There has been some intense discussions ongoing in the country on who should receive the coveted Bharat Ratna. Sachin Tendulkar was almost a shoe-in until Indian team collapsed in Australia. Viswanathan Anand may be a very good choice too, in future, however he has been spending more time overseas than on domestic soil where he could train more champions.
There are many many Indians who are well deserving. I am sure that most of them served India purely on conscience and good intentions, without expecting awards.
So, why do I prefer Sonia Gandhi for Bharat Ratna?
A deep look at the widely varying cultural differences between western lifestyle and Indian lifestyle might be a good beginning. It is quite hard for an Indian to relocate to western countries, adjust oneself to cultural, societal and language differences. It is even more difficult for someone to be born in a western nation, relocate to India, learn the language, learn the culture, and fully integrate into the system, take leadership role and make decisions that impact one billion people. Mrs.Sonia Gandhi has achieved all of these. She has been extremely modest, declined to become PM (the President's office has clarified that it never discussed with her about eligibility and it wasn't an issue at all), and has been an excellent role model for women, mothers, party leaders among others. There may be more reasons and you are welcome to update me.
I am not a great fan of Congress Party or any other party for that matter. I came to this decision in a nonpartisan manner. Would I recommend Mr.Vajpayee? Most assuredly, as soon as I perform some due diligence on his contributions to the country. However, at this time, I strongly propose Mrs.Sonia Gandhi. If you agree, send this page to your friends.
Dr.Barani
barani @ dosai.com