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Journalism of Courage
Rahul Gandhi, who was in Jammu and Kashmir for two days to finalise a pre-poll alliance, took to social media on Monday to share a video on his interaction with Kashmiri women, where he spoke to them about state, statehood, their aspirations, and challenges.
Calling the situation in the conflict-ridden region as “depression,” one of the students, who is studying political science, said, “The situation in the state stresses me out. I wanted to go out of the UT to study, but my parents did not agree.”
Rahul Gandhi, who also undertook the same subject, chimed in saying that he had found that the political science they teach in university has nothing to do with real-world politics.
Asked if he always wanted to be a politician, Gandhi said, “Not when I was small. Only after Papa (former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi) died. I saw his death as someone wanting to stop him from what he wanted.”
The women shared their struggles, noting the low literacy and employment rates, particularly among women, and highlighted the lack of representation across different sectors.
With the brutal Kolkata rape and murder case fresh on everybody’s minds, the women said that they frequently encounter harassment in public transport almost daily. Gandhi said, “The problem is that the attitude of men toward women is incorrect.”
The women also said they pursued many sports but did not have the avenue to represent the country on international level. When the issue of the impending elections was raised, Gandhi said, “Elections are coming but there is no statehood. This is the first time in history that statehood has been taken.”
He also took a jab at PM Modi’s remarks about being ‘God,’ suggesting that true leadership requires humility.
He also arranged a video-call with his sister Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi, joking: “They (the Kashmiri women) are bullying me.”
The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Elections are set for September 18, 25, and October 1, marking the first polls since the abrogation of Article 370, with multiple parties expected to compete for various seats.
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