There was a time in India when socialistic policies were found very attractive. However today these policies are not looked upon favourably. The main reason is that it does not make sound economics. As is well known there is no free lunch in the world. Someone somewhere is footing the bill for every free lunch enjoyed by another someone somewhere. Over the years in India a class of politicians have been advocating strong implementation of policies which consists of giving essential goods and services to a large section of our population at heavily subsidised prices. In fact there is a subsidy competition among different parties. Every party tries to out do the other and appear as the messiah of the poor masses.
In itself such provision of subsidised goods and services to a deserving few is a laudatory gesture. There are persons who are unfortunately at the margins of poverty and deserve all sympathy and support by a caring society and government. Centuries of cast based oppression has emasculated a significant section of our lower economic strata. They need more time to come out of it and need to be guided and supported. Direction of subsidies to this class will not be resented by anyone nor will it affect the economy adversely.
However it is when subsidies are used as a tool to garner electoral support that it takes a different meaning altogether. It is then nothing short of a legal 'bribing' of the voters at state expense. The political class of all colours has by now mastered this art into a fine arrangement under the guise of helping the poor of this country. In the process good economics has been given a go by.
The Central government has planned for a subsidy if Rs 2,20,971 crores in the 2013-14 budget towards food, fertiliser and fuel items. This has resulted in the fiscal deficit touching a figure of 5.2%.
The food subsidy is Rs 90,000 crore, fuel subsidy Rs 65,000 crore and it is Rs 65,971 crore for fertilisers. The falling rupee increases the subsidy costs especially on fuel and fertilisers. Now the government has gone ahead and passed the food security Bill which will increase the subsidy burden further. The government is trying hard to contain the subsidies to under 2% of the GDP.
Why are subsidies given?
They are given so that the population may be protected from paying the actual costs. These concessions enable people to buy subsidised items at a lower than actual prices. The difference is paid by the government. These costs are considered as non-plan expenditure and they keep rising. One of the primary reason for giving subsidies is because of the relatively low purchasing power of the targeted section of population and the need to keep the prices artificially low.
They are also given in select cases to promote the use of new items like computers when they were first introduced in the 1980's or fertilisers when they were introduced in the early 1960's so that their use expands fast for the broader good of the society.
Why subsidies affect adversely?
Subsidies are an expenditure item. They are given out from revenues collected on the income side. Experience shows that subsidies keep rising due to rupee devaluation and rising demand of subsidised products. This extra burden has to be met by cutting expenditure somewhere or by increased borrowings incurring interest costs or the deficit has to be allowed to widen. All these negatively affect the economy and retard growth.
The large volume of subsidies is also one of the major contributory reasons for the prevailing high inflation in almost all sectors of the economy especially food items.
The misuse due to overuse of subsidised items is well known. The gradual reduction in diesel subsidy since nearly 10 months has resulted in its usage falling for the first time. Over consumption is common as is the case with supply of free electricity in many states to its farmers. They run pumps without fear of electricity bills and this has resulted in considerable lowering of underground water table in these states. There is a saying in Hindi " mile muft dil-e-beraham" meaning when items are freely available the heart is ruthless. Subsidies lead to over and skewed consumption.
Another associated problem is the fact that subsidies are enjoyed by the rich considerably even when they can afford to pay actual prices. Like in case of SUV's costing lakhs and running on heavily subsidised diesel. Also adulteration is another problem like mixing of subsidised kerosene with other costly solvents. Leakages from the distribution chain is a very profitable business as cheap products are sold at high prices in open markets.
Corruption is rampant among officials associated with distribution of subsidised products and issuing of relevant documents to eligible persons. It leads to humiliation of the target population.
Are subsidies a compensation for bad governance?
The increasing burden of subsidy over the years has resulted in the government finding an easy way to offset the demand for providing answers as to why after more than sixty five years after independence also there are large sections of population whose purchasing power is still very low. It means that uniform development has not taken place. Skewed development has resulted in neglect of the economically downtrodden and subsidy is a way out to keep them from revolting.
Real and actual prices are not allowed to prevail in many items supposedly to keep their prices low and this has created an artificial economy controlled by vested interests cutting through all classes. The artificial economy has to be maintained through higher subsidies, higher deficits, higher borrowings, higher interest burdens, higher taxes and duties and higher levels of corruption. The cumulative failure of governments since independence to create an economic system where there would be no need for subsidies is sought to be covered by providing subsidies and thus trying to control anger and outbursts. In itself it is a good gesture but it dilutes the desire to develop a self sustaining economy capable of taking care of all its citizens.
Politicians and especially the party in power are now increasingly using subsidies as a tool to attract specific sections to vote for them in the elections. That the electorate even of the lowest economic strata has become smart was proved by Tamils who took all the free TV's distributed by DMK government and coolly voted for Amma. But Amma has now started heavily subsidised idly dosa counters all over Tamilnadu at state expense. Recently the Congress government in Rajasthan started free treatment and medicines to all patients thinking voters will vote them back to power,who went and voted BJP to power in record numbers.
Does it mean that the poorest voter also does not want doles but wants good governance which will give him an equal opportunity to earn his wages?
Who is affected by subsidies?
The government is robbing Peter to pay Paul. In order to meet the subsidy expenditure of more than Rs 5 lakh crores per year the taxes and duties are kept high. Thus those who avail these products or services have to bear higher prices due to higher taxes etc so that subsidies are possible. Subsidies are also given for political gains and this is misuse of collected funds.
By having to resort to deficit financing to enable non-plan expenditure of subsidies, the government ends up in high borrowings, driving interest rates up and this fuels inflation which results in high overall prices. Who benefits? Thus heavy subsidies result in everyone getting affected instead of helping particular target groups. Subsidies raise all price levels to a higher level as they are not self sustaining but have to be fed from other sources.
The only persons not affected are the rich class, the involved middlemen and the patronising politicians in power. Rest all of us are losers.
Can subsidies be removed?
YES. They can be removed. The fear of their removal leading to troubles is far fetched. The removal of subsidies on petrol has not resulted in any chaos. The gradual reduction of diesel subsidies has not abnormally raised transportation costs. The subsidised municipal schools are going begging for students as even poor parents are willing to shell out high fees for good education to their children. If fertiliser subsidies are removed the food grain yields are not going to go down as farmers are using combination of techniques to grow crops which give higher yields which will help absorb increased cost of the only subsidised urea fertiliser. The removal of subsidies from LPG cylinders will raise their cost but will lead to discipline in its use.
If all subsidies are removed the government does not need to collect more than Rs 5 lakh crores annually. A honest govt will reduce taxes and duties to match this reduction in annual costs. This will put money back into the pockets of citizens. Not only tax payers but everyone will benefit from cheaper goods and services.
Why subsidies are not removed?
Because the politicians are living in the past. Subsidies were needed 30-40 years ago when the purchasing power of Indians was indeed low but today that is not the case. Also it gives the power to patronise and favour on a quid pro quid basis between the politician and the subsidy receiving groups. The governments today are caught in a trap. If they remove subsidies they can be voted out of power. Which politician will do this?
Leakages in subsidies due to corruption enriches a significant number of persons with influence and ability to provide funds and garner votes to politicians. The subsidised groups are now a powerful class with vested interest like farmer lobbies who will not allow their withdrawal. Other sections are also asking for subsidies.
The population is basically tolerant and does not revolt against such high subsidy burden as all groups are getting some subsidy. The fact that funds could be diverted to economic projects which would generate jobs etc is overlooked for a few rupees of subsidy.
It is going to be difficult and will require a very strong non compromising leader who is not on the horizon.
Is there a way out?
It requires political will and creation of awareness that continued subsidies are not in the interest of development. In fact they retard it. Some subsidies for very vulnerable sections of our society like tribals, poor dalits, and marginalised sections can be and should be there to help them economically so that they also lead a decent life in a growing economy. But flat subsidies to even persons who can pay is economically not sound economics.
In fact subsidies in a way are a manner of enticing the voters at state expense to vote for the party in power. Still more subsidy will have to be given next time.
Some subsidies on fuel can be done away immediately and others can be withdrawn in a fixed time frame of say two years. But is there a leader who has the guts to do it?
Presently the three musketeers in form of Modi, Rahul and Kejriwal are dominating the political scene in the country. It looks as one of them or a combination(?) of them will play a leading role in government formation at the center in 2014. They are playing hard to win the heart and mind of the Indian voter. But are they going to succeed? Yes and No.
Modi has the lead at the moment. The 63-year-old anointed as BJP's PM candidate in September, 2013 after brushing aside Advani's claim has launched a very well planned reasonably orchestrated campaign to impress the masses across the length and breadth of the country. Dozens of trains and scores of buses are pressed into service to fetch 'lakhs' of persons to fill the huge grounds to create record gatherings at well publicized meetings which are also simultaneously covered by all major TV channels. The campaign in the virtual world is also very well crafted and designed and a dedicated cyber army is playing its supportive role perfectly. His speeches were novel in the beginning but now sound stale and repetitive. Many a people are put off by the vitriol he pours on the PM and the mother and son of the first family of the Congress. Ninety percent of his speech is consumed by this attack on the trio leaving no time for his 'development' agenda. His oration and mimicry acts are though a hit with the crowds. His domination on TV channels in one way or the other was also becoming very monopolistic until Kejriwal replaced him.
Rahul is another player on the scene. Is he in or out is difficult to say with confidence. The 43-year-old is a very good example of a reluctant fighter being pushed into the ring by backers who seem to have far more confidence in him than he himself has. He comes out hurt and promises to perform better next time. But there does not seem to be any improvement. No other party leader has got so many chances to prove himself. The legacy of his family is turning out an albatross in his neck. That he does not have a grass root background is a serious drawback when compared to the other two players. He seems to be too long in the learning mode and when faced with defeats retreats back into it. He has so far not given any glimpse of his ideas, philosophy or development plans to the public. He is fond of holding captive classes for Congress workers. He is also afflicted by the Congress disease of silence. His problem is that his party consists of tired politicians who have ruled for long and would not mind taking a welcome break. This does not suit the young members who would be rendered unemployed. Also the compulsive corruption of many of his party's bigwigs and the subsequent efforts to protect them from prosecution does not go well with the increasingly alert voters. Poor Rahul finds himself helpless in such situations. The couple of times he has revolted have helped but that is not the way decisions can always be taken. He has ideas but are relentlessly lampooned by Modi and the fact that he is not a good orator also goes against him. It seems that the Congress party is working very hard to lose the election.
The third player is 45-year-old Kejriwal who in a period of almost one year has become a somebody from a nobody and today is the CM of Delhi. He has successfully garnered the anti-Congress vote to his outfit AAP leaving BJP gaping with wonder. The euphoria against corruption and corrupt practices that he has successfully created has built a protective firewall which BJP could not puncture to mop up a few independents and form government in Delhi like it would have done earlier on. Kejriwal the crusader is now Kejriwal the ruler. He has offered AAP as an alternative and not substitute to both the national parties. The voters seem to be in a mood to accept this untried alternative. Unlike Modi and Rahul, he is well educated and has also gained job experience before plunging into public life culminating with gaining political power in Delhi. The speed with which he has moved to fulfill the water and power promises of his manifesto has almost turned him into a rock star. His simple living and high thinking is a very powerful weapon which the designer kurta-clad Modi and on and off bearded Rahul will find difficult to match. The immense and impressive crowds that gathered at Ramleela ground for his swearing in were not brought in chartered trains or buses but came on their own. Kejriwal is turning out to be an astute player who knows how to involve the masses in decision making. He has gathered around himself a dedicated team of workers who are so far working dedicatedly and selflessly. The denial of availing of official perquisites and security cover by AAP ministers has also created a very favourable impression. First impression is the last impression and AAP has done it very effectively.
In his attempt to leap forward Modi seems to have got his one leg left dangling in air. Rahul is ever in preparation to launch himself. It is Kejriwal who has prepared well and leapfrogged ahead leaving the other two baffled and bewildered. The committed voters of both BJP and Congress may not opt for but fence sitters and uncommitted voters now have in AAP a viable alternative. By all accounts Congress is going to find it difficult to come back to power in 2014. It was thus a foregone conclusion that BJP led front would come to power. However if AAP spreads its wings in Delhi, adjoining States like Haryana, UP, Rajasthan and in Bihar, Karnataka, Maharashtra,Tamil Nadu and Kerala and the middle class urban voters propel it then Modi is going to find it very difficult to fulfill his dream of becoming PM. AAP has already started attracting politicians from other parties and increasing number of persons are joining it.
What can the BJP do to attract more voters to itself. Pretty little, chiefly because it has exhausted its ammunition by starting too early. Modi in his anxiety to get nominated as the PM candidate, forgot that in politics a week is a very long time, but instead sold the idea to his party, that in politics even a year is a short time. The Congress has itself to blame for its woes. It has been very badly let down by its own leaders who considered public money as their own and had the divine right to take as much they liked. The party was totally indifferent to public sentiments and is suffering from a mighty disconnect with the young generation and its aspirations. Most of its leaders are spent politicians but allegedly active fund guzzlers.They need a break. Rahul is a misfit in the party as his desire to change it is not well supported by a tired organisation consisting of satisfied members.
In such scenario AAP comes in as a fresh breeze in which voters like to stroll and partake it. Kejriwal comes out as a unlike usual politician who along with his band of supporters is seen as corruption proof. If they play their cards properly and do not succumb to the need to join hands with tainted politicians of other parties for increasing their chances of gaining more seats, Indian voter is in a solid mood to catapult them to dizzy heights which they themselves may not have imagined.
The incoming year is surely going to witness fantastic and complex scenarios on the political front. We have not discussed the role regional parties, equally strong in their states, can play. What till yesterday looked a foregone conclusion looks doubtful today and a totally new scenario may emerge tomorrow.
Long live the Indian voter !!
The haste with which both the houses of the Parliament passed the Lokpal Bill is unbelievable. All parties excepting SP supported the Bill. Every party is now claiming to be responsible for its extraordinary smooth passage. It was surprising to see BJP and Congress and JD(U) and the Left parties on the same side as also as DMK and AIADMK and TMC.
Every party spokesperson spoke with gusto about their commitment to eliminating corruption and how they were in favour of the Lokpal. There was some semblance of a debate in Rajya Sabha but in Lok Sabha it was totally absent. In fact the Bill was passed in hardly an hour's consideration in continuing commotion by about 10 members with Save Andhra placards, who were bringing it in front of the Speaker's face, forcing the TV crew to change the camera angles many times. It was a pathetic way to pass such important Bill
All parties are now shouting that a historic Bill has been passed and it will curb corruption with a magic wand. With an eye on the coming general elections the different political parties are trying to take an anti corruption stance. Will the voters bite the bullet only the results will tell in 2014.
To whom should the credit for the Lokpal go to? Undoubtedly it goes to one and only Anna Hazare. He has single handed stirred the nation's conscience and forced the "mighty' politicians to pass the Lokpal Bill with the speed of light even when both the Houses were not transacting business due to repeated disorders.
Hundreds of kilometers away in his village he again sat on a fast and the Parliament bowed to it and did the needful. After about nine days a happy Anna broke his fast. What he wanted has been accomplished even if it was not fully what he desired. At least the message had gone through that in a functioning democracy the people's voice has to be heard. It is ironical today that his main comrade in his battle against corruption is stuck with the option whether to form or not to form a government in Delhi.
It was Anna's fast unto death in Delhi more than a year ago for the passage of his Janlokpal by the Parliament that galvanised the whole nation into supporting him. It electrified the youth of the country and they gave massive support to his demand all over the country. The political class got the message that they can no longer ignore him. True to their reputation they tried to pass a watered down version but due to alleged connivance it did not get passed in the Rajya Sabha although it was passed in Lok Sabha.
The politicians thought that they had done their bit and Anna and his supporters would forget about it. However the recent drubbing that the Congress got in the assembly elections and the fact that victory was denied to the BJP by AAP party and alo they could not form the government in Delhi brought out the fact that voters are looking for an alternative to both of them.
Thus both Congress and BJP got chastened and understood that corruption is now a silent issue with the voters and both can be losers if AAP or similar parties with clean image challenge them at the hustings. Therefore the one way to restore their credibility was to pass the Lokpal Bill. However credit must be given to the politicians that the version they have now passed meets to a very large extent Anna's expectations. He has also accepted this version as a good beginning.
Will the voters be swayed by this act of the major parties. Will the credit snatching or sharing be seen favourably by them. Will Congress benefit or will BJP's claims that they helped pass it make the voters change their outlook only time will tell.
However Anna deserves full credit. It was he who drew the country's attention to the need to have a strong and effective Lokpal to investigate the rising cases of corruption involving thousands of crores of rupees. It was he who garnered countrywide support by following the Gandhian methods and the citizens gave their unprecedented support. His honest image and his simple living attracted millions to his cause. The government was forced to take note of the countrywide sentiments against corruption and corrupt people especially those in power. The passing of the Lokpal bill is the victory of the common masses of the country.
Anna deserves all our praise and gratitude for this selfless act of his. After all he has no personal gain. He does not hold any office of profit. Yet he has shown that one does not have to belong to a political dynasty nor be in political power to effect change. He has his own life as an example of his service to fellow countrymen to offer. Moral power is the highest form of power.
However it is to be understood that by passing this Bill corruption is not going to vanish. Till human beings suffer from greed there will be corruption. But with passage of relevant laws the law enforcing agencies get empowered to detect, investigate and launch prosecution against corrupt officials and politicians. It is a well considered step in the fight against corruption. Better to have begun today rather than keeping it in limbo as was done from last 46 years.
Let the Congress or the BJP or the Left or any body take the credit but the people of the country know that the entire credit goes to the ex-army driver who has once again steered the country's political vehicle onto the main road.
The Aam Admi Party, popularly known as AAP has made a smashing debut in politics. It has won a creditable 28 out of 70 seats in Delhi assembly elections. In the process both the Congress and BJP have been denied an opportunity to come to power. In fact BJP could win only 31 seats and Congress a pitiful 8 seats. The Chief Minister of Delhi had to suffer defeat at the hands of Arvind Kejariwal leader of AAP party after ruling for 15 years or three terms.
Many reasons are being put forward for this performance of AAP party. It is clear that the voters are agreeable to consider a viable alternative to the two national parties. The electorate are rightly in search of a party which can deliver in a style unlike that of the existing parties.
The Congress is a more than 120 years old party. It fought for India's freedom and after 1947 has been in power for nearly 80% of the time. Whatever India has become today is largely due to its policies and ideologies. It is a party which has incessantly promoted secularism, socialism and programmes for the poor. Of late it has come out with programmes which are aimed at the poor but involve huge subsidies from the budget for their implementation. Post 1991-92 it has diluted its socialistic stance and promoted free economy and promoted globalisation of Indian economy in a big way.
The BJP is seen as a rightist part. Many of its programmes and policies are opposed to those followed by Congress and that is a reason for its existence. It is seen by many as a non secular party in the sense that it is seen as favouring a particular religion. This may not necessarily be true but this is an ambiguous image it has successfully created. It is seen as party of traders and industrialists and is seen as promoting capitalism and is low on social parameters.
The AAP party is only an year old. It is passionate about making India corruption free. For this, it almost seems, it has a single point programme of getting the Jan Lokpal Bill passed. It emerged out of the agitation led by Anna Hazare which was hugely successful and attracted youth in a big way. The party has made many promises which seem to be very difficult to implement like reducing electricity bills by nearly 50% and so son. The party has not held power so how it will behave is unknown.
The Congress is seen as a dynasty driven party which is seen as appeasing minorities and its economic policies have failed to prevent price rise and inflation. It is seen as building a vote bloc through its pro poor policies by promising them freebies at a very high cost to the exchequer. It is seen as a party bereft of leadership and also soft towards corruption. Major scams have come into the open in the past few years causing a severe dent in its image.
The BJP is seen as an aggressive party guided by the RSS. It also is seen as playing vote bank politics by taking up the side of the majority against perceived discrimination both in the past and present. However it also tries to appear non communal at the same time. It has positioned itself as an alternative to Congress's mishandling especialy of the economy and failure to prevent scams etc. As a major opposition party it does not have to perform but can make huge promises to be fulfilled when it comes to power. It has a few states like Gujarat, MP and now Rajasthan to show as its prize victories. It has also suffered due to corruption in Karnataka.
The AAP party has started by projecting itself as a party of idealists who are out to stamp out corruption from India. For them corruption by existing political parties is responsible for the sorry state India finds itself in. They project themselves not as different but as part of the masses. Their major leaders are from the average middle class and this has given them a mass appeal. They have tried to act in a transparent way and their stopping asking for donation after having received the target of Rs 20 crores is praiseworthy.
The Congress has in the PM a very learned economist of international recognition. It is therefore ironical that under his stewardship the country should be suffering from high inflation and high prices, both of which affect the poor very much. However the dual nature of its leadership model where the Congress President has power and the PM has responsibility was successful in UPA I when GDP was going up but in UPA II when GDP has gone down it is seen as an ineffective model of leadership.
The BJP has tried to project itself as a non dynastic party where decisions are taken in a democratic manner. It also tries to project the fact that anyone can reach its top irrespective of their background. However it is also well known that RSS gets its decisions implemented within BJP under the cover of democratic decision making. It has had only one PM in Vajpayeeji and they tirelessly project him as the model PM the country ever had.
The AAP party has piggy ridden on the back of the Anna movement and in fact encashed the entire goodwill to itself. Its tries to downplay any power trappings. It has so far successfully projected itself as a collective leadership driven party constantly stressing transparency and honesty. It is seen as a clean party worth being given a chance.
The Congress has in an undeclared manner tried to give the impression that if they come to power in 2014 Rahul will be the PM. He has so far kept himself away from joining the government and thus is widely seen as lacking experience. He also has not had much success in the state level elections and is thus not seen as a effective leader. Congress is thus in a dilemma as far as projecting a leader is concerned. Will it be from the dynasty or from outside is going to be a very important decision the party will have to take in the near future.
The BJP has decided upon its PM candidate who is now very aggressively campaigning across the country. He is working very hard to ensure that he becomes the PM in 2014. He faces no opposition within BJP having anointed himself as its nominee much before the elections in mid 2014. His track record in Gujarat in all spheres is available for the masses to judge him. His ideology is also well known. Will all the NDA allies flock around him is still not clear.
The face of AAP is Arvind Kejariwal. He is a well educated person, an engineer from IIT, and is very simple in his life. However he has successfully shown himself to be an effective leader and has enhanced his reputation by defeating Sheila Dikshit in Delhi by a good margin. For only a year old party to emerge as a creditable second rank party is a great achievement. Lot of credit for this should go to Kejariwal and his band of his close associates.
So how is the voter going to make a decision. In Delhi it has resulted in a hung assembly. AAP is not there outside Delhi. However having tasted success in Delhi it can surely be expected to travel far and wide within the country. How much success it will get is going to be a million dollar question. India is far bigger than Delhi. So is it for BJP's PM candidate also. India is far bigger than Gujarat. But for the undeclared candidate of Congress, will India respond, is also a huge question the answer to which is not clear.
Thus India is up for a very challenging elections in 2014. In many states the regional outfits like SP, BSP. AIADMK, TMC, DMK etc are going to offer stiff competition. It is not going to be easy for the voter to make a decision or is it going to be very easy only the final results in 2014 will tell.
I am writing this from memory. In 1975 the country celebrated the birth centenary of one of its greatest sons, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. He was born on December 15, 1875. A collection of his correspondences between 1945 and 1950 was pulblished in many volumes as a tribute.
I also read a few volumes especially the one's which consist of considerable volume of letters exchanged between him and then prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru immediately after independence in 1947 and after. It is very uplifting to go through the correspondence both exchanged with each other. Apart from the economy of language what comes out strikingly is their mutual respect for each other and the deep commitment with which they are facing the aftermath of the partition and Pakistan's attack on Kashmir. The considerable frequency with which they exchange their views and consult each other to formulate responses does not indicate anywhere that the two had considerable differences as is now sought to be portrayed by vested interests.
However there is one incident that is worth recalling.
It seems the Sardar was carrying within himself a hurt feeling at having been not chosen as PM by Gandhiji, who instead chose Nehru. As a loyal follower of Gandhiji, the Sardar not only accepted the decision but also agreed to work in Nehru's cabinet as Deputy PM and India's first Home Minister.
However many of his so called well wishers would not let him forget the fact that a majority of the members of the Congress Working Committee had recommended his name for the post of PM but had left the final decision to Gandhi. From time to time they would also tell him how he would have handled the situations better if he were in place of Nehru. The Sardar would disregard these biased opinions but somewhere they would register as after all he was also a human being.
As luck would have it it was announced that Nehru will be touring Gujarat and would also be visiting Karamsad the native and karmabhoomi of Patel. The pent up feelings of Patel gave him an idea. He decided to visit Karamsad on the same day afternoon while Nehru would visit in the evening. The Sardar thought that the crowds that would greet him and attend his meeting would be not only massive but would be much larger than Nehru's meeting. He felt this would be a nice indication to Nehru that he was more popular than him.
Accordingly the Sardar planned his visit to Karamsad. He addressed a meeting in the afternoon and the crowds which came to listen to him were indeed massive. The Sardar felt satisfied and happy and concluded that he had achieved his intention of proving to Nehru his greater popularity. The Sardar was confident that Nehru would not be able to attract larger crowd than he had addressed in the afternoon.
In the evening when Nehru came to address the meeting a mammoth crowd had gathered. By any yardstick it was bigger than the afternoon crowds that assembled for Sardar's meeting. Sardar saw both the crowds and accepted the fact hat Nehru was more popular than him even in his own home town. He became full of remorse at harbouring such thought. He understood that Gandhi's decision to select Nehru was right.
On his return to Delhi, he wrote to Nehru detailing the entire negative flow of thoughts and their influence on his subsequent conduct at Karamasad. The letter was emotional in nature. Nehru's equally emotional reply is worth reading. Both recommitted to each other to work in unison for the welfare of the emerging nation.
The fact that Sardar writes to Nehru rather than keeping it to himself is what makes him a great person in the eyes of the ordinary reader. History would never have come to know about it. Yet Sardar writes a letter to Nehru and it is now part of history. Why?
Because the leaders at the time of the independence and soon thereafter were made from a different mould. They were honest not only with with each other but also to themselves. This is what made them great.They believed that their conscience has to be clean and then only they are qualified to advice and lead others. Therefore while they too were human beings, occasionally malicious thoughts would come to them also and they would act under its influence. They would later on realize their misdeed and then would atone for it. This is what separated them from ordinary leaders and gave them an aura. They were not afraid of owning up their mistakes. They wanted to be honest in their relationships.
No doubt Sardar was an above the ordinary person in fact much higher. It was because of this quality that everyone would accept him and follow him. It was also one of the very important contributory factors, in his immense success in bringing more than 500 princes, into the Indian nation at the time of partition.
The above incident shows the tremendous strength of character in the Sardar. It also shows humility and absence of a false sense of pride. No doubt Sardar Patel is revered and highly respected today also and will continue being remembered with dignity and respect always by Indians in future also.
When we see the legacy of such tall leaders being hijacked or debated by the pygmy leaders of today one is saddened. Rather than shine by their own contributions they want to fall back on these leaders of the past to reap sympathetic support from whom they consider gullible(?) public. Sardar Patel and Jawaharlal Nehru were the last of the tall leaders the country had the extreme good fortune to have at the right time during the birth of an independent India.
How one wishes we could have only one such inclusive leader in present day India. One should not lose hope.
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