A similar dramatic move to prove his commitment to secularism is awaited

By DrJaved Jamil

Rahul Gandhi’s dramatic appearance at a press conference and an open indictment of his party’s government on the issue of the ordinance aimed at saving corrupt leaders seems to have stirred the chord of whole nation. People may be raising many questions. But the questions cannot change the reality that this bombshell is bound to have huge repercussions on the political scene. This has surely positioned Rahul as one of the most likely architects of the future India. Those who have been leaving no stone unturned in projecting Modi as the only savior, have been jolted from head to toe.

This was surely a move that would change the course of the political history. There are always questions that haunt historical decisions. The most common is the timing. When Indira Gandhi took the decision to storm Golden Temple, people asked why she waited for so long. When V P Singh arrested Advani, again the people asked why he did not stop the RathYatra earlier.

And now question is being asked why Rahul took more than a week to express such a massive rejection. Why did he not act before? People forget that in politics, the decisions are often delayed to show to the world that there was no other option left. The leaders often delay things in the hope that the masses would feel the need for a strong action, and the desirability of the action itself would not be questioned any more.

Political leaders have the right to take political mileage out of their historical initiatives. Rahul Gandhi chose the timing to perfection. He allowed the debate to reach its peak before making the move. Now nobody is questioning the correctness of the decision. Even the enemies have no option but to accept that he took a morally correct decision even if was belated. If the questions are being raised they are aimed only at diluting the political advantage that the prince of congress has seized by choosing a time when it would hit the opposition most.

Rahul has proved his detractors wrong. He has shown that his earlier reticence and reluctance to intervene in governmental affairs were in accordance with the propriety of his status. He was then in a grooming phase. Now the whole party and the nation have accepted that he has groomed enough, and he has now acquired political adulthood to take over the charge. And the leader-in waiting has begun to blossom. He looks a different man from the time of his appointment as Vice President of the party onwards.

In the speech on that occasion, he succeeded in striking an emotional relationship with the nation by conveying the message that he has been born from the womb of sacrifice. Then onwards he has been busy in sending signals to the masses that he stands for them and not for the elite. He has repeatedly spoken to reassure the marginalized and the deprived. In this world where leaders are busy attracting the corporate, he is trying hard to woo the masses.

Rahul’s words were truly dramatic. They may be harsh as they may have a damaging effect on the morale of the cabined headed by DrManmohan Singh. But these words have entered straight into the hearts of the people. The Prime Minister is already resigned to the reality that he will not remain India’s Prime Minister after 2014 elections. He can still play safe, in a demure way, and can tell the nation that realization of mistakes does not reduce the stature. Everyone can make faults, and whatever the factors and possible fallouts, correcting the mistakes is always the best option. He should not fall in the trap of the opposition that is demanding his resignation. He should instead express satisfaction that the future of Congress is in safe hands and more importantly that he has been saved from the ignominy of taking a bad decision.

Rahul Gandhi must now assert himself on other issues of crucial importance as well. A similar dramatic move to prove his commitment to secularism and pluralism can go a long way in uniting India on the road of peace, progress and prosperity. The nation will be waiting for his next move. Hopefully it comes sooner than later.