Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Manmohan - the Bhishma Pitamah of Indian politics

Everyone has jumped the bandwagon to come and support Manmohan after he was recently summoned by the court in relation to the coal scam case. The sad thing about all who support him is that they are missing the point!

I see Manmohan as the classic Bhishma of the Mahabharata story. Though himself incorruptible and honest, Bhishma was silent during the Draupadi Vastraharan (in Manmohans case the looting of the country's wealth through coal, 2G and other scams)

The greatest dilemma of Arjuna was to kill Bhishma in the battlefield before he could lay his hand on the sons of Dhritharashtra. And if we were to go by Lord Krishnas teachings in the Gita, Bhishma has to be punished as well for allowing adharma to progress unchecked. Bhishma could have simply ordered Dhuryodhana and Shakuni to not do adharmic activities, but he put his personal oath ahead of the nations interest which is where he faltered and had to pay with his life in the battlefield of Kurkshetra.

I see stark similarities between the character of Bhishma and that of Manmohan. Yes Manohan may be good on a personal note - but how is it that under his watch he allowed all of these events to go unchecked?

The sheer magnitude of the scam (the Govt. has already collected Rs. 2 lakh crore with the sale of just 36 mine blocks and there are another 160+ blocks more to be allotted) is something that breaks all world records for looting.

As did Bhishma watch silently the evils committed by the sons of Dhritharashtra so did Manmohan watch silently as all these scams unfolded.

Was he involved? Maybe not - but Bhishma also was not involved in the Varanavrat episode.

Is he to be blamed for it? 100% Yes. If there indeed was a scam - which is quite evidently there then he is to be blamed for it as it happened under his nose.

I request those who read this blog to keep this in mind before judging Manmohan and feeling sorry for him.

Lastly I also want to table a note - I have heard Congress leaders make a remark that "no coal was mined so there is no harm done"

That is akin to a thief who was caught red handed when he was stealing saying "I never spent what I stole, so I have done no crime"