Einstein defined foolishness as trying the same thing again and again and expecting a different result each time. Indian media’s foolishness is exactly on the same lines. After every speech by an incapable deliverer, they seem to discover a new messiah of alternative politics in India. After betting and losing on Rahul Gandhi, Kanhaiya Kumar, Arvind Kejriwal, Omar Khaled etc. they seem to have discovered a new darling in the younger son of Lalu Prasad Yadav, Tejashwi Yadav after he delivered a speech that got labelled as ’emphatic’ by the Indian media.
What was hailed as an emphatic show by Tejashwi Yadav was nothing more than an acrimonious rant by the leader of a party who had been outsmarted by a much wily political rival.
Tejashwi Yadav in his 45-minute speech lamented that his party had been betrayed by Nitish who was given an anti BJP mandate by the people in 2015. He also called the move by Nitish Kumar as “planned” but did not care to explain – what exactly he did to check this pre-determined step of Nitish.
Sadly, the media did not care to take into account the perfect rebuttal to all the accusations by Nitish Kumar. Nitish revealed the hollowness of the accusations by stating that RJD was walking the extra mile in trying to save a gangster like Shahabuddin and that the mandate that he had received was certainly not for this purpose. Replying to his accusations over secularism, Nitish said that secularism can’t be used as a facade to justify corruption.
The so called marvelous speech was not becoming of a great politician because Tejashwi will remain a novice before a seasoned campaigner like Nitish whom he targeted personally by questioning his popularity amongst the masses. He questioned him of having any command over the masses by stating that he had won just 2 seats in the 2014 elections while forgetting that his party had not fared any better in the same elections.
Tejashwi Yadav even questioned Nitish’s decision to ally with his father Lalu Prasad in 2015 despite the allegations of corruption against him. Sadly, this served as a tacit acceptance of corruption by his father to which the upcoming prodigy did not have any qualms in accepting. The Yadav prodigy forgot that it was Nitish who had drove the coalition to victory because of his pro-development and clean image amongst the masses.
Tejashwi Yadav tried taking a high moral ground by stating that had he been asked to resign, he would have done it certainly while forgetting that on the 10th July itself, it was collectively decided by the RJD that the question of resigning does not arise at all.
Tejashwi Yadav seems to have forgotten that those who observe probity in their public life resign without being asked to do so on such serious charges of corruption. The high moral stand needs to be backed up by actions instead of empty rants targeting an individual who happens to be their senior. Tejashwi Yadav can still set up a high standard by resigning from his post of MLA and justify that he meant what he had said on the floor of the house.
However, he won’t resign because of the inheritance of the political legacy that he has received from his father and uncle Sadhu Yadav.
A recent report about Bihar RJD Rally by Business Standard reads “Tejashwi rises in show of Opposition unity”, Do remember the rally saw participation from Leaders of various political parties. West Bengal CM and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Congress’ Ghulam Nabi Azad and C P Joshi, rebel JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav, JMM chief Hemant Soren, JVM President Babulal Marandi, NCP leader Tariq Anwar, and CPI leaders were there too but it was Tejashwi who rose.
Media may hail his speeches as benchmarks in oratory but great speeches are delivered extempore and not read from cheat notes. Tejashwi is no different from the previous darlings of the Indian media whom they used to portray as the face of the alternative political discourse in India. His speech did not reflect the works done by RJD legislators in the 20 odd months of their reign. He couldn’t because he did not have anything up his sleeve. His speech was that of anguish and came out of frustration of having lost the power that was the last hope of survival of a party. And Media, your heroes are pitiable, stupid and most importantly momentary.