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Decoding Rahul
Gandhi
While the Congress party and its dedicated tribe patiently await when this young (or not so young, as one of his close relatives chose to describe him to this reviewer) takes on the role as the Prime Minister, many are not certain that Rahul is prepared to assume responsibility even as a minister in the Manmohan Singh Government. It is this trait that the author, a political journalist, attempts to decode. Following the trail of the young leader since the summer of 2004 till "The Humiliation", as the penultimate chapter describes the severe electoral setback in the 2012 Assembly elections of Uttar Pradesh. Between the cover of this paperback is an easy-flowing narrative, peppered with instances of a leader who reinforces the image of a shy and impatient person with ideas that defy conventional political logic. It reinforces the idea that he is attempting to "learn" from the follies of the past before committing himself to any future political role. The narrative manages to captures the essence of a person who relies on a small dedicated band — Team RG — which in political lexicon can be equated with a "coterie", grappling with ideas that spring from corporate-style boardroom ideas. These are backed by leadership learnt in lab conditions and insistence on applying these at home. The results are there for everyone to see, be it the much-vaunted reforms in youth organisations that ran aground or the battleground state like Uttar Pradesh. Interestingly, Rahul told this reviewer in 2004, in an almost accusatory tone, that media wrote about him without knowing who he was. The grievance remains relevant even today for save a few thousand Congress leaders, a majority remain ignorant about who is Rahul Gandhi. It is tough to write a semi-biographical account, particularly since the author relies on secondary sources with Rahul continuing to act difficult with the media. What it does is to peels a layer or two for people who have never met him.
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FOR a person born into
the most prominent Indian political family, Rahul Gandhi remains a
mystery, at least for those who are outside his charmed circle of
friends and advisors. It is over eight years since this scion of the
Nehru-Gandhi family took a plunge in national politics and yet not
much is known of what is his vision for the country, avoided as he has
studiously, to articulate his opinion on a vast majority of issues,
domestic and international.