Pankaj Sharma
2 March 2015, New Delhi
The Congress party
vice president is
on the path of
proving doubters wrong
When was the last time any-body debated about the
whereabouts of a Bharatiya Janata Party president or any other senior leader?
The regular presence or absence of any leader for a few days was rarely
discussed in the media. Do we know where BJP president Amit Shah has been from
time to time? Do we know what his views are on the land acquisition bill?
Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi’s leave of absence from the ongoing Budget
session in Parliament, however, has not only made news but dominated the national
discourse for several days.
Although I may not appreciate the theme or tenor of the
current political discourse, discussions surrounding Rahul Gandhi must come as
a source of encouragement to ordinary Congressmen. That’s the power and
relevance of the Congress. I am happy that people ruthlessly scrutinise and
judge members of the Nehru-Gandhi family on a different yardstick. This must
give every Congressman a sense of pride. I’ve been in the media for the last 35
years, besides a Congress party member for the last 8. Congressmen must thank
mainstream media and social media for expecting impeccable conduct from their
leader. This could only be expected from the Congress leadership, since the
party formulated our socio-political aesthetics during the freedom movement. I
am happy the media has set a different yardstick for BJP leaders. After all,
how can a party that boasts of nationalist credentials, live with its blotted
history of not participating in the freedom struggle?
I know why media gorillas ridicule Rahul Gandhi. The
opinion about Rahul was manufactured with great effort and costs by forces, who
worked to legitimise Narendra Modi and Amit Shah. If Rahul was not portrayed as
a novice, how can leaders, with such poor credentials, be entrusted with
national responsibilities? We all know that there is a paid group assigned with
the sinister task of manipulating views on social media. But the tragedy is
that some innocent young voters have now fallen into this trap. They now
presume that this manufactured perversion is the natural response of the people
to Rahul Gandhi. The people know this country and are extremely mature. They
are aware of the true worth of any leader. Voters overcome their mistakes in no
time, even though falsehood and propaganda do initially blunt their critical
faculties. You cannot tailor a person’s judgment for ever. The Delhi election
result, for example, showed the seething rage voters felt against the BJP. They
felt that the party had taken them for a ride in the last few elections. The
Congress, admittedly, had committed some mistakes and the electorate did not
see them as an alternative to Modi. The day Congress is seen as an alternative,
it will bounce back. Rahul Gandhi is preparing a road map for this particular
moment.
The poor people’s reaction to Prime Minister Modi’s Rs 10
lakh suit should be a case study for any political scientist, who wants to
understand India. Rahul has never attracted that kind of a controversy. He
never tries to boast about his ‘friendship’ with heads of states by repeatedly
calling them by their first names during serious diplomatic summits. Congress
leaders are not known for such indiscretions. Jawaharlal Nehru gave the eternal
concept of non-alignment to the world. Indira Gandhi won her spurs for
resisting American dominance and Rajiv Gandhi worked hard for laying the
foundation of a 21st century’s India. For them politics has been a serious
subject. Rahul Gandhi too, was derided by international forces, the corporate
and mighty, because he dedicated himself to the politics of a different kind.
It is a politics that has not become subservient to self-aggrandisement.
Have we ever pondered what Rahul Gandhi has done to deserve
this ridicule? He refused to join the Government despite several invitations
from former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. He did not become Prime Minister
despite immense pressure from fellow Congressmen. He chose to tour the country
and absorb life in villages and towns. He spoke for the poor, deprived,
downtrodden and the weak and publicly accepted the Congress drawbacks. For
intra-party dynamics, Rahul has advocated internal democracy, caste equality
and decentralisation of power. Are these the negative traits that made him a
‘person with no fire in the belly’? If yes, have we objectively analyzed how to
describe leaders involved in fake encounters, riots and phone tapping? Does
that expose our bias, limitations and attitudes? Are we ready for introspection
too?
Falsehood has a brief lifespan. Belief, ideology and
commitment are what matters. Rahul Gandhi needn’t worry on that front. I know
where Rahul Gandhi stands on key issues. He is heading towards the right
destination.
Author is editor & CEO of
News Views India
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