TALES OF TRAVESTY
DR. JITENDRA SINGH
As the impending reshuffle in both the UPA Government as well as in Congress party draws near, the crescendo of voices demanding a “bigger”, “larger” and a more “decisive” role for Rahul Gandhi also seems to be growing. Once again, there is a clamour in the Congress corridors in New Delhi that “Rahul Gandhi must take over”.
About Indira Gandhi, the irrepressible Piloo Mody had once quipped “She is better as a “mother” than anything else.” Obviously, Mody was cryptically referring to Indira’s unconcealed obsession to establish the dynasty even if it required ruthlessly pushing ahead son Sanjay in scant regard of public sensitivities. If only Indira Gandhi was alive and around today, she might have been proud to see her daughter-in-law Sonia faithfully stepping into her shoes or “sandals” and proving an equally devout mother to the Nehru-Gandhi progeny.
The spadework to instal Rahul Gandhi as Prime Minister has been in process for the last several years, more intensely so after UPA II took over. Interestingly, several collateral beneficiaries have already received their pound of flesh —- perhaps more by default than design. These include the socalled “young” Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir who has been indulgently kept above the ordeal of “rotation” and allowed to continue for second half of the term beyond three years albeit with a tacit strategy to prepare ground for a socalled “young” Prime Minister to take over in New Delhi in much the same manner as in 1970s Indira Gandhi had installed relatively young Chief Ministers in Congress ruled states and given Lok Sabha election mandate to an unusually large number of younger Congress candidates as a prelude to the reigns being taken over by Sanjay Gandhi.
History, they say, repeats itself but —- first time it is a tragedy and second time a farce. The history of Sanjay Gandhi ended in a tragedy and the culmination of Rahul Gandhi’s history is yet to be seen. But, how well this phenomenon augurs for the history of Indian democracy is a challenge to the wisdom of Indian voter who, even when illiterate, posseses the ability to act as a leveller, much as he has repeatedly done in the past.
Be that as it may, from Sonia’s point of view, notwithstanding the recent election outcome in five states, what matters is the ultimate desire of an irresistable mother, who has recently recovered from an undisclosed ailment, to seek the fulfillment of her lifetime dream to see son Rahul settling down in the family business of ruling the country.
The comman man, meanwhile, looks on at the outcome of mother Sonia’s dream with a pinch of salt as Umapathy poetically quips “…. Aankh Aur Khwaab Mein Ek Raat Ki Doori Rakhna!”
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