. Age factor politicians
According to a newspaper report, after induction some young MPs in the Union Cabinet, the average age of the Council of Ministers of Union Government has come down only by a fraction, i.e., from 60.37 to 59.3. More or less the report laments at old people running the country. There have been other reports in the past expressing disillusion at the position obtaining in India by comparing the ages of India’s Prime Minister to that of President and Prime Minister of US and UK. Since it is the main occupation of the intellegentisa in this courty to ape at US of A and our masters over a century back, there is a collective sigh on their part at the country being ruled by old people. One would think they have mixed up politicians/Ministers with that of athlets because in the latter case age is an important factor. The second point they have missed is that in this globe many countries are having politicians / Ministers in the same age group as that of
India. But then for the intellegentsia, USA and UK are the Mecca where everything is done corectly. I would like to ask un uncomfortable question to this motly crowd. Are not many among them over seventy. So is the case of businessmen, professionals, doctors, advocates. Then why make an exception in the case of politicians.
1 ) Unveiling of my photo
I went today to my earlier office to unweil my photo in tune with the unweiling of the statue of the ( lady ) satrap of the largest State in India by herself. Though I thought that it is a fitting gesture to my services in the organisation, when I suggested this action, in my successor and friend’s face the expression was one of consternation. Was it my appearance ( baldy, oldy, wrinkled face and permanent suspicious demeanour ) which made my friend wary of the proposal, though in my photo all these negative aspects could have camouflaged by a smart photographer. Or is it because, as some friends had remarked at various times, my face has an uncanny resemblance to some of the ‘ wanted ‘ photos
- 62 -
published in papers at the instance of Police. Probably my successor wanted to avoid the embarassment to me of explaining to Police that ‘ I am actually I am,’ which, knowing the culture of Indian police, would be less than a satisfactory answer.
But the lady cited above had no such problem. She has ensured that her wish is the command. She also probably knows that unless she acts ( as she did ) no successor of her is going to do it. And by doing it she created world history, if one confines history to the current century because earlier during the times of the kings and dictators, this was not an uncommon act. Plebians like me and you may smirk at this incident, but clairvoyant that I am, it is on the cards that some other politician may emulate this self perpetuating example and many a businessmen may be musing whether they should follow suit.
But the lady was unease on one count. Only unweiling her statue by herself would be considered as wanton exhibition of self. This is the classic situation that Emporer Haile Selece of Ethiopia faced decades back. He was the King of Ethiopia. He wanted to be crowned as an Emporer. But how to go about without ridicule of the people was his worry. He had a Chanakya or Ras Putin like adviser, who gave the following solution. “ Promote all the chieftians under you of various areas as kings of those areas. Then logically the person holding position higher than the kings of the country has to be an Emporer.” The King did so. And so also the Lady by unweiling a larger statue of her mentor.
May I remind those who scoff off or look down at this act that their adorning the marriage photo ( taken some twenty or thirty years back ) on the wall of the sitting room, in many respects, is akin to the nonchalant action of the lady we hate to admire.