03-05-2007, 05:59 AM
Sonia makes rules but lacks vision
If a leader is not capable of attaining an inspirational mode, he can neither inspire nor generate confidence. Casteist leaders may occupy high positions, at best, they may achieve positional greatness which vanishes with the loss of position
It is a known fact that the Congress and the UPA are led by none other than Sonia Gandhi who hardly has any leadership qualities. The capacity to visualise and anticipate is a must without which success is bound to elude any leader. It is true for all spheres.
Usually, I frown on caste-based political parties but those who develop linkages with caste-leaders at micro-level and manage their contradictions must be given due credit in a democracy. The same applies to managing caste equations. Whatever one might say, caste is a reality because of traditional loyalty of the people to caste identities. In a democracy, caste equations have played big roles whether one may like it or not.
But if a leader is not capable of attaining an inspirational mode, he can neither inspire nor generate confidence. Casteist leaders may occupy high positions, at best, they may achieve positional greatness, which is different from intrinsic greatness. Positional greatness vanishes with the loss of position but intrinsic greatness remains intact even after the loss of position. Coming to political sphere, a visionary leader may attain height of a statesman. He rises above narrow-considerations and people admire him as leader. Dil chhota to dal bada nahin ho sakta. Dil chhota aur dal bada is a consideration of great magnitude. At that height, value system plays a great role.
India needs a visionary leader of high moral integrity if it aspires to emerge as a dominant power in the world affairs aiming at harmonising the humanity and curbing clashes prevailing over half of the globe. This week newspapers carried two stories. First, the economic survey 2006-07 which said that the GDP, after lapse of two years attained the tempo created by the NDA Government.
In its last year the GDP growth was 8.5 per cent, which is poised at 9.2 per cent this year. Economic indicators like foreign exchange reserves, exports, industrial production has put the economy in the fast lane. However, on employment and prices front, there emerges a gloomy picture. Inflation is not going to blink, admitted the survey. The Finance Minister said, he doesn't have a magic-wand to check rising prices.
It is here that the leadership faces challenges and its mettle is tested. In case of the Congress lead UPA Government, it is Sonia who drives the Congress from the front and backseat drives the UPA Government without knowing the art of driving the party or the Government. From the time Sonia took over the Congress, it is on the decline. She could not keep the party united because of her ambition to become PM, exploiting Gandhi-Nehru charisma. When the party split, stalwarts like Sharad Pawar, PA Sangma left. She failed to stop the split in Kerala; rather she created a situation for it. In Karnataka the party suffered a debacle in 2004 and went on the ruinous path.
Bihar and UP units were almost vanquished during her incumbency. The myth of Sonia magic created by party-people and the friendly media exploded time and again simply due to the fact that she is not a leader material. She does not have any vision except the 'vision' of launching Rahul to become the next Prime Minister of India. Till date she has not succeeded in it, for she could not find an appropriate launching pad. She confided this while talking to a political Kolkata businessman and a family friend.
Now let us come to the second story. The Congress debacle in the Assembly elections of Punjab and Uttarakhand. The debacle is more against the UPA Government than against ND Tiwari and Amarinder Singh Governments. Both are men of substance. ND Tiwari was an important member at the Centre. He has run many Central Ministries and the UP Government successfully. But he too was cut to size by Sonia, despite his unflinching loyalty to her personally. She runs the party and the Government through a small coterie, operating from a din.
A leader who does not promote capable leaders can't lead the party to success. She has promoted Christian leaders to the extent possible in places like Kerala, Andhra and Karnataka. She uses people and then throws them out. Natwar Singh and Tiwari are prime examples. After acquiring power in 2004 she adopted the path of vote-bank politics of minorityism at the cost of national interest. It is bound to boomerang on the Congress itself.
In the forthcoming elections we may see Congress meeting the Punjab fate in UP, Delhi, Gujarat, Goa and Himachal. At present the Congress is a ruling party in Assam, AP, Pondicherry, Himachal and Delhi. It is coalition partner in J&K, Jharkhand, Maharashtra and Goa. We'll see a different political picture in 2008.
If a leader is not capable of attaining an inspirational mode, he can neither inspire nor generate confidence. Casteist leaders may occupy high positions, at best, they may achieve positional greatness which vanishes with the loss of position
It is a known fact that the Congress and the UPA are led by none other than Sonia Gandhi who hardly has any leadership qualities. The capacity to visualise and anticipate is a must without which success is bound to elude any leader. It is true for all spheres.
Usually, I frown on caste-based political parties but those who develop linkages with caste-leaders at micro-level and manage their contradictions must be given due credit in a democracy. The same applies to managing caste equations. Whatever one might say, caste is a reality because of traditional loyalty of the people to caste identities. In a democracy, caste equations have played big roles whether one may like it or not.
But if a leader is not capable of attaining an inspirational mode, he can neither inspire nor generate confidence. Casteist leaders may occupy high positions, at best, they may achieve positional greatness, which is different from intrinsic greatness. Positional greatness vanishes with the loss of position but intrinsic greatness remains intact even after the loss of position. Coming to political sphere, a visionary leader may attain height of a statesman. He rises above narrow-considerations and people admire him as leader. Dil chhota to dal bada nahin ho sakta. Dil chhota aur dal bada is a consideration of great magnitude. At that height, value system plays a great role.
India needs a visionary leader of high moral integrity if it aspires to emerge as a dominant power in the world affairs aiming at harmonising the humanity and curbing clashes prevailing over half of the globe. This week newspapers carried two stories. First, the economic survey 2006-07 which said that the GDP, after lapse of two years attained the tempo created by the NDA Government.
In its last year the GDP growth was 8.5 per cent, which is poised at 9.2 per cent this year. Economic indicators like foreign exchange reserves, exports, industrial production has put the economy in the fast lane. However, on employment and prices front, there emerges a gloomy picture. Inflation is not going to blink, admitted the survey. The Finance Minister said, he doesn't have a magic-wand to check rising prices.
It is here that the leadership faces challenges and its mettle is tested. In case of the Congress lead UPA Government, it is Sonia who drives the Congress from the front and backseat drives the UPA Government without knowing the art of driving the party or the Government. From the time Sonia took over the Congress, it is on the decline. She could not keep the party united because of her ambition to become PM, exploiting Gandhi-Nehru charisma. When the party split, stalwarts like Sharad Pawar, PA Sangma left. She failed to stop the split in Kerala; rather she created a situation for it. In Karnataka the party suffered a debacle in 2004 and went on the ruinous path.
Bihar and UP units were almost vanquished during her incumbency. The myth of Sonia magic created by party-people and the friendly media exploded time and again simply due to the fact that she is not a leader material. She does not have any vision except the 'vision' of launching Rahul to become the next Prime Minister of India. Till date she has not succeeded in it, for she could not find an appropriate launching pad. She confided this while talking to a political Kolkata businessman and a family friend.
Now let us come to the second story. The Congress debacle in the Assembly elections of Punjab and Uttarakhand. The debacle is more against the UPA Government than against ND Tiwari and Amarinder Singh Governments. Both are men of substance. ND Tiwari was an important member at the Centre. He has run many Central Ministries and the UP Government successfully. But he too was cut to size by Sonia, despite his unflinching loyalty to her personally. She runs the party and the Government through a small coterie, operating from a din.
A leader who does not promote capable leaders can't lead the party to success. She has promoted Christian leaders to the extent possible in places like Kerala, Andhra and Karnataka. She uses people and then throws them out. Natwar Singh and Tiwari are prime examples. After acquiring power in 2004 she adopted the path of vote-bank politics of minorityism at the cost of national interest. It is bound to boomerang on the Congress itself.
In the forthcoming elections we may see Congress meeting the Punjab fate in UP, Delhi, Gujarat, Goa and Himachal. At present the Congress is a ruling party in Assam, AP, Pondicherry, Himachal and Delhi. It is coalition partner in J&K, Jharkhand, Maharashtra and Goa. We'll see a different political picture in 2008.