Anish, you have lavished fulsome praise on India's former President
Pranab Mukerjee but what are the achievements that merited the praise?
You say: 'The passing away of former President Pranab Mukherjee is a
huge loss to Indian politics'. What on earth does this mean? Indian
politics is just a morass of unstoppable corrupt practices and a third
of sitting MPs are tainted by a criminal background, if not convictions.
You say: 'Mukherjee's contribution towards nation building is something
that will never be forgotten.' How exactly did he contribute? You seem
to find it safer to speak in generalities.
'He also contributed extensively towards his home state of West Bengal.'
How? Again no specifics.
'His excellent knowledge of Parliamentary matters is something very few
present day politicians can match.' What knowledge and how do you
measure 'excellent'?
Anish, the fact is that this Mukerjee fellow was quite undistinguished
and in fact mediocre like most of the Indian leaders.
So what did he do sitting in that huge mansion Raj Bhavan built by the
British for their Viceroys?
Here a few things he did do:
According to the Hindu, 09 Sep 12, the President arrived at a
traditional reception and drove up to Tirumala, the abode of Lord
Venkateswara. On his first visit here after assuming high office, Mr.
Mukherjee will offer prayers at the crack of dawn on Sunday.
PTI 14 Oct 12 reported that 'President Pranab Mukherjee will perform
Durga Puja at his ancestral home in Miriti in West Bengal.
He will reach his home on October 20. He will perform the Puja from
October 20 to October 23. He will return to the capital on October 23.
A previous President, Pratiba Patil, revealed in June 2007, revealed
that she was in communion with the gods:"I had a very happy experience
here. The Baba came into the body of
Hriday Mohini Dadiji. He had a chat with me and made me very lucky."
Anish, you should get the picture. These Indian Presidents have nothing
of substance to say. They carry their gods wherever they go. There is
nothing of substance for the people. A waste of tax-payers' money.
NELSON LOPES also wrote in tribute to Mukerjee in a similar vein to
Anish, describing him as 'most astute, shrewd and knowledgeable (of)
politicians... (he had) a legendary knowledge of constitution,
organizational skills and policy making.' What are we to make of this
assessment?
By and large, Indian senior politicians come out as tired old men,
intellectual lightweights, lacking poise and persona, style, wit or
sparkle; the content of their speeches is banal; delivery laboured &
humourless. They have no new ideas to offer, no concrete proposals to
make; they prefer not to stray from the prepared script. They cannot
improvise or compose variations on a set theme. Poor at explaining
policy or constructing a moral vision of the future.
So they seek safety in generalities, stock phrases, buzzwords and a
string of banalities.
Overall they lack confidence and get deferential and self-deprecating
before western leaders.
They dared not censure the West for historic injustices, military
interventions, use of torture, etc
Indian leaders seem to leave the hard thinking to others while they
deliver banalities, clichés & platitudes.
------------------------------------------------
Eddie
------ Original Message ------
From: "252Anish Esteves" <anisheste...@gmail.com>
To: goanet@lists.goanet.org
Sent: Tuesday, 1 Sep, 20 At 05:48
Subject: Re: [Goanet] Pranab Da : A doyen leaves us (Anish Esteves)
Pranab Mukherjee - A doyen of Indian Politics leaves us...The passing
away of former President Pranab Mukherjee is a huge loss to
Indian politics. A multiple time MP as well as Union Minister,
Mukherjee's contribution towards nation building is something that will
never be
forgotten. He also contributed extensively towards his home state of
West Bengal. His excellent knowledge of Parliamentary matters is
something that
very few present day politicians can match. India has truly lost a
doyen of Indian Politics.
Anish Esteves
