Rahul Gandhi´s successful attempt to connect with common man
Tanveer Jafri
October 27, 2009
The ruling Congress party in India, since its inception in 1885, has claimed that it is the only national political party which struggles for the rights of the common man. The party gave popular slogans for various movements and elections time to time which were recognized as the slogans of the common man. Either they are pre-independence slogans like ´Quit India´ or post-independence slogans such as Gharibi Hataao (Remove Poverty), Samajwad Lao (Bring Socialism) and lately Congress Ka Haath, Aam Aadmi Ke Saath (Congress´ hand with the common man). If we look at these slogans then we´ll realize that the Congress represented the common Indians since its birth. The freedom struggle was fought under the banner of this very organization and in the last 63 years of independence, the Congress has ruled the country for the maximum time. Despite this, the same Congress is today facing criticisms for its policies.
The critics of the Congress have repeatedly said that even though it represented the common people at the time of its inception, but one reason for the party´s this initial success was that the common man, depressed by the British rule, was looking for such a strong force which could unite that nation against the rule and launch a powerful struggle. Another reason of Congress becoming the biggest political party was its patronization by great, devoted and honest leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Pundit Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Sarojini Naidu and Dr. Rajendra Prasad etc. Critics also argue if the Congress party wants to take the maximum credit for the development of the nation, the party and its leaders should be too held responsible for diminishing morality within the party and widespread corruption in the country. They are of the view that the Congress party, which calls itself the party of aam aadmi, (common man) has unfortunately become the party of khaas aadmi (rich man).
But since Sonia Gandhi has taken the rein of the party, and Rahul Gandhi has become active in last decade, the party seems to be going towards a big change. The argument of critics that the party was so ´intoxicated´ in power that instead of remaining the party of the common man, it became the party of power, seems right. Day by day the Congress leaders went away from the masses and believing that independence was the sole objective of the party, they didn´t fulfil the people´s aspirations. Subsequently, corruption become widespread and the party´s mass base contracted gradually. Consequently, the party had to remain in opposition for a considerable time.
People knew very well how Mahatma Gandhi left his luxurious living in South Africa and committed his entire life to the nation´s freedom struggle. He changed his entire lifestyle. He removed his costly dress and covered himself in a piece of cloth for entire life. Everybody knows about his travel in third class of the train. By doing so, while he tried to tell the British that he is the representative of a poor country, he also tried to convey to Indian princes and landlords that there is need to understand the problems faced by the poor by going and living among them. The leaders have to live their lives just like the poor. Then only the needs and requirements of the common man can be understood.
It seems that this philosophy of Gandhi went off with him. The scope of Gandhiism is now limited up to books, research & studies. But now the Congress, which went astray from its objectives, principles and basic ideology, has got such a youth leader in Rahul Gandhi who, instead of being ´intoxicated´ by the power, has capability to follow the footsteps of Mahatma Gandhi. Since last few months, the news of Rahul Gandhi spending night in dalits´ homes is coming. He slept there, had food there and by doing so he tried to understand how a poor, dalit Indian person leads his life. On 16th January, Rahul took the British Foreign Minister David Miliband to the home of a poor in his constituency Amethi. By spending night their, Rahul tried to give the message that in spite of poverty and destitution, the nation is moving forward united and democratically.
Under this mission of reaching the aam aadmi, Rahul lately visited the home of a dalit family in Bahraich district of Uttar Pradesh. He had dinner with the family. He walked in the village, had pictures with the villagers. He slept on the traditional cot without mattress and in the absence of electricity in extremely hot weather. He took bath under the hand pump in open air and also used the c grade toilet of that family.
It can be imagined that foreign literate Rahul Gandhi being the son of the family, which had given three Prime Ministers to the country, how his livelihood would have been. But Rahul Gandhi has taken a creative step of directly connecting with the common man by leaving luxury and comfort. Actually, if the Congress party boast of representing the aam aadmi, it should have to look beyond slogans. And such public contact should not be restricted up to Rahul Gandhi. In fact, other leaders of the party should follow him and reach the common man and understand their hardships and find solutions to them. If this could become possible by the inspiration of Rahul Gandhi, then the nation would have not objection in accepting that really Congress is the party of aam aadmi(common man) and its hand is with aam aadmi.
The critics of the Congress have repeatedly said that even though it represented the common people at the time of its inception, but one reason for the party´s this initial success was that the common man, depressed by the British rule, was looking for such a strong force which could unite that nation against the rule and launch a powerful struggle. Another reason of Congress becoming the biggest political party was its patronization by great, devoted and honest leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Pundit Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Sarojini Naidu and Dr. Rajendra Prasad etc. Critics also argue if the Congress party wants to take the maximum credit for the development of the nation, the party and its leaders should be too held responsible for diminishing morality within the party and widespread corruption in the country. They are of the view that the Congress party, which calls itself the party of aam aadmi, (common man) has unfortunately become the party of khaas aadmi (rich man).
But since Sonia Gandhi has taken the rein of the party, and Rahul Gandhi has become active in last decade, the party seems to be going towards a big change. The argument of critics that the party was so ´intoxicated´ in power that instead of remaining the party of the common man, it became the party of power, seems right. Day by day the Congress leaders went away from the masses and believing that independence was the sole objective of the party, they didn´t fulfil the people´s aspirations. Subsequently, corruption become widespread and the party´s mass base contracted gradually. Consequently, the party had to remain in opposition for a considerable time.
People knew very well how Mahatma Gandhi left his luxurious living in South Africa and committed his entire life to the nation´s freedom struggle. He changed his entire lifestyle. He removed his costly dress and covered himself in a piece of cloth for entire life. Everybody knows about his travel in third class of the train. By doing so, while he tried to tell the British that he is the representative of a poor country, he also tried to convey to Indian princes and landlords that there is need to understand the problems faced by the poor by going and living among them. The leaders have to live their lives just like the poor. Then only the needs and requirements of the common man can be understood.
It seems that this philosophy of Gandhi went off with him. The scope of Gandhiism is now limited up to books, research & studies. But now the Congress, which went astray from its objectives, principles and basic ideology, has got such a youth leader in Rahul Gandhi who, instead of being ´intoxicated´ by the power, has capability to follow the footsteps of Mahatma Gandhi. Since last few months, the news of Rahul Gandhi spending night in dalits´ homes is coming. He slept there, had food there and by doing so he tried to understand how a poor, dalit Indian person leads his life. On 16th January, Rahul took the British Foreign Minister David Miliband to the home of a poor in his constituency Amethi. By spending night their, Rahul tried to give the message that in spite of poverty and destitution, the nation is moving forward united and democratically.
Under this mission of reaching the aam aadmi, Rahul lately visited the home of a dalit family in Bahraich district of Uttar Pradesh. He had dinner with the family. He walked in the village, had pictures with the villagers. He slept on the traditional cot without mattress and in the absence of electricity in extremely hot weather. He took bath under the hand pump in open air and also used the c grade toilet of that family.
It can be imagined that foreign literate Rahul Gandhi being the son of the family, which had given three Prime Ministers to the country, how his livelihood would have been. But Rahul Gandhi has taken a creative step of directly connecting with the common man by leaving luxury and comfort. Actually, if the Congress party boast of representing the aam aadmi, it should have to look beyond slogans. And such public contact should not be restricted up to Rahul Gandhi. In fact, other leaders of the party should follow him and reach the common man and understand their hardships and find solutions to them. If this could become possible by the inspiration of Rahul Gandhi, then the nation would have not objection in accepting that really Congress is the party of aam aadmi(common man) and its hand is with aam aadmi.