R.I.P - Real Leaders

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Last weeks' news article on ULFA chairman having got converted to Islam caught my attention. The fact that he was using the alias of Kamruj Zaman Khan is an old piece of information; the first name most probably hinting at that mid-summer nights dream of having an independent 'Raj' in 'Kam'rup. A dream which will most likely remain one, in spite of what his new found bosses would like him to believe. And almost everybody knew that he is using that name to hide in Bangladesh, after Bhutan stopped giving them safe refuge. However, what did come as a shock was the fact he had actually acquired it by converting along with his whole family. So, the person who has been brainwashing the local populace about the Indian tyranny; imagined or factual has got brainwashed himself. And to what great effect!! He is now seen espousing the causes of the Bangladeshi illegal immigrants; the same set of people he vowed to deport. I have always held a dim view of all these militant leaders and organizations primarily because, as a person interested in history, I have read and have repeatedly realized that many such uprisings which pretended to be saviors of the masses only ended up torturing the same set of people. Hitler, Lenin, Gaddaffi and the likes exploited the hard situations their countries were in at that point of time and promised the populace to get them their rights, dignity and comfort they all deserved. We all know what havoc they brought in after they came to power. Hitler is not a topic you can discuss openly in Germany now. People either loathe him or talk about him in hushed tones. Lenin and his policies killed equal number of people if not more. Gaddafi might not have bettered the kill count but when he was chased by the militia on the roads of Libya, we can imagine the hatred people started having for this great leader. And yet, I believe that these leaders at least had convictions. That they turned megalomaniac is a different psychological issue. They continued to espouse some ideals, however flawed they were. Our current leaders, democratically elected or self appointed like Mr. Zaman, have no ideals or commitments. When Maharana Pratap lost the war in Haldighati, he could not take back Chittaur. Disheartened, Maharana Pratap made his descendants vow that they would not sleep on beds, nor live in palaces, nor eat off metal utensils, until Chittorgarh had been regained.In fact, right into the 20th century the maharanas of Mewar continued to place a leaf platter under their regular utensils and a reed mat under their beds in symbolic continuance of this vow. This is commitment. Commitment to one's ideal, to ones dream, to ones duties. The so called leaders, we have today are only weak kneed men or men of straw whom even a puff of wind can take apart like a puff of dandelions. The only interest they know is self interest and the only -ism they follow is 'maximize your capital-ism'. Recently, in a book stall, I saw Lachit appear in a Amar Chitra Katha comic and somehow I felt it was an apt situation. Our real leaders are now in comic strips whereas what we have now are just comic characters.