…but a disappointing spectacle of a leader as LoP

‘We would like to see a politician in  Rahul Gandhi NOT as he is, but as he should be.’

Last Monday (Feb. 3), Rahul Gandhi as the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha made a speech on the Motion of Thanks to President of India Mrs. Droupadi Murmu for her address to the Joint Session of Parliament. I listened to it on TV. Good entertainment like a comedy show in part and a vain show of expertise on the governance of a country.

He said the President’s speech sounded like a ‘Laundry List’ of things the government had done and rattled off on what he or I.N.D.I.A (The Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) government would have done ! Of course, if it was in power. A big IF.

However, his speech in contrast to that of the President was like an audacious narrative of a pretender to the Prime Ministership of India. He spoke for 45 minutes, but the world’s best speeches are the shortest. Take Abraham Lincoln. His Gettysburg speech (government of the people, for the people and by the people) was of two minutes. And Winston Churchill’s wartime ‘Finest Hour’ speech (blood, toil, tears and sweat) in the Parliament was of 34 minutes.

And our LoP Rahul Gandhi’s peace time ‘Laundry List’ speech was 45 minutes long. And what was in it? To borrow Shakespeare’s description, “Full of sound and fury signifying nothing.” The speech was an amalgam of many subjects that embrace governance of a country. And LoP found fault with whatever Prime Minister Narendra Modi did. He posed himself as a great economist, worthy of a Nobel Prize, when he dilated on industrial manufacturing, emphasising on ‘organised manufacturing’ and ‘organised consumption,’ declaring in great flourish that Modi Government failed in ‘organising production,’ whatever it meant. I am not an economist, though did study the subject for one year for MA I did not complete.

Wondered at his specialised knowledge about electronics. Rahul Gandhi  spoke of electronic motors Vs internal combustion. Accused Modi for handing over to China the manufacturing of mobile phones — lock, stock and barrel so to say. He spoke of drones, its camera, electric motor, battery, optics and AI. He mentioned the names of Mahindra, Bajaj and Tatas as being in the ‘organised sector’ of manufacturing.

He said China is 10 years ahead of us in telephone manufacture and network, our phones are assembled in India but manufactured in China. He spoke of Data — Consumption data and Production data. Wondered where he sourced all these information, the terms and phrases from ! He spoke of ‘mobility revolution’ and of ‘social revolution’ that would impact Dalits, Adivasis, OBCs and more. It was a staccato speech, sans structuring, with many inconsistencies and misinformations that the Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju asked if LoP had “gone blind.”

We have earlier seen him flaunting a small red book that he called the copy of the Indian Constitution. Now in the Parliament that Monday we saw him flaunting a cellphone to tell the nation that India has surrendered to China in manufacturing cellphones. Wonder, next if he would flaunt an AI robot or an electric car in the Parliament to attack Modi. Let it be.

However, this reminds me of late Pramod Mahajan of BJP, who used to take a dig at Sonia Gandhi who is a poor public speaker and wisely reads her prepared speech, saying that ‘Sonia is a Reader, not a Leader.’

It would be wise for Rahul Gandhi to learn this lesson from his mother. Prepare or get the speech ghost-written and read it adding spontaneous thoughts as required. That way the speech could be sensibly vetted and eloquently delivered impressing the listeners.

After all, Abraham Lincoln’s world famous speech was revised three times before it was delivered. So also of Winston Churchill’s speech. Churchill made many revisions, and according to his biographer, he used to practice standing before a life-size mirror before going to the Parliament.

And finally, Rahul Gandhi must appear in public like his great sires — Motilal Nehru, Jawaharlal Nehru, Feroze Gandhi (his grandfather) and his father Rajiv Gandhi (most handsome Prime Minister among all we got so far). Well-dressed and carrying a dignified demeanour. I had a chance handshake with Rajiv Gandhi in Mysuru. Wonder why Rahul Gandhi chose casual dress on all occasions like Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Both look like brand ambassadors for T-shirts ! Appearance, like speech, matters in public life. No wonder, US President Donald Trump had, according to reports, made some derogatory remarks about Zelenskyy’s attire.

Be that as it may, in the Delhi Assembly election where Congress had contested and Rahul Gandhi canvassed vigorously, Congress got zero seats. Worried about democracy, if Modi’s prediction about the future of Congress becomes true. Garibi Hatao is a vote-catching humane slogan, but Congress Hatao cannot be a pro-democracy slogan. The party must survive. Power is participatory in a democracy, not absolute to a single party or an individual.

Just as Rahul Gandhi calls for Modi Hatao, Modi can certainly call for Rahul Gandhi Hatao. This is understandable in an election battle. But, to see Rahul Gandhi the politician as he is today is anathema to intellectuals and the people at large. That is the reason he is losing. We would like to see a politician in Rahul Gandhi NOT as he is, but as he should be.

e-mail: voice@starofmysore.com