Birthday wishes and more…

By: Reetasri Bhattacharjee

“Many more happy returns of the day”, so read in the front page of a leading newspaper on 19th June, 2010. Here the noteworthy thing, apart from the birthday wish is the date. Not many of the younger generation would know that this is the date when Rahul Gandhi, the Prince of India celebrates his birthday. The fact that I am stating him as the Prince of India is simple. He is the heir apparent of Congress and thus also the Prime Ministers’ throne, the illustrious MP from Amethi and the General Secretary of the mighty Congress. All this roles when capped by the same person he is surely nothing else than a Prince, isn’t it?

Anyway, moving ahead, he celebrates his birthday on one of the 365 days of the year, like all of us do. True he is the “rather cool” MP of the recent times and an hot favourite of the youth, but does it justify the fact that birthday wishes are expressed to him on a quarter of a front page ad given by another member of the Congress. It can be understood when we wish people like Mahatma Gandhi in this manner, but I want to know, what has this Gandhi done to get to much respect. Does the fact that he once traveled on trains to understand the plight of the passenger or that he ate in a Dalit's house make him MAHAN?

Did that Congress Committee member from the state of Tamil Nadu really want to wish Rahul Gandhi or did he want to show to the world that he has the money to flaunt and spend on an absolutely unnecessary ad. I am sure if he could have used that amount (which no doubt runs to lakhs) in a much better manner. And even if that money belongs to the Congress, there are much better ways to utilize them. An ad of such a thing is simply ridiculous.

Not only should the advertiser be blamed in this case, but the media too. It is well known today that newspapers really have to struggle to generate revenue but does it justify them publishing such ads. It is important here to mention that on the same day in the same paper two more such wishes came as ads. All the ads were by some Congress member and in colour too!! The amount of money that was spent on wishing this person! (Imagine what was spent on his celebrations??!!)

As I end, another question enters my mind. Is the situation inside Congress so bad that their own members need to wish their leader through a national newspaper? Couldn’t they do the same personally through a telephone, mail?? Strange are the way things work in this country….

This blog has been contributed by Reetasri Bhattacharjee a dear friend of mine. She is a regular blogger on blogspot and maintains the blog My Passing Moments