First Lessons in Leadership - Kiran Sir

It is almost 3 am and we just returned from visiting multiple grieving homes. At the crack of dawn, the lifeless bodies of nine young girls will make their last journey, to an unexpected and untimely fiery end.
At about 2 pm in the afternoon, 13 or so hours ago, 7 teachers of a wellknown local school and two friends were swept away by waves as they frolicked unsuspecting in the frothy, sinister waters of Chorwad beach.
At 7pm, 8 or so hours ago, we were gathered in the BJP karyalay, awaiting news of the arrival of the lifeless forms of what hours before had been 9 promising lives.
At 11.30pm, about 4 hours ago, we began the pilgrimage to all nine wailing homes.
This was no longer an election stunt, since the voting booths closed 36 hours ago. It was a lesson in leadership. It was about sharing the pain of a few unfortunate families. I saw another side of my political brethren as they absorbed some of the heartrending grief of their fellow citizens of Rajkot.
Is this what netas do? Is this how leaders are made?
In a jhopadpatti at the edge of beyond, I began to find meaning in my just begun political safari. We spent over an hour looking for this particular home. The father is in the army and was hastening back upon hearing the news of his daughter. From some corner of MadhyaPradesh. Sadly, he will not make it in time to light the funeral pyre of his beloved 'dikri'.
The family has no friends and there wasn't anyone around to lessen their desolate grief. At all the other homes, we experienced milling crowds of wellwishers.
The house was barely livable. A sister and a brother sat mutely, uncomprehendingly next to the still form of their sibling.
A mother wailed somewhere in the background, heard but not seen.
We called two party workers to the scene, rudely awakening them from their nearby slum homes. They were there in a few minutes and taking charge within seconds.
The faces of the family came alive as they spoke to us about their daughter. This had been a special teacher, I sensed. The grief was then all the more.
We left soon to return to the comfort of our homes, so far away from the harsh realities of what is very likely the real India.
I had felt helpless when I first heard the news. I will go to sleep in a few moments, wiser and more appreciative of 'politicians'. Many travel the same paths I propose to take, paths of service before self.
Good night! :-)