Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi’s fortnight-long America sojourn has been a revelation. Mr Gandhi has shown the country a completely different side of himself from the persona he has projected so far as he addressed audiences at two prime universities in the US — Berkeley and Princeton — who asked searching questions, and followed this up with an interaction with a couple of thousand NRIs.
In these engagements the Congress leader pithily articulated well thought-out positions on the fundamentals that characterise the social and political make-up of India, the key economic issues — stressing the imperative of job creation without being afraid of automation — for the country, and India’s foreign policy essentials, in particular the terms of engagement with China.
The possession of a skill set and the power of easy expression were on view as Mr Gandhi summoned banter and wit and familiarity with the subjects he dealt with. If he had displayed a fraction of these characteristics over the 10 years or more that he has been in Parliament, it is arguable that the country would not today be carping about the quality of the top leadership in the Congress that is capable of steering the country.
Mr Gandhi gave little of his time to Parliament, and when present did not make a mark. He did not make forceful interventions becoming of someone who held his position. He frittered his energies hopping from place to place, criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP through dismissive, single-line, observations when a well-argued critique was needed. Naturally, his views were not taken seriously.
Had the Congress leader and heir-apparent displayed gravitas in dealing with his own party’s organisation — instead of keeping state leaders waiting for appointments, which he had no business doing, and driving some out of the party through arrogance and coterie-style operation — as well as presented a sober demeanour while offering substantive criticisms of the ruling establishment, rather than the sting and move on style which he chose to adopt, the country’s political dynamics may possibly have been quite different today. The Congress has a long way to go as it prepares for 2019. The Modi government has done all too little for the country and engaged in heavy self-perpetuating propaganda, but that is not how things seems to many since the government’s principal opponent, the Congress, has not shown cohesive purposefulness.
When Mr Gandhi gets back, he needs to present a well-crafted alternative vision to the country and a well-crafted plan of action and a roadmap. This is a big ask. Is the Congress leader up for it? Mr Gandhi also has to demonstrate that he is capable of diplomacy with like-minded parties, specially when it comes to fights over the number of seats to be contested by different parties. In India, it is always a rough ride.
