It’s not a fair war. Rahul and Modi are no match for each other. But then wars are not supposed to be fair. That’s how wars have always been. The warriors have it in them to make it to the level. Keep themselves better equipped and upgraded, so as to give the best fight. With an undercurrent of an underdog player, Rahul is fighting back and I see him doing it better each passing day. All I know is that consistency is the key!
In the 2014 electoral campaign, it was evident that Modi ji was setting the agenda. It was he who had mastered the art of making the first move and Congress remained busy in replying and retaliating. You can call it face saving. Moreover, they did it in the most shabby way possible. The silly jibes of the likes of Jairam Ramesh and Digvijay Singh only made it worse. But it’s the other way now.
Congress, and specifically Rahul Gandhi have started mastering the art of making the first move. Being in the opposition, it’s a difficult strategy to follow. You have to wait for the government to falter and only then do you get your chance. But Rahul has started setting the agenda now.
He’s making good moves. You doubt the seriousness of his statements and allegations? Had it been so, BJP wouldn’t have had to do a press conference addressed by minister Ravi Shankar Prasad to respond. One got to understand the enormity of the dent as soon as Prime Minister Modi responded to the statement.
Modi’s style carried a shade of arrogance, belittling not the message, but the messenger. Something very typical of people in power. Congress’ tenure has been full of such ridiculing. Has it served the purpose? Well, I doubt that. I understand that this kind of arrogant ridiculing only adds to sympathy for the person in opposition and fuels his rise. We saw the same before the Lok Sabha elections and the result is before us in the form of our Prime Minister.
What’s more striking this time is the simple and subtle counter thrown by Rahul. By tweeting Ghalib’s couplets on Twitter, Rahul Gandhi pretty smartly battled the waves created by Ravi Shankar Prasad, Sambit Patra, Modi and the BJP in general. It can prove detrimental for a government that’s already in troubled waters due to demonetisation. What’s more interesting is that in the media world, there is an old saying that if you want to gain respect and gain maturity, start including poems and literature in your dialogues. It’s a sign! And it’s working for Rahul for sure. Now, all that Rahul needs to do is keep on roaring. Remain in form, don’t lose heart. Practice actually makes a man perfect and that rule does apply to everybody irrespective of his failures in the past.
Adding to Rahul invoking Ghalib, I’d like to remind everyone of another couplet by him. “Girte hain shahsawar hi maidaan-e-jung mei… Woh tifl kya girenge jo ghutno ke bal chale.” I hope I don’t need to explain its meaning.
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