In a world where everyone prefers being lead than leading, we truly face a dearth of good leaders. It is a true and known fact that being a part of a nation which suffers from the problem of good leaders', we need to go along way.
Yes, we as a nation lack fine leaders and this is not just an underlying fact but a hard hitting truth.
India has been a country of varied contradictions. Though, we have been grabbing eye balls and drawing adulations from the west because of our prosperous growth in business and economy, we are also suffering from rural poverty and the ever rising tide of social tensions due to the cultural, economic and social disparity within the nation.
India is soon emerging as an economic power house which that be attributed to our liberalization policies post 1990's. We are the nation that gave birth to the Mittals, Ambanis, Tata's and the likes of Aziz Premji who without batting an eyelid have gained the status of being one of the richest 'business houses' in the world. To contradict, the same, we are also the same country that cradles terrorism, poverty and is still embroiled in casteist differences.
While Ratan Tata, on of the recent visionaries of our times has created the worlds cheapest car, 'The Nano'; a home grown product and a remarkable leap in the global automobile industry, we are waged in wars due to home grown terror groups and violent militant cells like the LTTEs, Naxalites and SIMIs. Why??
Firstly, a leader must never lie. He/ She needs to be true to their profession and dedicated to the role of leading. Once a leader; forever a leader. Integrity and consistency is the business of leading. But do our leaders really have these qualities?
Very often, we mistake Politicians as being synonymous to leaders. As a matter of fact, this is completely irrational. Though most of our leaders are politicians, not all politicians are really deserving of this slot. Politics under the garb of superiority has destroyed the very own facet of India, i.e. its 'democracy' and we are mere players, who are being used as pieces of a dice game. They roll the dice and we move foolishly, without even realizing the consequences of our actions. Leadership is not about 'me' it is about 'them' and probably the politicians of our country with their corrupt and inept leadership have axed the very roots of our nation. Politics has truly become an arena of bloodsucking individuals (poli – many; tics – bloodsuckers).
Politicians delve into faked up 'India rising' and 'India shining' campaigns, but do they even half realize that almost 94% of our student population comprises 12
th grade dropouts, then the mere 6% percent of the educated elite should not be considered. Is there nothing to fathom...when 14 men molest a women on a new years night, when mind-boggling statistics reveal that a woman is being raped every 30 minutes in a safe metro like Mumbai OR when Dalit women are being stripped for the lowliness of their caste and paraded throughout the village naked in the eyes of thier sons/fathers/husbands.
When the CM of Gujarat, Narendra Modi in his recent elections harped on 'the development tasks he undertook' in his state, everyone began venerating him. His efforts in economic prosperity almost overshadowed his devastating role in the Gujarat riots of 2002 where thousands of innocents Muslims were victims of cold blooded murder. All this was triggered by the burning of 50 karsevaks in a train near Godhra station. But was this a licence to the death of some inncocent few. Shouldn't we then be ashamed about a handful, leading our country?
However, while defiantly crying over our leadership discrepancies we need to realize that after all these leaders are elected by us. Leadership does not necessarily come from leading but actually taking the initiative. In that sense we all need to realize that we somewhere need to bear the onus of electing the one who leads us. Often, we create a hue and mock over the people who run our governments. Unfortunately, we are the creators; we create the mockery and then laugh or otherwise cry at our own creation. We are co-conspirators in creating a hollow in 'good leadership.'
It is also worrying to see that people have become so violent and so sensitive about faith that they overlook the deafening cry of their fellow human. Religious hooliganism has crossed boundaries of humanity...and the impact is scary.
Even the Sikh riot of 1984 (after the assasination of Indira Gandhi) is shockingly dismaying. Scores of Sikhs were burned/beaten to death and many women raped only because the assassinators of Indira Gandhi were Sikhs. It was a Hindu backlash of sorts to teach the community of the perpetrators a lesson. To top it all Rajiv Gandhi (her son) on being asked what the government was doing to control the riots, very insensitively commented, "When a tree falls (Indira Gandhi..he meant) the tremors would be felt." Such political insensitivity has destroyed foolish religious minds. Are we Indians so susceptible to religious instigation and political exploitation...I think our own GODS are too embarrassed too answer for our shameful deeds
The media also needs to be sensitive enough in portraying those who have carried upon themselves the mantle to lead. Recently, in Mumbai, in a war of words two politicians from two different parties started spewing venom and questioning on the people outside Maharashtra (in specific the North). Without second thoughts, Raj Thackeray who was well aware of the dire consequences of his statements commented on the North-Indians as those looting the employment opportunities of the Marathis. What followed, though was very well planned by the leaders, and was also shocking. The locals began beating up innocent north-Indian taxi wallas and damaged north-Indians running cabs all over
Maharashtra. What did the rest of us do…we watched the destruction with our hands tied and our mouths taped? Two people lost their lives in this havoc. Their leader was left unscathed. Isn't it shocking? Do we really want a leader like him to lead us in the near future?
While talking about the failure of governance in our country we must also realize that Seventy-one percent of the population—742 million people—are below 35 years of age. In other words, India is not a graying nation; it is full of young people. It can be moved with a positive leadership. Can we make a difference? Or; is the youth to happy to shove the responsibility to an elite few, who are unfortunately bred with caste, religious and cultural differences.
Leadership begins with the readiness to take the baton, the other qualities just follow. But do we have someone who is prepared to hold it leaving all of his/her insecurities for once and being the diplomatic self.
It is not a denying fact that we have had some great leaders like our former President Dr. A PJ Kalam and at present our Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh. They are not only well respected gentlemen but highly well read and great intellectuals. But, they are soon going to be a part of our textual history. What about our future?
