc, which require a bigger approach.
JP knew that the success of his model was a colossal task requiring thousands of voluntary workers over a number of years to accomplish it. He said: "The heart of the problem is to create the ‘spirit of community', without which the whole body-politic would be without life and soul. This is a task of moral regeneration to be brought about by example, service, sacrifice and love. Those who occupy high places in politics, business and other professions would have to lead by personal example. The task also is one of social engineering, needing the help of the state; of scientists, experts, educationists, businessmen, experimenters; of men and women; of young and old. It is a task of dedication; of creation; of self-discovery. It is a task that defines India's destiny. It spells a challenge to India's sons and daughters. Will they accept the challenge?"
So, are we ready to accept the challenge? All of us need to ask this question to ourselves. Shifting to JP's Gandhian model of governance may appear to be difficult today but it is not impossible. The process of Sampoorna Kranti can be started at the individual level. The emphasis on changing the individual as an essential feature to create a movement for changing the society and subsequently the polity has become more relevant today, particularly when corruption has been institutionalised in every sphere — be it politics, executive, legislature, judiciary, military or media. Here I think Rahul Gandhi can lead by example by adopting a zero-tolerance approach towards corruption, even if it results in the fall of the UPA government. This will be a "sacrifice", or real politics, as per his own definition. I am confident, if he does so, people will elect him back to power. And then he would be truly worthy of calling himself a Gandhi(an).
Sharma M C L says:
January 28,2011 at 12:54 PM IST
Congress is a bunch of looters and well dressed dacoits. They choose a chicken and make him or her the leader of their party, prime ministerial candidate or even president so that people could be easily fooled that Congress is a party of soft spoken nice politicians. Behind the veil of Chicken leaders, the looting and dacoity goes on.
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Ashok Gupta says:
January 28,2011 at 10:53 AM IST
Matching Rahul Gandhi with a Sarvodya Leader like Jai Prakash Narayan itself is wrong. J.P was a man with total sacrifies in his life while keeping nothing for himself while R.G is born with a silver spoon in his mouth. I recollect a recent reply of Rahul Gandhi to one of the students answer to his question. The question from Rahul Gandhi to a girl student was, 'Why do you want to join politics? Her reply was' to serve the nation. Rahul immediately said." No body is here in politics for sacrifices to the nation but for winning the elections and to come to the power. In fact he made the mockery of the girl student reply. But now you are writing a different reply to almost the same question, which talks of double standards by Rahul Gandhi. This is a known fact that now this Italian family is here just to rule and loot the nation and in the process 'make the whole country and its people so much corrupt that they can't raise their voices against corruption. 'This is a state where the country becomes slave after sometimes because moral degradation is so much that the common man can't raise any voice against this and come out of this. Regards.
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KKK says:
January 28,2011 at 01:50 PM IST
Rahul inherited his surname from Feroze/Indira/Rajiv, not from MK Gandhi. And he has proved he is worthy of his surname by inheriting Indira's autocracy and Rajiv's incompetence. What more do you want?
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Sughosh Bansal says:
January 28,2011 at 11:50 AM IST
Debating the past is futile and many people will agree to disagree based upon their own perception. As of now Rahul Gandhi is touted as the next PM. Is is worth the material which goes into an effective PM? The recent happenings around CWG, Corruption, Inflation, Economic Development and the views of Rahul (or absence of them) clearly shows that he neither has the ideas, nor worthwhile comments. He has still not proved that he is an effective Manager. You keep the sycophant followers aside and you will conclude that he not an effective leader worth following.
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KKK says:
January 28,2011 at 01:54 PM IST
For Rahul to say that politics is sacrifice and not a career is really funny, considering that he has made it his career and has never sacrificed anything in his life! Let him give up his official residence, his SPG cover, his foreign trips, his Italian passport, and his Swiss bank account (?) --- then he can talk!
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KKK says:
January 28,2011 at 05:22 PM IST
Rahul is what he is because of the blindness of the voters, who think that having Gandhi's surname also gives Gandhi's qualities. Rajiv Gandhi benefitted from the same foolishness!
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Prabhakar says:
January 28,2011 at 10:43 AM IST
Rahul to prove or we have to judge if he is worthy of his surname? Book released by Congress - is that history of India or self praise by a political party? Gandhi, Nehru, JP and others were great thinkers (in addition to being in politics), not sure if present day politicians know much (or anything) about them. How they can contradict or support some thing they don't know.
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Kuldip Gupta says:
January 28,2011 at 05:53 PM IST
Rahul could make Politics as a career because of his surname.He would had been a miserable failure in anything else.Che Guerra had said that in most of the democracies elections are won by feudal landlords. 70% of the so called young MP's are Baap ka Beta MP.They have all reached Parliament courtesy their family linkages.Rahul suggesting young students to make Politics a career or sacrifice is bunkum.Without the support of criminals aka Political Parties it is impossible for a young man to make a career.Political Parties would support sons of Political Leaders,criminals alone.
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RANJAN SRIVASTAVA says:
January 28,2011 at 07:00 PM IST
Many political leaders, like Narendra Modi, Mayawati, Nitish Kumar, Lalu Yadav etc are/were CMs without Gandhi name. I K Gujral, Gowda etc are not Gandhis. India is still a place full with opportunities for everyone to rise to the top, in any field. The journey for many may be in second class, unreserved coach but the destination is there for everyone. Giving so much importance to any name, Gandhi or whatever, shouldn’t be nation’s calling.
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Dr. D. Prithipaul says:
January 29,2011 at 01:00 AM IST
JP, Vinoba Bhave were the equivalent of the forest rishis of yore. After them the vaan-prastha politician become extinct. All the Brahman Prime Ministers did not know how to set the example of disinterested karma and leave their chair after having done what they had to do and could do: Radhakrishnan, Nehru, Narsimha Rao, Vajapayee. AS bhaktas of secularism, they failed to rise to the ideal of the renouncer. While the three greatest kings of India - Ashok, Chandragupta, Harsha - left the throne and retired to the forest, the corruption of the virtue of renunciation became evident with the whole nation going ecstatic with Sonia's "renunciation' when she parachuted MMS as PM. She did not renounce. She actually held on to the real power. That misplaced praise showed to what extent the anglicised middle class has, beside the obligation of sycophancy, been alienated from the values which for millenia venerable men and women had upheld while conferring an exalted status on Indian civilisation. At this stage of his career Rahul Gandhi does not have the moral and intellectual abilities to qualify him even to understand what JP stood for. Meanwhile the mix of democracy, sycophancy, administrative pusillanimity are indications of the way in which India drifts towards the Wasteland. The economic exuberance of the nation hides its spiritual indigence, of which MMS is an apt symbol. He may have initiated the economic revival. But intellectually he does not seem to be more than a mere phantom. With his adamant silence in the midst of so many problems, he takes comfort in an amoral passivity, while the SC carries out what ought to be his basic duties.
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Parbat Singh Panwar says:
January 28,2011 at 11:39 AM IST
Rahul has meekly confessed ,what he is, due to Gandhi.A good point.
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Rajeev says:
January 28,2011 at 05:53 PM IST
Maritial bond is the best way of reconciliation between people of different beliefs and understandings. I realy wish that Rahul should be married to a lady with Right of Centre nationalist conservative ideology (e.g.some BJP/Shiv-Sena leader's daughter). This would ensure that he comes back to his (paternal) roots and at the same time provide a centrist leadership in the Congress. Everyone would be happy in such a scenario. Would it happen -I cant predict!
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T Lal Verma says:
January 29,2011 at 10:47 PM IST
We have been reading since childhood that " a man is known from the company he keeps".So Rahul cannot be different from his company/ colleagues many of whom are either involved in corruption cases or are protecting the corrupt directly or indirectly. Unfortunately Rahul doesn't have his independent identity. Whatever he is , is because of Gandhi family. His real worth can be known only when he becomes independent of Gandhi dynasty. As a person he is no doubt excellent.
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S L Gera says:
January 29,2011 at 10:09 AM IST
You have burdened the young man with too much of information. Rahul Gandhi, of late, seems to be polluted by the politicians and advisors around him. His image of an upright politician is diminishing because of his recent loose utterances. His silence on the black money and Swiss bank accounts has bracketed him with those who have been befooling the people. If he wants to be crowned, he must join the Union Government as a minister in the PMO. But I have my doubts that he would be able to make much difference in the governance of this country which needs a major overhaul to provide a government which can assure maintenance of law and order, security of life, corruption free government machinery or so to say the government hat works. I feel the old guards would hardly allow Rahul Gandhi to run the government the way he would like as these sycophants would always mislead him to grind their own axes. I feel that if Rahul Gandhi really wants to rid this country of various ills, he should join BJP and then run his writ on the government.
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mvrangaraajan says:
January 28,2011 at 05:21 PM IST
What Rahul Gandhi has got to do with Gandhi(an)? The youngsters after college or professional courses should sacrifice what? Career, money, loan repayment, family life, obligation etc.? Politics is a career but a very difficult career; especially after 1964 it has become an highly impossible career for common man. Some time back it was said that Rahul would be good prime minister. This statement is based on what premises? If that is so why the present govt. is not seeking his advice ? He could very well be inducted as Deputy PM for some time. The surname Gandhi is not unique to Mahatma Gandhi or the ruling class. It is a common surname.
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KKK says:
January 28,2011 at 05:19 PM IST
Rahul's dadi at least had competence and a popular touch to go with her autocratic streak. Rahul has neither -- maybe he has gone on his Maino nani!
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KD says:
January 28,2011 at 04:58 PM IST
Ashish, only a 2-3 days ago, Rahul had said "ab congress mein bhai-bhatijawad nahin chalega". And you say Rahul had said that he owes his position to 'Gandhi' surname. Isn't it a GLARING case of Bhai-Bhatijawad? What moral right Rahul has to make such remarks when he himself is from that quota? And you write an article on him comparin him to the greats like JP. I strongly condemn you for this treachery. For your information, Rahul has a blank pot over his shoulders. If you have any expectations from him, you must be the most stupid joker.
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mshagv says:
January 28,2011 at 06:50 PM IST
Next election will be his test.
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CHOTE says:
January 29,2011 at 07:30 PM IST
IT'S PITY THAT WE ARE STILL QUABLING WITH THE SURNAME OF "GANDHI".GANDHI AND NEHRU WERE THE MOST CORRUPT PERSONS IN THE CONGRESS PARTY. GANDHI WAS BEATEN IN ALL INDIA CONGRESS IN 1932 BY NETAJI SHOWING THAT HIS POLICY IS NOT RIGHT FOR INDIA. NETAJIS NAME WAS NEVER MENTIONED IN FREEDOM STRUGGLE. CONGRESS STARTED REWRITTING THE INDIAN HISTORY SO THAT THEY ARE SAFE IN POWER STRGGLE.BALLABH BHAI PATEL WAS ELECTED TO BE THE PRIME MINISTER DURING INDIAN INDEPENDANCE BUT IT WAS GANDHI WHO ASKED HIM NOT ACCEPT THIS POST AND GIVE IT TO NEHRU.INDIRA GANDHI'S HUSBAND WAS MUSLIM AND IT ITIS AGAIN GANDHI WHO ADVISED NEHRU TO CHANGE HIS SURNAME OVERNIGHT TO GANDHI SO THAT THERE IS NO UPHEAVEL IN INDIA. SO YOU CAN SEE HOW CORRUPTION IS INJECTED BY THESE TWO PEOPLE. SO DON'T BLAMEDCORRUPTION HAS BEEN INJECTED BY THE BRITISHERS. AMONGST 1.3 BILLION PEOPLE INDIA CHOOSE TO BRING AN ITALIAN TO BE THE CONGRESS PRESIEDENT. WE LIKED TO BE RULED BY FOREGNERS. IT'S REAL SHAME. AND NOW RAHUL INHERTED THE CROWN FROM THEIR FATHER /MOTHER/ GRANDFATHER TO RULE INDIA. INDIA IS AGAIN RULED BY FOREGNER.IF YOU OPEN THE CORRUPTION PAPER THERE WILL BE NO GANDHI NO NEHRU AND ALMOST ALL THE MINISTERS WILL BE IN PRISON AND BY WHICH INDIA WILL BE MUCH BETTER OFF.
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Vikas Bhargava says:
January 28,2011 at 04:03 PM IST
Rahul Gandhi is on the top congress post simply because there is not anybody else who actually is repected and trusted by most congress workers. It is childish to expect Mahatma Gandhi like charisma and quality from someone like Rahul. Times have changed today India needs shrewd politicians who are honest too. We do not need policies which are framed by a Mahatma simply because they are outdated. Can you ask our armed forces to sit at home and practice non-violence ? I wonder what Mahatma Gandhi's solution would be too Islamic world wide terrorism and fundamentalism. Rahul is much better than so called than followers of jai prakash.
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umesh says:
January 29,2011 at 10:24 PM IST
Yuvraaj is nothing without his sycophants who even stage manage his meetings. Recently in UP he was interacting with YOUTH. This so called youth were hand picked people from NSUI who were asking rehearsed Questions. This guy reminds me of George Bush as a leader who will put his foot every now and then. It is unfortunate that a party like Congress are dependent on this family. This guy doesn't have the quality you need in a leader. His nautanki's with the dalits are only for fooling the masses whom his family has deliberately kept uneducated and poor so that his kind of politics will succeed. It is a proof that Indira Gandhi gave a slogan of Garibi hatao and did nothing.
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satparkashgupta says:
January 28,2011 at 07:42 PM IST
Rahul Gandhi simply has to call a spade a spade .Times are changing . There is no role old styled ,self-serving, crookish politocians .He should apply his mind and adopt the path of sincerity like his father and should not comit any blunder like his father comitted twice .He can be remembersd for generations . Ball is in his court . He got it luckily . He is to play it carefully and judiciously.
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aman says:
January 29,2011 at 11:29 PM IST
you wrote it well ashish and tried your best to drive home the point to.but their is a problem with journalism too!when dynasty is eulogized and compared with people who started and became a mass movement it becomes denigrating to the latter.it has to do with the ideology of TOI too which wants to keep its doors open to family party and swim in right waters once BJP gets back into the saddle!Rahul gandhi carries the burden of "gandhi" as you stated rightly,but he is also a low iq guy,as one can see in his demeanour,utterances.their idea of sickularism and appeasement of a community which thrives on violence since inception is reprehensible.every 20 years this family party under the gandhi tutelage washes its sins under someone's else carpets!YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?Hope my logic made some sense and you can read between lines and words Ashishji.
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Chitu SHAH says:
January 29,2011 at 12:38 PM IST
Why are we talking about rahul? Who is rahul? We have great leaders like narendra modi to lead the nation. When will indians stop chamchagiri.
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Kamesh says:
January 30,2011 at 09:58 AM IST
Rahul's remark that politics is a 'sacrifice' is the biggest joke of the century. I wonder why no one asked him his definition of 'sacrifice' and what has he 'sacrificed'? The brat and his family don't own a car or a house and yet they travel in the costliest transports and live in the palatial houses. Not only that the three - mother, son and sister- have got 3 separate Govt bungalows allotted to themselves. He is not qualified to get a decent job and is leading a lavish life on public money - is that what he calls his 'sacrifice'? As to his intelligence, the less said the better. Both mother and son read out from the papers written by others. Sometime back in one of the blogs here, one had taken a pun that in the Congress Plenary Session he (Rahul) recited his old speech (just like a boy who knows only 2 essays). I am aghast at ASHISH's attempt to compare this idiot (Rahul) with JP. For one who is a firm believer in Gandhian ideology this is the most sacrilegious comment to put Rahul (the most CORRUPT son of the most corrupt mother) on the same platform with JP. Ashish, as a Gandhian, you owe an apology to the nation.
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shamik says:
January 28,2011 at 08:21 PM IST
Indian democracy operates on the superficial level there are static power centers in the country which operate in isolation with masses Our obsession with the “surname� has only widened the gap between the rulers and the common man. To call India a democracy itself won’t be correct though it would offend a lot of people who have put their heart and soul in working for the country but the fact remains that a democratically governed country shows certain pattern of equality of in public life none of these pattern are shown in more than 60 years democratic governance today being prime minister of India is not a case of Merit but a case if controlling some powerful sections and by virtue of the “surname� Rahul is doing that pretty well I don’t know what needs to be proven .
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A. K. Roy(Patna) says:
January 28,2011 at 01:12 PM IST
Very good post after long, but not compatible with the personality of Rahul. He is the weakest chain among all the Nehru family members in power. Your articulation on democratic system will go bouncing above his head.The person whose political guru is sycophant like Digvijay Singh how you are expecting he will understand the socio-politic analysis made by Gandhiji, Acharya Vinoba Bhabe, and Jaiprakash ji. This country again demands the so called "unconstitutonal" movement to eradicate the menace of corruption,nepotism,favourotism, appesment and communalism.
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Sachetak says:
January 28,2011 at 04:49 PM IST
Rahul's remark that politics is a 'sacrifice' is the biggest joke of the century. I wonder why no one asked him his definition of 'sacrifice' and what has he 'sacrificed'? The brat and his family don't own a car or a house and yet they travel in the costliest transports and live in the palatial houses. Not only that the three - mother, son and sister- have got 3 separate Govt bungalows allotted to themselves. He is not qualified to get a decent job and is leading a lavish life on public money - is that what he calls his 'sacrifice'? As to his intelligence, the less said the better. Both mother and son read out from the papers written by others. Sometime back in one of the blogs here, one had taken a pun that in the Congress Plenary Session he (Rahul) recited his old speech (just like a boy who knows only 2 essays). I am aghast at ASHISH's attempt to compare this idiot (Rahul) with JP. For one who is a firm believer in Gandhian ideology this is the most sacrilegious comment to put Rahul (the most CORRUPT son of the most corrupt mother) on the same platform with JP. Ashish, as a Gandhian, you owe an apology to the nation.
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Sudhir Panwar says:
January 29,2011 at 12:05 PM IST
Rahul Gandhi,knows well that preaching is an essential part of today politics.Not only Rahul or congressman you may count the heads among the MLAs and MPs who are in public life for service purposes.In last 63 years we have learnt better that what are the ways of flouting so called election onme of the most important process of election.It is a new trend that for every shortcomming leader blame public.The call made to youth by Rahul Gandhi to join politics is meaningless unless you create the condition of decent life through equitable growth and opportunities.Rajiv Gandhi when he was prime minister narrated that only 20 paisa reached the poor now similar statement from rahul gandhi but when people empowered you through votes why action is not there.All tainted and would be tainted are with you as colleagues in party and Govt where is the scope for honest young person.
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Saha says:
January 29,2011 at 10:32 AM IST
There is a total lack of substance, sincerity, morality and knowledge of domestic as well as foreign affairs. It most certainly was not a relative of Mahatma Gandhi who was caught at Boston Airport with $100,000 and PM Vajpayee had to intervene to keep him out of jail. Many more such felonies might have been covered up in India. An Omar Abdullah clone cannot India any real direction.
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S.Balakrishnan says:
January 29,2011 at 10:53 AM IST
The article if entitled a tribute to the vision of JP would be a better read. Rahul Gandhi is who he is not because what he had done but because of his dad and forefathers. He has done in his life to receive this limelight. His comments are meaningless since he castigates corruption but is preaching for a party that has condoned and participates in the corruption. No India citizen unless he is Rahul Gandhi is free from the burdern of corruption for everyday living. The congress party has institutionalized it and even the PM did not stop 2G spectrum when it was perpetrated and did everything in his power to suppress information about it to the public. Rahul has no place in Indian politics and should gracefully get out of politics or prove that he is worthy on his own merit by spending every minute of his life to educating people of Amethi and Rae Barelli who elected him. The illiteracy in these places show how incompetant he has been so far.
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ashish says:
January 28,2011 at 04:16 PM IST
Like his late ( lamented ? ) grand-mother, if his chamchas dub Rahul is India and India is Rahul, then his entry and work in politics will be a real service to the nation ( i.e. himself ) and he need not sacrifice all that he has ( which you are asking him to do before speaking on the matter ) after all, it is his i.e the NATION's property !
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Kuldip Gupta says:
January 28,2011 at 09:08 PM IST
Mr Vikas did you read the blog and comment or just read a couple of lines and commented.One has to read Gandhi at least a 100 pages on him or by him to qualify to utter his name.The author has analysed JP quite sensibly.JP had both good and bad followers.Lalu is one of the bad ones.The good followers never became famous as he did not hanker for Power.Post 1977 he could had taken any seat of power.He was just not interested in the so called seat of Power.
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Prashant says:
January 28,2011 at 11:41 PM IST
Rahul Gandhi has had a frivolous mind and opinion across the issues involving matters of national importance. This can be seen in the statements that he has made but somehow brazenly he has also been a source of hope that things might change in the Indian polity due to this gentleman. But apart from his words, his actions has been limited when it came to the issues of national importance. May be he is going through a grooming phase, which is good again. Here I would like to say that lord Krishna has a son Samba who exactly looked like him, so he used to play prank to the people and was very naughty. His arrogance and indifference rose to an extent (during the course of a prank in which he morphed himself as a pregnant lady by tieing clothes around his belly)that one of the sages said that the clothes around his belly would turn into Iron and would the cause of the death of the complete clan of lord Krishna. I being a firm believer in the Indian spirit remain sceptical that Rahul gandhi should not turn into Samba and rather should lead with full conviction to set things right. The non governance has not been detrimental to the growth story of India because of the Intellectual capital the country is generating and the baseline being the HOPE for a brighter future, Once that id eroded no amount of politically correct measures can undo the damages done. So beter wake up when we have the time and ability to set things right.
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Pankaj says:
January 29,2011 at 05:38 PM IST
You mean Rahul too have to hatch scams worth billions of dollars to prove that he is a true Gandhi and a true Congress politician ;-)
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KD Agarwala says:
January 28,2011 at 09:06 PM IST
Rahul's remark that politics is a 'sacrifice' is the biggest joke of the century. I wonder why no one asked him his definition of 'sacrifice' and what has he 'sacrificed'? The brat and his family don't own a car or a house and yet they travel in the costliest transports and live in the palatial houses. Not only that the three - mother, son and sister- have got 3 separate Govt bungalows allotted to themselves. He is not qualified to get a decent job and is leading a lavish life on public money - is that what he calls his 'sacrifice'? As to his intelligence, the less said the better. Both mother and son read out from the papers written by others. Sometime back in one of the blogs here, one had taken a pun that in the Congress Plenary Session he (Rahul) recited his old speech (just like a boy who knows only 2 essays). I am aghast at ASHISH's attempt to compare this idiot (Rahul) with JP. For one who is a firm believer in Gandhian ideology this is the most sacrilegious comment to put Rahul (the most CORRUPT son of the most corrupt mother) on the same platform with JP. Ashish, as a Gandhian, you owe an apology to the nation.
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satparkashgupta says:
January 29,2011 at 12:03 AM IST
In old times , even a young lad of 14 was crowned as a king . He used to carryout his work with the help of well known noble laureats (10-14)of that times . So , he also have to find out real noble laureats of our time .Only then he can succeed.
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neha says:
January 29,2011 at 06:35 PM IST
He got his name from Sonia & Rajiv Gandhi. He is as useless clueless and hopeless as they are so he is definitely worthy for the last name
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Mandeep samana says:
January 28,2011 at 01:58 PM IST
Rahul can be a hero in present form of democracy. But if we have to go for JP's model of democracy we need to find some other pioneers which wont be from some clan having heavy sirname but would be from villages or cities. Rahul's work is entirely for congress not for country.
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Manoj says:
January 29,2011 at 12:51 PM IST
I dont understand why there is so much hype on Rahul ghandhi, looks like we are hell bent down and want the dynastic rule never end in India. Throw ayaway these Rahuls and Ghandhi from indian Politics and congress from power for next 50 years, then only this country will grown, progress and get back its self respect. Scams after scams, failures after failures what these Ghandhis has think of us if there is any respect of indian in the world thats because of the work of the individuals not by the acts of the Indian Govts. The cant built the infractures, they cant control the populations, they cant control the corruptions, they have weakened all the investigation agencies, Judicial system is about to break down with the load of the pending cases, Naxalites and terrorism they cant control, Kashmir is troubled then what these Ghandhis has done for this country???
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RANJAN SRIVASTAVA says:
January 28,2011 at 06:15 PM IST
The current crisis is due to a void of dialogue between public servants and the people. Government of the people, by the people, for the people, will be the fulcrum of any model of the future governance. However, what needs to be conceptualized is the framework of governance for the future. The gigantic changes heralded by technology (internet, mobile communication etc) in the 21st century have forced us to not only review the existing models but also envisage a non-hierarchical model. Government formation, by whichever way, will not matter if the governance is interactive and in dialogue with citizens.
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Gope Lalwani says:
January 29,2011 at 01:44 AM IST
After the Bihar debacle Mr. Rahul Gandhi looks more like alice in wonderland. He is like a boy whose mother wants him to do engineering but the boy can't even make out difference between algebra and zebra. In fact we have never seen him talk or participate in any live debates. If he has to succeed he has to establish a straight dialogue with the people on the lines of his grandmother and great grandfather. Only time will tell whether he assumes a new avatar or sinks like the "Titanic" in the waters of Indian Politics.
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Mohammed says:
January 29,2011 at 12:01 PM IST
What has Rahul Gandhi done for the country? Someone please enlighten me. Why do the media keep insisting on him? Why so much disproportionate coverage on Rahul? Please, he is nothing but a little child. He cant even run his own house.....how is he going to run corrupt inefficient India?
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KD says:
January 30,2011 at 10:01 AM IST
If you don't know who JP is/was, it is better if you don't know at all now or in future.
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