We in India do not respect achievements. Which is why a former star weightlifter is reduced to working in a brick factory, carrying loads of bricks instead of being feted as an achiever and / or coaching the new crop of weightlifters. Which is why former gold medal winners (in hockey, not in individual events) have to hock their medals to support themselves even as sports officials are doing flourishing with nothing to show by way of achievements to deserve the life of luxury and wealth.
The most recent example of this is the shameful way in which the venerable Mr. Shinde, former Power minister and present Home minister has been treated. He has many stellar qualifications not the least of which is his being a Dalit from Maharashtra state. Sometimes these are separate qualifications but the modest man that he is, Mr Shinde just claims them as one single honour. Each of these is in itself a formidable qualifications for high honour and higher office. But in combination they trump everything else. It is the Indian political equivalent of a straight flush in poker - there is none higher.
I do not mean to denigrate being a Dalit or a Maratha, but there is another, even higher, qualification he possesses: his unquestioned (and unquestioning) loyalty to the First Family. While the first two come with birth, the last named has to be earned like a Bournville chocolate. The process isnt easy and involves years of cringing before and paying obeisance to the First Family members regardless of age, ability etc. Total lack of individuality and achievements in various spheres not only helps, but are a pre-requisite. That a Dalit from Maharashtra has managed to achieve these is no mean achievement.
On a week when various countries are counting their Olympic gold medal tally - in which endeavour India is doing quite badly despite the pre-Olympic hype - this man puts India on the global map with a world record breaking power shut-down and promptly gets punished with a change in responsibilities. Keeping a few millions in the dark comes naturally to all politicians. That's their stock in trade one might say. Keeping 600 millions in the dark is an unsurpassed and unsurpassable record by even Indian standards. To put it in perspective, the number is bigger than the entire population of North and South American continents. It is bigger than all of Europe. It is even bigger than the population of Pakistan, Bangladesh and Indonesia combined or that of South east Asia plus Japan. It is only smaller than China and India. It is a record even the USA with its abject dependence on power grids and technology has failed to achieve, even during the worst of the solar storms which generally tend to fry power systems on earth.
Every newspaper of any worth in the world - traditional as well as online - was talking about this fantastic achievement. For a day or two even the goings on in Syria were off the front page! That is no mean achievement.
And how do we reward this man? By promptly removing him from his responsibility for the power sector and taking him with the responsibility for "Home". Or internal affairs. Affairs, like all politicians, he can handle. With aplomb. With sang froid. Home, on the other hand, is not as exalted as "power" although while holding the "Home" portfolio, he will wield substantial power. But this kind of power can not light up homes; it can only extinguish lights and it usually operates in the dark.
We are a nation of anti-achievers.
The most recent example of this is the shameful way in which the venerable Mr. Shinde, former Power minister and present Home minister has been treated. He has many stellar qualifications not the least of which is his being a Dalit from Maharashtra state. Sometimes these are separate qualifications but the modest man that he is, Mr Shinde just claims them as one single honour. Each of these is in itself a formidable qualifications for high honour and higher office. But in combination they trump everything else. It is the Indian political equivalent of a straight flush in poker - there is none higher.
I do not mean to denigrate being a Dalit or a Maratha, but there is another, even higher, qualification he possesses: his unquestioned (and unquestioning) loyalty to the First Family. While the first two come with birth, the last named has to be earned like a Bournville chocolate. The process isnt easy and involves years of cringing before and paying obeisance to the First Family members regardless of age, ability etc. Total lack of individuality and achievements in various spheres not only helps, but are a pre-requisite. That a Dalit from Maharashtra has managed to achieve these is no mean achievement.
On a week when various countries are counting their Olympic gold medal tally - in which endeavour India is doing quite badly despite the pre-Olympic hype - this man puts India on the global map with a world record breaking power shut-down and promptly gets punished with a change in responsibilities. Keeping a few millions in the dark comes naturally to all politicians. That's their stock in trade one might say. Keeping 600 millions in the dark is an unsurpassed and unsurpassable record by even Indian standards. To put it in perspective, the number is bigger than the entire population of North and South American continents. It is bigger than all of Europe. It is even bigger than the population of Pakistan, Bangladesh and Indonesia combined or that of South east Asia plus Japan. It is only smaller than China and India. It is a record even the USA with its abject dependence on power grids and technology has failed to achieve, even during the worst of the solar storms which generally tend to fry power systems on earth.
Every newspaper of any worth in the world - traditional as well as online - was talking about this fantastic achievement. For a day or two even the goings on in Syria were off the front page! That is no mean achievement.
And how do we reward this man? By promptly removing him from his responsibility for the power sector and taking him with the responsibility for "Home". Or internal affairs. Affairs, like all politicians, he can handle. With aplomb. With sang froid. Home, on the other hand, is not as exalted as "power" although while holding the "Home" portfolio, he will wield substantial power. But this kind of power can not light up homes; it can only extinguish lights and it usually operates in the dark.
We are a nation of anti-achievers.
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