Our decrepit leaders

There are people who keep saying that part of the fault is ours – it is we who have elected our decrepit leaders. Unthinking journalists have written hundreds of articles saying that we get the leaders we deserve.

This is utter nonsense. For one thing, we have not elected these outdated, tired and aged leaders. I mean, when you voted Congress, for instance, did you know who the Prime Minister would be? Every political party pulls out a non-controversial old man to lead the country with the hope that he will not rock the boat and let others do what they are best at – take money for asking questions in Parliament, gather our brave young people as commandoes to guard them, and do nothing.

Manmohan Singh has fitted into this mould perfectly. He was pulled out of the hat by Sonia Gandhi. He was not even an MP and showed – fraudulently – that he was a resident of Assam and appointed PM. Our “independent” press went all out to praise the old man. Till now it is said that he was the architect of reforms: never mind that the reforms were dictated by the World Bank and that Manmohan Singh has not done a single reform in the five years of office. The press calls him an “economist,” never mind that all the Manmohan Singh government has done so far is to increase the CRR, then decrease it. That’s some economics!

So after all these terrorist attacks we have a home minister who might fight terrorism by what he does best – sermonizing. As for pretending that strong action has been taken because some heads have rolled – let these resignations fool no one. The people who have resigned will surely be appointed governors of some states of members of planning commission, just a few months from now.

The Manmohan Singh-Sonia Gandhi combine has failed in managing the economy in this severe downturn and has failed to tackle the pressing problems of India.

Did we elect these incompetent leaders? I beg to differ. They have been thrust upon us. The result of their inaction are for us to see now.

So the terrorist problem cannot be solved by these unaccountable old men. Lighting candles and demonstrating on the streets is not going to help us. The system has to change, but I don’t see that happening. After all, if the system cannot be changed under the leadership of one of the most “enlightened” Prime Minister, don’t expect it to change under Lallo Prasad Yadav or Mayawati or LK Advani, people who have made careers out of corruption or dividing us.