Rahul Gandhi's 'Earthquake' reduced to The Hug, The Wink And The Smirk
- In Politics
- 08:52 AM, Jul 21, 2018
- Nithesh Satish
"All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances, And one man in his time plays many parts"
Shakespeare's famous verses from the play 'As you like it' have forever been etched in the minds of every lover of literature. The bard explains how a man has to play several roles in life; one of a child, student, lover, father and eventually an old man. These verses apply universally to all humans. Naturally, they cover politicians as well.
The job of a politician is to present himself as a leader through his words, vision and deeds. His words and actions get noticed in the short term, while his deeds are revealed over a period of time. His vision, if successful or otherwise, materializes before the people over a period of time. While oratory may be an entry ticket, his deeds sustain him over a period of time. The content and honesty of his speeches and deeds may win fervent followers and admirers.
A shrewd politician might be mediocre and still have an impulsive streak which could surprise and amaze people. He carefully deploys it to enhance his own image in the eyes of people and strengthen his position.
If one were to consider above propositions, Rahul Gandhi comes across as a poor speaker, poor actor and a hopeless politician. Even if one were to ignore his past record, the opportunity to speak during a no confidence motion against a government after 15 years should have been grabbed by Gandhi with both hands to reinvent himself.
Unfortunately, he didn't change the quality of his speech. His words reeked of dishonesty and lies. But there was a major upgrade in the theatrics department. His hug to the prime minister as a symbol of love could have drastically changed the narrative of the prime minister's story of victimhood at the hands of naamdaars. The "youth icon" failed to hide his arrogance when he demanded the PM to get up with his hand gestures. Yet, the journalist army of Congress beamed the hug prominently.
But then, Rahul is one who ruins the best of circumstances presented to him. Unanimous support in his own party and fervent support in sections of intelligentsia failed to propel him to a position of strength, thanks to his stupidity. Whether he does it intentionally to test the loyalty of his ecosystem or does it out of sheer arrogance is something that we may never know.
Some wise men have told that love and cough can't be hidden for long. We should perhaps add inherent stupidity and malice to the list.
Rahul Gandhi returned to his seat after the hug and winked at his colleagues, a gesture that seals his lack of seriousness. Any sane observer would have concluded that his act was dishonest.
To top it all, his smirk during the speech of the president reeked of hatred and disrespect. If Rahul succeeded in acting out the tutored part of his drama, he failed to sustain the impression because of his sheer failure to hide his original character.
Perhaps Rahul hoped to steal the show with a generous embrace of his political opponent. But his wink and smirk ruined it beyond repair.
One can also argue that the act was so good that it managed to enthrall fence sitters and signal Modi haters that it was just a drama. One can never be sure about the depth of Rahul Gandhi's crooked designs.
As the curtains draw upon this scene of the drama, I would like to quote Shakespeare's again.
"O, teach me how I should forget to think!"
This is what Romeo tells his friend when asked to forget his lover. Perhaps, India must do the same if it were to accept Rahul Gandhi as its leader. Perhaps, we must learn it from loyal Pidis of Lutyens.
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