HVK Archives: Best and rest - Do our leaders know how to differentiate?
Best and rest - Do our leaders know how to differentiate? - Sunday
Rajiv Shukla
()
3-9 August 1997
Title: The best and the rest - Do our leaders really know how to
differentiate?
Author: Rajiv Shukla
Publication: Sunday
Date: August 3-9, 1997
It is most unfortunate that in today's politics, the criteria for selecting
a person to an important public office have been reduced to a very low
level. If you belong to a particular caste or community, you will be
supported by various politicians cutting across party lines irrespective of
your educational qualifications and merit.
Another important qualification to grab an important post is to remain
non-controversial. It does not matter if, in the process, you are
inefficient. It is unfortunate that efficiency, talent, merit,
intelligence, competence, educational qualification, experience and past
record do not have any place in Indian politics today compared with caste,
creed, religion, non-controversial posture, indecisiveness and lobbying.
While shortlisting candidates for the post of President and vice-president
of India, the criteria being evaluated by the leaders of various political
parties were an insult to both K.R. Narayanan and Krishan Kant. It is a
pity that our leaders selected Narayanan only because he was a Dalit.
Similarly, Krishan Kant was chosen by the United Front and the Congress
only because he is non-controversial and a very old politician.
It is only the ideological bankruptcy of Indian leaders that they are not
aware of the real qualifications of Narayanan and Krishan Kant, Even if
Narayanan were a Brahmin, he would have been the best choice for the
presidentship of the country. Why? Just because Narayanan has all that
are needed to hold India's highest office. Being the vice-president, he
had a right, by convention, to be elevated to the post of President. Apart
from that, he is way ahead of almost all politicians so far as his
educational qualifications are concerned.
Narayanan was a topper throughout and the most brilliant student of Harold
Laski. Later, in foreign service also, his performance was superb as Indian
ambassador to China and USA, As vice-chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru
University, and later as a minister in Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi
governments, his performance was always appreciated.
But unfortunately, our leaders like V.P. Singh, Ram Vilas Paswan and
Harkishen Singh Surjeet could only see his one qualification - that of him
being a Dalit. In their statements, they never said that he is also a
scholar. Narayanan's lifetime achievements were overshadowed by his caste.
And that is pathetic.
Moreover, people like VP, Paswan and Surjeet first took the credit for
projecting Narayanan with an eye on the Dalit votes. But when it came to
the selection of the vice-president, they started singing different tunes.
For them, Narayanan became just a Congressman and they demanded that the
post of the vice-president should go to a non-Congressman.
What a ridiculous approach. I do not dispute the selection of Krishan Kant.
Here also the criteria were wrong. Krishan Kant was selected only because
he was a non-controversial and non-Congressman. All other abilities and
qualifications of this man were ignored.
People like Najma Heptullah, Pranab Mukherjee, Manmohan Singh were ignored
just because they belonged to the Congress. Karan Singh's name was not
considered - despite him being a. scholar-because he was being supported by
only one leader, Farooq Abdullah. Moreover, Karan Singh being a Rajput Raja
also made his case weak.
Poor Najma lost the race despite her secular credentials and her remarkable
performance as the deputy chairperson of the Rajya Sabha. She is
presentable, intelligent, capable and a dignified woman. But she fell out
because she had once been close to Sharad Pawar in Maharashtra politics - a
fact not very palatable to the present Congress leadership. Pranab
Mukherjee did not make it because he is not a chamcha of Surjeet and
Chandrababu Naidu.
It is most unfortunate that decisions of national importance are not being
taken by the Prime Minister and other national leaders, but by people like
Chandrababu Naidu and Surjeet. People like Gujral, Kesri, Jitendra Prasada,
Jyoti Basu and Mulayam Singh Yadav are yielding to the pressure of Naidu
and Surjeet.
It is all because of coalition politics. People of India should vote for
one party to be in power. Not to 13 parties to make a mess of this nation.
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