Nearly all political parties in India bear the same foul-smelling
tricks and strategies in their secret books. However, in one
democratic aspect the BJP scores over the Congress. We can call it
intra-party democracy. Let us start with their respective fortune
turners in independent India—JL Nehru and LK Advani.
Nehru was a great statesman. Inevitably the legacy left behind by such
impressive personalities cannot be expected to say a quiet bye to this
world as soon as the holy flames kiss the body. It lingers over for a
long period of time. In third world countries where masses stay almost
in animal state due to poverty and illiteracy such memories are
carried over generations. Simply, because the masses have accepted to
be the good followers of the God-ordained authority at the higher
levels! There is paucity of charismatic and dynamic new leaders who
can help the masses forget the past and move on with the times. So
nothing wrong if the legacy escaping from the pyre of Nehru decides to
stay back to serve his progenies!
Consolidation of the Nehruvian grasp over the very meaning of Congress
(and the consequent credit for winning the freedom for the country)
was a natural corollary to the fact that much-obliged and jubilant
masses as well as second-tier leaders within the Congress clapped
inapprehensively while the lighthouse of Nehruvian legacy was slowly
built up in the excitingly languid waters of free India during the
initial decades. It overshadowed many a capable Congress leaders.
If we analyze Advani's efforts in taking a party having just two seats
in the Parliament to the apostle of power within two decades, we can
say that it somehow matched or even surpassed Nehruvian endeavor to
turn Congress literally a family institution. But within BJP the
patriarch has been struggling to maintain his position amongst a
fantastic crop of career-oriented politicians. The man who almost
single-handedly took it to power has not been allowed to set it up as
a sort of family institution. On this account BJP counts as a far more
democratic set up given the freedom of choice of leadership among its
ranks.
On the other hand, when highly capable and very senior Congressmen
line up to pay homage and kiss the Yuvraj's (the heir apparent) hands
it unfortunately smacks of typical Indian medieval mentality of
treating rulers as the symbols of divinity. If Congress is a
democratic party and believes in its rituals then it is high time that
we see its great leaders taking the center-stage irrespective of the
family they are born in. If Indians still accept Rahul Gandhi (the boy
whose caliber and skills can be matched by thousands of Congress
workers across India) as their natural leader, it just tells that we
are very God-abiding people and just would go behind anybody he
decides to send to the first political families in the country.
tricks and strategies in their secret books. However, in one
democratic aspect the BJP scores over the Congress. We can call it
intra-party democracy. Let us start with their respective fortune
turners in independent India—JL Nehru and LK Advani.
Nehru was a great statesman. Inevitably the legacy left behind by such
impressive personalities cannot be expected to say a quiet bye to this
world as soon as the holy flames kiss the body. It lingers over for a
long period of time. In third world countries where masses stay almost
in animal state due to poverty and illiteracy such memories are
carried over generations. Simply, because the masses have accepted to
be the good followers of the God-ordained authority at the higher
levels! There is paucity of charismatic and dynamic new leaders who
can help the masses forget the past and move on with the times. So
nothing wrong if the legacy escaping from the pyre of Nehru decides to
stay back to serve his progenies!
Consolidation of the Nehruvian grasp over the very meaning of Congress
(and the consequent credit for winning the freedom for the country)
was a natural corollary to the fact that much-obliged and jubilant
masses as well as second-tier leaders within the Congress clapped
inapprehensively while the lighthouse of Nehruvian legacy was slowly
built up in the excitingly languid waters of free India during the
initial decades. It overshadowed many a capable Congress leaders.
If we analyze Advani's efforts in taking a party having just two seats
in the Parliament to the apostle of power within two decades, we can
say that it somehow matched or even surpassed Nehruvian endeavor to
turn Congress literally a family institution. But within BJP the
patriarch has been struggling to maintain his position amongst a
fantastic crop of career-oriented politicians. The man who almost
single-handedly took it to power has not been allowed to set it up as
a sort of family institution. On this account BJP counts as a far more
democratic set up given the freedom of choice of leadership among its
ranks.
On the other hand, when highly capable and very senior Congressmen
line up to pay homage and kiss the Yuvraj's (the heir apparent) hands
it unfortunately smacks of typical Indian medieval mentality of
treating rulers as the symbols of divinity. If Congress is a
democratic party and believes in its rituals then it is high time that
we see its great leaders taking the center-stage irrespective of the
family they are born in. If Indians still accept Rahul Gandhi (the boy
whose caliber and skills can be matched by thousands of Congress
workers across India) as their natural leader, it just tells that we
are very God-abiding people and just would go behind anybody he
decides to send to the first political families in the country.
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