R for Rahul Baba; R for Baba Ramdev

I have grown up, like hundreds of crores of Indians, feeling that I had been breathing in a free country. But as political awareness starts dawning, it becomes clear to an average educated Indian that though legally we are a free democracy, in effect we remain a slave nation. Earlier we were slaves to the Queen, after independence we have been slave to a particular family. The fact becomes too evident in projection of Rahul Gandhi as next Prime Minister of India by the ruling political party. Why Rahul Gandhi from among 120 crore Indians? The only answer is that because he has been born in a certain family. I for one just can't understand what other specialty he possesses to deserve to be the Prime Minister of India. Acceptance of this slave mentality of the ruling party by the country as a whole for last 60 years or so amply demonstrates that we remain slaves in our heart of hearts though we may pose to be a great country with ambitions of becoming a super power.

Baba Ramdev provides perfect contrast to Rahul Baba. Here is a man who rose from his very humble belongings to be the Yoga guru for crores of poor and ordinary Indians. His service to humanity has been unprecedented as he has been instrumental in curing and imparting good health to crores of miserable patients and non-patients for free. And now he is one man, different from our self-serving and egotistic intellectuals, who understands and says what India needs. Total overhaul of existing systems and developing self-sufficient villages. And self sufficient villages as powerful political units of the Republic is what Mahatma Gandhi had in mind for the country India. Alas! while garlanding Bapu's statues all the time, we have taken a direction opposite to what he had desired us to take for our own good.There can't be any denying that Baba Ramdev has no motive other than well being of crores of deprived Indians at his heart in advocating and doing what he is doing. Yet the shameless people as we are, we are busy attaching motives to his actions and attempting to unearth his shortcomings, rather than cheering him and standing up with him. 'Why should a yoga guru indulge in politics?' we ask. This question implies our belief that politics should be left only to rascals and men of straw. And then we don't spare abusing the politicians even. What a class of people we are!

Baba Ramdev says that he represents 120 crore Indians and speaks for them. I wonder whether he knows or not that if they were to choose between the two, majority of servile Indians by far will stand behind Rahul Baba and not Baba Ramdev. That is the harsh reality of our psyche and intellectual bankruptcy.