FOR RAHUL GANDHI, IT IS BUSINESS AS USUAL

Political leaders are adept in the art of double-speak. Congress Vice-President, Rahul Gandhi is no exception to this ‘universal truth’. Since the UPA I came to power in 2004, Rahul has never wasted an opportunity to acclaim the neo-liberal reforms initiated step by step by our Prime Minister Dr.ManMohan Singh. Almost nine years have gone since he came to power. If UPA II could come to power in 2009 it was not because of Congress’s sole efforts, but much credit could be given to the Leftists who literally arm twisted the former and Co. into introducing   pro-poor reforms in the forms of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme and massive debt waiving of toiling farmers across India especially those in the Vidharbha and its adjoining areas in Maharashtra, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh etc, by extending support from outside. This truth was overshadowed and overlooked by the electorate of India not because of their faults but because of the curse of infighting in CPI(M) (Communist Party of India – Marxist) which was the strongest among the Left Front  in terms of strength in Parliament. The aforesaid fact was the main reason for their debacle in the 2009 general elections. The Left Front which had a strong mandate in pushing the ManMohan govt to do a lot for the poor had a massive strength of 61 members in Parliament, had to satisfy with a meagre strength of 16 in 2009 general elections.

When elections were round the corner Congress came out with an oft-repeated slogan of hamara hath gareebee ke sath (our hands are with the poor) and its leaders could succeed in grabbing the poor into its fold who are perennially vulnerable to the machinations of Indian National Congress and Bharathiya Janata Party (BJP), the two strong contenders for power since years. 

Now that the Left Front is still in a weak position since their debacle in 2009 due to its on undoing by which what I mean is that leftist leaders have not come to forefront to spread their influence in most of the States especially in the Hindi-belt. As Atal Bihari Vajpayee had said once ‘the route to Delhi is through UP’. Unfortunately in the poverty-stricken States in the North like UP, Bihar, Orissa, Jharkhand and Chattisgarh and even Gujarat which is being acclaimed as a developed State by Narendra  Modi and his party , millions and millions of poor are below poverty line, they are the most harassed, they are the most neglected, they are the most ignored, most of them still starving, illiterate, malnourished, subjected to sexual harassments, torture and murder, unemployed and unhealthy.

Why the Leftists still shy away from spreading their base in those States if not why are they unable to expand their mass bases even in the first half of the 21^st century.

If they were able to succeed in exerting influence among the suffering millions across these States they would have flocked around them,no doubt.

Millions of Indians, especially the poor and middle-classes who bore the brunt  of carrying over their shoulders the ruling UPA or the Opposition BJP or the fence-sitters like Samajwadi Party (SP), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and innumerable splinter parties who nurse no ideology or their only ideology remains one or two Ministerial posts at the centre. The more the Ministers, the better.

Rahul Gandhi who stands thru thick and thin with Dr.ManMohan Singh and his Co. for initiating the neo-liberal reforms on a war-footing, now speak for the poor and Aam admi (common man). Through the ongoing reforms whether he is nurturing the optimism that India’s poor and middle-classes would benefit. If he keeps an iota of conscience will he be able to stand by the Prime Minister of India. Not because this writer is totally against neo-liberal reforms, but Rahul and his mother Sonia Gandhi in their capacities as the top leaders of the Congress should have seen that the interest of the masses are properly taken care of.  

Addressing the CII (Confederation of Indian Industry) conference, three days before he spoke passionately for the poor and middle-class (Aam Admi) and if that be the case what is left for him to point a finger at any measures initiated for the welfare of these categories. He might point out CBT (Cash Benefits Transfer) and Food Security Bill. Without a moral prick would he say the recently introduced Food Security Bill in Parliament is better than Universal Public Distribution System and in this context please note that he sixty percent of Indians are living in rural areas. It remains to be seen how much the rural poor would benefit from cash benefits transfer (aap ka paisa aap ke sath) slogan. Whether it is likely to succeed in rural India? I doubt it. Since I have been for good part of my hitherto  life in rural India, I am very well aware of the difficulties faced by the poor and a middle class citizen like myself. Rahul should have known that how far a poor man or woman should walk or travel by bus to reach a bank in a village in rural India, especially North India. And to draw a meagre sum waiting for a beneficiary through his bank account the process is too convoluted.

On the one hand Rahul raises his hand in Parliament even for Foreign Direct Investment in Super Retail Market like Walmart, Carrouf and the likes. Since the UPA II came to power in 2009 Rahul has not at all backed out from voting for all reforms bills allegedly harmful for the common man and most  beneficial for the business and industry tycoons. Sometimes I wonder whether he lives in India or in moon. Why? You might ask? Whether this so-called Congress Vice President, not aware of the widening gap between the haves and have-nots across India? What response he might have to offer? No idea.

True, as he said to the press persons after the conference the absence of miracle man is India’s bane. During the last four years we saw a number of skeletons tumbling out of the cupboard like the infamous 2G Spectrum scam, Common Wealth Games scam, Coalgate scam, Adarsh Housing scam and scandals – all cost a huge loss to the exchequer literally draining the latter.

As per recent media reports, an advancement of Lok Sabha elections along with elections to Assemblies in a few States is possible.

Apart from Indian National Congress and Bharatiya  Janata Party, two strong contenders, in the absence of a third alternative it is likely that either Congress or BJP would come to power with the support of fence-sitters who are the king-makers in  a poor democratic country like India. Business as usual would go on. Either the UPA III govt or the NDA alliance under BJP is a near certainty. In the event of UPA III being elevated to power it is possible that Dr.ManMohan Singh is there to score a hatric. On the other hand in the event of NDA being elevated to power the new man in waiting Narendra Modi is certain to be catapulted to the prestigious post. He has already stitched his Prime Ministerial coat.

A hung Parliament is almost a certainty. Hence a coalition govt too is a certainty.

Rahul Gandhi as usual will continue to harp on double-speak. He always want to keep aloof from any prestigious post in a UPA III govt. Responsibility becomes an alien word to him when it comes to issue of holding power. Nice man.