Rahul Gandhi: communication of the 'incommunicado'

The general impression that comes across about him is of a man who's afraid of being questioned and grilled

When Rahul Gandhi took over as Congress Vice President in January 2013 at the party’s ‘chintan shivir’ in Jaipur, as a correspondent covering the event, I remember being struck by his candour and his firm intent to open up the closed recesses of the Grand Old Party. Hailed as the ‘Youth icon’ of the party, he promised to start a process of dialogue, till then non-existent in the sphinx like edifice of the Congress.

Months later, with no signs of the much talked of “opening the channels of communication” spiel, I shot of an email to his official id. Expressing disappointment at the tall claims made and how despite the party setting up a dedicated social media cell, he had not even used any of the available forums of Facebook, Twitter and video chat to engage with the public or the media. As expected there was no response.

Again, while attending an academic seminar on Dalit studies organized by the Nehru Memorial museum at the Teen Murti Bhavan some time back, Rahul Gandhi made a quiet entry and sat through the paper reading. When he left just before the question and answer session, I followed suit and attempted to question him on his views on the subject. Despite there being no other journalists crowding on him, Gandhi excused himself claiming that he had an appointment.

While that may well have been the case, but the general impression that comes across about Gandhi is of a man who is afraid of being questioned and grilled. An ordinary citizen might even get away with that but a politician who wants to be taken seriously as a leader of not just his party but of the nation, can scarcely afford to do so.

As a member of Parliament, a forum where Gandhi should have shown his mettle as leader questioning his own government on policy issues, debating with the Opposition and fending off barbs from hostile political parties – Gandhi’s performance as a parliamentarian has been dismal.

According PRS Legislative Research, during UPA-II alone, Gandhi’s attendance in Parliament is only 43 per cent, (national average is 76 per cent). He has spoken only twice in the Lok Sabha and that on occasions where it seemed a perfect setting for his outing as an MP, demanding a Jan Lokpal Bill in 2011 and in December 2013 on the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Bill. As per the Parliament records, he has not put up a single question in the last five years.

If Gandhi has to emerge as the natural leader of the Congress, he has to lead the party in Parliament and not just from the confines and comforts of party forums and public rallies, where he can face no opposition.

His much-parodied television interview, (his first and only one till date) to a leading news channel, was allegedly preceded by several rounds of coaching with the help of close sides and yet it did not bring about the intended results. One could have empathized with that, were it not for the fact that Gandhi thereafter cancelled subsequent broadcast interviews. He now prefers to speak to news agencies like the PTI.

Even the interactions that his office has been organizing with groups of journalists with him of late, are to be strictly kept “off- record.”

Apart from his occasional forays onto the CII or Ficci podium, Gandhi has preferred to remain largely incommunicado.

Rahul Gandhi may be, as is surmised in hushed tones within party circles, started off as the “reluctant  politician”, however now that he has taken centre stage and accepted the responsibility of leading the party, he could start off learning a thing ot two, from some of his young colleagues, Sachin Pilot and Milind Deora – who are open and accessible to all through the social media. That would make for a beginning of sorts!