Rahul Gandhi Has Proven His Mettle

When it comes to public figures, especially politicians, there is the reality, and there is the image. It’s never ‘I came, I saw, I conquered’.

When leaders hold a rally, they address the crowd and leave. In the emptiness of their departure, their representation and memory remains, evolving the images and reshaping themselves in the minds of the people.

The ‘conquering’ and the appeal of the leader happens through conversations and representations in print and electronic media. This image is essential because that’s how a leader’s views, values and competence get highlighted.

Through a combination of imagination, memory and a build up by the media, the narrative around a politician is formed. That’s how someone can be projected as a non-biological ‘Divine Being’ and another carries the burden of a ‘Pappu’- a name used for young bumblers.

To bring reality to the fore is a Herculean task. Especially if there’s an entire industry employed to eulogise their leader, ridicule the Opposition, or is hell bent on tearing apart the citadel of a grand old party, trying to wipe it out from the face of the nation.

Therefore when an ineffectual ‘amateur leader’ and a ‘reluctant politician’ stays the course for years, displaying a calm demeanour throughout, with a humble acceptance of all the crushing defeats and the incessant trolling, it tells a lot about the character of a person.

Talking to a paid, mesmerised audience in a khatakhat, khatakhat, khatakhat manner aided by the teleprompter is a breeze. But to actually walk the talk from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, covering 3500 km in 150 days, trying to reunite a nation that never before has appeared so disparate, broken and incoherent is an arduous task.

To restructure the social core and fraternal fabric deeply eroded by the continued politics of hate, injustice and apathy is also no child’s play. Perhaps that’s the reason the Bharat Jodo Yatra, explicitly packaged for Rahul to ‘discover India’ and India to ‘discover Rahul’ was successful. Not only ideologically but also symbolically!

This connect with people, with the clarion call for ‘Daro Mat’, where a man single handedly tried to put up a tiny ‘Mohabbat Ki Dukaan’ in the vast ‘Nafrat Ka Bazaar’, finally became a rallying point for many outside politics who were looking for a break from those mesmerised by the voodoo of the Modi magic.

Here was a leader who appeared spontaneous, concerned, and most importantly, genuine in his intentions. His unshaven aspect and white T-shirt gave him the look of an unconventional politician who prioritised his journey over his appearance.

Here was a Cambridge educated bachelor, an unwilling participant, who was literally pushed into politics but who became actively involved because of his love for the people of his country. A man with values, who would rather lose an election than beg for votes in the name of Pulwama Martyrs.

The man accepted his mistake, took moral responsibility for defeat in 2019 and resigned from the Presidential Post of INC. Gandhi is a man with a golden heart, who never bothered with crass symbolisms and projected himself beyond politics.

After the following ‘Nyay Yatra’, the bonds further strengthened. By spearheading the congress revival with a moral and philosophical leadership, the underdog now became unstoppable. Although the Congress has a bad reputation as an alliance partner, this time it was particularly invested in the I.N.D.I.A bloc, keenly aware that the Modi phenomenon could not be stopped single-handedly.

This wasn’t difficult for someone who was a natural Nehruvian from the very core of his being; who was a straightforward Ambedkarite where social justice was concerned; and who was an upfront socialist in the matters of economic equality. Thus, both Yatras helped him shed the image of the reluctant politician and turned him into a vociferous opposition leader.

The ‘Pappu’ turned ‘Peoples man’ now made it a point to display camaraderie with other party leaders at rallies. This helped the dynamic percolate down to the workers and to the voters. Drawing inspiration from the successful campaign of 2004: ‘Congress ka Haath, Aam Aadmi Ke Saath’, their slogan now became “‘Haath Badlega Halaat’ (Congress will change circumstances)”.

But the biggest driving force was the memorandum of their Manifesto- a positive messaging highlighting the ‘Panch Nyay’, which focused on social justice as an alternative to the BJP’s Hindutva agenda. And this was crafted after both the Yatras, having picked up from the mood, the vibes and the views of the people who walked and talked with Rahul.

It’s fascinating to see how the ‘Shahzada’, who was continuously dogged by questions about his lack of experience, has matured. When in an Oscar performance in one of his interviews, someone asked ‘Kaun Rahul?’, pat came the answer.

Not with a thumping the chest with a ‘I’ ‘Me’ ‘Myself’ attitude but as the most outspoken voice against an invincible leader and his entire coterie of machinery. With his newfound ‘Daro Mat’ attitude, the attack was now direct, in speech after speech, despite being trolled incessantly.

Even if our Prince Charming still lacks the ‘killer instinct’ to grab power instinctively; even though he is yet to cement his image as a strong leader; even if he isn’t the best speaker in the world, at least he comes across as someone who knows how to articulate his thoughts and work with the system.

And even if his familial connections had always been a point of contention, who wanted India to shift away from what they viewed as a dynastic rule, the people of India finally decided to thwart an ‘honest watchman’ and voted for what was projected as ‘a corrupt alliance’.

The shift in perception was gradual yet consistent and it didn’t happen by chance. As ‘iron sharpens iron’, so truth cuts and war makes right’. And to flip the script Rahul Gandhi not only encouraged regional leaders to take more decisions but also acted as a bridge between the restless youth leaders and the old guard. He also hired campaign strategists, collected data for better planning and used a social and digital media team to boost his image as well as the party’s.

A team of dedicated war room and savvy marketing professionals collaborated behind the scenes. A bunch of Youtubers also joined in to inject wit and drama. Thwarted journalists and disheartened citizens joined in the fray to bombard the social media in a ‘khatakhat khatakhat khatakhat’ way!

Their job included presenting facts, debunking myths and providing historical comparisons. Fact-checking was also crucial due to the prevalence of fake news and misleading messages which earlier people blindly believed in.

There was a song-‘Pappu can’t dance saala’, redefining ‘desirable’ masculinity but which was also used to ridicule Rahul suggesting he couldn’t perform as a leader. Guess what? Mounting a quiet turnaround, the ‘Pappu’ learnt not only to dance but also to make others do the Boogie Woogie.

What his subtle ‘moves’ suggest is that attacks on other candidates work only when you’re in the opposition. But when you’ve already won the elections, attacking the powerless opponents is a bad strategy.

And when you call someone a ‘Pappu’, it becomes all the more embarrassing to then be defeated by him. Even if the defeat is metaphorical!

Nargis Natarajan is a writer, author and novelist residing in Bhubaneswar. Views expressed are the writer’s own.