Leaders Get Going Easy

Enough Followers Found to be Fooled

What does existence of our leaders prove? That there are enough followers who can be fooled or that the persons with enough talent to fool the people come up in accordance with each age? Whatever it may be, the tacit skills of the persons occupying various seats of power. Their highest acumen is showed off in the appearance of their groups which are presented as political parties. The whole notion of power being taken over by the mass of citizens has been changed into something different : it is only the muscle of men that wrests power!

The leaders are cultivated in such a fashion in today's politics is the only requirement of a good leader is presence of mind. The sensical approach is a thing about which they can eulogise on some national days with flowers in their hand and sorrowfulness on their faces. One thing that has left me perturbed is omnipresence of these men. They are everywhere: they discuss the vital issues about which they have little knowledge on news channels, they inaugurate the development projects which half of population has forgotten, they attend wedding ceremonies in the neighborhood and head straight to a disco bar...there is little they can not do. One of those restricted areas where these white robed creatures are restricted is the field of gumption. The gift of playing with words cultivated by them lose its shine in such situation.

Take for instance R. R. Patil. This former home minister of Maharashtra was always touted as the best speaker for the Nationalist Congress Party. He was considered a good orator and by default, as is the custom, also a good administrator also. His rhetoric is always liked immediately by the media in Maharashtra as well as India. Till 26/11 happened. Administrative skills of Patil came under scanner on this fateful day when unknown militants in unclear numbers descended on India's land through sea from where Patil's office is located just a few kilometers away. What militants did is a known to everyone now. But in one of those days of emergency, Patil was confronted by media, electronic and print, Indian and foreign alike. In one of those slippery moments, Patil said that such petty things use to occur in big cities. That was a big fault indeed. An uproar ensued and he was forced to resign from his post. Patil did not hesitate to claim that it was slip of tongue on account of his poor knowledge of Hindi. That was fine for a seasoned politics. But what was more surprising was Patil later became the president of Rashtrabhasha Sabha, Maharashtra which is supposed to propagate Hindi. Not only that, he was touted as the Star Campaigner in recently held parliamentary elections.

Take another case that of M. Karunanidhi. This man who has crossed 80 years of age has managed to get ministership to his three relatives, two of whom are his own sons, in the centre as well as state. Azhagiri is made a minister at New Delhi while M. K. Stalin is made deputy chief ministership in Tamilnadu. Fortunatelt enough, gis attempts to make his daughter Kanimozhi also a minister in the central cabinet failed, even though Dayanidhi Maran, son of late Murasoli Maran and a close relative of Karunanidhi made it to the cabinet. He did not hesitated to express his unhappiness over the adjustment. What perplexes more is that no worker of the respective parties takes objection to their stands. They can brazenly put on a face and alter it next day if it suits them. Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam is supposed to be an upright party not compromising on anything. But this time around, Karunanidhi has not faced any opposition from his partymen.

In this scenario, the future of the Indian democracy, I think, lies in the hands of these leaders. The unwilling workers who have serve the party only if thier objectives are fulfilled can not be a hope for the future.