Rajiv Pratap Rudy’s speech in Parliament that focused mostly on attacking an already electorally decimated Congress party, brought home the distressing fact that although the people of India have given the BJP an overwhelming majority to rule, they could not give them a sense of security, confidence and self esteem. In Rudy’s speech, it was apparent that even now, ensconced with a comfortable majority in Parliament, the BJP still cannot bring itself to display that defining quality of a winner – magnanimity in victory. Such a disproportionately uncalled for attack on a party holding just 44 seats, only demonstrates a pettiness that cannot rise up and embrace the winner’s mindset. Rudy’s speech, unfortunately, set the tone for unhealthy confrontation based on meaningless attack rather than any substantial and constructive issues that will provide the vision for our country’s future. If we the people are not careful, then this spirit will soon percolate to the rest of the nation in unduly jingoistic behaviour that is already becoming visible. And in vainly seeking outside of itself for the missing self assurance, our government might misguidedly steer the nation in a direction that might not address the various deeper dimensions of our human lives, and be irrevocably detrimental to the country’s longstanding and enduring interests.
Diana Pinto
