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Rahul Gandhi and Bilawal Zardari: The
uncanny similarities
Saturday April 07, 2012 06:38:50 PM,
IANS
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New Delhi: Rahul
Gandhi and Bilawal Zardari Bhutto, two scions whose respective
pasts have uncanny similarities, are expected to talk at Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh's lunch here Sunday for Pakistan President
Asif Ali Zardari.
Informed sources said Bilawal, who took over as Pakistan Peoples
Party (PPP) chairman at age 19 after the assassination of his
mother and former prime minister Benazir Bhutto in 2007, figures
in the guest list.
The sources said Rahul may also be at the lunch, and the two young
leaders from India and Pakistan may get to talk.
Both Rahul, 41, and Bilawal, 23, hold key posts in the Congress
and PPP, respectively. Both hail from famous political families
and are also seen as potential rulers of their respective
countries by the faithful.
Rahul and Bilawal have studied in Britain - the former at
Cambridge, the latter at Oxford.
Rahul is general secretary of the Congress, which heads India's
ruling United Progressive Coalition. Bilawal is chairman of the
ruling PPP.
Both are sons of former prime ministers who were tragically
assassinated.
Rahul's father Rajiv Gandhi was blown up by a Tamil Tiger suicide
bomber in May 1991.
Bilawal's mother Benazir Bhutto was assassinated in near similar
fashion in December 2007.
Both victims were campaigning for their parties ahead of
parliamentary elections.
Rahul's grandmother Indira Gandhi was prime minister as was
Bilawal's grandfather Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.
Both Indira Gandhi and Bhutto senior also met tragic deaths. One
was gunned down, the other was hanged.
Both Rahul and Bilawal have stated their commitment to deepen
democracy in their respective countries.
Rahul has embarked on a task to democratise the functioning of the
Youth Congress.
Bilawal quoted his mother Benazir Bhutto in his speech soon after
taking over as PPP chairperson to say: "Democracy is the best
revenge."
Both face tough challenges, and both have plenty of critics.
The similarities end here.
Rahul is an MP and has increasingly played an active role in
elections, campaigning for candidates, and trying to rejuvenate
the Congress in those states where it once held sway.
Bilawal is yet to contest an assembly or parliamentary election.
His supporters say he is expected to play a key role in PPP in the
2013 general elections.
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