The passing away of businessman-politician Murli Deora will certainly leave a vacuum in the Congress Party where men of his political maturity and finesse are not in abundance. A hardcore Congressman, he was able to get on with leaders and people across the political spectrum, imperative at a time when intolerance seems to be the prevailing mood and one-upmanship the order of the day. He did it with such sophistication that no one suspected his identity or loyalty. Today if a politician or leader is seen talking to a leader of a different party, he is suspected of treachery. Deora may not have been without weaknesses but he had several characteristics that party leaders and politicians need to develop to not only enable the smooth running of Parliament but of the country on a day-to-day basis.
Once outside Parliament, politicians need to forget the acrimony vented inside and share a camaraderie with fellow MPs and politicians. He was a professional politician and knew how to play the game. And he enjoyed it. Another of his qualities that today’s politicians lack was his availability to the public and anyone who needed help. He had no ego hassles even though he wielded immense power as the boss of the Mumbai Congress Committee for 22 years, and thereafter as an MP and Union minister. He was truly a servant of the people, one who could interact with the sophisticate or the rustic with equal ease. To call his qualities “old world charm” would be wrong. These qualities, like truth, are eternal.
