PAPPU + FEKU =
RAHU+NAMO= RAMO
Elections are a year away –maybe
less than a year away. The media has now no need for Anna Hazares, Vinod Rais,
Ajit Pawars, rapes and scamgates to scream and shout; it has enough fare on
its table to initiate studio debates as
to who shall rule India. Even before Narender Modi’s phalanx of party managers
could blitz out the opposition projecting him here, there and everywhere as the
PM material, the media had put on its crystal gaze to identify the two potential
PMs and given them the nicknames Namo and Rahu alias Feku and Pappu
respectively. The captive clientele sitting before their decorative TV sets in
their living rooms is given a daily dose of the two wannabe PMs, though one of
the two keeps playing peek-a-boo while the other aggressively thunders:
“Mirror, mirror on the wall; I am the fairest of them all”. The two national parties
maintain a canny silence as they are not sure of a clear win in the absence of
any positive signal as to who shall be their coalition partners.
In a country of 714 million
voters as per the 2007 database, it is ironical that the country can throw up only
two names, whose nicknames do not
inspire much confidence to anyone irrespective of his/her party affiliation.
Feku means ‘a breezy boaster of narcisstic pomposity’ while Pappu is a derogatory
Hindi word meaning ‘dumb kid’, ‘a simpleton full of innocence and naivety’. The
media blares loudly and sensationally about Feku and Pappu, without ever
wondering whether the billion plus Indians do not deserve a better leader than
these two. The media is doing injustice to the Indian voter by telling them : “We
have for you Feku and Pappu, take your pick.’
Pappu has no experience in governance
or administration. He has been true to the cow and calf symbol of the Congress
as he is given the mantle of Vice-president of the party of which his mother is
the President. In this respect he is true to the ancient Indian tradition of
the son worshipping his mother. His claim to the nation’s highest executive
seat has no other rationale except that of the law of primogeniture. He has no
oratorical skill comparable to Namo’s rasping utterances nor does he possess a
resonant voice to match the stentorian thunder of his rival. His naïve understanding
of the complexity of Indian politics is far removed from his grandmother’s
astute and at times shrewd and diabolical handling of politicians of all hues.
He has no understanding of the Chanakya Neeti that his grand mother often
displayed- “gratefulness to
grateful, violence to violent, and evilness to counter evil.” He is no
leader nor has he any experience of being a team player. The Congress party is hurtling
down to oblivion by foolishly shouting “Pappu pass ho gaya” when Pappu has not
even taken his first examination as a skilful parliamentarian.
He is
clean, untarnished, polite and seemingly considerate towards the poor, the
marginalized and the minorities. His development agenda is rooted to
inclusiveness. But he has not been able to implement any of his ideas even in
his own constituency, leave aside his failure to garner votes for the Congress
in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh that had gone to the polls in the last couple of
years.
Namo has
tasted power through governance. He is brash, autocratic and a go-getter. He is
egotistical who does not fight shy of trumpeting his success in certain parts
of Gujarat. In his bombast, he promises to convert his micro success in Gujarat
into a macro success for the entire nation. Ramachandra Guha , the eminent
historian says that Modi, like
Mrs. Gandhi “ seeks to make his party, his government, his administration and
his country an extension of his personality … and is like Sanjay Gandhi in his brash,
bullying, hyper-masculine style.” He is a dictator and egregiously egoistic
while his younger adversary is a democrat and self effacing to the point of not
taking responsibility.
Namo’s
development model has worked well in certain parts of Gujarat, but cannot be a
model for the whole nation with its diverse polity. His model is anything but
inclusive. But he is dynamic and strong and is the only man in his cabinet.
We need
neither Pappu nor Feku. We need neither Rahu nor Namo. India needs Ramo- a bit of
both. Valmiki the composer of Ramayana
gave Sri Ram the title ‘ Ramo Vigrahavan Dharmah’- i.e. Ram is the
embodiment of dharma. Dharma has
four important qualities- truth, compassion, purity, and sacrifice. As a son,
student, husband, king, warrior, brother, friend, teacher and enemy Ram has
been a model for humanity.
Before we
exercise our rightful franchise let us discover a Ramo in our midst who shall
not be guided by selfish interests, pleasures or emotions and who has the
qualities of devotion, courage, valour and sacrifice to lead the country into
Ram Rajya.
