As I watch the numbers of congress workers swell outside the security barricades of her residence, the police cordons coming up, Youth congress leaders (all of whom look at least 40) marching up and down with flags- the women shrieking songs of praise to their leader- I know I have been here before. This is the third time around.
In May 1999, and May 2004 (thank god its in March this year and the weather is pleasant), I have marked these roads, sat on the sidewalk, eaten box lunches as we witness Congressmen coming together, to do what they do best- offering homage to their leader.
As always, Sonia's resignation tends to takes the wind out of the sails, and the spotlight away from whoever is opposing her at that moment (Sharad Pawar, the BJP, the NDA)- she resigns, then retreats to her home, and waits as the Congress rallies around (or in this case holds rallies around her house).
The other familiar sight- scores of senior Congress leaders queuing up to go inside and see her. It's never very clear if they actually get to meet her, or simply get to the reception area, wait for a respectable time period and then come out glowing to speak to the media (one indicator of the long wait- a cabinet minister I saw walking in yesterday was carrying a fat novel in with her!).
But the people I love to watch are the ones that come with the drums and bugles, others who make up clever poems (Hamari Neta Sonia hain/Hum uski Sena hain/ Advani aur Atal Behari- RSS ka rona hain is the latest), the ones who wear dunce caps and shirts made from congress flags, the ones who threaten to jump from trees.
Always, always trying to find new and creative ways to get on TV. After all, if you don't get a glimpse of the leader, there's hope she'll get a glimpse of you on the telly. So even senior leaders clamber up and stand on top of cars shouting slogans for hours at a stretch.
As I watched yesterday, Amarjeet Singh, a very patient and polite congress worker arrived and wrote out his poster in Hindi- praising "Sonia's sacrifice on the same day as Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru's martyrdom". Then he stood, very politely and quietly behind reporters as they went live on television. I was quite impressed by this satyagrahi, but wondered what he wanted to achieve. Perhaps he faced the confusion too- after a while he came up to me- and asked if I could translate the poster into English- "In case madam can't read it", he explained.
And that sums it up for all of those gathered- young and old, senior, junior, urbane or rustic. They adore her, desperately hope she notices them- all the while not quite sure Sonia Gandhi even understands what they have to say.
The fault lies not in our stars, I tell Cassius, but in ourselves- particularly in the way we build our stars up.
About the AuthorSuhasini Haidar Suhasini Haidar is Diplomatic Editor, The Hindu. Earlier, she was a senior editor and prime time anchor for India's leading 24-hour English news chann...Read Morefirst published:March 24, 2006, 14:41 ISTlast updated:March 24, 2006, 14:41 IST
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If you stand in the same place long enough, they say, you'll see political events come around full circle. I have clearly spent too much time standing outside on Sonia Gandhi's footpath at 10 Janpath in New Delhi.
As I watch the numbers of congress workers swell outside the security barricades of her residence, the police cordons coming up, Youth congress leaders (all of whom look at least 40) marching up and down with flags- the women shrieking songs of praise to their leader- I know I have been here before. This is the third time around.
In May 1999, and May 2004 (thank god its in March this year and the weather is pleasant), I have marked these roads, sat on the sidewalk, eaten box lunches as we witness Congressmen coming together, to do what they do best- offering homage to their leader.
As always, Sonia's resignation tends to takes the wind out of the sails, and the spotlight away from whoever is opposing her at that moment (Sharad Pawar, the BJP, the NDA)- she resigns, then retreats to her home, and waits as the Congress rallies around (or in this case holds rallies around her house).
The other familiar sight- scores of senior Congress leaders queuing up to go inside and see her. It's never very clear if they actually get to meet her, or simply get to the reception area, wait for a respectable time period and then come out glowing to speak to the media (one indicator of the long wait- a cabinet minister I saw walking in yesterday was carrying a fat novel in with her!).
But the people I love to watch are the ones that come with the drums and bugles, others who make up clever poems (Hamari Neta Sonia hain/Hum uski Sena hain/ Advani aur Atal Behari- RSS ka rona hain is the latest), the ones who wear dunce caps and shirts made from congress flags, the ones who threaten to jump from trees.
Always, always trying to find new and creative ways to get on TV. After all, if you don't get a glimpse of the leader, there's hope she'll get a glimpse of you on the telly. So even senior leaders clamber up and stand on top of cars shouting slogans for hours at a stretch.
As I watched yesterday, Amarjeet Singh, a very patient and polite congress worker arrived and wrote out his poster in Hindi- praising "Sonia's sacrifice on the same day as Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru's martyrdom". Then he stood, very politely and quietly behind reporters as they went live on television. I was quite impressed by this satyagrahi, but wondered what he wanted to achieve. Perhaps he faced the confusion too- after a while he came up to me- and asked if I could translate the poster into English- "In case madam can't read it", he explained.
And that sums it up for all of those gathered- young and old, senior, junior, urbane or rustic. They adore her, desperately hope she notices them- all the while not quite sure Sonia Gandhi even understands what they have to say.
The fault lies not in our stars, I tell Cassius, but in ourselves- particularly in the way we build our stars up.
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