Mrs. Sonia Gandhi: No Indian by heart?

Mrs. Sonia Gandhi: No Indian by heart?

Media reports have it that both Congress President Mrs. Sonia Gandhi and her son Vice-President Rahul Gandhi have, so far, not congratulated BJP and Mr. Narendra Modi for their victory in the recent Lok Sabha elections. This is the least elementary courtesy expected of a vanquished leader and party in a democracy. All political leaders and parties have been following this practice in the past. Even Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh spoke to Mr. Modi and congratulated him. All what Mrs. Sonia Gandhi stated in her first Press meet on May 16 acknowledging defeat of Congress was that she wished well for the new government. Her son had kept silent.

What does all this indicate? Mrs. Sonia Gandhi's conduct is not in keeping with the Indian traditions and ethos. Mrs. Gandhi took a long period of about 12 years to seek and get Indian citizenship after her marriage to late Rajiv Gandhi. This only shows that even if Mrs. Gandhi has become a citizen of this great country, she has not so far become an Indian in her heart. She has not become one with the Indian way of life and culture. It looks only the label has changed and the person remains the same as before.

As far as our knowledge goes, this elementary courtesy is followed all over the world, at least in the democratic world and even in the country of her birth. The defeated leaders hail their opponent's victory and congratulate them.

It is pertinent to recall that when former President of India Giani Zail Singh died, Mrs. Sonia Gandhi had failed to pay her respects to the departed soul. She had refrained from visiting his residence and expressing her condolences. She seems to have not forgotten the bitter relations her husband late prime minister Rajiv Gandhi had with President Zail Singh. But that behavior is un-Indian. We in India pay our tributes even to our enemy on his death and visit his/her home uninvited. What should the people of India construe from this behavior of Mrs. Sonia Gandhi and her son?

Note: The results were declared on Friday, the 16th May. According to Press reports Mrs. Gandhi sent a congratulatory letter to Mr. Modi on Tuesday, the 20th May which was made public actually on Thursday, the May 22 after it was a talk of the town and the media of Mrs. Gandhi's courtesy lapse.