'We Indians revel in the idea of dislodging governments'
How Readers responded to Saisuresh
Sivaswamy's last column
Date sent: Tue, 01 Dec 1998 08:28:40 -0800
From: Sameer <skuppaha@sedona.ch.intel.com>
Subject: Way to go Sonia by Saisuresh
Sai writes: "Like most, I too shared some, may be not all, of these misgivings about Sonia Gandhi, and continue to harbour grave concern over the possibility of a foreign-born who still stutters through Hindi after decades of living in India, ascending the country's highest political office. But even that does not restrain me from admitting that finally, Sonia
Gandhi has come into her own.
''I am not referring merely to the fact of the election victory, for not all the credit for it should be laid at her door. Certainly, as the commander-in-chief of the party, she has managed to do what at least two of her predecessors could not do: imbue the Congress party with a sense of confidence that they can once again win elections. "
If you look at the history of Indian elections, we Indians revel in the idea of dislodging governments, no matter what. Being anti-establishment is a fad, reason being, we are impatient and irrational people. The only party we think deserves to be in power, is Congress. The rest all are always on a "trial basis".
The reason for this is not that the Congress is a popular "political" party. It has been identified as
a party associated with India's freedom struggle. Still, if the Congress
could not perform after getting massive mandates for 40 years, it is because the aura around the party is fast disappearing.
Without digressing further, the real test for Sonia will begin now. It is very easy to lead a political party in the Opposition, it is very
difficult once the party comes to power. If the governments in Delhi, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh do justice to people and their expectations (which always exceed the limits of pragmatism), it will be an achievement.
Else, you will be writing a second article: "Sonia, the loser".
Sameer Kuppahalli
Date sent Tue, 01 Dec 1998 17:54:27 PST
From: "krishnakumar desai" <krishnakumar@hotmail.com>
Subject: Way to go, Sonia
Yes, Sonia is ready to take India the Italian way, the way of the mafia and political corruption that is unsurpassed in the whole of Europe! Also, way to re-induct the power-broker from Italy, Mr Q! I pity the columnist.
Krishnakumar Desai
Date sent Tue, 01 Dec 1998 13:13:50 +0530
From: Akshay <ptewari@is2.dal.ca>
Subject: Way to go, Soniaji
Doesn't the FACT that Sonia isn't an Indian by origin, wasn't
born in India, didn't grow up in India, in fact, didn't know Hindi or ANY other Indian language until a few weeks ago bother ANYONE ELSE but me??? Is there ANY Indian out there who feels this is a good enough reason for her NOT to be sworn in as PM??
Date sent Tue, 1 Dec 1998 14:21:27 -0600
From: Sandeep.Shouce@infores.com (Sandeep Shouce)
Subject: Smitten by Sonia
Saisuresh Sivaswamy has written his second straight "suck-up-to-Sonia" piece on Rediff. One wonders whether Sivaswamy is completely smitten by the Italian, or is merely working on an agenda to bring the Congress back
to power. Nevertheless, one must point out some factual errors and present a different interpretation of the events in the days gone by.
First, Sivaswamy had dreamt about her becoming the first non-Hindu PM of India. Feroze
Gandhi, by many accounts was in fact a Muslim, though Rajiv Gandhi is on record saying that he was
a Parsi. Either way, insofar as we follow the paternal system of
family, neither can be considered a Hindu. Not that it mattered to the
Indian people. Therefore, his attempts to project Sonia's Catholic background as a handicap, obliquely hinting that there is some kind of
a Hindu hegemony on power is a sick one.
Secondly, Sivaswamy may have been totally transfixed by the
supposed political skills of Gandhi. When some educated people are ready to lick her sandals, what amount of skill can it possibly require to hold on to her position, I do not know. I have long tried to fathom the obsession Indians have about the Nehru/Gandhi
family, despite the serious allegations against their integrity and record of governance.
Therefore, the so-called loyalty of the Congress party to Sonia is
nothing but a manifestation of their own insecurity. Either Sharad
Pawar or Arjun Singh or Rajesh Pilot or Dr Manmohan Singh would be far
more qualified as leaders of the party. But Sonia is "the goddess" and
each one uses her bogey to silence the other. She may have captured the imagination of the Indian populace for the time being. It takes no great clairvoyance to see that. But is it
because of irrational expectations about the eight months of the BJP regime or because Sonia's administrative skills excel Vajpayee's??
Economic stagnation is a reality. So is inflation. These are facts that nobody wants to face. Everybody is
looking for a scapegoat. Sonia has skilfully managed to project the
BJP as the villain of the piece. Fine. But have we seen even one suggestion worthy of note coming forth from 10 Janpath about how things might be improved?? How she would make pyaz more affordable or uphold women's dignity or any of those innumerable promises that were made??
If people believe Sonia can deliver Indians from their misery, they are living in a fool's paradise. If we go back to the sordid saga of corruption, obfuscation and utter mismanagement of a Congress raj,
don't even say you were not warned. For 40 years, they watched the nation being plundered by the Congress, without remorse. Now they want
the BJP to change all that in eight months of governing over an economy in recession!!
Sandeep Shouche
Date sent Tue, 01 Dec 1998 21:12:37 -0800
From: Ramsundar Lakshminarayanan ɜram@ziplink.net>
Subject: Saisuresh on Sonia Gandhi
Sure Saisuresh, you certainly have changed your opinions about Sonia. Italian or Indian, her approach to the revival of Congressism is working magic. Her insistence on reviving from the 'grassroots' is synonymous
with nailing other anti-BJP parties into their respective coffins. She
has understood clearly, that the power is for the Congress to take if
she can wait and watch the ruling coalition fall down like nine pins. She has to be careful enough not to play into the hands of other opportunists in the Congress, who are hell bent on wrecking the BJP government at this juncture.
In an earlier feedback, I had mentioned of another election in 2000. I may be wrong, it may fall next year. But the Congress would romp home with a comfortable majority, thus
beginning a new era of two-party system.
Another forecast: She would not become PM.
Ramsundar Lakshminarayanan
Saisuresh Sivaswamy
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