I really don’t care where he was for those crucial eight weeks. But I sure as hell want to know what he ate/smoked/ drank during the break and order the same for myself. In fact, Rahul Gandhi’s secret diet during his “vanvaas” deserves to be instantly published. It seems to have worked big time for him. Why shouldn’t it work for others? Here he is, energised, articulate, aggressive. Wow! Who could have imagined such a “parivartan”? Taking a break is not for everyone. Most high-profile individuals are terrified at the thought of going on a sabbatical. Their fears have to do with primal insecurities a majority of astonishingly famous people are often crippled with.
Politicians in particular believe blindly in the “out of sight, out of mind” syndrome. In today’s age of 24x7 high visibility, perhaps the worst thing to happen to a neta is to disappear from the headlines. “Breaking News” is the oxygen politicians require to remind themselves of their own relevance. Mr Gandhi’s “tapasya” is paying rich dividends... and critics are as puzzled by his new, improved avatar as they are by his mysterious two-month long disappearance.
Suddenly, it’s no longer important to wonder, “Where did this chap go? What did he do?” All those jibes about “introspection ka matlab?”, have been canned. People are sitting up and saying, “Wah! Beta, wah!” Apart from the priceless “suit-boot-ki-sarkar” taunt, Mr Gandhi has been making all the right moves and noises in public. It makes one wonder why all those smarty-pants in the Bharatiya Janata Party allowed
Mr Gandhi to effortlessly steal their thunder in Punjab and now in Vidarbha. The pathetic plight of farmers across India has been ignored by most politicians, foolishly hellbent on courting the “other” (read: corporate) India. Narendra Modi needs to reintroduce himself to hard-core, grassroots followers back home, who have been wondering about his frequent flier status, as he jets around the world, quite like a rockstar he is frequently compared to by gushing fans. What India needs is not a flamboyant rockstar, spouting ill-conceived punch lines on foreign soil, but a dependable, dynamic Prime Minister providing the right direction to the people. While his government performed a superlative job during the calamity in Nepal (the efforts were duly acknowledged by one and all), there were major domestic issues that didn’t receive the same level of focused attention, leaving a wide, open space for someone like Mr Gandhi to waltz into.
“Rahulji is coming to Vidarbha to wipe the tears of distressed farmers,” declared Ashok Chavan. His “padyatra” will be hailed by the wretchedly poor farmers, who have been ignominiously marginalised for decades by successive governments, Congress included. Even if it is seen as nothing more than the perfect photo-op, the solidarity shown to farmers from Punjab to Maharashtra is still a far worthier gesture than years of indifference. Imagine the callousness of a political leader who stated, “Farmers who commit suicide are cowards...” as they were running away from their responsibilities and leaving their families with liabilities. It competes in cruelty with Ajit Pawar urging volunteers to urinate into dry dams and provide water to drought-hit areas of Maharashtra. Mr Pawar apologised later, but the damage was done.
There is a growing sense of disillusionment and disenchantment with the Modi government. Perhaps, far too much was expected from a sarkar that had won with as spectacular a mandate as the Modi-led BJP. Indians are generally pretty patient and forgiving. Citizens weren’t looking for miracles. But so far, besides a great deal of bombast and hot air, nothing very much has been achieved in real terms. The best indicator of people’s collective disappointment is the stock market, which has been pretty sluggish, with most investors following a cautious “wait and watch” approach.
This is where Mr Gandhi is shrewdly steering attention away from grand schemes and the “Make in India” sloganeering, to something far more immediate and emotional — the rural poor. Even if he is doing nothing more than recycling his father’s and grandmother’s tired slogans, he is addressing a new generation of extremely aware, well-informed and pro-active voters — the same people who are impatiently waiting for Mr Modi to deliver. This is where Mr Gandhi is scoring — inside Parliament and in the mandis of Punjab. There is a direct connect happening. A connect that is missing with Mr Modi, who is too busy connecting with world leaders to bother about the folks back home.
For Mr Modi to regain the rapidly dwindling faith of his flock of followers, he will have to do much more than grandstand. Fixing India’s economy and putting the country on a growth path has to be his government’s priority. The mantra is simple and obvious: more jobs. If that does not happen by this time next year, the voter will look beyond the BJP. And frankly, what real choices do voters have out there? Willy-nilly, the Congress will claw its way back into the Indian voter’s consciousness, and the very party that suffered its most humiliating defeat during the last elections, will be back in the game once again.
Perhaps Mr Gandhi’s new-found aggression and combative stance has cosmetic value and little else. Politics is about perception and projection. Right now, Mr Gandhi is winning that war. Finally, he is behaving like a leader. Even the “Doubting Thomases” in his party are reluctantly acknowledging his brand new style of functioning. After years of dilly-dallying, the Reluctant Prince appears ready for the grand coronation. And the Dowager Empress must be immensely relieved!
