Gaurav's Blog

This can usually be found on Twitter.

There's a very chirpy article about Mr. Singh, recently re-elected Prime Minister of India. Incredibly optimistic, it's very heartening at a time when India is slowly climbing up my list of countries-I-want-to-end-up-in.

Since I'm oh-so Indopolitical tonight, I might as well mention my concern at a BBC article on dynastic politics in India, jumping off from Ms. Sangma's entry into politics (her father was once Speaker of the national Parliament). Newsweek suggests that perhaps Mr. Gandhi (the Congress prince expectant) does not mean to lead the party himself, but is try to engage the people to join in. Remember that he has also repeatedly said during the last couple of years that in his view one of the most important tasks before him is to democratise the Congress and hold internal elections (so sayth the BBC). Perhaps — and I say this entirely in my post-chirpy-article mood, mind — maybe perhaps he will never be Prime Minister; instead, he is trying to replicate within the country's oldest political party what has sort-of been achieved in the country itself: thriving, crazy, beautiful, dangerous, shiny, shining democracy.

I'd be skeptical; there's that thing about power corrupting to contend with, and lighting a flame under the monstrous Indian political juggernaut would be hard in the best of cases. But? Maybe that's all hope is, the ability to ask "But?" in the face of all opposition. I think I will assume the worse, but I'd deeply, deeply love to be wrong.

Labels: congress, india, manmohan singh, politics, rahul gandhi

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