“Be not afraid of greatness. Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and others have greatness thrust upon them”. William Shakespeare
Political leadership has become a big issue today. Many speculations are being done around this subject and hasty conclusions are being drawn in contradiction with the real situation on the ground.
Leadership crisis has always haunted human civilization since time immemorial. Great wars have been fought in the history of humanity for the sake of leadership and many lives have been sacrificed for same.
Even a kid is made to realize that a leader is somebody who emerges from among his people. A leader can never be fabricated. Such a sudden, hasty and dramatic decision benefit neither a party nor its electorate. It results in disintegration and deflagration only.
After Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam, his son Navin emerged as the Leader of the Labour party after his father’s death. Xavier also emerged as the leader of the PMSD when Sir Gaëtan Duval left the political scene. Pravind Jugnauth was given the leadership of the MSM party on a golden platter by his father which brought frustration within his own family members.
Historical records bear ample testimony to the fact that leaders continue to exercise their influences on the thoughts and minds of their people.
Leadership crisis is not a new phenomenon but it has always dominated the life of people. Only those who have been blessed with deep intuitive insight can better understand the undercurrents of idealism flowing underneath and how to deal with such situation to preserve the existence of a group or a political party to survive. Removing a leader means decapitation of a group, a party, a society or a nation.
Decapitation of a leader is considered to be a monumental mistake whatsoever is the circumstance. If a head is removed, the rest of the remaining parts melt somewhere in a vacuum. We still remember how the leader of the CAM was heartlessly decapitated by its own electorate in an election contest in the seventies. What happened finally? It disappeared completely from the political scene.
If same is repeated in the case of the historic leader of MMM and the leader of the Labour party, the whole complex will dramatically suffer disintegration and nobody will be able to re-invent them again. History has sufficient record regarding how uncontrolled intellectual power and lack of moral vision have given the world rude shocks.
We should not be oblivious to the lessons taught to us in recent history. Every conscious act of an average man is preceded by some thoughts and directly oriented towards some purpose. Nobody can prevent a stream from flowing its course.
The picture of an ideal man has varied in different religions and philosophies. But a political leader should stand both as individual and as an embodiment of the essence and ideal in a society in which he has a historical background. An ideal man falls but he can rise after the fall to greater heights enriched with experiences.
A true and born leader is always motivated by an unflinching desire and high objective of furthering the welfare of its people, creating a lasting and sustainable feel good factor looking at the superior interest of the nation. Leadership always looks at the larger interest of the people and never guided towards selfish motives. Magnanimity, Generosity, and Humility are the cardinal traits of such leadership.
Leadership cannot simply be thrust upon someone. It must be earned by dint of one’s effort and sense of sacrifice.