WE SALUTE MRS. SONIA GANDHI

 By Oscar Ramjeet 

The decision taken by Sonia Gandhi, the leader of the Congress Party in India to step aside and allow Manmohan Singh, to be Prime Minister of a country with a population of a billion, is an admirable move which very few politicians, if any other, would have made since politicians the world-over like power.

Italian born Mrs. Gandhi is the widow of Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, who was assassinated like his mother, Indira Gandhi, and news from New Delhi state that Sonia had been persuaded by her two children, Rahul and Priyanka to walk away from power, fearful that she would be assassinated like their father and grandmother since the former ruling party, the BJP had criticized her in the election campaign since she was not a born Indian.

Despite the criticism it is not an easy decision for a politician to refuse power. In my homeland, Mrs. Janet Jagan, a born American and widow of the late marxist/leninist Cheddi Jagan, took over from her husband after his sudden death despite criticism from both the opposition party as well as from her own People's Progressive Party.

It was argued that one has to be a born US citizen to become the President of the United States, and how could Janet, an American born be named as Head of State in Guyana, a country she adopted.

Chicago born Janet went to Guyana in 1946 after she married Cheddi while he was studying dentistry in the USA; she worked side by side her husband in the struggle against the colonial power, and maybe she thought that she should at least taste power for a while. She resigned as President after 20 months because of ill health and handed over the mantle to young Bharat Jagdeo.

Sonia Gandhi, a Roman Catholic in a predominantly hindu country, refused to take office, ignoring the pleas of the upper echelons of her party, the Congress Party, members of parliament and large numbers of her supporters, Her decision ended speculation not only in India or Asia but all the continents throughout the globe. The question being asked was she right to do so?

She has been described as a good person by most journalists. However in politics, goodness is no guarantee of success. She is no doubt an experienced politician having worked alongside her husband as well as her mother-in-law who were both killed in their struggles for the people's of India. Here grandfather in law, Jawaharlal Nehru, was the first Prime Minister and along with the great Mahamata Gandhi fought the British tooth and nail for independence which they gained in 1947 after bloodshed.

It is said that Sonia has contributed significantly to her party's success at the polls, since she ejected the human dimension in the campaign and concentrated in the agricultural areas. She took the low-key route focussing on jobs, food and shelter amongst the poor rather than the smug campaign by the incumbent under the slogan "India Shining", a reference to the economic growth, particularly in the technological sector.

Her refusal to take such high office, no doubt has enhanced her reputation enormously; politicians in this power grabbing world of ours do not throw away a chance to hold the highest political office of the land, but Sonia is probably looking down the road, maybe she foresees that her son Rahul will soon take over and be the Head of Government like his father, grandmother and great-grandfather.

Rahul would be in a better position than his mother in negotiating with Pakistan, the vexed question of the occupation of Kashmir, an issue which cost hundreds of lives and which is still to be resolved and it might be better for a Hindu to enter into discussions rather than a Catholic.