Pappu cant dance...

I got yet another Pappu joke from another fan of the current government.  The attempt to look invincible by projecting a weaker adversary is laughable at best for the effort and not the joke. Make no mistakes that I am a Rahul Gandhi fan, in case you still wondered about Pappu; I am not anybody’s fan, not least a politician.

For all his faults that have been loudly proclaimed by many I would like to give him credit for being someone who tried and who is taking the difficult option. It would have been easy to live with the silver spoon he is born with and have a good time but it calls for a certain degree of character to get into the world of politics and to step into the frontline and fight an election campaign.

What are the odds stacked against RG?

Many in my opinion:-

• -         A party of geriatrics who refuse to let go
• -         The bright sparks who struggle to come up
• -         A legacy of dysfunctional government that was given a second term
• -         The usual baggage of incompetence and corruption
• -         The list just goes on

In my opinion however the biggest challenge is the absence of a good mentor, someone who is well versed in the business of politics and who can strategize well.

Is Rahul Gandhi a bad politician?

The answer lies on the metrics he is being judged with. I am not sure that there is one stellar politician who is liked by all among his contemporaries today. Let us be honest, how many of us aspire to be a politician or even feel charitable to an average politician. When the very word politician brings revulsion to the average person what is the scale to judge that RG is worse than the others. Yes he may make mistakes and that is what happens when you end up with a job that you are ill prepared for and with only experience as a teacher it will take time.

The challenge before him is to not make mistakes but to learn from them and grow. There have been many star sons who after being handed a legacy on a plate have gone on to lose all that and have no qualms about it. The rise of this government was aided by the absence of a strong opposition and there lies the challenge & opportunity. It takes some character to stand up in the midst of ridicule and expose oneself to public scrutiny without any bravado.

I look forward to RG learning and learning fast and giving a good fight. The strength of a good democracy is a strong and vibrant opposition and here lies my selfish desire. If he rises up to the challenge and is able to go beyond the jokes he may become a good politician.

To those who still amuse themselves by sending silly jokes and cannot understand that the joke is on them, maybe “Pappu can’t dance saala” but he most certainly will not dance to your tunes.

Image courtesy: Google images