Sunday Snippets: RaGa’s disqualification saga
By Venkatesh Raghavan
My friend Amir and I were discussing the disqualification of the Congress Party leader Rahul Gandhi from the Lok Sabha which has created a furore in several quarters. Our conversation at our familiar Irani Cafe over tea was somewhat along these lines.
Amir: I feel the situation is worse than the Emergency. Opposition leaders had been jailed and some of them even went underground. Never was any Member of Parliament disqualified in those days.
Me: Amir, just look at the bigger picture. It will make you feel bright. For, there is always a flip side when such dilemmas beset politicians. As Shakespeare puts it, “Sweet are thy fruits o adversity.”
Amir: What on earth do you mean? If you are disqualified from being an MP, you stand to lose all the perks including travel, transport and salary. Besides, your voice will never be heard in Parliament. You tend to lose out on a lot.
Me: Amir, once you are disqualified from being a Member of Parliament, you will enjoy the privilege of becoming a common man. You should be aware that the common man is the most privileged category in our country.
Amir: May I ask you what quality of weed you have been using? At least spell out the privileges you are referring to.
Me: Firstly, akin to the RSS cadres, there are members in its think tank (from the common man category) who never participate in the parliamentary process. They just contribute by thinking up strategies and drawing plans for future courses of action. I think the time is ripe when Rahul is made to participate in the Congress think tank. I am saying this because many from the common man category never come into the public eye. They always remain behind the scenes and are the real people pulling the strings from behind.
Amir: You mentioned privileges, implying multiple benefits of being a common man. Can you list out the rest of them?
Me: They can openly enjoy dating, be it on beaches or theatres or recreation parks without having to bother about intrusive media persons. They can enjoy late-night parties while listening to the songs they like at the pub. Here too, there won’t be any media glare. They can enjoy sipping chilled beer at a leisurely pace.
Amir: You sound hedonistic. Why on earth should a prominent member of the country’s oldest political party be forcibly evicted from Parliament and face such a life of oblivion?
Me: Life of oblivion Amir is a boon to be relished. If you recall, crown prince Rama turned into the ideal man (Maryada Purushottam) in the epic Ramayana after completing his 14 years of exile from Ayodhya. The adversity one faces while in oblivion makes you stronger and builds your character to prepare for a future replete with halcyon days.
Amir: How on earth do you expect to build character by sipping beer in late-night joints?
Me: That will help you make valuable contributions to your Party’s think tank. It will also help curb your puritanical instincts that might turn out to be very demanding when you are in a position of power.
Amir: Who would go with you and your wisdom?
Me: At least you do understand me.
Amir: (Chuckles)
