Friday, September 23, 2011

Rahul Baba and his Mama Complex...

Mumbai high society is gearing up for a seriously pink saturday night. Paris Hilton will be in the city to flog her handbags. And party. I am in two minds... what do you guys think? Go or not go?? I am tempted. I have always been intrigued by this strange creature who has made a good living out of.... ummm... good living! Her cv reads : professional party girl. And that's what she does for a living! Parties! Parties HARD! And gets paid big bucks for it. It's a tough life, folks. But someone's got to live it, right??
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This appeared in The Week.

One of the most unforgettable Bollywood dialogues remains , “Mere Paas Ma Hai,” and with good reason. Mothers have played a huge role in Indian society, and no matter how hard our desi men pretend or protest, at heart they are quintessential Mama’s Boys. No issues. If they think Mama knows best, so be it. But when the ‘boy’ happens to be a 41- year-old bachelor, positioned as the next prime minister of India, one begins to worry. One of the many text messages doing the rounds right after Rahul Gandhi’s ‘game changer’ address at zero hour, read, “Mummy ko aane do… phir sab ko dekh loonga.” Roughly translated, it says, “Just let my mother return… and I’ll fix everybody.” It was a reflection of popular sentiment. Now that Sonia Gandhi is back, all eyes are on her – will the ‘wave of anger’ turn? Will she assert herself and provide a reliable road map to a party that appears lost and confused?Most importantly, will she be able to get her son back on track, given that he is the chosen one? It may turn out to be Sonia’s toughest challenge to date. Not just as the mother of a young man who is about to don the prime minister’s mantle, but also the mother figure to a party of old men. Imagine the irony of it all. Most of those seeking her guidance are far older than she is. They too have been behaving like mixed up adolescents pining for a mataji to come home and take charge. This is not just comical but also very telling. Jayalalitha has been addressed as ‘Amma’ for the longest time, ever since she hit her forties. That too, by grown up guys in their fifties and sixties! For some hard to decode reason, Mayawati is addressed as Behenji and Mamata Banerjee as ‘Didi’. And ‘sister’ they shall stay.While Sonia is ‘Madam’ to one and all, her role is that of a stern, autocratic matriarch who rules over a large and chaotic family. Greying men seek her counsel unabashedly. While Rahul’s contemporaries are happy to play little boys in her presence. It was astonishing to note how the party elders regressed during her long absence and refused to take a strong position, perhaps afraid of the consequences. It was left to Rahul to finally accept the challenge and address the nation. It was seen as a tactical error by political experts, and he was mauled by critics.But someone had to do the dirty job and who better than the heir?
Being Sonia Gandhi was never easy. Not even when she was just the glamourous Italian bahu of the famous Gandhi family. Today, her role is still more complex and vulnerable.It’s a ‘damned if she does and damned if she doesn’t’ situation. If party bosses had carried on jauntily during her illness, people would have gloated, “See… that’s how dispensable she is.” But by reminding the country that all major decisions were on hold, awaiting Madam’s clearance, the party once again demonstrated its crippling dependence on one woman – Sonia.
A major crisis looms. If Rahul’s leadership is not unconditionally (and immediately) accepted, if Sonia is not in a physical condition to take full control of day-to-day issues, there will be an obvious and alarming vacuum. Who’s going to fill it? How soon?If an alternative is not identified and announced within the next few weeks, it will lead to demoralization and disappointment. Team Anna had gone to town with the Bharatmata imagery. It was a shrewd, calculated move to leverage India’s mother fixation. When citizens were repeatedly told they were protesting in order to uphold the honour of the motherland, it struck a strong emotional chord. Whether it’s our villagers or the educated middle class, one thing is instantly understood – protecting a mother’s dignity. Anybody challenging that, is seen as an enemy. Within the party, that’s also how Sonia is perceived. To attack her is to attack your own mother. It’s a delicate situation that the Congress bosses will have to skillfully negotiate as plans for the 2014 Elections get crystallized. If Sonia chooses to play a less assertive role due to health reasons, what happens to Rahul? Not to worry, folks. There is a solution in sight. The name is Priyanka. She can play mentor to not just her brother, but the party , too. Rahul’s trump card is here! And the new dialogue can then read : ‘Mere Paas Behen Hai.”

12 comments:

Desi Babu said...

Well written Mrs. De!

India, in spite of the poor way it treats its women, is lucky to have a few powerful ones. And some of them, have done the country a lot of good. Hence, the fixation.

Strange, I just finished writing a short story about my own grandma, who used to run an entire farm with an iron fist: Goat Curry. You might like it!

About, Ms. Paris Hilton, I remember a colleague once joking with me, "I am going to Paris for a conference. Paris, France. Not Paris, Hilton." I rest my case.

Peace!

Anonymous said...

For some reason, no matter how dirty politics be, I always respected Sonia Gandhi. She has gone through a lot, she is married in a family that has power pumped by heart instead of blood. One has to be tough and take a stand. If Pramod Mahajan hadn't died, we never know things may have been different? If BJP had seen beyond Ram Janam Bhoomi, they may have been in the power?

Narendra Modi, may be eying a kursi, but this lady has denied the kursi once, and that is some kind of power which I doubt anyone else has yet!

WhencutGoddamn said...

Priyanka, Just take over already! You're brothers' so not got it.

Latha said...

Sonia Gandhi can be got out of the way by anybody who wants to (DMK ?. Just dial, yes just dial the LTTE & they will take care of the rest & she will withdraw from the PM's post. She will protect Rahul & Priyanka fiercely with all her mother's instincts from whoever wants to destroy the Nehru - Gandhi dynasty. Hence none of them will fill the kursi. They have already lost 2 members of their family to terrorism.
None of the others with a mind of their own in congress can occupy that chair. If anybody did, there would be jealousy, rivalry, competition to deal with & the party will soon be in shambles. Mannu our present PM doesn't threaten anybody. Rather he looks threatened to open his mouth. Then who calls the shots ? Who makes the decisions ? Who gets everybody into trouble ? Those with criminal nexus, of course.
Jayalalitha is a different story altogether. She is tough. She can control everybody in her party & even the centre if needed. So don't compare the chicken Sonia with Jaya the tigress. There is no comparison.
When Anna fasted effectively in Jantar Mantar, Sonia disappeared to Switzerland to collect all her swiss bank deposits (She has the maximum according to reports). Now when Anna fasted, she disappeared again to the US. No doctor accompanied her & the disease is mysterious !
Anna's fast was not supported because of Bharat mata. People are fed up of rising prices in cooking gas, veg, pulses, houses & basic living amenities. They were only waiting for him. And when he came they just grabbed him. Mata has nothing to do with it. This time it was Gandhi in Ramlila maidan. Pita. Not mata !

Divya (Virmani) Chadda said...

Mrs. De, what an article! You spilled every possible trick have been used/will be used by Gandhi family! I don't have very deep knowledge about politics but whatever I hear 'here n there' on TOI is enough to understand how corrupt each of them are. It is very sad to see how the high level politicians too take Sonia's advise! Pathetic... Every single one of them is a brain-less being...
http://divyavirmani.blogspot.com/

WhencutGoddamn said...

Hey i so forgot to mention: PLEASE go for the party and tell us how it was :D

bantlan with love said...

hiiii.... Nice Post ..

चंद्रमौलेश्वर प्रसाद said...

Now the watchword in Bollywood will be.......
MERE PAAS PARIS HILTON HAI :)

bench3 said...

well said. and these things cant be stopped unless people understand!

Tsomo85 said...

Go for party! We like to hear your fun opinions! In US almost every guy address her name as "one night in Paris." The name of her famous home video!

Ashwini Sane said...

M'am, Sonia/Priyanka/Rahul/Modi...who ever takes over the country should do take care of the basic problems-Prices, Poverty, Terrorism.
As for the party-Please GO! Then how will we -lesser mortals-know what happened there?- Enjoy!

Ambika said...

I think Paris Hilton is damn smart and money wise. Not the dumb blonde she plays to hilt. Maybe you can read her mind and tell us the insider story