Leaders lead because they leaders.
Does that sound like alliteration but so does Monday Morning Musings?
Will all small talk of who will lead the Opposition in 2024 occupying so much news space one wonders whether all fears of control on media was exaggerated after all.
But a day before the Congress leadership begins its convention at Raipur, a few pertinent points need to be mentioned.
As far as the common man is concerned, the question of leadership has been finally settled after the unique Bharat Jodo Yatra ending with flag hoisting at Lal Chowk.
A Mamata,a Nitish, a Kejriwal may have their ego issues but they must fall in line if they are really serious about ousting the BJP in 2024.
I don’t know whether many are aware that the idea of the Bharat Jodo Yatra had been broached at the Chintan Shivir in Udaipur.
But even if they know, they may not know that Rahul Gandhi had done some plain speaking at the session telling the Congress leaders that they appeared more worried about their designations than about fighting the dangerous ideology that was being dumped on them since 2014.
Recent developments in Uttarakhand Congress flashed on front pages in newspapers about the internal tussle against one or the other leader show that Rahul Gandhi message has not gone down.
If at all now there seem be two distinct two groups in the Grand Old Party-those who participated in the BJY and those who did not for whatever reasons,health issues or marriages in family.
Their rivalry is becoming stronger than that between the Republicans and Democrats in America.
But I call Rahul a leader because he has willingly let go of the post of Congress President that was being thrust on him. And yet what a tough and polished leader has emerged after handing over the reins to Mallikarjun Kharge.
After this any talk of Dynasty appears as inane as Kangana Ranaut’s obsession with Nepotism.
Many of the senior Congress leaders I talked to appear very uncomfortable with pictures of Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi throwing snow at each other and enjoying a ride on snow bikes in Gulmarg.
But why?Even tough Corporate task masters allow their staff to have a few days off at the end of the financial year.
And what could be tougher than this journey of a dedicated group which became a sea of people by the end of the journey, resisting all attempts to get tempted to fight,to say unpalatable things and reaching its destination without any riot or even a skirmish.
Moreover, the critics of the Gandhi siblings enjoying the climate in Kashmir don’t realise that these pictures will do more for promoting tourism and normalcy in what is known as the ‘troubled state’ than crores spent on marketing.
Yes, some leaders enjoy feeding peacocks in their relaxed time and some are exuberant in expressing their filial bonds. It’s not Destiny but a Conscious choice made by individuals.
Yet another kind of leader that needs to be mentioned here is Kuldeep Singh Brar who was interviewed by the Chief of ANi on his role in the Bluestar Operation of 1984.
He was also one of the leaders of the 1971 war of liberation of Bangladesh.
Throughout the podcast, provocative questions were thrown at him to get him to say something which could go against one of the most important military operations in Independent India but the determined soldier that he is he continued to say,”We did the best we could under the most trying circumstances and I was chosen to lead the operations because my officers felt I was the best man for the job.”
I was shocked to find the host smilingly ask him at the end of the interview,”So how would you describe the Operation Bluestar-a botched up operation, a semi botched up operation or a successful operation?”
Trying to behave like the Devil’s Advocate Karan Thapar without the expertise!
The general looked bewildered only for a moment before sticking to his stand’We did the best under the circumstances. As for threats to my life (he was attacked in London by a supposed Khalistani group) i have lived for 89 years. Death will come even naturally at this age. I am not worried because I carried out my duty as a soldier.”
Thats the stuff leaders are made of!
But I must admit that commitment is commitment.Not once during the talk about the two operations ordered by late Indira Gandhi was her name mentioned by ANI.
