Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, during his recent appearance at Georgetown University in Washington, DC spoke on a range of topics, including his assessment of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. While he has constantly assailed Modi earlier, Gandhi clarified that he is not personally hostile to the Prime Minister but only disagrees with the way Modi looks at things.
During this dialogue with students and faculty, Gandhi also elaborated on a bigger vision for India: “India essentially represents the meeting of unity and diversity. India’s genius lies in putting together different fragments. The BJP and RSS distorted this unity of India. India is an integrated whole, not broken bits here and there.”.
He drew an analogy to drive home his point. He spoke about the Indian way of eating, juxtaposed with that of the West. “In India, we have a thali-a plate where all different dishes come together. And each food is considered equally important, no more or no less. That is how India blends languages, traditions, and religions,” he said. This inclusive approach, according to him, was inherent in Indian identity. Contrarily, he said that the BJP and the RSS misinterpret this unity; India is a sum of different parts for them, not an integrated whole.
About his “Mohabbat Ki Dukaan” slogan and his view on love in politics, Gandhi was candid. He agreed to disagree with Prime Minister Modi but said this does not translate to mean that it is hate. It is more interesting to argue over ideas rather than to start a character assassination. The shouting and abusing get boring pretty soon,” he said. Further, Gandhi said that he may disagree with Modi but did not deem him as an enemy. “I don’t hate Mr. Modi. He has his viewpoint, and I have mine. I feel the pain for him, too, even when we disagree. That’s where we have to approach these disagreements with compassion and empathy,” he said.
Besides, Gandhi referred to the challenges ahead of the Congress party and the opposition as a whole. He underlined two important tasks of the party – contesting the forthcoming elections. He showed confidence in the capacity of the Congress party to win elections. “We are determined to fight and win those elections against the BJP. I believe we will succeed in the next two or three months.”
However, deeper damage to the institutions was underlined by Gandhi. He spoke of the loss of neutrality in these institutions, which he said had been compromised. “Undoing the damage caused by BJP and RSS to our institutions is a complex issue. We face ongoing challenges, including numerous legal cases against me and the misuse of investigative agencies. And the legal system to attack the opposition,” he said. He insisted on reforming such structures to ensure fairness and impartiality.
On a visit to the US, he will spend two days in Washington. He earlier addressed the Indian diaspora in Virginia and interacted with students and teachers at the University of Texas in Dallas. He has commended the Indian diaspora as an essential link between India and the United States. By constructively acknowledging their roles in the strengthening of ties between the two nations.
It is in this respect that, during his visit hereafter, the discourses of Gandhi reflect his dedication to the debate. And solution of key issues confronting India and the global diaspora.
ANI