High Time for Hard Decisions

A very respected, intellectual and political analyst, Prof A Prasanna Kumar of “The Centre for Policy Studies”, in its recent bulletin, sounded a very stern warning to the country on the emerging realties which can be ignored only at a great peril. He said: “In more ways than one the next 180 days are crucial for the nation.

With the completion of elections in five States the countdown has begun for the general elections to be held in May 2014. The time has come for Indian Democracy to effect a major course correction...Parliament, the backbone of Parliamentary Democracy, has sunk so low in public esteem that its debates and discussions, as and when they take place, make no impact on either the Government or the society.”

With the results of elections in four States completing, decimating the Congress party, the people, by and large, have expressed in unequivocal terms that ‘Sonia-Manmohan’ combine has taken the country in every respect to the brink of disaster and the sooner they quit the better for the people subjected to great hardships.

Veteran journalist M V Kamath said about Manmohan Singh that his dull voice and his faceless bearing are enough to put anyone to sleep and that he has turned out to be one-man disaster. The question hither to mentioned in subdued tones for whatever reasons, “What is Sonia to the country and what is the country to her of Italian birth?” is being openly discussed in several fora with great anguish.

This has been discussed threadbare in a popular Telugu daily with incontrovertible facts and figures. It deserves to be given wide coverage in all media to instil in the whole country the sense of shame and disgust for putting up with such a situation for so long, the like of which never happens in any self respecting country.

As far back as 1928, Jawaharlal Nehru, then in his peak of glory and admired for his spirit of patriotism was very apprehensive about the shape of things to come after we attain independence. In an article ‘The Searchlight’, Nehru indulged in light ridicule of the ill-read, if not entirely illiterate politician.

He said: “It is strange to watch the making of a politician. A doctor has to go through a laborious course of training before he can venture to practice his profession, so does the Engineer, the Electrician or any other expert in Science or Industry ......But no such training is required for the politician and every man is good enough for the governance of his brother-men.........Every province of India will have its representation in this museum of curiosities.”

No room for Complacency Nehru was so fond of his only daughter Indira that she lived with him deserting her husband Feroz Gandhi, a fearless fighter against corruption. Though he eagerly wished it, he never imagined she would become the Prime Minister of this country and the circumstances and sycophants conspired in her favour. She held office of the PM for longer period than her father.

Then came her son, mechanic-turned-pilot Rajiv Gandhi. After his tragic death, with a short gap during which PV Narasimha Rao held the fort, Sonia Maino came to the centre-stage. What are her credentials and abilities to guide the destinies of the dumb millions of this country? Her educational qualification submitted by her to the parliament on oath is as follows: “(i) Three years course in Foreign Languages (English and French) completed in 1964 at Santa Teresa in Turin. (ii) Certificate in English from Lennox Cook School, Cambridge, completed in 1965”.

The less said about Rahul, the better, as his educational attainments are a mystery. Nehru further prophesied that there will be many others in the museum and the future students will wonder at the strange dispensation under which wisdom and knowledge were specifically lacking where they were most needed.

How prophetic were his words! When he wrote that, perhaps he had never imagined that he would himself be indirectly contributing to that situation under the conditions created in the country by his own acts of omission and commission in his long rule. There is abundant talent available in this country.

They proved their worth in all branches of learning, Science, technology, medicine, IT and so on and they are making use of them in other countries where they are in great demand. A very learned advocate of this place, Late Patibanda Sundara Rao referring to his friend’s son Dr S T Rao, an eminent scientist who had settled down in USA as director of research, New York State department of environmental conservation, used to say that it is the dropouts from the schools and colleges with abilities to win in elections by hook or crook who are ruling the country and our democracy has helped only people with criminal records or propensities.

Not only our own ‘dropouts’ but also those from other countries! Some of our officers in IAS, IFS, IPS, and other services and Army are considered second to none in the world and our leaders do not allow them to give their best to the country and keep them subservient at their beck and call and punish those who show their grit and Durga Nagpaul and Khemka are the latest in that category.

As Prof. Prassanna Kumar points out: “In the present parliament 30 per cent of the sitting members of Lok Sabha and 31 per cent of Rajya Sabha MPs have criminal cases pending against them......The need of the hour is to generate national consensus on vital issues like elimination of corruption and poverty, improvement of educational standards and creation of inexpensive and accessible health care system especially for children, women and senior citizens.” Is this a tall agenda for the future?