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| Rahul Gandhi divides Congressmen | | Critics lack courage to take on mother-son duo | |
BL KAK
NEW DELHI, Apr 17
Leaders, old and young, of the congress party stand divided on the choice of operations employed by Rahul Gandhi, sitting member of the Lok Sabha and son of Sonia Gandhi. A division has also taken place in the Congress Parliamentary Party on what is termed as "unnecessary" remarks by Rahul.
And even as the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, would like the country to believe that it is Rahul Gandhi who is the "future of India", quite a few Ministers of the UPA government at the Centre have not taken gladly to what is termed as "more-than-necessary freedom" granted to Sonia Gandhi's son. Significantly, however, those Congressmen who are opposed to the alleged 'dynastic rule', lack courage to take on Sonia-Rahul duo.
Whatever the atttude of his critics towards him, there is no doubt that Rahul Gandhi is fully conscious of his mother's established authority and superiority over all others in the Congress party--not only at the national level but also in States. This phenomen should not give unbridled freedom to Rahul Gandhi to make use of such expressions as to trigger serious controversies on the one hand and,on the other hand,cause deep embarrasment to his party leadership.
Highly crucial, indeed, are the ongoing Assembly polls in Utar Pradesh. But these polls, it can be said wothout any fear of contradiction, never called for unnecessary and unwarranted comments or remarks in relation to the demoliton of the Babri Masjid in Decedmber 1992 and the dismemberment of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) from West Pakistan during the India-Pakistan war in 1971. A hue and cry had to be there after he publicly stated that it were Gandhis who were responsible for the divson of Pakistan--a clear reference to Indira Gandhi.
As as Rahul Gandhi gets ready to take on greater responsibility, comparisons with his father and former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi are all but inevitable. Many say that Rahul Gandhi reminds them of Rajiv Gandhi because of his clothes, the way he speaks and the way he walks while there are others who feel that he is unlike his father because Rahul is "very immature".
The opinion is divided on whether or not Rahul matches his father’s charisma, but it is difficult to overlook the similarities – the youthful persona, breaking the security barrier to meet the masses and more than anything else it is the polished Indian khadi look that draws instant comparisons. India's strongest political dynasty has had its ups and downs. In the last 15 years, much water has passed under the bridge, saffron politics has changed the colour of Indian polity and caste equations have been turned upside down. And thanks to the news channels, there is little that the "monarchs" of our times can hide.
Rajiv Gandhi 'ascended' the throne when Indian economy was stagnating under License Raj but it is different for Rahul Gandhi as India's economy is steamrolling. So, it is not just India but the world that is closely watching if the son can rise on the Indian sky. “He has had no significant responsibilities. He has held no important job and he has done nothing so far. He has given an impression that he has been a rather reluctant politician,” South Asia Bureau Chief of The Economist, James Astill says.
However, some blame that it might be Rahul's bachelor status that is going against him. Perhaps, he will have to part with his title of the most eligible bachelor before he could lay a claim on his political legacy
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