Title: Contenders: Who will lead India tomorrow?
Author: Priya Sahgal
Publication: Simon & Schuster
Pages: 243
Price: Rs. 399
In the past as well as in present, many have defined ‘politics’ in their own appropriate way. I take liberty to call them appropriate because when it comes to defining ‘politics’ one does define it from personal experiences emerging out of our socio-political democratic set-up. One thing that has remained to the core of any political system with a definite upsurge in count are the contenders, so-called aspirants having keen desire to serve people. For a layman, a politician.
Priya Sehgal, a political journalist for three decades has seen these breed of humans up close and personal from time to time through her several journalistic endeavours. Considering General Elections 2019 just round the corner, one cannot help but applaud her for coming out with ‘Contenders – Who will lead India tomorrow?’ which is not only well-researched book but also well presented with some mindboggling facts and examples.
Many a time for we journalists, working day in and out amidst politicians and overall political set-up and atmosphere, knowingly or unknowingly start following protocol in some tasks we undertake besides our bread and butter routine. No wonder, when Saghal thought to pen down this book containing profiles of 16 emerging political leaders (under the age of fifty-five) who will dominate India’s political landscape over the next decade, she made a head start with Rahul Gandhi. A perfect example of mind over matter considering the persona of the word ‘Gandhi’.
Sahgal’s prophecy of these ‘young Turks’ dominating Indian polity in coming years seems to have come true sooner than she expected. Recently held assembly elections saw Congress Party off ventilator giving fresh lease of life to its new president and as Sahgal terms him ‘A Chosen One’ (Rahul Gandhi). Call it a political compulsion or balancing caste equations, Sahgal’s yet another pick Sachin Pilot saw himself placed on Deputy Chief Minister’s seat in Rajasthan. Going by author’s observation and narration, Sachin Pilot loves to watch movies in theatres as he says, “What’s a movie without the popcorn?” Guess post assembly polls, he must have said, “What’s the CM without a Deputy?” maybe the author can tell us in her next one. Similarly, rising on political graph is Jyotiraditya Scindia who lost a chance to be among the youngest chief ministers of Madhya Pradesh, whom the author identifies as ‘The Technoroyal’.
Every chapter makes an interesting read, with lots of personal info about these emerging destiny scripters of Indian politics. Like, Akhilesh Yadav had no formal name and was known as Tipu. Until a family accountant, S. N. Tewari gave him three choices during nursery school admission from which he chose the name Akhilesh. One of the sharpest minds of RSS and as author calls him ‘The Saffron Evangelist’, Ram Madhav is an Apple geek and Sahgal found out that cutting across party lines with sheer love for technology Madhav, Rahul Gandhi, Milind Deora and Omar Abdullah all use iPhones.
If you consider Indian politics to be one big kitchen of dreams and aspirations, Sahgal has presented before us an all-new a` la carte under interesting names like Cub-e-Kashmir, Firebrand from Punjab, Still Waters Run Deep, The Urbanator, Down But Not Out and much more. Before heading towards forthcoming general bash, do grab a copy of this a` la carte. It will help enhance your political taste buds for few years at least.
