HARI OM India first vs Family first Vivekanand Jha Whereas, Narendra Modi stands for India first, Rahul Gandhi is all for the family first principal. Hence, whereas Modis India first is for the 21st Century denoting modernity, Rahuls Family first is reminiscent of India during Mughal times in the 15th century where nation was subservient to a ruling dynasty. However much Modi may be vilified for his humble background and his autocratic attitude, his detractors are left with no ammunition when it comes to rebutting his slogan of India first before any other assumed identity. Modis India first has almost galvanised the nations youth who seem convinced by his logic that unless we recognise ourselves as a unit by bringing our country forward rejecting sundry other identities, the integration of real India will always remain a distant dream. While Modi exhorts his countrymen to be Indian first, he invariably steps into the shoes of Swami Vivekananda, another Narendra of 19th century, who had electrified the nation by calling it as the civilisation that invented god for the humanity and India is a giant that is striving to stand on its feet once again after remaining asleep for millennium. Why the common phrase of India first attracted the nations attention at the first place when it was known to almost every Indian that nation comes first? The moot point is: nobody before Modi had tried to rephrase it in an innovative package as Modi has done. Others, even if they had thought of it, would not spell it lest it would be treated as just a routine platitude. Or, even if someone in the past had said it, it was ignored for it lacked the sincerity to evoke any strong response. But when Modi articulated it, people listened it and applauded it, for they felt that the person who was mouthing it had a sincere aspiration to see India grow and prosper in tune with the twenty first century world. Modi, like other politicians of his era, also ran the risk of being ignored or being dismissed of as some other mundane politicians who was disguising his own political propaganda in the garb of evoking the feelings of nationalism. But then, his exhortation appealed massively to the people of India, especially youth, who have seen how Gujarat has been transformed under his able stewardship. People have vouched for his vision of a great rising India after witnessing how his vision has contributed to the exponential rise of the state of Gujarat which was applauded across the globe, especially in these hard economic times. Rahul, on the other hand has been a flag bearer of a dynasty whose contribution to the nation is this: being a Gandhi scion whose primary motto is to take the name of his family forward in the annals of the dynastic rules in India. Worse still, his single qualification for the highest position of the land is his being from the first family. Nothing could have been more frustrating for the youth of India to see that how much privileged a birth in a particular family could be: while they struggled hard for almost half of their life to get a job, a same man from a privileged family is straight way destined to hold the highest position of the land without any experience and other qualification. Are we living in medieval times? they invariably question to themselves. Has the Congress party, so called grand old party, been so pathetically reduced to a party of one family, where the solitary qualification for growth is to kowtowing the line of a family rather than any ideology or doctrine? How the oldest party of this country comprising of stalwarts once, now being hijacked by the whims and fancy of the members of the single party who dictate the terms and the fawning acolytes start crawling when even not asked to bend? Who has brought the party to such a sorry pass when the party has nothing to flaunt other than showcase the scions of the family as their future leaders and the rulers of this country who are sure to retain India as a feudalistic regime propelled by a single family members packaging and fine tuning it as the worlds largest democracy?. It is not that the grand old party has been devoid of the illustrious leaders. The party has produced stalwarts like Narshimha Rao, Pranab Mukherjee, P.Chidambaram etc. in the modern times as well, however, apart from Rao, none could be fortunate enough to rise to the Prime ministerial position. The latest casualty in the list of leaders whose wings was clipped was Mr Pranab Mukherjee, a most eligible man to have graced 7 Race course, was being diverted to Rashtrapati Bhavan. And the biggest tragedy is that the party is never repentant for doing the injustice to the veteran politician, Pranab Mukherjee, but ironically claims to have rewarded him with a coveted Presidential palace. Worse still, the party never hides its audacity in foisting a young Gandhi scion on the nation as its Prime minister without any credible experience to his credit. The Party may still argue: Look, did Akbar require any qualification when he succeeded Humayun at the age of mere14? Hence, where is the need for any qualification to succeed to the highest chair of the land? Even Rajiv did it when he succeeded his mother Indira Gandhi? And now Rahul will do when he will succeed his mother Sonia? And besides, they argue, where is any difference? Indira held the Prime ministerial position overtly, and Sonia does it covertly, so why cant Rahul Succeed his mother? Surely a brilliant argument, we are still living in medieval times and India is still Gandhi familys fief. And here when Naredra Modi calls for India first, he poses a serious challenge to the protagonists of family first concept. He impresses upon the citizens of this country that family has no significance when it comes to the greater concept of India as a nation. And this, quite legitimately unnerves the votaries of Gandhi family who perceive that the ground beneath them is far slipping and Modis India first is attracting the masses as they too, want to see the rise of India as a powerful nation and even if the importance of a family is eclipsed in the process, so be it. Hence, 21st century India celebrate India first to free herself from any dynastic tag. Jai Hind Vivekanand Jha is an author of Delhi Beckons to hit the market soon.
Posted on: Tue, 12 Nov 2013 07:27:36 +0000
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