By Tushar Malica:
From Jawaharlal Nehru to Indira Gandhi to Rajiv Gandhi – Congress, and for that matter India has always looked up to the Nehru’s descendants as their leaders. Predictably, as Rahul turned 41 he is expected to step up to his family’s legacy. The question now arises- Is he really ready to become our next Prime Minister?
While a president is the titular head of the country, Prime Minister is the people’s man. He is the one who literally leads the masses and ensures proper communication between the citizens and the officials. In other words, he is the spokesperson for both the government and the public. He is the head of the government and shoulders frequent responsibilities.
The Congress party is already in a mess due to the endless list of scams. The PM is however reticent. With Indian people’s trust breached, it’s hard to imagine Indian people giving Congress a second chance. There have been, in the past year, some of the very lasting and maybe irrevocable damages to the party’s reputation.
Keeping in mind the standard image of a prime minister, does Rahul Gandhi fit in? Frankly, it’s hard to perceive him as a leader. Rahul Gandhi is currently the general secretary of Congress. He is still a fresher or a newbie to take any official post. Is being born with a silver spoon enough? Does that give him the undeniable right to hold one of the highest posts in India without any prior experience? More importantly, is it enough for us? His election campaigns in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and other states have failed miserably. More so, he has always been shielded by the Congress and has chosen not to voice his opinions on some of the very critical issues. It is not that he wasn’t given an opportunity to display his mettle and cast his charm on all of us. In fact, times could never have been better. He could have emerged as the superman of India, the young India. Alas, this did not happen. As a result, we really don’t know his personal opinions on subjects concerning our nation. What we do know is that he is working hard to be a socialist. His recent padyatras and other stir ups among the public are an intentional way to reach the masses. But the question remains- Do Indians trust him, so much so, that they are willing to pass the reigns of India in his hands? Does he have that fire, the passion that can drive India forward? Can he give the country the required push and the kind of energy that we are lacking under the pseudo prime minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh?
Questions are many. Answers still not clear. Besides, we have a plethora of politicians many of whom are more efficient than Rahul. Till then, he can work on his expertise and acquire lacking skills. But for now it’s better to pass the reigns and the future of India for the next five years to someone who we know better. Who we know, would at least be more eloquent and media friendly. And, of course seasoned.