The ‘Privilege Leave’ issue

The ‘Privilege Leave’ issue

V GangadharUpdated: Saturday, June 01, 2019, 03:43 AM IST
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What is behind the strange ‘leave of absence’ by Congress Vice President Rajiv Gandhi on the eve of the important Budget Session of our  Parliament .V GANGADHAR investigates. 

Confidential Somewhere In UP February 22, 2015  Dear Mom (should read ’Poojya Matashri) in the Hindi version,

 By the time this letter reaches the office of the Congress President there could be a furore and intense media speculation over my non-presence in the Budget session of the Parliament session. More so because you are the President and I am the vice-president of the party. As a disciplined member of the Party, please consider this letter as my application for Privilege Leave for which I am entitled though I am a humble member of the party. I will do everything in a right and proper manner including sending this leave application so that the Opposition may not pounce on me embarrass me in the House. I am only taking some days of privilege leave for which I am entitled to. There is no ulterior motive I am not running away from any battle? How can anyone fight a battle with just 44 foot soldiers. We can’t even outshout the Opposition hordes.

[alert type=”e.g. warning, danger, success, info” title=””]Is Parliament the right place for me? I did enjoy the hustle and bustle of poll campaigning, the result day was okay because the masses always voted for the leading Gandhi name, though I don’t know how long this would last.[/alert]

Mom let me admit it frankly. I do not understand Indian politics You and Priyanka know I tried really hard to get a feel of Indian politics. I sampled UP Dalit cuisine in one of the Dalit hutsand watched the full moon through the broken tiles of the hut. Mom, the moon looked exactly the same though the Opposition made much of it. Like that unmentionable man from Gujarat, I agreed to wear fancy headgear of the tribals and dance among them but he won the polls there too. Look Mom, I am trying my best but unable to win over the masses. I simply don’t know why. Campaigning is a pain in the ****, I can’t understand how we carried this on for generations. Perhaps, I should have made and sold tea to the rural masses.

Is Parliament the right place for me? I did enjoy the hustle and bustle of poll campaigning, the result day was okay because the masses always voted for the leading Gandhi name, though I don’t know how long this would last. I guess one would enjoy Parliament nu creating ruckus, I love this word. But even this I can’t do properly. My athletics coach is training me in the sport of rushing to the Well of the House though initially, I was scared of falling into the well. Am I fated to spend the rest of my life sitting neat the Well of the House and not falling into it. However I am of the view that Indian political life would be spicier by consulting people like that present Censor Board Chief, who, I am told compiled a dictionary of unprintable gallis which should be banned from films, plays and so on. With the BJP relying strongly on Bhagvad Gita will there be radical changes in filmy dialogues. Why can’t Parliament have a full length debate on this and I shall lead from th front and you shall cheer me from the Opposition benches?

Nothing more to write now. Everyone goes to sleep in this village early. While in Rome I do a the Romans do.

Love to Pri, kids and Bobby

Rahul

(V Gangadhar writes satire, a special form of humour. Incidents and anecdotes in his column are

purely imaginary)

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