Sonia, a shrewd politician
Gwynne Dyer's View Point Is Sonia throwing an opportunity away (The Jakarta Post, May 24) lacks an appreciation of the Indian ethos that deifies leaders (spiritual or otherwise) who, at the precise moment when it is theirs for the taking, renounce all the trappings of temporal power. This apparent selfless sacrifice elevates a leader to almost divine status in the collective Indian psyche. One needs only to look as far back as Mahatma Gandhi for a recent, globally familiar, example.
This is not to suggest that Sonia Gandhi is on her way to Nirvana. On the contrary, it suggests that she is a shrewd politician who understands the psyche of the Indian electorate, evaluates the hand she is dealt and then plays it brilliantly to her advantage.
With 145 seats in the newly elected 545-seat Indian Parliament, the Congress Party has no option but to attempt to form a government by cobbling together a diverse coalition of more than 20 regional parties, each with their own agenda. This coalition will be fractious and will involve endless hours of political horse-trading, with the constant threat of one or more of the coalition partners withdrawing their support to bring down the government.
Coupled with the vitriolic campaign about her Italian origins (both without and within her coalition), this would have made Sonia Gandhi's prime ministerial tenure an untenable flash in the pan -- one that the Indian electorate would never forgive.
By fronting India's most respected economist and least controversial politician as her prime ministerial candidate, she has given the Congress Party the optimal opportunity to consolidate and grow its electoral gains, while increasing her own stature. On his part, Dr. Manmohan Singh has his work cut out for him. He has to perform the never-ending tight rope act of keeping a fractious coalition together while performing an encore of his Great Indian Economic Rope Trick, this time "with a human face". Poor Dr. Singh can't seem to get away from the rope analogies -- one can only wonder if one will end up as a noose around his neck. Further, he will have to endure the stereotypical caricatures of having to raise his hand for Madam's permission every time he wants to visit the boys' room.
It should come as no surprise to Gwynne Dyer that Machiavelli was an Italian as was Mona Lisa.
GAVIN BEALE Jakarta