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Dear R...,
I just read your
article on ' Non-renunciation'.
It was not clear
what was your position, but I presume that you are appreciative of Sonia
Gandhi's renunciation of the PM's post that was rightfully hers.
Nehru considered
PM"s post a duty that he was called upon to perform, while Indira
Gandhi and Rajiv took it as their privilege. Sonia Gandhi, according
to you, knew well that she was not Congress nor was she synonymous with
India. Everybody appreciated Sonia's dispassionate gesture.
But analyzing
it from the paradigm of Varnasrama Dharma is stretching imagination
too much. Since when have scholars started benchmarking social and political
events against the much despised Varnashrama Dharma. Neither
Sonia Gandhi, nor the Congress party nor the Indian society follow the
Varnashrama model of social organization or praxis. Ours is a
Parliamentary Democracy practicing competitive market economy pursuing
the goal of equality and justice for all regardless of their religion,
language or gender.
You can always
find earthly reasons for the renunciation of Buddha, Gandhi or the death
of Jesus on the cross. But we have created myths around them and they
have become icons. The same thing is being done to Sonia's sensible
action and instead of seeing it as such the myth making has started.
The result will be to put her permanently on the cross or compel her
to be a permanent renunciant. I hope you scholars will not succeed in
that objective. I am sure that she will stake claim to the Prime Ministership
if her party gets absolute majority in the parliament or a comfortable
number of seats, say 230, in a coalition.
I see Sonia Gandhi
an intelligent woman with a strategic eye on power. I will consider
her act as really renunciation if she like Bhishma forswears power for
ever publicly or like Siddhartha leaves family and the palace of pleasure
totally in search of higher spiritual values. Rama did not renounce
power; he only went to the forest temporarily to fulfill father's promise
and came back to assume power.
I would like
to know how you classify Sonia's renunciation, like that of Rama's,
Buddha's or Bhishma's. In the first case power was not given up, in
the second case power was totally given up and in the third case he
remained a kingmaker.
Hope you will find time to respond.
Incidentally,
I liked your presentation given in the Nehru Memorial Museum on Nehru's
death anniversary.
Regards,
Swami Bodhananda.