BJP bhakts, who
clutched at the weak straw of Rahul Gandhi’s inaccessibility and shyness, were
in for a big shock when he decided to reach out to media. Not to any ordinary “friendly”
media types, but to some of the biggest and toughest – Dainik Bhaskar and Times
Now. Shocked and awed, BJP trolls could only criticize Rahul for the way he spoke,
not for what he spoke. Clearly they were rattled.
Rahul’s areas of
focus were spelt out repeatedly (so much so that #BJPrattled complained about that
also!). Clearly, women’s empowerment, providing youth with opportunities,
fighting corruption, making India a manufacturing superpower and sharing power
with people are Rahul’s theme for his party.
Now this is not the
first time he’s spoken about these subjects. He has been demanding 33% reservation for women in
Parliament for long. His party even got the legislation passed in the Rajya
Sabha a few years back. (Incidentally, in today’s speech, Obama also spoke of
women’s empowerment). He has repeatedly said that if our women remained behind,
“only half” of India would progress, and he’s not interested in this kind of
India. Obama made similar sounds.
On opportunities for
the youth, we know that that has been Rahul’s obsession for long. He has
transformed his party’s youth bodies in ways which allow the youth to enter and
actively participate in politics. Equal opportunity to all is what is close to
the heart of the youth, and that’s what Rahul has delivered in his previous job
as President of Youth Congress. He is now doing that for the larger AICC.
On corruption, Rahul
came out strongly. Rahul is the one who brought in the Lokpal. Till the day he
announced that he would make it happen, the Lokpal bill was rotting in
Parliament. As soon as he announced it, it became law within days. The BJP fell
in line, the entire opposition fell in line. If the BJP had had their will,
there would be no Lokpal today. Anna realized this duplicity of the BJP when it
first promised to include Lok Ayuktas within the Lokpal bill, only to later use
the garb of “federalism” to go back on its word. We know how Narendra Modi
actively connived to deny Gujarat a Lok Ayukta for 10 long years. We also know
that the BJP has not supported the grand vision of Rahul on cleaning up
politics – his “six pending bills”. Earlier, Rahul wanted to give the Lokpal
constitutional status, but the BJP didn’t allow that too. At all points, the
BJP has used corruption only to crib and complain and badger the Congress with;
but has shown very little interest in actually doing anything constructive. In
fact, it went ahead and diluted the Gujarat Lok Ayukta Act giving its CM even
more control over the watchdog. Fighting corruption has become Rahul’s calling
card; not something that he runs away from.
This is the “new
system” that he repeatedly referred to in his interview. A system in which a Sheila
Dixit will have to face the courts if that’s what the evidence indicates; a
Kalmadi will have to resign when there is prima facie evidence. And a system
unlike what the BJP wants when it decided to bring Yeddy back into the party. Rahul
may well be compelled to ally with RJD because of political reasons, but at
least he doesn’t bring corrupt people back into his party.
His spiel on making
India the manufacturing hub was part of his government’s long term promise…. His
party’s visionary Delhi-Mumbai Industrial corridor is all about manufacturing
growth, of creating new smart cities….things that Modi has tried to usurp. His
government’s New Manufacturing Policy is all about increasing share of
manufacturing to 25% of the GDP from some 16% at present. His government’s
focus on infrastructure is also about increasing manufacturing.
Now to some
specifics. Arnab tried to provoke Rahul by asking he was afraid of Modi. Rahul
was cool. He first said that he was afraid of nothing, given his tryst with
personal tragedy in the past. But anyone with even little intelligence (and
that clearly excludes BJP trolls) should know by now, that he is THE PM
candidate….his party’s ad campaign foregrounds him. Only dimwits would continue
questioning if he is the PM candidate. If there were any doubts, Rahul
clarified that if his party failed, he would take responsibility. Has Modi ever
said that? Why….Modi didn’t even go to Karnataka to campaign, knowing his party
would lose. He ran away from a tough fight. But he was all over in Gujarat, MP,
Chhatisgarh and Rajasthan….states where the BJP was expected to do well
anyways. Running away is not new for Modi. He ran away from Karan Thapar’s
interview as well!
Importantly, Rahul
drove home the difference of his party with the BJP. The BJP wants “concentration
of power”, while the Congress stands for “giving power to people”. This is so
true. In Gujarat, no one even knows who the 2nd leader is after
Modi. Rahul promised empowerment to women. Modi stalked women. In the past, we’ve
seen Rahul’s liberal credentials. His fight against Sec 377 is well know. In
contrast, BJP wants to keep the country in the 17th century. The
Cong’s difference with the BJP on communalism is well known.
On 1984, I think
Rahul handled the issue head-on. He accepted some Cong men were possibly
involved. Has the BJP ever admitted that any BJP people were involved in
Babri/Gujarat riots? Nah….not until the courts declared them guilty. Rahul also
made a correct distinction; that the Congress govt never supported the
anti-Sikh riots. The regrettable carnage took place possibly because the
government had been shaken with the loss of its PM. But in Gujarat, a CM-in-harness
either willingly allowed and fanned the carnage, or at the very least, sat
twiddling his thumbs while his state’s Hindu zealots brutalized the minorities.
It is because of this difference that that the Sikhs have forgiven the
Congress, voting it to power for almost half the time since 1984 in Punjab. The
Muslims have never forgiven the BJP. The BJP only wins in states which have
<10% Muslim population. The Congress is full of Sikhs. Modi still continues
to deny Muslims seats. BJP trolls can compare 1984 with 2002, but there is
nothing comparable at all.
In the end analysis,
Rahul spoke well, confidently and gently. It is this gentleness that BJP trolls
are panning today. I don’t blame them. They are so used to the uncouth, crass,
and guttural conduct of their PM candidate that they have forgotten what
gentleness can achieve. They need to only remind themselves of Mahatma Gandhi’s
gentle style, and what it did to British bullies.
The real truth
is that Rahul’s interview with Arnab was a powerful “coming out” moment for him.
He could have chosen a “softer” journo, but he decided to sit across the bully
Arnab. He could surely have done better in body language, and he will improve. But
what he spoke about is what we should focus on. His vision of an inclusive
India (he hates “unfairness”), an India that provides opportunties to its youth
and its women, one that fights corruption with sincerity, is what we should
remember. There was no bluster in Rahul’s talk….even Arnab conceded that Rahul’s
heart was in the right place. It is this that has the BJP rattled. It is this
that has BJP trolls attacking his interview….
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