Shekhar Gupta, editor-in-chief of the Indian Express, remembers Benazir Bhutto (1953-2007):
... while she could be exasperating, confused, insecure, loud, immature, vicious, venal, desperate, whatever — one weakness you would never associate with Benazir was physical cowardice ...
You have to experience Pakistan’s street politics to understand how chaotic and dangerous it can be. Ours has mellowed hugely in comparison. At the best of times, a popular politician in Pakistan takes huge physical risks. Crowds, chaos, din, drums and dust, just the raw energy of the Pakistani street leaves India far behind. Perhaps it is because of the spasmodic nature of that democratic process, each rally is some kind of mass catharsis. Or, perhaps, as a Pakistan journo once told me, “It is just that we are a mostly Punjabi nation.”
More here. (Another view from Amit Baruah in the Hindustan Times.)
