Kesri: The Background From Bihar

By VENKATA SWAMI

The antecedents of the man who plunged India recently into a political crises, and now has been retained as President of the ‘Grand Old Party of India,’ Congress, are interesting, to say the least. Sitaram Kesri was once an errand boy for one of the top businessmen, Ramakrishna Dalmia, in Danapur (Bihar), before he himself became a tycoon--the same Dalmia about whom Jawaharlal Nehru reportedly had said, "That ugly man with an ugly mind." Kesri in the mid fifties was reported to have been arrested for black-marketing in broken rice and brought before a Patna court with a thick rope tied around his waist.

Lalit Narayan Mishra, the former Central Minister and Treasurer of Congress Party during Indira Gandhi’s regime, appointed him Pradesh Congress Committee President in Bihar. When asked why he could not find a worse man for that office, Lalit Babu said that Kesri has an advantage, he has no followers, so no problem to manage. In the last Bihar Assembly election, Kesri hand-picked his own candidate for his own town, Danapur. The Congress candidate lost his deposit by polling just 839 votes.

Now, of course, Congress found new Rashtra Mata--Sonia Gandhi. Whether she will be like the previous Rashtra Mata, her own mother-in-law, will depend not so much on sycophants in Congress but on the common people of India. People overwhelmingly supported Indira Gandhi during certain periods, she got power and behind her the corrupt Congress coterie grew. She provided a good shield for corruption. That was the whole purpose behind all the adulation the incompetent and corrupt of the Congress poured on her. That purpose remains unchanged in case of Sonia Gandhi too. Otherwise she has left no political legacy for anyone to be proud of. And Congress will let her hold the reins only if it is convinced that she could deliver the goods. Then they will dump the old man--not MK Gandhi but Sitaram Kesri for the young Italian.

However, Sonia Gandhi will bring a new era in Indian politics. Hitherto there were many countries from Macedonia to Mecca, from London to Lisbon who could claim that they once ruled India or part of it. Only the Italians so far missed the chance. That will now be fulfilled and all cases against Quarttrochi will be dropped and we will have Italian companies. Sam Progetti, or whatever is the name, will be running the country much like the East India Company did. If you do not believe ask Moopanar. This man answers the question about Sonia being Italian citizen most of her life, with another question-- who was Annie Besant?

Obviously Moopanar, the man who deserted his own Congress Party for ‘greener pastures’ as a separate group, conveniently wants to forget the basic and important difference.

Well, Annie Besant was a British, in British India, fighting for freedom of India through the Indian National Congress which itself was founded by another Englishman, AO Hume. When did India become an extension of Italy to get an Italian at the helm? And Moopanar almost became a Prime Minister. Not that he would have done any worse than the current one who fought for Pakistan and the Communists in his earlier years and is still backed by the Communist parties whose stand on nationalism and patriotism is, and has always been, suspect.

Of course, the corrupt Congress will then wear the black hat like the Sicilian hoods instead of Jinnah Cap! The trade with Italy has gone up by leaps and bounds since the ‘Royal’ Indira family acquired an Italian as Rajiv’s wife. And you know the ‘extras’ that come for the individual and the party with expanding trade at the expense of the country, under Congress culture and those who flourish on Congress support!

One can only hope that unbridled ambitions of old men like Rao and Kesri may prevent such an outcome by joining forces and further bringing out the still hidden aspects of the Bofors scam. Also, Congress itself may degenerate to such an extent, as a party, they will not be able to deliver the country into her hands to get it looted later.

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