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Parade of PM hopefuls

PARADE OF PM HOPEFULS By Prem Chandran Here, now, is a curious mix. So many names have begun floating around .....




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03-10-2013
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Thumbs up Parade of PM hopefuls


PARADE OF PM HOPEFULS

By Prem Chandran

Here, now, is a curious mix. So many names have begun floating around for the PM chair, post the next polls, even as incumbent Manmohan Singh remains hale and hearty. And, who all among them would pass muster? And, who might have the guts in him or her to take the nation out of the present morass of corruption and perceived ineptitude? Strangely, and for the first time, the names that take the rounds now are mostly of those from outside the theatre of action –the parliament itself – and some of them stunningly from outside capital Delhi. A far cry from the days past! Does anyone need another proof of an already persisting leadership vacuum, of which we crow around and about?

Not surprisingly, no one speaks about another term for Manmohan Singh, though he proved of late that he has not lost his voice. And, no one speaks about the two leaders of the main Opposition party in Parliament -- Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley -- and understandably too. This is unlike the days when we knew who led the government and who the opposition, from the front. Now, we are faced with a strange scenario wherein the Opposition is waiting for the CAG to scribble a line, or send a report, so that it can catch on a scam and make a fuss in parliament.

Parliament is an august institution. But, what is Opposition if it is not to keep a close watch on the performance of the government and expose its weaknesses? Till a while ago, rather than digging the rot up themselves, those in the Opposition depended on the media, when it had upright men, like Arun Shourie, to expose the misdeeds in the seats of power. Today, the men who hold clout in the media are, by evening, in the pockets of the high and the mighty, or are dozing off in luxury taverns at someone’s expense, or are holding discussions on TV channels about the pros and cons of what someone else has said or done. The Neera Radia tape has exposed a bit of it, if proof was needed; the Zee TV bribe visuals released by a top business house exposed another chapter in the epic corruption saga built around media houses. Are we here to trust the Fourth Estate to push our common causes anymore? So, what will the Opposition depend on now for effective discharge of their duties, if they can’t do things by themselves?

To the great credit of PM, Sushma and Jaitley, they have not been identified as yet as being part of the tainted class of politicos; and it is safe to assume they are individuals with some integrity left in them. Manmohan Singh had proven to be a good finance minister and yet a bad prime minister if only for the fact that he was too soft for the job; which was taken advantage of by crafty politicians; and the nation is either made poorer or is bleeding from the many wounds so inflicted. Given a chance, the two BJP stalwarts might – might -- do a good job. But, the question is, are we really convinced? If not, why not? That’s a big question, though one probable answer is that they are “run-of-the-mill” stuff, which should not be how a leader should be. Leader should lead. In other words, they failed to inspire. Lal Krishna Advani’s able defence of Sushma Swaraj, she being “next only to Vajpayee” in the matter of oratorical skills, is not a view shared by one and all.

There, of late, are hints about Chidambaram fitting the bill; but there is little of chatter yet; and this is largely seen as a figment of imagination of the foreign media or of those in the diplomatic circles. Despite his long innings, he is no ‘darling’ of anyone, other than a few in the media whom he carefully cultivated. Nor can good administrators afford to be anyone’s darling. As an administrator he can be at his assertive best and arrogant worst. He has a no-nonsensical approach. But, the pertinent question is, would the artificially propped up leadership of his party, the Congress -- its proclivities being what they are -- brook such a proposal? This, at least as long as a situation does not make such a selection a fait accompli.

None of Chidambaram’s outreach strategies might work beyond a point. Yet, on the positive side for him, what stands in his favour, are his perceived drawbacks – he is seen as another “rootless wonder” in parliamentary politics. A situation similar to that of Pranab Mukherjee persists with him too. He has no constituency worth mentioning, as the Congress party itself is a virtual outcast in his native Tamil Nadu. Worse of all, Chidamabaram has no direct line of communication with the Hindi belt, or even with the southern states. To those in the North, he is a dyed-in-the-wool Madrasi. A bit of Bhojpuri does not take him very far. Also, Chidambaram’s appeal, limited as it is, is confined to the educated elite, many of whom are awed by the poise and clarity with which he speaks in Parliament and the aura with which he presents himself. But, these are the very same people who are of little use to him or the party: they detest standing in a queue, keep off polling booths, and opt to visit a shopping mall or sit in a multiplex when the polling day dawns.

More importantly, 10, Janpath is not caught yet by a death wish. Why would it go for a probably unwieldy Chidambaram, when it has a ‘made-to-order’ PM candidate in the form of AK Antony lying in wait? It was for nothing that he was put in the defence ministry; it was for nothing that he was placed as the minister next to Manmohan Singh immediately after Pranab Mukherjee moved to Raisina Hills. Yet, what will an Antony carry with him to the Prime Minister’s seat? A Manmohan Singh took with him his global exposure and skills as an economist; a Chidambaram can take with him his administrative acumen; and an Antony can take with him his skillfully crafted ideological baggage, that might be more of gas and less of substance when it comes to a practical level. Or, will ideological baggage take this nation forward, caught as it is in a whirlpool of corruption, system failure, terror threats, downright villainy from across the border, and an increasingly antagonistic neighbourhood with the latest embarrassments coming in from what was for long years an all-too-friendly Maldives?

Rahul Gandhi’s decision to keep off power might be subject to change in new contexts. But, by now, the new elite in the family would seem to have learnt a major trick of the political trade: which is that, the easiest way to hold power is to wield it from behind. However, there is a starker side to it: the palpable worry among many that such an arrangement, propped up by an overdoze of self-seeking coteries, is doing immense harm to national well-being.

Which, however, is what sees the rise of a leader like Narendra Modi, who, if anything, has demonstrated he means business when it comes to administering his territory. How he would fare in Delhi, given a chance, is as yet a debatable point, though; especially considering the baggage that he could carry with him to the capital; not the least of them being the likes of a loose-tongued Praveen Togadia! Worse, some of the most corrupt politicians on the UPA side are already making it clear they are willing for a jump over to the NDA side after the next polls; their express motive, as one sees it, being to carry on with their loot for the next five-years too! How will Modi make a difference to this nation, if he co-habits with such men and parties?

The 2G; the coal scam; the progressive run-down of the rail and aviation sectors; the helicopter scam; the deeper entrenchment of the Naxalite movement on the one hand, and the Pakistani-inspired terror acts from Kashmir to down South…. Spread of corruption in every field of human activity, weakening of systems across the board... demoralization of the bureaucracy … the hostility in the neighbourhood due to lack of clear perspective on foreign relations…with almost everyone around the region taking this country for granted….China building its military clout to phenomenally high levels…. the list is endless.

Where do we go from here? Having another PM who is made to take orders from elsewhere, even from his own party brass, might not be the best way forward. Here is going to be a time we need leaders who lead from the front. –premcee@gmail.com

Last edited by Premchandran; 03-11-2013 at 04:51 PM

 



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