Rule Of Humb

Over the last two decades, in a display of some kind of misty-eyed, son-of-the-soil sentimentalism, political commentators, mostly urban, have been investing the toiling masses with more and more sagacity. Every election result has been seen as a display of wonderful wisdom on the part of the teeming voter, whose unerring acumen has kept the bad guys out, ushered the good guys in, and taught a lesson to the errant. If that is the case why have things been steadily deteriorating, with bad governance giving way to worse?

Sonia's success suggests that we are basically still a raja-praja people, and divine right to rule washes better with us than cold calculations of ability and track-record. Reporters covering Sonia's rallies assert that people come to just catch a glimpse of her, and are not at all interested in what she has to say. They are there for the darshan, in fine feudal tradition. It seems that many feel that these are the rightful rulers, who have been unfairly dethroned, and it is time for them to resume power.

Literate cynics who have been writing off Rahul Gandhi as a trifle uncharismatic and doltish when compared to his sister Priyanka, whom everyone agrees is reminiscent of Indira Gandhi, may also be in for a surprise. This odious comparison is exactly what the design editor and I were making, while scanning a batch of campaign pictures that had just come in, when one of the office boys showed up behind us, and exulted, "Wah kya zabardast personality hai Rahul ki! Looks exactly like Rajiv!" Freshly Sonia-chastised, both of us swallowed our opinion, and agreed with him.