If I remember right, the idea behind Chowk is to encourage dialogue and understanding between the peoples of the subcontinent (read: Indians and Pakistanis), and underline our commonalities rather than our differences. (I would confirm that, but Chowk has a remarkably useless ‘About’ page.)
Anyway, the article on Shaukat Aziz’s press conference yesterday put me in a bit of a mood and for whatever reason, I ended up at Chowk (I don’t often visit — I can’t relate to many of the authors who put their stuff there). Or more specifically, this article, which discusses Rahul Gandhi’s recent arrival in politics and the legacy of his forebears, Indira and Rajiv Gandhi. The author doles out a proper shellacking, reprimanding Mr. Gandhi for his recent comments that his grandmother was responsible for the ‘division of Pakistan’, lambasting Congress’ sycophancy towards the Gandhi family. It’s fascinating, because the strong, united front India presents internationally is the antithesis of the sort of incompetence the author mentions. Honestly, some of the stuff in the article I can’t even imagine Pakistani politicians trying to pull:
In the past, the Gandhis were a family that specifically lied to the Indian population and sought to present themselves as leaders of international repute to the rest of the world even as they made clownish attempts like Rahul`s father did when he turned up uninvited at a meeting of leaders of Non Aligned Nations in Harare after he had been deposed as Prime Minister, and claimed that the “Ex” in his “Ex Prime Minister” designation actually meant “Executive Prime Minister”.
Wow. Just, wow.
I know pointing to the incompetence of others’ leaders is hollow consolation, but at least it’s amusing. And there’s some comfort in the thought that our politicians aren’t alone in championing brazen self-interest and genuine incompetence; they’re just in the lead.
(Special thanks to the Bush administration for additional support to my thesis.)
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