Now that Pranab Mukherjee has been ‘kicked upstairs’, the Congress party has cleared the way for Rahul Gandhi to assume a larger role in the party, and in the government, so that he can eventually become India’s prime minister.

Based on how many times Mukherjee was bypassed for the prime minister’s job, this analyst had predicted that the party’s top priority would be to get him elected as president so that the decks are cleared for Rahul’s much awaited rise. Mukherjee deserves the respect because despite being the senior-most leader, he was first bypassed for the post in favour of Rajiv Gandhi when Indira Gandhi was assassinated in 1984. Seven years later, he was again ignored when Rajiv himself was assassinated.

Although the Congress has not presented Mukherjee’s selection in this scenario, the coincidences point in that direction. It could be just a coincidence that Rahul showed his willingness to assume a larger role in the party and the government on the same day that lawmakers voted in the presidential election and just as it was becoming very clear that Mukherjee’s election was a foregone conclusion.

In fact, some Indian textbooks printed before the election even referred to Mukherjee as the 13th president of India.

Now that the way is clear, Rahul has a huge responsibility to rise to the occasion in an intelligent and politically savvy manner. He should realise that the shoes he may eventually step into will be much bigger than those of his father.

Big shoes

Even though Rajiv was not initially interested in politics, he was forced into the prime minister’s post by his mother’s sudden death. He was not considered to be politically shrewd and was even defeated because of his alleged involvement in the Bofors scandal. He had just started showing his political acumen in the election campaign of 1991 when his life was ruthlessly cut short by an assassin.

Had he lived, he would have been an excellent prime minister, who had a vision to modernise India and improve the life of the common man. His mother Indira was known for putting India on the world map through the sphere of foreign policy, and he would have been known as the leader who put India on the map of a modern and hi-tech world.

Those are the shoes Rahul is going to step into. But from all perspectives, he has the background and understanding to become a good leader of India’s younger generation. The Congress’ humiliating defeat in the Uttar Pradesh elections despite an election campaign spearheaded by him must have given him an insight into India’s murky politics and an idea of what kind of responsibility he has to shoulder.

Enriching experience

His exploratory visits to different parts of India reminded some about the discovery of India that his great grandfather, Jawaharlal Nehru, wrote about. Rahul may have also experienced how young Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi tried to discover India as soon as he arrived from South Africa.

Mahatma Gandhi said at the time that India lived in its villages and so did Rahul, although not in the same words. He said India’s future cannot be changed without improving the plight of rural India. Just like the older Gandhi, Rahul also lived most of his life outside India before he tried to rediscover India after coming back.

The two conclusions Rahul made during these visits to rural India can change the future of this great nation, provided he executes his plans seriously them when he eventually takes over the Congress and the government. Rahul says he stands for two things — India’s rural development and bringing youth into the country’s politics. He got those two goals incorporated in the Congress’ manifesto in the last election.

If he can hold on to these two policy pillars after his rise in the party and can seriously achieve his goals, he and his country may never look back. I hope he realises that this is a big ‘if’ in a country where the political scene is full of ruthlessly selfish opportunists with no principles or scruples.

It will take a Herculean effort on Rahul’s part to deliver on these two promises.

— IANS

Ravi M. Khanna was the New Delhi-based VOA Bureau Chief from 1986 to 1989 and covered Rajiv Gandhi’s politics and policies extensively. He also was responsible for Rajiv’s India. a one-hour Emmy-nominated TV documentary.