Rahul Gandhi’s address at Cambridge University was on expected lines: the Congress leader went on a tirade against the BJP-led NDA government and used his address to the MBA students as another occasion to target Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The main thrust of his speech was that democracy was facing an existential crisis in this country; so much so that he had to undertake a Bharat Jodo Yatra to communicate directly with the people. Be that as it may, democracy in this country, with all its challenges is vibrant as was evident from the elections held in three-states of the North-East, where rival political formations fought the elections in a normal manner. It was natural for a ruling party to use its influence with community elders, which had been happening in the elections under the Congress-UPA rule as well. Even the Opposition in these three states had no valid grounds to argue that the cause of democracy was subverted. The Election Commission carries with it the authority to oversee the elections in an impartial manner. It is to the credit of India that the process of democracy is maturing over the years.
Rahul Gandhi is well within his rights to criticise the government. At the same time, it will be well appreciated if he exhibits some restraint while speaking to an audience abroad. National interests require that leaders from all shades present a good image of the nation while they are abroad; and this applies also in discussions about the way India treats its minorities. Granted that the BJP’s pro-Hindu and anti-minority stances are causes of concern but these are to be addressed within the country rather than on foreign soil considering that the British once colonised this country. India is a mosaic of different races, cultures, religions, castes and languages. As is often noted, the only way to exist here is to co-exist. The last nine years of the Modi government have seen it being less aggressive and perhaps more mellow.
The aggressiveness of leaders like Pravin Togadia, against the minorities, is a thing of the past essentially because society disapproves of such offensives. Secularism is the dominant concern in this country not just because the Congress party holds it aloft but also because the wider society is peace-loving. The stragglers need to be tackled and put in their place. The Congress leader had not served the cause of the nation when he uttered during his Bharat Jodo Yatra’s last lap in Kashmir that the Congress party, when re-elected to power, would restore the special status for the province. Abrogation of Article 370 was a calculated step by the Modi government that immensely helped restore peace in Kashmir.