Outlook’s poll showing that 61 per cent say Sonia is acceptable seems to me a cooked truth born of manipulations and intentions to improve her chances (Identity Crisis, May 10). Nowhere on the Net have I seen any poll reflecting that 61 per cent result. If the villagers don’t have an opinion on this issue, the coming poll campaign should make them aware of it. It’s every Indian’s duty to explain the perils of making a foreigner the PM of India. The designs of the media will be defeated!
Mukund Kute, Pennsylvania, US
The results of your poll are surprising. Perhaps those of us who want an Italian PM should migrate to Italy. We have enough self-serving politicians in this country and don’t need to import another from Italy. Have you considered polling the armed forces? Unlike the ABRI which plays a big role in Indonesian politics, our armed forces have always stayed aloof. That doesn’t mean they don’t have opinions as our not-so-estimable politicians think.
Cdr A. Visvanathan (rtd), Chennai
I’d request all concerned Indian citizens to ignore the origin, caste, creed and religion of a person, and select someone who can bring about changes in the country’s social, economic, environmental and political scenario. The need of the hour is “sustainable government” to bring about true development. Everything else is a myth, a mere surface symbolism sans content.
Pankaj Thapa, Shillong
Comparing Sonia with Hume is a sacrilege. Hume was a Briton who went against his own countrymen to empower the ‘natives’ while Sonia as a bahu in the dynasty refused to take citizenship for 14 years. We often ask ourselves why a nation of 90 crore can’t produce a single Olympic medal? Forget that. Why can’t it produce its own PM? The Congress can root for Roberto Baggio. It’s always Sachin for me.
S. Ramakrishnan, Chennai
It seems the BJP has nothing substantial in its armour against its opponents, which is why they’ve raised the irrelevant issue of Sonia’s nationality. It would’ve been pardonable had their second rank said that Sonia was a foreigner and thus couldn’t be PM. But unfortunately it’s the first rankers—Vajpayee, Advani and Hegde—who’re behind this. Don’t they know India’s history and Constitution? Except the Dravidians and Adivasis, all people of this country have foreign origins, be it Aryans, Parsis, Greeks or Mongols. Most of us are their progenies; Advani too migrated from Pakistan. Could he, of all people, raise the issue of Sonia’s foreign nationality? Foreigners gave some of the best things to us. Briton A.O. Hume was responsible for the Congress’ origin. Another Briton, Annie Besant, spread the theosophical movement here. Yet another, C.F. Andrews, with Tagore, spread the spirit of Hinduism. An Albanian, Mother Teresa, spread the philosophy of love and sewa. Does the BJP disown them? In a country that’s long believed in the philosophy of Vasudeva Kutumbakam? Again, is the BJP not aware of the Indian Constitution, which doesn’t bar an Indian citizen who was earlier a foreign national from holding any post?
Shashi Kant Varma, Allahabad
How can any rational person say that Sonia will colonise India? India has a long tradition of atithi devo bhava and has assimilated a variety of cultures. Why then do we have to take offence if an Albanian, Mother Teresa, wants to spend her life among India’s poor; if Australian Graham Staines wants to work among the lepers and if Italian Sonia, now an Indian and a Gandhi, wants to lead the country out of a mess?
Sridhar K.K., Bangalore
While one may not object to Sonia not being Indian, do we really need another member of the Nehru/Gandhi dynasty to rule India? It would be wise of the Congress to project a new leader, for that may be the only way to break its shackles and emerge a winner, if not in these elections, definitely in the long run.
P.R. Namboodiripad, Bangalore
It’s very unfortunate that a person who’s been in this country for almost two decades is still labelled a foreigner. She has the right to become the PM in our country and that right must be respected as it would be for any Indian. I think any foreign-born Indian who can rule honestly is more acceptable than those Indiaborn politicians who have failed the Indian electorate time and again.
Vinay, Delhi
Congressmen keep parroting ad nauseam all the sacrifices made by the Nehru/Gandhi family to justify the anointing of Sonia/Priyanka/Rahul. Why do they not talk about the sacrifices India made for this family? Didn’t Motilal use his influence with Mahatma Gandhi to make Jawaharlal Congress president and thus begin a chain of unending nepotism? Indira Gandhi made corruption a fine art and regarded India as a family inheritance. Among her sons, one was a mediocre pilot who couldn’t manage politics, the other a terrorising goonda who managed politics for his own ends. Prime real estate in the Capital is wasted on family museums and so-called samadhis for these characters. Now the Congress is intent on foisting Sonia on us. Thereafter it will be Priyanka, after which the country will wait with bated breath for her to produce an heir. And we’ll keep paying for these white elephants, this sickening charade.
D. Ramesh, Bangalore
I wonder how you can still be pro-Congress after the farce it enacted last month. I find it difficult to read a magazine that seems to say—“We don’t care if Sonia is a political novice. Or if India can’t throw up a single Indian to lead a country. We’ll still support Sonia’s cause.” The Constitution may say Sonia can be a PM. But as an Indian, will your conscience allow it? Mine won’t.
Apoorv Pandit, on e-mail
Jana Sanghi K.R. Malkani was true to the character of a fundamentalist political party when he alleged that “everything about Sonia is suspect”. He would say the same thing about anybody opposing Jana Sangh. More than anything, people of this character bank on anti-propaganda for obtaining political gains. Beware!
Suresh Tinaikar, Mumbai
The coy bahu of the Nehru-Gandhi family and widow of the late Rajiv Gandhi reading from prepared speeches was, to some extent, able to get a sympathy vote during elections to the 12th Lok Sabha. The situation has now taken a turn for the worse. Sonia’s brazen claim of having the support of 272 MPs exposed her as a scheming politician in pursuit of power. The coy bahu image gave way to a stubborn, ruthless politician conspiring to grab power through the backdoor. As for the Congress, the party has shown a lack of ability to throw up a leader democratically elected from its own ranks, and has been reduced to nothing more than a parasite clinging to the Nehru-Gandhi family for leadership.
Murlidhar H. Pahoja, on e-mail
For a mature democracy like ours, it’s quite ludicrous to debate Sonia Gandhi’s eligibility simply because she wasn’t born here. What have the socalled ‘swadeshis’ done for our nation in the past 50 years?
S. Bhuvana Sundar, Vellore
Identity Crisis was a shabby attempt to whitewash Sonia which not only miserably failed but would also boomerang. This article has lowered Outlook’s credibility. As far as Sonia is concerned, she has thoroughly exposed herself in her hurry to grab power. She can’t escape public scrutiny or the law. There’s little doubt that not only did Sonia ever renounce her Italian citizenship but also retains her Italian passport.
Bhagwat Goel, New Delhi
Please stop being a Congress(I) mouthpiece.
Shubhro Bagchi, on e-mail
