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Journalism of Courage
Much has been said and written about Rahul Gandhi’s transformation in the last four months. The Congress would like everyone to believe that the perception about the Nehru-Gandhi family scion as a non-serious and absentee politician is changing and there is growing receptiveness to his criticism of the BJP government.
That claim is yet to pass electoral muster. But what perhaps stands out is his realisation of two key ground realities. That is significant and could shape Congress politics in the months to come. While Rahul continues to believe that only the grand old party can challenge the BJP at the national level, there is a change in his articulation vis-a-vis regional parties.
Having walked 3,000-plus km crossing at least 10 states and meeting thousands of people, Rahul has also realised that the Congress cannot hope to defeat the BJP/RSS by just attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi on a daily basis and critiquing the decisions and style of functioning of the government.
Rahul has said repeatedly that over the last four months, he has realised that the fight against the BJP/RSS was not political or electoral but ideological. His assertion that Opposition parties cannot hope to defeat the BJP by merely seeking votes against it without offering an “alternative vision” is also interesting.
Many Congress leaders have held this view in private for a long time. They have often argued that what the Congress lacks is a “credible story” to sell to the people. Quixotic arguments like the Congress stands for the ‘idea of India’ or rhetorical statements like it wants an egalitarian society were not enough, they have often said, neither were manifesto promises such as the Nyay scheme and farm loan waiver.
But while Rahul spoke about the need for offering an alternative vision, clarity on this was lacking, with the Congress leader talking generally about giving the children “a new imagination”, “changing the education system” from a race for a few jobs to a model where the learning of skills was given primacy, of transforming India into a “production nation”, offering “a new deal” to farmers and “working towards economic equality”.
But the very realisation that the Congress has to come up with a credible alternative vision and not just some manifesto promises is a welcome change from the Opposition’s point of view. The next step would be going beyond abstract formulations to nudging the party to come out with a Congress story involving big ideas for all sections of the people to catch the imagination of the electorate.
The other change visible in Rahul is his messaging to Opposition parties. His remarks at the Congress Chintan Shivir last year that the Congress alone could fight the BJP, saying the regional parties neither had an ideology nor a centralised approach, had upset many parties in the Opposition. He nuanced his position later saying he does not consider the Congress “the big daddy” or “superior” to other Opposition parties.
Now, there has been further modulation. Rahul said during the Bharat Jodo Yatra that he still holds the view that only the Congress can provide a “central ideological framework and structure” against the BJP, but emphasised the need to give respect to Opposition parties and said it was up to the Congress to ensure that they feel “comfortable”.
The Congress leader has reached out to many Opposition leaders personally during the Yatra, writing letters to them to join it. While most did not, the RLD did as the Yatra passed through its stronghold of western UP. Besides, even as they stayed away, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and BSP chief Mayawati lauded Rahul for his Yatra and extended wishes for its success.
While a pan-India anti-BJP Opposition alliance still seems unlikely, the above bonhomie in the politically important Uttar Pradesh was a positive indication that the Opposition parties could coordinate if there was a conducive atmosphere devoid of bitterness and animosity.
