INDImag – Contemporary fiction | Motivational short stories | Social stories | Short story criticism

“A good orator brings to a speech something more persuasive and moving than the just words” I remembered reading in a book as we were being doled platitudes and cliches about the same in a company sponsored, day long session on ‘Leadership’. We have so few of either these days I wondered : orators or good leaders ; and fewer that are both. 

“A leader needs to be emotionally invested ; but just enough to empathize, while not get sucked up into the whirlpool leading to an impaired judgement “, a professorial presenter echoed. I digressed mentally into my own analysis of what my take on the subject would be — Emotional Strength & Leadership.

In a recent TIME magazine tribute to Tim Russert, Joe Klein recounts a Clintonian incident that he and Russert were spectators to. Trying to explain her struggles to keep up with her medical expenses, a woman, who was opening up to Bill Clinton on his campaign trail starts to sob and breaks down. Bill Clinton reportedly darted across, went down on his knees and held her for what seemed like forever, with scant disregard for the politics and as to how it would be analyzed the next day. To Russert and Klein, that was the turning point.

To me, succinctly, that’s emotional leadership. As I wondered who else would have done better, the presenter dimmed the lights, and a projector beamed a familiar face.

A statuesque statesmanlike figure I recognized came on the screen and started a sombre address. It was Ronald Reagan, and the sad events that had led him to this address, was the fatal mishap of the Challenger space shuttle.

For the next 4.5 minutes, I just watched this man in utter amazement as he effortlessly went through the crests and troughs of explaining this tragedy to the nation. I have been awed by this 40th President of the United States, many a times. When he took office, he had vowed to champion “a great new beginning” for America – one grounded in its founding principles, unlimited by burdensome government, and sustained by the beliefs. He was a power house that went on to echo “Bring down the wall Mr. Gorbachev”. But..

But this address, packed with emotion, that so effortlessly conveyed sorrow, mourning, historical significance while bolstering the American resolve to keep moving on and be pioneers was one of his best. Not stopping at addressing the nation, he addressed the tots in schools as well “And I want to say something to the schoolchildren of America who were watching the live coverage of the shuttle’s takeoff. I know it is hard to ..“

A gem of a speech indeed.

Searching something closer to home back in India, I wondered who could do a Reagan as above ? After a couple of quick dismissals, the obvious choice was Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India. Nehru was a statesman with abundance of charisma and a strong hold on English. His “Tryst with Destiny” echoed on the eve of India’s independence in 1947 had a raw energy coupled his sense of authority that sent a clear message to the world — independent India has arrived.

While I was reliving my read of this speech, a thought stuck me. Wonder how Nehru had conveyed Gandhiji’s assassination to the nation ? A nation charged with the partition hateracy and plagued by chaos arising out of the exodus. After the seminar, I quickly headed to my desk to search it up and compare it with Reagan’s address. I was in for pleasant surprise..

Friends and comrades, the light has gone out of our lives and there is darkness everywhere. I do not know what to tell you and how to say it. Our beloved leader, Bapu as we called him, the father of the nation, is no more. Perhaps I am wrong to say that. Nevertheless, we will not see him again as we have seen him for these many years. We will not run to him for advise and seek solace from hi, and that is a terrible blow, not to me only, but to millions and millions in this country, and it is a little difficult to soften the blow by any other advise that I or anyone else can give you.

The light has gone out, I said, and yet I was wrong. For the light that shone in this country was no ordinary light. The light that has illumined this country for these many years will illumine this country for many more years, and a thousand years later that light will still be seen in this country, and the world will see it and it will give solace to innumerable hearts. For that light represented the living truth … the eternal truths, reminding us of the right path, drawing us from error, taking this ancient country to freedom.

All this has happened when there was so much more for him to do. We could never think that he was unnecessary or that he had done his task. But now, particularly, when we are faced with so many difficulties, his not being with us is a blow most terrible to bear.

A madman has put an end to his life, for I can only call him mad who did it, and yet there has been enough of poison spread in this country during the past years and months, and this poison has effect on people’s minds. We must face this poison, we must root out this poison, and we must face all the perils that encompass and face them not madly or badly but rather in the way that our beloved teacher taught us to face them.. The first thing to remember no wish that no one of us dare misbehave because we’re angry. We have to behave like strong and determined people, determined to face all the perils that surround us, determined to carry out the mandate that our great teacher and our great leader had given us, remembering always that if, as I believe, his sprit looks upon us and sees u, nothing would displease his soul so much as to see that we have indulged in any small behaviour or any violence.

So we must not do that. But that does not mean that we should be weak, but rather that we should in strength and in unity face all the troubles and difficulties and conflicts must be ended in the face of this great disaster. A great disaster is a symbol to us to remember all the big things of life and forget the small things, of which we have thought too much.

Source : EulogySpeech.com

Even in a moment of personal loss that far outweighed Reagan’s loss of the crew, Nehru had connected and communicated, and how ! He started the speech laying bare his predicament and confusion by talking about the darkness India was plunged into and not knowing what to tell the nation. He calls the act a terrible blow and concedes there is no way the blow could be softened. He then takes the nation that he has engaged with the preceding humanly admissions, towards light, like a true leader. He invokes Gandhiji‘s ideals and urges the nation to employ restraint as a homage to the Mahatma. He echoes that Gandhiji’s light and blessings, will remain with India, and is eternal. He concedes the anger that rages in us at the dastardly crime, while urging the country not to yield to that anger. He proposes a silent prayer as the best homage to this great man.

No matter what one’s political leanings, or exceptions to the policies of these two great men, few can deny the fact that these two statesmen connected with their country men. They connected in a manner that was seamless via their oratory prowess as if it were second nature to them.

Where have these men gone ?

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