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Arun Nehru, who sought to be Court Chamberlain in the Rajiv Gandhi-era, argued to continue with Indira Gandhi’s policy of playing the Hindu card in a subtle way that did not alienate Muslims.
Canada faces serious foreign interference issues, but these challenges must not be weaponized to unfairly target friendly and important allies like India.
In Episode 1544 of CutTheClutter, Editor-in-Chief Shekhar Gupta looks at some top economists pointing to the pitfalls of ‘currency nationalism’ with data from 1991 to 2004.
The decorated Naga officer from Manipur also served as envoy to Myanmar & Nagaland chief secy. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated a museum dedicated to the Tawang hero Thursday.
While we talk much about our military, we don’t put our national wallet where our mouth is. Nobody is saying we should double our defence spending, but current declining trend must be reversed.
This article just proves that Darbari journalists continue to spout nonsense in their blind devotion to the former first family. Thank goodness for roots to top politicians like Modi we can see what a pathetic PM RG had been. So will his son be if INC manage to capture power by splitting the country apart.
Vir, the logic that he didnt have time to learn on the job – would you extend the same courtesy to Modi who was freshly made CM in 2002? I dont know any role or company wherein you are given years in the top job to learn the ropes. Only dynasts seem to demand that privilege.
He pulled the plug on the Chandrasekhar govt because he didnt want him to get credit for solving the mandir issue. Despite being the scion of the so called first family, he was insecure in holding the reins of power. He vacillated and supported right wing elements of both religions to his convenience, while in power and while he tried to weaken VP and Chandrasekhar govts. He was in government circles as an aid to his mother since 1981. He was ambitious and wanted to prove himself to be equally capable or better than her. India paid heavily by handing him early the reins of power. He might have been a greater service to the nation had he stayed behind a few years and gained experience.
So we are to eulogize the original dauphin just because he deigned to hold a job like the rest of the mere mortals? And not mention how he could afford the education that he did only because he was the grandson of a PM and employed in the state carrier for the same reason? How he was parachuted to the highest job because his mother’s favorite son passed away? How he had to negotiate the tough terrain that was prepared by the mistakes and arrogance of his mother? How he squandered a once in a century mandate by spineless vacillation and unmoderated temerity? How he ruined the trust of the Indians on reform and change by ceaseless mendacity? How he bequeathed a legacy of competitive communalism and unremitting bloodbath? How he was the original blue eyed boy of the Sangh and how he unleashed the kraken of fanaticism? How he made it commonplace the vulgar and ostentatious display of his enormous wealth with designer clothes and exorbitantly priced accessories that was emulated ny his cronies and has since continued unabated? Let’s forget all of that because Mr Singhvi is feeling bad for the poor “reputation” of his friend and forgive him for the hurricane of horrors he unleashed that took more than two decades to ameliorate. Aw poor guy. The best one can say about him is that probably he was not as much a snollygoster as his mother or son and actually tried to mitigate the problems in Punjab and Northeast to the best of his feeble capabilities. For that meagre contribution the nation already has billions of monuments and institutions named after him. When the INC inevitably comes back to power under his son, daughter and then grandson, a million more buildings will carry his name. What more can one do for his legacy?
Shows the lack of maturity in our political system that a ‘not ready’ person was handed over the biggest job in the country just because he happened to be the previous PM’s son. If only countries thrived under the stewardship of good but clueless leaders.
Well laid out facts and the author should be congratulated for bringing the hard facts in the open when the image of the departed leader si shaken beyond repair at all levels. In feel India lost a true young leader to fate and it is unfortunate
To Rajiv Gandhi goes the credit of messing up India’s economy to an extent that gold had to be mortgaged to tide over India ‘s debt crisis. It led to approaching the IMF. He was followed by a very underrated PM Chandrasekhar who Rajiv pulled down on flimsy grounds. Finally it needed India’s greatest PM PV Narsimha Rao and his more than able Finance Minister Manmohan Singh to reverse the rot by bringing in unprecedented changes. Rajiv was at best mediocre, thrust into the job by accident and probably against his own wishes. The only person who makes Rajiv look good is his own son Rahul Gandhi.
good natured, decent, good intent are subjective views. what matters is objectivity and outcomes. More than anyone else RG himself probably knew he had little exp in politics. If he wanted to get experience, he must have handed PM’ship to someone senior in the party. None of these arguments are valid. When you accept a responsibility, get a brutal majority and mess it up like that, you deserve to be shown the gate. Of course, sympathies to the family bcas of the way his end came. Very sad. But beyond that, I think the five years of Rajiv and the next few years of uncertainty brought the country to the brink, until it was rescued by a much vilified man called P V Narasimha Rao. To this day, the congress party diminishes and disrespects his work and legacy… for one simple reason, they value the family over the nation.
This article just proves that Darbari journalists continue to spout nonsense in their blind devotion to the former first family. Thank goodness for roots to top politicians like Modi we can see what a pathetic PM RG had been. So will his son be if INC manage to capture power by splitting the country apart.
Vir, the logic that he didnt have time to learn on the job – would you extend the same courtesy to Modi who was freshly made CM in 2002? I dont know any role or company wherein you are given years in the top job to learn the ropes. Only dynasts seem to demand that privilege.
He pulled the plug on the Chandrasekhar govt because he didnt want him to get credit for solving the mandir issue. Despite being the scion of the so called first family, he was insecure in holding the reins of power. He vacillated and supported right wing elements of both religions to his convenience, while in power and while he tried to weaken VP and Chandrasekhar govts. He was in government circles as an aid to his mother since 1981. He was ambitious and wanted to prove himself to be equally capable or better than her. India paid heavily by handing him early the reins of power. He might have been a greater service to the nation had he stayed behind a few years and gained experience.
So we are to eulogize the original dauphin just because he deigned to hold a job like the rest of the mere mortals? And not mention how he could afford the education that he did only because he was the grandson of a PM and employed in the state carrier for the same reason? How he was parachuted to the highest job because his mother’s favorite son passed away? How he had to negotiate the tough terrain that was prepared by the mistakes and arrogance of his mother? How he squandered a once in a century mandate by spineless vacillation and unmoderated temerity? How he ruined the trust of the Indians on reform and change by ceaseless mendacity? How he bequeathed a legacy of competitive communalism and unremitting bloodbath? How he was the original blue eyed boy of the Sangh and how he unleashed the kraken of fanaticism? How he made it commonplace the vulgar and ostentatious display of his enormous wealth with designer clothes and exorbitantly priced accessories that was emulated ny his cronies and has since continued unabated? Let’s forget all of that because Mr Singhvi is feeling bad for the poor “reputation” of his friend and forgive him for the hurricane of horrors he unleashed that took more than two decades to ameliorate. Aw poor guy. The best one can say about him is that probably he was not as much a snollygoster as his mother or son and actually tried to mitigate the problems in Punjab and Northeast to the best of his feeble capabilities. For that meagre contribution the nation already has billions of monuments and institutions named after him. When the INC inevitably comes back to power under his son, daughter and then grandson, a million more buildings will carry his name. What more can one do for his legacy?
Shows the lack of maturity in our political system that a ‘not ready’ person was handed over the biggest job in the country just because he happened to be the previous PM’s son. If only countries thrived under the stewardship of good but clueless leaders.
Well laid out facts and the author should be congratulated for bringing the hard facts in the open when the image of the departed leader si shaken beyond repair at all levels. In feel India lost a true young leader to fate and it is unfortunate
Excellent & detailed article, will certainly help people our country understand Shri Rajeev Gandhi contributions as PM
To Rajiv Gandhi goes the credit of messing up India’s economy to an extent that gold had to be mortgaged to tide over India ‘s debt crisis. It led to approaching the IMF. He was followed by a very underrated PM Chandrasekhar who Rajiv pulled down on flimsy grounds. Finally it needed India’s greatest PM PV Narsimha Rao and his more than able Finance Minister Manmohan Singh to reverse the rot by bringing in unprecedented changes. Rajiv was at best mediocre, thrust into the job by accident and probably against his own wishes. The only person who makes Rajiv look good is his own son Rahul Gandhi.
well written
good natured, decent, good intent are subjective views. what matters is objectivity and outcomes. More than anyone else RG himself probably knew he had little exp in politics. If he wanted to get experience, he must have handed PM’ship to someone senior in the party. None of these arguments are valid. When you accept a responsibility, get a brutal majority and mess it up like that, you deserve to be shown the gate. Of course, sympathies to the family bcas of the way his end came. Very sad. But beyond that, I think the five years of Rajiv and the next few years of uncertainty brought the country to the brink, until it was rescued by a much vilified man called P V Narasimha Rao. To this day, the congress party diminishes and disrespects his work and legacy… for one simple reason, they value the family over the nation.