FOR THOSE WHO CONFUSE CRICKET/FOOTBALL WITH GOVERNANCE

India is passing through very bad times both economically and politically with enemies like China, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh surrounding us on all sides. The U.S. is more dependent on Pakistan than India but it wants us to buy all our military hardware from them-hence its recent camaraderie with India. The U.S. spends its money for buying friendship from Pakistan whereas it extends friendship to us for making us buy its military hardware in order to counter those they have given as dole to Pakistan.

If youth was the sole panacea for all ills then Buddhadev Bhattacharya would have been a better CM than Jyoti Basu. He has so badly messed up Bengal that now many in the CPI(M)call him the next Gorbachev. How much better was youthful Rajiv Gandhi, who had the biggest mandate any PM ever had in India's history, compared to his old mother?

This is politics which requires experience above all else in order to tackle several problems simultaneously both within and from outside with the calibre of carrying everyone along through a very turbulent 5 year journey. This is not cricket or football where youth means physical stamina. It is an arena where mental stamina/patience is more important than anything else.

Remember Rajiv Gandhi publicly sacking his Foreign Secretary Mr AP Venkateswaran in a Press conference which made everyone gasp in disbelief? He even insulted Nepal's King Birendra at a joint Press conference in presence of Benazir Bhutto in Pakistan and closed all entry points of landlocked Nepal through India causing them immense economic hardship which turned the Nepalese against us ever us since and helping it to become ISI's first base outside Pakistan for attacking India. As Nepali citizens do not need any Visa to enter India at any time, the ISI comfortably pushes jihadis into India via that country. That is the flip side of youth-impatience, impetuosity, high emotions that distances one from the goal. A young George W Bush was even 8 years younger when elected but see what a mess he has made of the world in general and the US. economy in particular. Now compare his track record with that of Ronald Reagan who was one of the oldest U.S. Presidents ever.He broke up the Soviet Union and put an end to the Cold War.