I try to not to be too offensive to specific individuals in my musings in this blog(fine! The Katrina Awards are an exception) but every once in a while there is the occasion that really gets on my nerves and necessitates a "focussed" personal assault :). I refer, of course, to aRahul Gandhi's speech in parliament yesterday. It was a most mortifying experience and to someone who has a had a brief career in public speaker, a speech full of badly missed opportunities and calculations.
I suppose it is nothing surprising to find a bad speaker in Parliament. However the context is important. Here was a vote most important to India's future, where parties fielded their most experienced speakers to express their views. Mr.Gandhi got a chance solely because he is the son the Congress President(and the son of the former PM and the grandson ...). He was one of the youngest speakers, especially from a major party. Considering the so many hymns sung to the youth of India, there was a brilliant opportunity to speak for this huge demographic of the Indian population. It is not that he lacks education or a skill in language either. His CV lists some of the most prominent educational institutions.
To begin with, it was a most uninspiring speech, delivered in the most deadpan tone possible. The interval between words was monotonously long. Mr.Gandhi was obviously disconcerted by the interruptions which were not even directed at him and he kept re-starting his sentences every time he was interrupted. His location was most unsuitable for some one whose speech would be so closely examined and worse of all, he looked most baffled. There were occasional flashes of irritation and amusement but most of the time he looked heavily under pressure and so maintained a very grim face.
Each one of the mentioned points is in itself not a problem but together they badly tilt the scales against any speaker. What finally cooked Rahul Gandhi's goose was his subject and the way he chose to approach it. His limitations would have been bearable if he had chosen a technical approach to the debate. He however chose to personalize it. He declared he was speaking as an Indian and not as a politician. He tried to bring in the pain of other Indians to the debate. He specifically brought in Sasikala and Kalavati, two women whom he had visited. He then tried to appear bi-partisan, continuing his earlier narrative of speaking as an Indian, by praising A.B.Vajpayee. He tried to paint the picture of the new Indian century urging the MPs to think how India could change the world rather than vice versa.
When a speaker personalizes an issue, he/she takes a considerable risk. The risk is that the gravity of the issue becomes inseparable from the speaker's credibility. The speaker must be credible enough and sound credible enough to convince the audience of the highs and lows of the experience he/she describes. It is not necessary that the audience buy the speaker's message in full, it is enough that the speaker opens up the audience. This requires experience and skill honed by long years of practice. Else the speaker sounds like a bored teacher reading out a story. The tone descends to condescension both for the subjects of the story and the audience. That is exactly what happened yesterday.
Again, a good speaker's greatest ally is not his/her talent but the context. Even the most insipid speaker can be carried by the wave of the situation. On the other hand even the most well-intentioned speaker will turn out to be a damp squib if he/she mistakes the mood of audience and the context of the speech. Rahul Gandhi's speech would have worked well if he were addressing, say, corporate employees who would have marveled at the initiative displayed by him. But there he was, talking Kalavatis and Sasikalas to people who had spent a lifetime among them, who had worked their way up by working(at least in name) among people like them. No wonder there were snide comments while he was speaking! A confidence vote is a battle-field, platonic appeals won't even be audible. The context requires a specific amount of combativeness, you are defending your own government after all, not delivering a "Distinguished Lecture". Bi-partisanship is not (as Barack Obama would seem to suggest) a magic potion to solve all ills. A skilled politician/manager realizes that and utilizes the odd sectarian message at required intervals to perk up his own people, to enthuse them and to prepare them for the battle ahead.
The Congress and the UPA did not require much from Rahul Gandhi. A simple but effective speech, delivered in a firm,precise and decisive manner. The emphasis on power was a great idea and it should have been presented as a macro-message, a statement on the behalf of the youth for instance or any other over-arching statements conveying determination and great pride in his government, even his disappointment or confusion on the way things were happening. This speech would have inspired his fellow MPs and even enabled him to claim moral high ground by not attacking anybody. But disappointingly all the Government got from the MP from Amethi was a bland narration of personal anecdotes! What a waste and what a Shame!!
Showing posts with label confidence vote series. Show all posts
Showing posts with label confidence vote series. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
votes notes-4
The last and not least post of this series.
7:19 The PM rises and so does Md. Salim. He seems to be running for "Most visible MP of session" Award
7:20 The PM cannot be heard at all. Hardly any surprise as there is a very powerful female voice, among others heaping abuse on him
7:21 The PM files his reply. What a shame! The Speaker calls for voting and calls it for the "ayes"(the government). Demands for a division.
7:25 NDTV is running a list of viewer responses to the cash-for-votes scandal. Sample quote-"Today is the darkest day in Indian democracy"-;)
7:26 Another vote. The Speaker calls it for the ayes again. There will still be a division
7:30 The division is on
Ayes-253
Noes-232
Abst-2
Total is 487??? What happened to the others? Mass boycotts?
7:31 Looks like all the MPs who couldn't cast their votes will be filling in slips. This is going to take ages! The UPA is celebrating already though things actually still seems close.
7:48 A lot more of uncertainty. More outrage on the networks..."Can't our MPs press a switch".."In a country so well-known for its achievements, can't we have a proper system in Parliament" are common sentiments.
7:54 Rajdeep Sardesai at CNN-IBN calls the situation a tragedy and a farce and asks everyone's favourite question "Why don't they change the system"...Too many "Singh is King" jokes...
8:23 (by which time even this blogger lost patience)- The Speaker calls it for the Government-275 for and 256 against with 10 abstentions. Seems like some majpr cross-voting has happened.
7:19 The PM rises and so does Md. Salim. He seems to be running for "Most visible MP of session" Award
7:20 The PM cannot be heard at all. Hardly any surprise as there is a very powerful female voice, among others heaping abuse on him
7:21 The PM files his reply. What a shame! The Speaker calls for voting and calls it for the "ayes"(the government). Demands for a division.
7:25 NDTV is running a list of viewer responses to the cash-for-votes scandal. Sample quote-"Today is the darkest day in Indian democracy"-;)
7:26 Another vote. The Speaker calls it for the ayes again. There will still be a division
7:30 The division is on
Ayes-253
Noes-232
Abst-2
Total is 487??? What happened to the others? Mass boycotts?
7:31 Looks like all the MPs who couldn't cast their votes will be filling in slips. This is going to take ages! The UPA is celebrating already though things actually still seems close.
7:48 A lot more of uncertainty. More outrage on the networks..."Can't our MPs press a switch".."In a country so well-known for its achievements, can't we have a proper system in Parliament" are common sentiments.
7:54 Rajdeep Sardesai at CNN-IBN calls the situation a tragedy and a farce and asks everyone's favourite question "Why don't they change the system"...Too many "Singh is King" jokes...
8:23 (by which time even this blogger lost patience)- The Speaker calls it for the Government-275 for and 256 against with 10 abstentions. Seems like some majpr cross-voting has happened.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
votes notes-3
The events from 6:30 pm onwards:
6:30-Power is back...A lot seems to have transpired.The Lok Sabha seems to have been adjourned and a new money for votes scandal has come up-damn!
6:32 Some "small-small parties" have been called to speak. A. Owaisi the MP from Hyderabad from the MIM is speaking. He can hardly be heard though. It seems like some MPs were offered money to abstain. Too much noise. It won't be surprising if even the PM will not be able to speak.
6:40 Mehbooba Mufti freely concedes she hardly knows anything about the deal. Lalu was very accurate when he said that. She concludes as shouts of "Pradhan Mantri Sharam karo" fill the air.
6:43 Maneka Gandhi and Ram Vilas Paswan have declined to speak and Omar Abdullah is in full flow " I am an Indian and a Muslim!" His speech seems to be getting a great reception and he does deserve it too. It is unfortunate that his party has only two MPs. He deserved some more time. He ends with a rousing declaration that the Amarnath yatra will continue as long as Muslims are there in Kashmir.
6:44 M.P. Virendra Kumar M.P, M.P from Calicut is raising technical issues aganist the deal. A bit late in the day one thinks.
6:48 Sansuma Bwismwthiari from Assam can hardly be heard. He brings in the issue of reforms for Bodoland.
6:51 Speaker urges members to listen to MPs from the North-East. It's pretty sad really. Two MPs from Kashmir speak and 2 from the whole of the North-East! Mani Charengemi from Manipur claims that the PM has assured him the revision of the territorial boundaries of the North-Eastern States will be looked into.
6:58 Yerran Naidu has been called and is abusing the government at an amazing volume. Manmohan Singh looks physically hurt. This must be a scene from his worst nightmare-"illegal, immoral, unethical"..sigh!
7:06 Yerran Naidu has been cut down in full flow and Ranjeeta Ranjan from LJSP begins. She seems as vociferous and is a Punjabi for sure. There are frequent shots of Govinda who looks as though he has not recovered from last night's hangover. Aoww..Ms Rajnan goes a bit overboard as she compares Rahul Gandhi's tours across India to that of Mohandas the Gandhi.
7:07 She is now attacking the Akalis. A Punjabi woman MP from Bihar lecturing the hidebound Akalis on Sikh principles. Great fun!
7:14 Hemlal Murmu from the JMM seems to be an amateur yet compulsive shayar while trying to pretend that his party was always an intimate friend of the UPA. What tosh!
7:19 The PM has risen.
6:30-Power is back...A lot seems to have transpired.The Lok Sabha seems to have been adjourned and a new money for votes scandal has come up-damn!
6:32 Some "small-small parties" have been called to speak. A. Owaisi the MP from Hyderabad from the MIM is speaking. He can hardly be heard though. It seems like some MPs were offered money to abstain. Too much noise. It won't be surprising if even the PM will not be able to speak.
6:40 Mehbooba Mufti freely concedes she hardly knows anything about the deal. Lalu was very accurate when he said that. She concludes as shouts of "Pradhan Mantri Sharam karo" fill the air.
6:43 Maneka Gandhi and Ram Vilas Paswan have declined to speak and Omar Abdullah is in full flow " I am an Indian and a Muslim!" His speech seems to be getting a great reception and he does deserve it too. It is unfortunate that his party has only two MPs. He deserved some more time. He ends with a rousing declaration that the Amarnath yatra will continue as long as Muslims are there in Kashmir.
6:44 M.P. Virendra Kumar M.P, M.P from Calicut is raising technical issues aganist the deal. A bit late in the day one thinks.
6:48 Sansuma Bwismwthiari from Assam can hardly be heard. He brings in the issue of reforms for Bodoland.
6:51 Speaker urges members to listen to MPs from the North-East. It's pretty sad really. Two MPs from Kashmir speak and 2 from the whole of the North-East! Mani Charengemi from Manipur claims that the PM has assured him the revision of the territorial boundaries of the North-Eastern States will be looked into.
6:58 Yerran Naidu has been called and is abusing the government at an amazing volume. Manmohan Singh looks physically hurt. This must be a scene from his worst nightmare-"illegal, immoral, unethical"..sigh!
7:06 Yerran Naidu has been cut down in full flow and Ranjeeta Ranjan from LJSP begins. She seems as vociferous and is a Punjabi for sure. There are frequent shots of Govinda who looks as though he has not recovered from last night's hangover. Aoww..Ms Rajnan goes a bit overboard as she compares Rahul Gandhi's tours across India to that of Mohandas the Gandhi.
7:07 She is now attacking the Akalis. A Punjabi woman MP from Bihar lecturing the hidebound Akalis on Sikh principles. Great fun!
7:14 Hemlal Murmu from the JMM seems to be an amateur yet compulsive shayar while trying to pretend that his party was always an intimate friend of the UPA. What tosh!
7:19 The PM has risen.
votes notes-2
This is the post-lunch session and was analysed (:) with some more care
2:05-15 The session has begun and Brijesh Pathak claims that BSP MPs have been instructed to vote for the government if they are to save Mayawati from the CBI. A lot of MPs expressing outrage on this issue. Is this, as Beni Prasas Verma from the SP is suggesting a prelude to the opposition losing. Anyway this exchange is better than Rahul Gandhi .!
2:20 The Left also demands a house committee to enquire into the charges as does the NDA. The Speaker has an amazing sense of humour no doubt and seems to be especially good at snubbing MPs from the Left.
2:25 Rahul Gandhi has been called again Horror Horror!!
2:26 This guy is really bad..we can expect an entire self-sustaining round of jokes from his speech. He is trying to praise Vajpayee’s role in the process. What is this- a lame attempt to be Obama-like bipartisan?
2:30 Rahul Gandhi is trying to redefine the debate by bringing in the aspect of a great Indian century with nuclear energy as the key. Problem is-He is not convincing. But still the UPA applauds especially Sonia Gandhi who applauds longer and more fiercely than others.
2:35 He is concluding, having established nothing. Feel sorry for the guy. It seems he believes in what he says. But that is all he has for him.
2:36 Rahul’s Kennedy moment- worry not how the world will impact us but worry how we will impact the world.
2:40 He is done..Hardly any reception. I guess even I over-estimated him
2:40 Ananth Kumar of the BJP begins. He apparently has only 5 minutes.
2:43 He brings in Bofors as a comparison to the deal….interesting!
2:45 He too brings in the moratorium on future testing. Why on earth is the BJP so insistent on future testing. Pokharan II was bad enough. He is out of time and has hardly started..good riddance though. This was a classic bad speech which just consisted of repetition of speech points with no new perspective or even proper examination of already mentioned perspectives.
2:50 Accuses PM of not upholding sovereignty of India and promptly gets chastised by the Speaker. He quotes Chidamabaram who was quoting Keynes to prove that inflation is bad. Why make all that effort!
2:55 Lalu is on. Translating Laalu is impossible. Simply speaking he is hilarious. He is clinically scathing comparing the Left to Kalidas cutting the branch he was sitting on.
2:57 “Chaar Saal Pehle Tumse Hamko Pyaar Tha..Aaj Bhi Hain, Kal Bhi Rahega”…amazing. Specifically brilliant is his ability to mock all players in one single sentence!
3:00 Anand Geete rabble-rousing again. No clue why!
3:08 Cites the refusal of the NDA to condemn the Iraq war. Damn!! I lose elcectricty at home it will come back only at 5 or 6.
Lalu is a great orator. I do not identify one bit with the politics he espouses and I too have often joined in the community Lalu –bashing but I realize for the first time that the guy is a classy speaker. His voice modulation is splendid and he has the very useful ability to muster arguments which fit together perfectly like pieces in a puzzle. Even better he is great at instant repartee and has the gift of delivering a most hilarious comment with a straight face. Rahul Gandhi…are you watching???
votes notes-1
A freak sporting accident (fine I will be honest –I twisted an ankle on my second day of jogging) resulted in my actually being able to watch the “historic” confidence vote in Parliament. So I shall try to address on my own mourns yesterday attempt some live (well..almost) blogging. Most of the observations were noted/scribbled while watching the debate although the matter for the post itself was recorded during the Lunch break. The post-lunch session is in the next post.
P.Chidambaram speaking... He seems very subdued relying mainly on facts while defending the performance of the government, especially in the field of agriculture. His take on the nuclear deal is from a classic legal perspective trying to bring out the finer points of various aspects of 123, the Hyde Act and Vienna Convention on treaties
He seems to be targeting the NDA so far rather than the Left.
Ooops he uttered the C-word and the Left is up in arms! This strategy always seems to work, mention China and all comrades go red in the face. A lot of mallu MPs including N.N.Krishnadasfrom my district) rising and shouting. The prize however goes to P.Salim who is in full flow. I am pretty curious about Mr.Salim since I haven’t heard much of him. He was the first speaker for the CPI(M) to yesterday. Mr. Chidambaram ends with a exploration of the contradictions between the Left and the NDA
Speaker Somnath Chatterjee seems to be on a roll. After all those issues with his party, he seems to have acquired a greater aura and is on the way to becoming a new media icon.. His conduct of the house seems almost similar to that of a school teacher. How else would you explain-“Silence in the House!!”
Vijay Kumar Malhotra of the BJP seems to have taken up the role of the chief attack dog of the BJP since L.K.Advani has become Prime-Minister-in Waiting and by default elder-statesman. He is bringing in all the dirty linen. Nuclear energy won’t be very useful, it is mainly a corporate ploy, even criminals are being brought into parliament….wow even the speaker got angry on that one…the opposition is getting more agitated……and the house is adjourned. sigh!
Somnath Chatterjee delivers an impassioned request for order and a clear expression of disgust….and then goes on to say “…Power is not everything”!!??
Mr.Malhotra continues. He seems to be on course to taking up all his party’s time. He quotes Mani Shankar Aiyyar declaring in “The Devil’s Advocate” that the UPA needs a course correction. Aiyyar rises to clarify. Why would anything said in that show be considered as a valid statement in the first place..it's like a stress interview anyway. Why isn’t MS Aiyyar one of the speakers? He would really have risen to the occasion.
Sonia Gandhi seems to have a blinking disorder. She blinks furiously every time the camera is focused on her.
Aha! Amarnath has been introduced..and soon is followed by its conjoint twin for the BJP-the Haj subsidies. Renuka Chowdury and an NDA MP are engaging in shout-match where the latter’s sole response seems to be “Hindu hain to zameen lotao”.
Malhotra levels accusations of softness on terrorism, a demand for the return of POTA .Boy! I really hope there are no elections. Malhotra has exceeded his time limit but goes on.
He concludes by calling the Government Dusshasan! ;)
Rahul Gandhi has been called….
This guy is going to get a full post. He is phenomenally bad. The response he is getting seems to be mainly snide remarks.
A huge uproar suddenly..no clue as to what is happening. At least Rahul is not saying anything offensive. A lot of BSP MPs waving documents and the session has been adjourned for lunch with Rahul Gandhi’s speech still incomplete.
P.Chidambaram speaking... He seems very subdued relying mainly on facts while defending the performance of the government, especially in the field of agriculture. His take on the nuclear deal is from a classic legal perspective trying to bring out the finer points of various aspects of 123, the Hyde Act and Vienna Convention on treaties
He seems to be targeting the NDA so far rather than the Left.
Ooops he uttered the C-word and the Left is up in arms! This strategy always seems to work, mention China and all comrades go red in the face. A lot of mallu MPs including N.N.Krishnadasfrom my district) rising and shouting. The prize however goes to P.Salim who is in full flow. I am pretty curious about Mr.Salim since I haven’t heard much of him. He was the first speaker for the CPI(M) to yesterday. Mr. Chidambaram ends with a exploration of the contradictions between the Left and the NDA
Speaker Somnath Chatterjee seems to be on a roll. After all those issues with his party, he seems to have acquired a greater aura and is on the way to becoming a new media icon.. His conduct of the house seems almost similar to that of a school teacher. How else would you explain-“Silence in the House!!”
Vijay Kumar Malhotra of the BJP seems to have taken up the role of the chief attack dog of the BJP since L.K.Advani has become Prime-Minister-in Waiting and by default elder-statesman. He is bringing in all the dirty linen. Nuclear energy won’t be very useful, it is mainly a corporate ploy, even criminals are being brought into parliament….wow even the speaker got angry on that one…the opposition is getting more agitated……and the house is adjourned. sigh!
Somnath Chatterjee delivers an impassioned request for order and a clear expression of disgust….and then goes on to say “…Power is not everything”!!??
Mr.Malhotra continues. He seems to be on course to taking up all his party’s time. He quotes Mani Shankar Aiyyar declaring in “The Devil’s Advocate” that the UPA needs a course correction. Aiyyar rises to clarify. Why would anything said in that show be considered as a valid statement in the first place..it's like a stress interview anyway. Why isn’t MS Aiyyar one of the speakers? He would really have risen to the occasion.
Sonia Gandhi seems to have a blinking disorder. She blinks furiously every time the camera is focused on her.
Aha! Amarnath has been introduced..and soon is followed by its conjoint twin for the BJP-the Haj subsidies. Renuka Chowdury and an NDA MP are engaging in shout-match where the latter’s sole response seems to be “Hindu hain to zameen lotao”.
Malhotra levels accusations of softness on terrorism, a demand for the return of POTA .Boy! I really hope there are no elections. Malhotra has exceeded his time limit but goes on.
He concludes by calling the Government Dusshasan! ;)
Rahul Gandhi has been called….
This guy is going to get a full post. He is phenomenally bad. The response he is getting seems to be mainly snide remarks.
A huge uproar suddenly..no clue as to what is happening. At least Rahul is not saying anything offensive. A lot of BSP MPs waving documents and the session has been adjourned for lunch with Rahul Gandhi’s speech still incomplete.
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