Akshaye answers some serious questions

What does it take to make a leader? Is it true that India has progressed in spite of, rather than because of, its leaders? And what kind of leaders does India really need? Questions like that affect all of us and are way too important to be left to politicians alone. And so, when The Times of India decided to hold a panel discussion on the subject as part of the Lead India initiative, we made sure to invite as wide-ranging a group as possible. We hoped to get a vibrant, provocative discussion, with lots of differing viewpoints being expressed. We got all that, and lots more.

As sound and light checks were conducted, the panelists trooped in. And the bytes began even before the cameras started rolling. Rajeev Chandrasekhar, former CEO of BPL Mobile and now a Rajya Sabha MP, held forth on one of his pet themes: "Why can't we have a common minimum programme on governance which cuts across parties? If a disparate coalition can agree on a common agenda, why can't all other parties as well?" Next in was classical dancer and activist Mallika Sarabhai, taking a few hours off from a whirlwind series of performances to raise awareness about the disadvantaged among students. "The 30% of India that's enjoying the benefits of liberalisation has to realise there's a 70% that isn't. And if we don't pay attention to that 70%, it could have disastrous consequences," she warned.

Popping flashbulbs marked the arrival of suave actor Akshaye Khanna, exuding a cool charm in a shirt and tie combined with blue jeans. Still basking in the critical acclaim he's received for his role in Gandhi My Father, Akshaye was raring to go, and it soon became obvious he'd done his homework thoroughly. BJP leader Arun Jaitley came in sporting a sky blue kurta. As the only full-time neta among the panelists, he was warned to expect a rough time. Jaitley smiled and took it all in good humour, declining to be provoked even as the other panelists blamed politicians for virtually everything under the sun. Rounding up the panel was Shankar Raghuraman, senior editor of The Times of India and ace number cruncher who frequently threw out stats to back up, or disprove arguments being trotted out by the other panelists. Do netas care for India? By this time, the panelists were seated and a hush descended on the hall. A reverse countdown was given from the control room and right on cue, Times Now editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami began proceedings. He first called upon Jaitley, who sprang to the defence of political veterans. "Our system of multiparty democracy has great merit, but it also has downsides. Electability is a huge factor, and in today's set-up, young politicians are thrown up in only two ways: either through caste politics or dynasty politics. This has to change. Besides, I've seen many young politicians who enter Parliament to huge media hype. Soon they become Page 3 regulars, and equally soon fade away. They seem to lack the ability to sustain themselves. A leader has to be credible and committed - and that's a quality seen only in those who have been in politics for years." Mallika Sarabhai was next up, and she made a simple but telling point. "We have to find good young people and groom them. We have to find a way to break the logjam that is politics today."

That was Arnab's cue to ask Akshaye if, as a thinking, urban young man, he would consider entering politics. "No, that's not my calling," he replied instantly. But he did have a point of view on the subject of leadership: "I believe a leader should put the country before self and I don't see too much of that happening." "That's not entirely true," countered Jaitley. “Politicians do have a commitment to the country. But each will act according to what he believes is the right thing for the country, and that will differ from person to person. I don't think it's right to question someone's patriotism just because he takes a different line from yours."

Akshaye, though, wasn't willing to concede the point. "I was watching Lok Sabha proceedings on TV and I saw MPs making a din in Parliament when the PM was trying to explain the nuclear deal with the US. No one was willing to hear him. No matter what you might believe, not hearing the PM speak cannot be good for the country." He got unanimous approval on that point, with Arnab declaring that while Akshaye might not be interested in entering politics, after hearing him speak many people might start wishing that he'd take the plunge!

Caste & corruption What would make good people enter politics? Chandrasekhar spoke up: "Even though not many youngsters are encouraged into roles of political prominence, there's no escaping the fact that politics does have an all-pervading impact on the country. To ensure the younger lot ventures into politics, we need to make the election process firmer and sharper. There has to be a sustained spotlight on the political agenda of our leaders. And I don't believe casteism and good leadership are mutually exclusive." Interjections followed quick and fast. Sarabhai observed: "The way you all are describing a leader as 'he' or 'him' speaks of a strong gender bias." Akshaye interrupted: "Look at Mamata Banerjee, Mayawati, Jayalalithaa, Sonia Gandhi. How can you say there's a gender bias? I'm totally with you when it comes to issues like female foeticide but it's not as if somebody is stopping women from being in politics." Shankar stepped in: "Why, then, do women account for less than 10% of India's MPs?" As the rest of the panel groped for an answer, he came up with his own explanation: "There's nothing new about casteism and gender bias in politics. They've both been around forever. It's just that earlier politics was dominated by the upper castes, so no one made a big issue about it. It's only now that the lower castes are playing a major role that people are talking of casteism. Similarly, gender was never a factor as long as women were taking a backseat. These and similar things have become 'issues' now because of the larger churning of events."

So what is the one thing that can be done to make an impact on the political leadership in the country, asked Arnab. "It might be nice to come up with a dramatic statement on TV, but nothing happens instantly," said Jaitley, speaking from the experience of long years within the system. Akshaye, young and impatient, wasn't willing to accept that. "We must ensure that those in public life are paid well. You cannot pay a cop or an IAS officer peanuts and then expect them to not be tempted to take bribes," he said. Chandrasekhar, in keeping with his business background, spoke of the importance of institution-building. "All our institutions have been politicised. The new political class must bear in mind that one of our biggest challenges is to build institutions - be it independent regulators or a depoliticised police force." "The only thing that can make an impact is throwing 80% of those in Parliament into the sea," said Mallika bluntly. "What ideology or integrity are we talking about? There's hardly anybody who hasn't been touched by corruption. India must be the only democracy where neta after neta and babu after babu has been publicly exposed as corrupt but not one has been stripped of his ill-gotten crores."

Never missing a beat, Jaitley replied: "I'm not a pessimist. I believe in the resilience of India. We've seen some huge crises and come out of them. We've grown - and will continue growing - at a fast pace." However, he did concede, "Parties need to marry pragmatic politics with ideals of governance." Leaders for the future How can we shape future leaders, asked Arnab. Again, all the panelists scrambled to put across their point of view. "Education for all will go a long way," said Akshaye. "But today's education itself is geared towards teaching our kids to strive for high-paying jobs," retorted Mallika. "When you're creating that sort of money-minded generation, how do you expect education to help?" "We need to provide our future leaders with something to look forward to," said Chandrasekhar. "There's obviously something about politics that's not inspiring youngsters to come forth. That has to change. Moreover, fragmented politics is the biggest threat to growth," he added. Jaitley stressed that there's no way a country can progress without healthy politics. "The challenge is to make everybody benefit," finished Shankar. As the youngest panel member, Akshay got the privilege of making a wishlist for a better India. "Start with education. Change the mindset of the top brass. And embrace a new ideology," he rattled off. Both Jaitley and Chandrasekhar seconded that, making for a degree of agreement that was rare during the discussion. "The media should focus on real leaders instead of putrid heroes," offered Mallika. "Every citizen in every state must be part of the political process," chimed in Shankar, bringing the lively discussion to an end. As the cameras were turned off, most of the people present - including TV crew, refreshment boys and audience members - promptly made a dash for... Akshaye. The actor, so intense on screen, cheerfully signed autographs, posed for group pictures and flashed his dimples as the other panelists quietly withdrew. Sure, being an achiever is hugely important for any leader. But in India, a touch of glamour certainly seems to help with the public ratings...

We want to see those pics! It's great to see Akshaye taking on some of the biggest leaders in the country. Great going, Akshaye!