After the state election Results Sonia Gandhi with her son Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi, December 8
The Congress party’s disgraceful defeat in the recent assembly elections in India is a sign that dynastic fish will not be able to survive the turbulent and hot Indian political ocean. The dynasty’s decline is not only due to inflation and corruption, but more due to its narrow mission which has been for the dynasty more than for the nation. How can the government function well when torn between the nation and the dynasty? Ministers seem to have been heavily engaged in pursuing the dynasty mission, crowning its politically maturing prince, and how to lengthen the life of the
Dynasty’s rule.
Indira Gandhi became the Indian prime minister not only because she was the daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru but also because of her vision and caliber to create Bangladesh to save India from being sandwiched between Pakistan East and West. Rahul Gandhi, her grandson, has to show that he has the vision to objectively understand domestic problems and the problems India has with her border adversaries, and that he has clear plans to deal with them appropriately.
Quality of the performance of the main actors in government, meaning ministers, depends on the incentives they are expected to receive. In a dynastic system, like in a kingdom or dictatorship, no minister, even if prime minister material, senses any incentive to climb up the political ladder because the top chair is reserved for the
Prince. Only working for Bharat Mata will give ministers a sense of pride in their work, not working for the dynasty.
Fortunately, Bharat has a spotlessly honest and professionally competent prime minister to address her present
economic miseries. But Dr. Manmohan Singh, restrained by the dynasty’s shackles, has not been allowed to act independently to deliver to the nation the economic wisdom he is blessed with. Some criticize him as a weak prime minister. Even they will admit that — as his profile as finance minister in the early nineties shows — he
can be an effective and productive prime minister if he is allowed to be himself and free to think and act.
Dr. Singh and his ministers have been kept as the dynasty’s caged parrots. Dr. Singh is globally, particularly
in the United States, revered as a great scholar. His many photographs with President Barack Obama reflect a teacher-student relationship. I hope Dr. Singh will come out from the cage soon to save himself from the disgrace
and blame for the Congress party’s impending and inevitable defeat in the 2014 parliamentary elections. If he does that, he will be a commendable asset to as an adviser to the next Indian finance minister.
Dr. Jagat K Motwani
New York.
