7

May

Is Rahul Gandhi an alternative to Modi?

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Dastardly terrorist attack on tourists at Pahalgam on 22 April and then the Modi government’s decision to go for caste enumeration in the next census exercise brought out into open the way the ruling party confronts external and internal challenges.

A brutal and candid assessment of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 11 years of rule does not evoke much confidence in his leadership style or in the way his government is run.      

My readers know well that I have never been shy of calling a spade a spade, and I would mince no words in saying that Pahalgam is a monumental blunder of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, particularly after the 2019 Pulwama terrorist attack. His government, which since coming to power in 2014 has been committing mistakes but has never been held responsible for any blemishes and has got away with people’s wrath by clever use of the Hindu-Muslim binary wonder weapon to silence all opponents and critics and lead the people down the garden path. 

To me, both Pulwama and Pahalgam are puzzles. I have been at a complete loss to comprehend how they happened. While the Modi government has admitted a security lapse but how it could happen is beyond my comprehension. I know that no one important and or significant in the government is going to resign owning responsibility, though if pressure builds up, some heads may roll, but surely not of anyone who matters in the Modi government.

Similarly, steps like demonetization, handling of COVID or the way the GST has been implemented, in my assessment, are mistakes for which the country and people have paid a very heavy price. Massive rural and urban unemployment, rising gap between the rich and the poor are some other parameters on which the Modi government has miserably failed.

Column at a Glance
The article critiques Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, particularly in light of the recent terrorist attack on tourists in Pahalgam and the government's decision to conduct caste enumeration in the upcoming census. The author argues that Modi's administration has repeatedly failed to address significant issues, including security lapses, economic mismanagement, and rising social tensions, while effectively using the Hindu-Muslim binary to deflect criticism.
Wednesday Wisdom
By Satish Misra
The piece suggests that Modi's credibility is waning, prompting a discussion about potential alternatives, particularly Rahul Gandhi of the Congress party. Gandhi is portrayed as a leader willing to acknowledge past mistakes and engage with the public, contrasting with Modi's perceived avoidance of accountability. The author emphasises the need for a united opposition to challenge the current government, highlighting Gandhi's potential role in this effort.

Even on the foreign policy front, PM Modi has compromised with foreign governments, taking advantage of his close association with some of the Indian businessmen like the Adani group. Praising and endorsing US President Donald Trump’s to the hilt has not gone well with other nations. Today, India is being seen as a camp follower of the United States and Trump’s view of the World order.                

Jingoism is not my cup of tea because I can’t accept anything without question. I am endowed with a healthy mind and discerning abilities that empower me to decide my course of action.                 

Managing electoral victories by all fair and foul means and using all overt and covert methods against a divided opposition is a strong defense but, in my assessment, Prime Minister Modi’s credibility and his hold on people’s psyche has considerable eroded which make all the more imperative for me to talk of ideologies and leaders who could replace him. In simple words, who after Modi? Or rather, an alternative?

It is crystal clear to me that Hindutva, which has generated anger, hatred, and heightened social and communal tensions, has miserably failed. Now, even at the risk of being labelled as biased or partisan, or even a camp follower, I would begin talking of alternatives without any hesitation or reservation. I begin with Rahul Gandhi because he represents the biggest party, which still has a presence across the country. He loves to take others along and has, to date, not displayed any ambition to be the next Prime Minister, though he is ready to lead from the front to challenge and replace the BJP from the seat of power. 

Without mincing a word or wasting a minute, I have no hesitation whatsoever in saying that alternative is only the Congress whose leader Rahul Gandhi is not afraid of calling spade a spade and is ready to take head on the RSS-BJP ecosystem which is a recipe for disaster rather a total disaster something akin to Germany after Hitler-totally ruined and divided for decades.                   

Rahul is not confused and is prepared to learn. He has a clear mind on steady shoulders.  Since he joined politics in 2004, he has come a long way. He is not shy to admit his mistakes or those of the earlier Congress governments. Concrete evidence came on April 21 at the interactive session at the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs at Brown University in the US.    

Responding to a question related to the 1984 riots and the Congress's relationship with the Sikh community, Rahul Gandhi has said that a lot of the "mistakes" the Congress committed happened when he was not there, but added that he was ready to take responsibility for everything the party has done wrong in the past. Gandhi pointed out that he had publicly stated that what happened in the ’80s was "wrong"

Earlier, he stated that the “old politician” is dead and the challenging task of constructing a new politician needs to be undertaken. Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, had asserted that democratic politics had fundamentally changed across the globe.

“Rules that applied a decade ago simply no longer apply; they cannot withstand the concentration of capital, modern media and modern social media,” the former AICC president remarked, adding, “What was effective 10 years ago, and the tools that worked 10 years ago, simply do not work today. In a sense, the old politician is dead, and a new type of politician must be constructed.

Unlike PM Modi, Rahul is not shy of facing questions at a press conference or interacting with scholars in front of a large audience. His empathy with the poor, weak, or struggling masses has been witnessed.

While Modi has avoided paying a visit to the ethnically troubled state of Manipur, Rahul has been there. The Prime Minister chose to visit Bihar after the Pahalgam terrorist attack and avoided going to Srinagar, where Rahul was.

I would surely talk of other competent leaders, but here I must underline that only a coalition of opposition parties in the Indian bloc is in a position to challenge the present ruling dispensation. Rahul Gandhi has to work on two fronts.

While strengthening the Congress organisation, he has to ensure a broader unity of the INDIA partners also.

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