Fewer Statesmen and more Politicians…
India has been given to plurity. Adult franchise made all the citizens of India, masters of the Country. When independence came to India, India was divided into India and Pakistan. Pakistan demanded that with the division of the Country, India no longer existed and it should be renamed. But the statesmen of that time argued that India was divided into two portions. Pakistan was eked out of India. Therefore, there is no need to rename India, as most of the part that was India stood, even after partition. This was accepted by the United Nations, and India retained the name ‘India’ and ‘Pakistan’ was made a new member. (Last Days of British Raj by Leonard Morsley)
India began its independent innings with Congress Party, Communist Party, and later on Socialist Party, DMK, AIDMK, PSP, SSP, BJP, Communist (Left), Communist(Right), Janata Dal, PMK, Akali Dal, National Congress, PDP, etc came into being. After 1967, it was the Regional parties who governed the different States like Left ruled Kerala, DMK was voted to power in Tamilnadu, Telugu Desam came to power in Andhra, Janata Dal reigned Karnataka, RJD was in command in Bihar, Marxist led front ruled West Bengal, Assam Gana parishad was elected to power in Assam, BJP ruled Madhya Pradesh, NCP-Congress combine in Maharashtra, Goa Go manta Party in Goa, etc. There were NDA coalition rule in Delhi, UPA rule in Delhi, but all along, there were politicians, and politicians, who became Ministers, took India through development, created projects, conceived infrastructure, brought in revolutionary changes in Education. They ruled India but never reigned.
During the pre-independent days, we had giant statesmen like Jawaharlal Nehru, Rajaji, Pandit Pant, Sardar Vallabhai Patel, Rajendra Prasad, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Malaviya, Ram manohar Lohia, Indira Gandhi, Annadurai, Jyoti Basu, Ramakrishna Hegde, B C Roy, E M S, AK Gopalan, and the like. But with the demise of all these, there have been popular leaders who were mistaken for statesmen. They had the gift of the gab, and through thick innings in political parties, became Ministers, Governors, etc. Most of the members of Parliament keep quiet when important subjects are being raised. It is a pity, that at times when fiery debates are called for, raising voices, unruly behaviour and pandemonium substitute for calm debate, debating skills, subject orientation. It is a sad sight to see Parliament not functioning and adjourned due to chaos. If those who govern and those who act as watch dogs, don’t adhere to discipline and protocol, how could they advice people to be disciplined?
India has been given to plurity. Adult franchise made all the citizens of India, masters of the Country. When independence came to India, India was divided into India and Pakistan. Pakistan demanded that with the division of the Country, India no longer existed and it should be renamed. But the statesmen of that time argued that India was divided into two portions. Pakistan was eked out of India. Therefore, there is no need to rename India, as most of the part that was India stood, even after partition. This was accepted by the United Nations, and India retained the name ‘India’ and ‘Pakistan’ was made a new member. (Last Days of British Raj by Leonard Morsley)
India began its independent innings with Congress Party, Communist Party, and later on Socialist Party, DMK, AIDMK, PSP, SSP, BJP, Communist (Left), Communist(Right), Janata Dal, PMK, Akali Dal, National Congress, PDP, etc came into being. After 1967, it was the Regional parties who governed the different States like Left ruled Kerala, DMK was voted to power in Tamilnadu, Telugu Desam came to power in Andhra, Janata Dal reigned Karnataka, RJD was in command in Bihar, Marxist led front ruled West Bengal, Assam Gana parishad was elected to power in Assam, BJP ruled Madhya Pradesh, NCP-Congress combine in Maharashtra, Goa Go manta Party in Goa, etc. There were NDA coalition rule in Delhi, UPA rule in Delhi, but all along, there were politicians, and politicians, who became Ministers, took India through development, created projects, conceived infrastructure, brought in revolutionary changes in Education. They ruled India but never reigned.
During the pre-independent days, we had giant statesmen like Jawaharlal Nehru, Rajaji, Pandit Pant, Sardar Vallabhai Patel, Rajendra Prasad, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Malaviya, Ram manohar Lohia, Indira Gandhi, Annadurai, Jyoti Basu, Ramakrishna Hegde, B C Roy, E M S, AK Gopalan, and the like. But with the demise of all these, there have been popular leaders who were mistaken for statesmen. They had the gift of the gab, and through thick innings in political parties, became Ministers, Governors, etc. Most of the members of Parliament keep quiet when important subjects are being raised. It is a pity, that at times when fiery debates are called for, raising voices, unruly behaviour and pandemonium substitute for calm debate, debating skills, subject orientation. It is a sad sight to see Parliament not functioning and adjourned due to chaos. If those who govern and those who act as watch dogs, don’t adhere to discipline and protocol, how could they advice people to be disciplined?
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