Dozing off in parliament

Rahul Gandhi was caught napping in parliament yesterday . As expected  the ruling BJP spokesperson Shaw Nawaz Khan  tweeted on this and the video footage has gone  viral in the social media and all sorts of comments are made on poor Rahul Gandhi . As expected BJP was trying to get political mileage  out of this . Especially so when the debate was on price rise ,Shawnawaz used Rahul's snooze to tweet " this is how congress slept on Price rise for last 10 years " . This shows he is politically shrewd. 

Congress defended that Rahul was not sleeping and he "had merely shut his eyes". Praful Patel of NCP also defending  Rahul said ,many people  do this in  parliament . Congress spokesperson Rajiv Shukla said even Vajpayee used to sit in parliament with his eyes shut and listen to speeches . But the most celebrated sleeper in parliament was India's former PM Devegowda . Because of his habit of napping in parliament he was even nicknamed as 'sleeping Gowda ' . But Devegowda  used to sleep even in government functions he attended as PM . 

Unfortunately Rahul Gandhi is not the only person caught napping . I don't agree RG being singled out and blamed for a nap.Many MLA's were also caught  napping in legislature assemblies. Recently when Kejriwal was making his maiden assembly speech .many MLA's ( not one, many ) were caught sleeping in the  video . Interestingly Dr.Harshavardhan the present central health minister ,who was then an opposition leader in Delhi assembly was caught sleeping in the video, when the CM was making his speech .Click here to watch the video .Curiously some of Kejriwal's Cabinet colleagues like Rakhi Birla were also caught sleeping in camera when the assembly was discussing serious issues .

In Meghalaya a congress MLA assaulted a photographer who caught him sleeping not long ago . In Karnataka during the last regime congress MLA's led a novel protest by sleeping in the assembly .It was a symbolic protest against government sleeping over  illegal mining . See how innovative our MLA' can be  when it comes to protests ! 

.But watching MLA's  yawn, sleep and snore during Assembly sessions in India is nothing new .May be to keep awake during assembly sessions ,two Karnataka ministers watched porn in their mobiles when the assembly was in session,sometime ago. 

 Karnataka forest minister Ramnath  Rai slept during a debate in the legislative council very recently on 2 July 2014 .His loud snoring irked opposition members. "Please provide our minister a bed. Let him sleep properly. He is very tired,"  said B J Puttaswamy.

In 2011 ,during a speech by a renowned nuclear expert in Maharashtra Assembly many MLA's including chief minister Prithivraj Chavan was caught napping . The scientist was addressing the assembly about the safety concerns of nuclear plants .

In Rahul Gandhi's case the video shows he dozed off for just 30 seconds and then he wakes up and thumps the desk for the speech made by his party colleague on price rise. Why do members sleep ?Is it lack of interest ? .Not at all .The common cause for daytime drowsiness could be merely insufficient sleep . Every person needs 6 to 8 hours of sleep per day .If one doesn't get the required amount of sleep the previous night ,it will surely reflect in the next day's activities of  that person . The ideal thing is to get more sleep .But in today's stressful busy society it can't be a viable solution to many people . Everywhere you find people  sleeping,in schools,buses ,offices etc . People should learn to schedule their sleep also along with the many other activities they schedule . When one can't manage to get enough sleep , the natural consequence would be short duration naps or doze .The body forces you to take such naps . Scientists say after a short  sleep session, especially during the day, our mind regains focus and we can better tackle those tricky mental challenges. May be RG was preparing himself to focus better . Jokes apart,I personally feel sorry for RG ,and this shouldn't have been raked up as a big issue by the ruling party and the media . More over this happens the world over .

I am not justifying the nap of Rahul Gandhi in parliament . After all Rahul Gandhi is also a human being .

Congress party in Tamil Nadu

The congress party in Tamil Nadu is isolated and sidelined by all the other major parties in forging an alliance for the 2014 elections which is hardly a month away. DMK its former ally does not want congress as an ally . AIADMK supremo Jayalalitha says 'Oust congress to make India strong '. Until recently congress had a piggyback ride of  these two Dravidian parties alternatively ,ever since the 1969 historical split in congress . It is worth mentioning  even before the split in 1965 elections ,congress in Tamil Nadu lost power to DMK , due to price rice, anti Hindi  agitations and  strong anti incumbency factors. 

Since then congress could not stage a come back in the state .The state was alternatively ruled by the two  Dravidian giants . But  until 1975 ,the congress in Tami Nadu had hopes of staging a strong come back. With the  demise of the tall Tamil Nadu congress leader K.Kamaraj in 1975 ,the downward slide started for Tamil Nadu  Congress .

After the 1969 split in Congress ,Kamaraj was on the side of the Congress identified as Congress (o) ,O indicated  organisation . The other congress led by Indira Gandhi was known as Congress (I), I indiated Indira . The Indira  congress was swept to power in 1971 with a massive two thirds majority at the national level .At the same election, DMK led by Karunanidhi almost routed Congress (o) in Tamil Nadu led by Kamaraj ,despite a strong alliance . 

The congress high command started ignoring and neglecting the Tamil Nadu unit of the party from 1969 ,since the state unit was controlled by Congress (o) after the split in party and Congress (I) had no significant base in Tamil Nadu at that time .Neither was the high command interested in developing a strong base at the grass root level. It was also evident that as long as Kamaraj headed the congress (o) in Tamil Nadu ,it would be difficult for Congress (I) to make  a headway in the state . The aversion for the Tamil Nadu state unit by Congress high command started from that  point . All disgruntled elements in congress (o) of the Tamil Nadu unit were in congress (I). There was no leader worth mentioning or some one who could match the stature of Kamaraj . 

Indira realised this and started a dialogue with Kamaraj before his death ,to bring all congressmen in Tamil Nadu together under her . Unfortunately before this could happen Kamaraj died . After Kamaraj the two factions of  congress in Tamil Nadu merged . But had the merger took place when Kamaraj was alive ,it would have been different.But factionalism surfaced in Tamil Nadu congress and  the in fighting was at its  best . There was a void in Tamil Nadu congress after the death of Kamaraj .There was no powerful leader with grass root support . Leaders like C.Subramanyam ,O.V.Alagesan  and others who were central ministers in Indira's cabinet lacked cadre support . The biggest mistake by congress was its failure to nurture a local leader with mass base . 

The congress was heading the central government. The high command thought as long as they head the government at centre ,it does not matter who heads the local government in Tamil Nadu .The maximum they sought from  Tamil Nadu was the support of 39 MP's ,no matter to which party they belong . They could get this by piggyback  riding the Dravidian parties .   Thus they started coaxing the regional parties at the expense of their own party to get the support of 39 MP's . This was utilised in the best possible way by wily politicians like Karunanidhi.

There was again a brief period of ascendency for the congress men in Tamil Nadu in 1996 ,when Moopanar broke away from Congress to float his own party called TMC (Tamil Manila Congress).In fact a young Moopanar was hand picked and  groomed by Kamaraj to revamp Thanjavur congess in his days . Moopanar had differences with the then Prime Minister P.V.Nrasimha Rao over poll alliance with AIADMK .He then left congress and started his own party . During this  period  the TMC had a semblance to the congress (0) led by Kamaraj at the time of the split . 

Unfortunately after Moopanar's demise ,TMC headed by his son G.K.Vasan decided to merge his party with the congress  and became a Sonia loyalist .Since then the faction ridden Tamil Nadu congress is on the slope down and never  made any serious attempt to build the party in the state .Neither did the high command allow any one from Tamil Nadu  congress to grow in stature .

I believe the biggest mistake TMC and Vasan did was to merge his party with the National congress . Congress in TN had no identity after the death of Kamaraj. Whatever identity it had as TMC was lost with the merger. For all practical purposes the people of TN  considered TMC  as state congress  party.  But by merging the party with  the Indian National congress ,the congressmen in TN lost whatever little say ,they had in national politics. 

Just an year after Moopanar floated TMC ,Mamta Bannerji who was also a member of P.V. Narasimha Rao cabinet  dissatisfied with congress functioning in West Bengal ,left congress and floated her own party Trinamul Congress  also known as TMC now. She maintained her identity and refused to merge with congress . One can see  how powerful a leader she is now . She started her party as an alternative to the West Bengal Congress unit  because she claimed the WB unit is a stooge to CPI-M and wanted to clean WB congress . She meant business and today she has replaced the CPI-M government at WB. 

Had TMC led by G.K.Vasan refused to merge with congress ,the erstwhile TMC would have been as powerful as Mamta's party and perhaps would have brought back congress rule in TN and replaced the Dravidian parties . The congress  high command nurtured both Dravidian parties than their own party . It is a grave mistake committed by the congress. Also congress high command never wanted any powerful  local  leaders. They all the time tried to stymie the growth of any leader at local level . Wherever the party had powerful  local  leaders,the party had fared well . Congress has  in a systemic way stalled the growth of a local leader . They fail to understand it is a question of local pride . Why Mamta is popular ? .It is a local pride . Perhaps the dynastic rule in congress give them a scare when a powerful  leader surfaces . 

Another blunder by congress is distancing itself from local sensitive issues . I am sure congress parties stand  would have  been different if they had a stake in the state on many sensitive issues . They care a hoot about local sensitive issues because it is not going to affect their party ,since they have no presence in the state. This is very evident on the stand of Karnataka congress on Cauvery row. The congress high command does not want to antagonise the Karnataka unit of congress ,because they have a stake in Karnataka.

If congress continues to treat state units this way ,soon congress will be wiped out in many states . The best part  is despite severe drubbing in TN congress has not learnt any lessons . Congress in TN is literally in a quandary.Now  it is very clear all parties in TN shun congress .Many electorates will also shun congress in TN .With regional  parties becoming stronger all over the country , the only way congress can make a come back in state is through the Moopanar or Mamata way . As long as the party high command ignores local leaders and local sentiments ,Congress in states would soon vanish .Another recent example is the plight of congress in Andhra Pradesh . The only solace is Rahul Gandhi wants to strengthen party base in TN. But will he succeed ? 

Rahul Gandhi

Rahul Gandhi has been elevated by congress as its vice president ahead of the 2014 polls. May be Congress feels Rahul Gandhi is perhaps its best bet to  face the electorates in the 2013  assembly elections due in 7 states and the parliamentary elections in 2014.The incorrigible sycophants of Congress could see ony Rahul Gandhi as their hope to save their party from all its ills in the future elections .It is also true there is a paucity of young leaders  who could get acceptance at the national level in congress.I don't like to  blame the congressmen for their dynastic politics.It has become the order of the day in all fields.Congressmen have reconciled to this fact because only if they approve RG as their leader,they can also in turn promote their wards to succeed them. I wrote a post on 'Monarchy,democrcy and dynasty' in April 2009.A recent survey states nearly 30 % of our MP's are dynasts.I do not know if charisma can be inherited !.The only advantage could be legitimising leadership succession.In a democratic country any one can become the number one in a party, if majority of the party members are in his or her favour. But the question of his credentials comes only when he is judged by his performance.I agree we can not prejudge any one.It is said even in China the sons and daughters of those in power weild considerable influence and are known as 'Red princes'.Congress has made its choice. Now it is for the electorates to make their choice at the time of elections.Congress has just made RG as its vice president .I don't know why BJP should give knee jerk reactions and get jittery.Democracy gives us the feeling of making a choice. Most of the time it is about making a  chocie  among the worsts.There can be small choices among rotten apples.I also believe there are no safe choices.Every choice is beset with risks.Because we could be misguided in our choices and by the time we come to know about it ,it could be too late to correct.Then we have to find a way to live with it .He who has a choice has troubles and pain is the proverb.

Inspiring young Gandhi

Any right thinking Indian would have been disturbed over Sena's call that 'Mumbai is only for Maharashtrians'.It was heartening to hear the young politician Rahul Gandhi saying 'Every inch of India is for all Indians'. He did not stop with saying that.He dared to go to the lion's den and travel in a suburban train amidst black flag waving protests in the sena's bastion.Though he took a security risk,it is worth the trouble and needs to be lauded.He also said India is more important than Vidarba or Telengana.It is equally heartening that RSS and BJP have also denounced the Sena and MNS call 'Mumbai is for Maharashtrians'.This should be nipped in the bud.
Of late the moral policing is going beyond a limt.Some one should come forward and put a stop to this nonsense.The Sena gives call to boycott SRK's movie since he wants Pak cricketers to play in IPL.They also assail people who said "Mumbai is for every Indian" Be it Amitab,Tendulkar,Ambani or Chidamabaram.There is growing intolerance among these moral policing groups.Down south Ramdoss of PMK has behaved like this years before.Attacking theaters sceening Rajini's movies for depicting scenes where the star is seen smoking!.Pubs and women were attacked in Mangalore and elsewhere protesting against scantily clad women and women drinking.
Rahul Gandhi appears to be level headed,credible and socially sensitive.He has shunned power for the present.Another thing what I liked most in Rahul is that he is travelling through out the length and breadth of the nation.Obviously he has a political agenda.Notwitstanding that I feel it would give him a glimpse of the real India.I hope over the years he would mature in to a national status leader.India will have the largest number(about 440 Million) of youth in the age group of 14 to 35 by 2020.This will be a major demographic advantage India will have over other nations.India needs dynamic young leaders.Going by how Rahul conducts himself currently,he is likely to fit the slot perfectly.Last year CNN-IBN selected him as the politican of the year.

All said and done I have some reservations about Rahul Gandhi visiting young students in the college and university campuses throughout the country.I think there is some substance in the opposition charge that Rahul is politicising the campus.Will colleges and universities grant permission to young leaders of other political parties also to address students in the campus?