Rahul Gandhi Isn’t the Pappu He Is Made Out To Be
“Why do you like Rahul Gandhi so much?”, my friends would often ask me. They could understand why I would support a party with strong secular credentials, but the Pappu makeover was so complete, they never thought someone like me could support him. And they were not wrong. For many years, I too believed that Rahul Gandhi was a not very bright dynast who’s ambitious mother forced him to remain in India, while he just wanted to settle down abroad with his Columbian girlfriend! That was the story marketed to me, and I never thought to question it till November 2017.
What changed?
In November 2017, I met an extremely articulate, intelligent and empathetic politician who impressed me deeply with his keen understanding of social issues. His office was plastered with photographs of him with Rahul Gandhi, which surprised me considerably. Would someone I had grown to respect as much as I had him respect Rahul Gandhi if he was really a Pappu? For the first time, I started wondering if Rahul Gandhi really was what I had convinced myself he was.
And so began my experiment. For the next two weeks, I told myself, I would put aside all my baggage, and would evaluate him without any preconceived notions. Over the next few days, an entirely new Rahul Gandhi started evolving. A practitioner of martial arts who was immensely aware of himself. A person who was willing to engage with ideas he didn’t necessarily agree with. A dog lover. A person who listened not to react, but to learn.
This Rahul Gandhi was certainly not a Pappu.
Who was the Rahul Gandhi I saw once I started observing without judgement?
This Rahul Gandhi was certainly a sicon of the most powerful political family in India. But he was not the vacuous person he was made out to be. When he was asked questions on the economy, his answers displayed an decent understanding of macroeconomic issues. He spoke up against hate crimes even when others chose silence. Even people who didn’t agree with his political ideology spoke about how he reached out to them to seek their views on issues they were experts in.
As I continued to observe him, I came to recognise him as someone who had well thought out positions on issues. I came to respect him as a decent human being. I was astonished at how empathetic he was despite being born into a family like his. I realised I had every rationale reason to like Rahul Gandhi. And I do.
The need to put aside preconceived notions
But tinged with my respect for Rahul Gandhi is also my respect for myself for doing what is often hard for people to do. We make up our minds about people, and every subsequent observation is coloured by that perception. We only take in things that reinforce the image we already have of a person. However I had been able to put aside all my preconceived notions and assess someone I had strong opinions on with fresh eyes. And it is becasue I was able and willing to do that, that I discovered the real Rahul Gandhi.
For me, this was a lesson on thinking for myself and not just going with what we are led to believe. In subsequent years, I repeated the experiment with two other politicians, but in both cases, everything I observed during the time only reinforced the image I had already created of them.
The Bharat Jodo Yatra Effect
For many years, I was often a minority of one among people I know. Even the most liberal ones among them didn’t think as highly of Rahul Gandhi as I did. It is only in the last few months, after the Bharat Jodo Yatra wound through a few states that perceptions have started changing.
People are gradually starting to recognise the many desirable qualities of Rahul Gandhi. His message of Unity and Harmony has started appealing to them. They admire his commitment to Social Justice and the fact that he is not afraid to speak out.
As Rahul Gandhi turns a year older today, I will repeat his oft quoted message- Daro Mat.
