India That is Bharat

Deteriorating Dynastic Democracy

FIFTY years ago Pt Nehru said India had a tryst with destiny. But for a minor slip of the tongue, he has been proved right. What he most probably meant was a tryst with the dynasty, and this tryst and this dynasty seem to happily go on for ever.

Of course there have been some nominal changes in keeping with the times. Actually, they have been literally nominal?in the name of the dynasty. It started as the Nehru dynasty after the founder’sname. In due course, and with due deference to dynastic democracy, the throne passed on to daughter Indira, who was married to a Parsi who spelt his surname Ghandy. But Smt Ghandy was quick to perceive the percentage not only in retaining the name Nehru but in re-spelling her surname from Ghandy to Gandhi. After all, what’sin a name? Everything, as Shakespeare should have known. Anyway, Nehru’ssuccessor to the throne was Indira Nehru, who became Indira Ghandy, who in turn became Indira Gandhi, who, as dynastic democracy dictated, was succeeded by one son after another, Sanjay Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi?with the precious prefix Nehru always a given. And then came Sonia Maino all the way from Italy to India, married Rajiv, and thus became an instant Gandhi.

Bachao Business

Come election time, Congress ranks reverberate with the slogan Sonia lao, desh bachao! And now, with the fifth generation of Nehru-Gandhis joining the family firm the bachao business is getting bigger and bigger. Rahul Nehru-Gandhi and Priyanka Nehru-Gandhi-Vadra have become primary (read premier) members of the Congress and are on the campaign trail that naturally-originates from matribhoomi Amethi. But does that mean they are in active politics? Ah, that is the question. This dimwit would have thought an election campaign is a political activity par excellence, and so those who engage in it are in very active politics. But apparently that is precisely why this dimwit is a dimwit and Priyanka is not. She is quite clear that she is not in active politics?not yet. She says, ?I shall not do anything until I find it inside me to do it. That includes joining active politics.? Well, now, Satiricus has read about people whom an inner urge inspired to become a painter or a poet or a prophet. But an inner urge to become a politician?

Satiricus would never have imagined it, but obviously there are more things in heaven, earth and politics than are dreamt of in this pen-pusher’sphilosophy. And it seems this inner urge requires a gestation period, which may be as short as a few days or as long as a few years. At least that is what Priyanka seems to mean. For she says, ?I mean I am thinking of about one week from now?or three years from now.?

In the meanwhile, she says, ?there are different ways of doing good for the people.? Are there? If there are, why are five generations of the Nehru-Gandhi-Vadras in the business of politics? If there are, how come Priyanka has promised that a storm will build up against the NDA from Amethi? If there are, how come the recently-headlined Congress search for a missing identity has identified Priyanka (with Rahul thrown in for good measure) as the end of that search? Oh, well, Satiricus should not ask questions whose answers are beyond his underdeveloped understanding.

Change of an era

The only thing he understands is that in 2004 AD, the year of our (Christian) Lord, the Christian era is going to be replaced by the ?Priyanka era? and we shall all be living in the ?World of Priyanka?. At least that is what a glossy magazine just launched in Mumbai promises in its title. Commenting on it a journalist wrote, ?Such magazines can be dismissed as piffle.?

Journalist Satiricus thinks not. He thinks the brave new ?World of Priyanka? is all set to sweep aside the NDA nincompoops led by BJP bores. And what will Satiricus find if and when he is brave enough to step into this new world? He may find that the very name of corruption, with which Congress President Mamma Mia has righteously charged BJP, will vanish. That is, it will be given a new name?a name that could convincingly explain away what communal anti-Congress issues crassly call a terrific track record of Congress corruption. Take, for instance, the recent report that many church organisations and political parties the world over took bribes in the form of oil from Saddam for supporting him?and one of them was the Congress party. After all grease and oil are different, no? And in any case what did the Iraqis do that the Russians didn?t? And finally a Swiss magazine titled Schweitzer Illustrierte published an article of November 11, 1991 giving details of 14 prominent people suspected of holding laundered accounts in Switzerland?including Sonia Gandhi, whose account had, in that year, the equivalent of Rs 4,750 crore! Again, so what? Is not a secret Swiss stash a sine qua non for us poor Italo-Indians?

Priyanka says, ?There are different ways of doing good for the people.? Are there? If there are, why are five generations of the Nehru-Gandhi-Vadras in the business of politics? If there are, how come Priyanka has promised that a storm will build up against the NDA from Amethi?