By Dr. Javed Jamil,
Modi calls Rahul “Shazada” and himself a “Chaiwala”. But when we examine the two characters, while the “tea-seller” behaves as if he has already become not just the Prime Minister but also the lord of the nation, the “prince” behaves as an obedient Son of the Nation. Kejriwal on the other hand has shown considerable aggression; but this very aggression is proving to be his detractor.
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2014 elections are not just about the conflict of ideologies; they are also about the clash of personalities. While Arvind Kejriwal has also joined the list of national leaders, the battle is still primarily between Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi.
Modi calls Rahul “Shazada” and himself a “Chaiwala”. But when we examine the two characters, while the “tea-seller” behaves as if he has already become not just the Prime Minister but also the lord of the nation, the “prince” behaves as an obedient Son of the Nation. Kejriwal on the other hand has shown considerable aggression; but this very aggression is proving to be his detractor.
Look at Rahul. He is mixing with people including the most deprived: coolies, rickshawalas, artisans, machhyaaras, namak workers, the dalits, and the minorities. And he makes them feel he is one of them. When in Moradabad, a bearded old man calls him “Sir”, he intervenes. He gores close to him, puts his hand on his back and says, “Oh! Don’t call me Sir, Call me Rahul. I feel bad when such a buzurg calls me Sir.” He listens to almost everybody without appearing to be in any sort of hurry even in the packed election schedule, promises them better life and leaves them as proud citizens of the country.
Look at Modi. Nobody can dream of coming close to him except the chosen few. He comes to the stage pumped up, arrogance oozing from his eyes, his legs and his tongue. He speaks whatever he likes and more often than not he lies, calls a Union Minister and a former Chief Minister the agents of Pakistan and vomits venom against whoever happens to challenge him. There is hardly a hint of his so-called humble background.
Look at the media. It has been projecting Modi as Prime-Minister in waiting for months. His diatribes are taken lightly. His arrogance is never debated. He is projected as the unassailable leader of the masses. He has already been turned into a kind of demigod. On the other hand, Rahul is presented as a non-entity, one who is “no match” for him. His sophistication, his honesty and his humility are of no meaning for the media.
And when it comes to Kejriwal, his image has been systematically destroyed. As soon as it became clear that he can emerge as a serious threat to BJP designs, a campaign of destruction began against him, and within no time he became a bhagora (one who ran away from duty), jhhoota (liar) and media-hungry. In terms of his ability to catch attention, he leaves the other two far behind; but the problem with him is that he had no organizational backing at all. And his aggression against the Ambanis and Adanis has made him the biggest villain in the eyes of those who want to see Modi sit at the 7 Race Course without even waiting for the results.
Interestingly, they have one thing in common. They are all the rebels in their own ways. Modi already views himself above BJP, in fact the whole Sangh Parivar. If RSS and BJP are supporting him, it is only because they want to cash in on his support among Hindus. Rahul Gandhi too is a rebel within Congress. He is trying to change the Congress culture against all odds. The seniors in Congress too do not feel comfortable with his rise. And Kejriwal is the rebel of the system. He is challenging all the forces together. All the three have emerged national level contenders during last one year. It is not that they were not known before. Modi’s prime ministerial ambitions have been known for several years. But he was formally announced as PM candidate only last year. Rahul Gandhi was expected to succeed Man Mohan Singh in due course of time. But till about a year back, there was no indication if he was going to assume charge of the party soon. He was largely unknown to the people in terms of his intentions, policies and style. He in fact started leading the party from the front only after the Assembly Elections in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi and Chhatisgarh. Kejriwal made a dramatic entry only after the Assembly elections. This goes to the credit of both Rahul and Kejriwal that their popularity grew remarkably within a few months. The opinion polls show Rahul as the second most popular leader after Modi; and if the percentage of those liking Man Mohan Singh and Soial Gandhi are added to his tally, the gap between Modi and Rahul is not as high as it appears on the first look. It there is one thing common between Modi and Kejriwal, it is that Kejriwal like Modi appears to be in a hurry. Rahul on the other hand seems to be more composed and more patient.
The media fails to see the blatant lies Modi and his team are propagating day and night: about the Gujarat Model, about the opposition leaders and about the political parties. But the truth remains that he has only established himself as a rabble rouser who uses rhetoric as well as jest to amuse people. Rahul on the other hand can be seen emerging as a sophisticated leader who even in anger does not lose control. Opposed to Modi who represents love for few, Rahul represents love for all. Only time will tell whose popularity will prove to be more lasting and more meaningful. Kejriwal’s aggression has turned him into a hero for some and antihero for others. It is difficult to believe that he will play any major role in the government formation. Hopefully, his resurgence will begin after the elections and will become a force to recjon with by the time the next elections are held, which may be much less than 5 years away.
The most interesting aspect of the scenario is that despite the nation discussing the three it appears quite likely that ultimately none of the three will be able to occupy the Prime Ministerial seat in the 2014 elections. They may have to wait for the future.
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Dr Javed Jamil is a thinker and writer with over a dozen books including his latest, “Muslims Most Civilised, Yet Not Enough” and “Muslim Vision of Secular India: Destination & Road-map”. Other works include “The Devil of Economic Fundamentalism”, “The Essence of the Divine Verses”, “The Killer Sex”, “Islam means Peace” and “Rediscovering the Universe”. He can be contacted at [email protected] or 91-8130340339. https://twitter.com/javedjamil
