Aditya Sanghi Speaks

India got it’s Obama long before US got its. We have a decent man (MMS) at the helm of the nation for last 6 years and by the looks of it 4 more at least. In fact we’ve even avoided Dubyas for ourselves for a long time. The last time we had a Gandhi as an official head of the nation was over 21 years ago. We also gave women “real” political power long before the west. We’ve had presidents which represent the rainbow of our multi-ethnicity. We’ve had Sikhs, Muslims, Kannadigas, Telugu, Maharashtrian and Jats as Prime Ministers. We’ve had many Chief Ministers of assorted castes belonging at bottom of the Hindu caste structure as well as practicing non-Hindus. In short, if Obama is going to stand for the hope or the unrepresented, he’s fairly late to the Indian political soiree.

Hereditary lineage is a small price to pay for better governance. I agree to a very large extent that Congress is almost family business. In the Indian context, this concept is not so hard to swallow. It’s almost a celebrated tradition to pass on one’s wealth, power and status down the generation. It’s also our “social security”. I don’t see the Indian populace throwing out the Congress because of their failure to produce a leader of PM quality without the Gandhi DNA. India has punished Gandhis for fiddling with its demographic fabric in 1975 and later in 1989 for corruption stink. Gandhis have not let the country slide into a Pakistan. Letting go of political power in the hope of getting it back is not easy to fathom for those who have never had it. A Gandhi was also the only leader of the national party to have had the forethought of not electing themselves as the head of the nation twice (1991 and 2004), shows acute political acumen.

As far as actual leadership qualities go, I agree we probably have more charismatic and imaginative young leaders than Rahul. Apart from the obvious positive first impression Rahul made, to me he stood for more than his last name. He connects with the demographic more than his opposition which finds itself unable to change fast enough with the times. Congress has a slew of younger leaders that seem to be under grooming for the future.

Your example of Nandan Nilkeni goes to confirm my belief that Chanakya is working for Congress. His predecessor Narayanmurthy got brickbats for heading the Bangalore Airport Project under the leadership of Gowda in Karnataka. Shashi Tharoor is another example. Leaders that this generation will embrace tomorrow. I’m not sure what your opinion is of him, but my thoughts about his tweets are more in synch than not. He’s put himself up for evaluation and approach to India like never before. It’s refreshing to hear a leader’s thoughts directly and be able to give him feedback instantaneously. Like Nilkeni, Tharoor too got his opportunity under the Congress. It’s also heartening to know that he’s not been fired despite ignorant old world media’s hullabaloo over every tweet.

There are others in the stable Jyotiraje Scindia, Sachin Pilot, Omar Abdullah, Jitendra Prasad, Kumari Selja among others. These leaders will get their chance in due time. It almost gives you hope that for the right people ( i know someone in my friends list who has serious ambitions ), the time is better than ever before.

On the other side, there is a vacuum. A vacuum of ideas, hope and vision. Naked lust for power consumes the opposition. But demographic is out there for them to connect with.

Perhaps the biggest mistake is to assume the Idiot demographic to be stupid.

Since the writing of my post above. Shiv Sena got a ONE TIGHT SLAP on Friday, the slap made Bal Thackeray’s dentures fly out and fall somewhere between the 3 and 4th row from the back of the closest multiplex during the screening of ‘My Name is Khan’. Ram Sene’s Muthalik was “black-faced” somewhere in Karnataka and this dude from Raj Thuggery’s MNS released a Valentine’s album while others are taking justice in the own artistic hands (NID student carves a permanent Joker smile on Chaudhary, the molester police officer).

Jai Ho!

In 2008, I bumped into Rahul Gandhi at a bookshop in Heathrow. I couldn’t resist saying Hi. He put his hand forward, shook mine firmly, looked me in the eye and with a winning smile, said “Hi” back.

I wished him Good Luck for the upcoming elections (which they later swept) and he thanked me back loud and clear. That was the end of it. There was an unmistakable connect. I thought, Yes, I could vote for him. If younger intellectuals (I’ve stopped being modest about it now) like me can connect with him, I’m sure there would be others. If choosing your leader is going to boil down to picking the lesser evil, let my poison be mine.

He’s silently swiftly sweeping the nation. He’s shaking hands with the people, who are buying tickets to see 3 Idiots, who are going to come out and vote again in a few years time. I’m not yet a fan of Rahul Gandhi per se, but i certainly prefer him over the rest of them.

The signal in the noise for politicians and parties is clear, do you connect with the aspirations and desires of those who would buy tickets for 3 Idiots?

BJP got a jolt in the last 2 elections and their future does not look bright in the next one as well. I don’t think they have a connect with the Idiot generation. The generation that connected with BJP was the angry young man generation of Zanjeer. Their followers are mellower now. The chicken legs under the khakhi knickers have arthritis. Also arthritis 2 inches north of the nose. The assorted bunch of clowns in VHP, RSS and Bajrang Dal are also unlikely to find a footing or resonance in modern India. The lust for power of the senior members of the party choked it, they prevented any fresh blood from entering the veins. Rahul shakes your hand.

Shiv Sena is a dying brand of a dying hateful old man. It’s bullying toothless posturing, irrational and divisive agenda, absence at times of crisis have distanced themselves from the Idiot generation beyond repair. Their mandate is going to reduce further in a few years time. Once Bal Thackeray goes to the grave, his power will vanish however one hopes he sees that for himself before he meets his maker. Every time a Thuggery makes a statement, they’re digging a deeper hole for themselves and their party. Rahul delivers a winning smile.

Communists are disintegrating among themselves. They don’t know their Maoists from their Marxists. With exemplary leaders of the kind Achutanandan in Kerala and Karats somewhere in the center and no-one out in the west, it’s fast reducing into oblivion. Rahul says Hi.

So who is the next opposition? To me, the new opposition is an assortment of parties that connect with those who cant buy tickets to 3 idiots. Probably BSP and the assortment. There is no denying that hundreds of years of the caste system has taken its toll. We’ve given them reservation in jobs, colleges, civil administration and they’ve lapped it up. They’re also making sure that they’re getting their moolah with their power. Corruption is rampant and power will shift towards the have-now-had-nots. It will take a generation or two of prosperity for them to catch up. In the forseeable future, they will be the opposition for the next 20-30 years in India. Rahul gets serious.

Congress has made a firm bet on the future. Their young turks (mostly netas ka betas for now) under the tutelage of Chanakya, the graduating class of 2014, 2019, 2024.

I’m extremely optimistic about our country. The last 60 years were necessary for the next 60.

I could start blabbering about this from a prior date but Boxing day seems appropos. Anything before that would be too vague to pinpoint.

It all began with an idea that Ridhi, Vasu and I had a thought when we were in Noosa back in the May of 2006. “Wouldnt it be cool if all of us cousins could get together for a wild holiday here in Australia?” quipped one of us. After talking about the parameters for the trip for about 10 minutes, the matter was laid to rest until after Tanu’s wedding. The idea may have been discussed in passing while some of us met in Jaipur for the wedding. However, in all earnestness the whole thing kicked off one fatefull evening (13th August from my records) when Ridhi took the initiative and emailed a one liner asking for discussion.

What transpired between that email and Boxing Day 2006 is stuff of another blogpost. This post however will serve to journal the trip (post the trip’s happening).

Boxing Day (as 26th of December each year is called for those who didnt know) is a major major shopping day in Australia. Apart from that, it is also the day that the Boxing Day cricket test begins in Melbourne each year. And for those interested in sports, there is also the Sydney to Hobart Yatch Race (or is it Hobart to Sydney, but i digress). Just setting the scene. Ridhi and Vasu and I went to Chadstone shopping centre on Boxing Day and the place was chock a bloc full of shoppers. A Kumbh Mela of shoppers if you may. Frankly it was hard to find anything nice to buy despite the huge discounts. The checkout places had huge queues and the changing rooms were being guarded by bouncers. It was a tiring and exhausting experience, and I guess the only saving grace was that we found a parking spot, almost immediately. The advantage was nullified at the end of shopping cause we finished at the opposite end of the mall and had to cart everything back thru millions of dazed shoppers. After being Chadstonified, we found our way to our booked accommodation at South Yarra Mews, 1 Park Lane @ South Yarra (really it was on Punt Road). To our delight it turned out to be a quaint church. The unit was split on 3 levels. Vasu seemed pleased with the kitchen i think. Rest assured, the 3 of us made ourselves comfortable (Vasu made herself confortable on her throne in the kitchen and began cooking Rajma Chawal for the arriving party).

A bit late but the dramatis personae :
1. Sunny (Real Name: Aditya Sanghi), the eldest of them all, me the blog writer, eager photographer.
2. Vasu (Real Name: Vasudha Sanghi nee Chandra), my lovely wife, the chief, the ringleader, the big kahuna, the booker, the planner, chief convincing officer.
3. Tanu (Real Name: Shantanu Sanghi), my younger brother, kinda Newlywed, takes nice pictures, eats after midnight every night.
4. Smita (Real Name: Smita Sanghi nee Chemburkar), Tanu’s wife, the newest member of the family, also kinda Newlywed, candle maker, loves souvenirs.
5. Rishabh (Real Name: Rishabh Kasliwal), my cousin, my bua’s oldest son, californian, stanford graduate, engineer, lovely chap, first half of RishRush.
6. Rush (Real Name: Rashmi Kasliwal nee Bothra), Rish’s wife, my bua’s bhahu if you may, californian, childhood sweetheart of Rishabh, built on duracells, really lovely, better half of RishRush.
7. Shanu (Real Name: Shreyans Kasliwal), Rish’s younger brother, my bua’s second son, lawyer and hence very argumentative, Katrix’s pain in the neck, lovely chap.
8. Chinx (Real Name: Ritika Sanghi), my cousin, my first chacha’s firstborn, Californian, self-confessed Mellonite, works for Google, most changed since childhood.
9. Katrix (Real Name: Kartik Sanghi), my cousin, my first chacha’s lastborn, simple, still in school, easy picking target, lovely chap.
10. Ridhi (Real Name: Pritika Sanghi), my cousin, my second chacha’s firstborn, PhD Student in Monash, impossible to take bad photos of, Squash player, and generally quite amazing at everything.
11. Sonam (Real Name: Sonam Sanghi), my cousin, my second chacha’s lastborn, studying in UK, food scientest, MISSING IN ACTION during the trip, really very sweet.

So, we were to receive two travelling parties on this night. The party travelling from India were flying in from Kuala Lumpur and the other party was RishRush flying via Nadi, Fiji. We couldnt receive the first party at the airport since they were one too many with probably one too many bags. However, Ridhi and I took the car to pick up RishRush and save them the hassle of public transport. To cut a long story short, we bought them home and had a great family milan.

It was amazing. All together at the same place at the same time since I dont know when. Definitely a first for the wives i’m sure. There was much excitement and nobody wanted to sleep, which was good since the next day was light on things to do. There are some pix of this night and some videos of this somewhere.

Well then, next day, next post.