When politicians are done and dusted for all intents and purposes, then they retort to a secret weapon. The secret weapon of compromising a country’s national integrity. By doing so, they not just garner more power, but also create a more permanent support group for themselves. Rahul Gandhi is no different, but, the nationalist faction of India’s political spectrum is ever ready.
It seems as if Rahul Gandhi has found a new way to stay relevant. His media friends have suggested to him a tried and tested way of doing so. Taking a leaf out of their rulebook, Rahul Gandhi recently raised a question on Assam’s integration into India. But the state Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma was ready with a factual retort.
Rahul attacks the idea of India
During his speech at Cambridge University, Rahul’s attack on the Indian Foreign Service was not the only contentious point. He addressed loads of issues, most of which were controversial in nature. In one such controversial comment, Rahul Gandhi commented on the integrity and brotherhood of Indian states.
Making a bizarre observation about the development of the Constitution, Congress Vice-President remarked, “What emerged out of freedom movement was a negotiation between these states and identities and religion. So, India emerged bottom-up and all these states UP, Maharashtra, Assam, and Tamil Nadu got together and negotiated peace. From this union of states, which required a conversation, emerged the instrument of that conversation- the Constitution, the idea that one man will have one vote, the election system, the IITs, and the IIMs,”
Apparently, Rahul Gandhi was defending his India being a ‘Union of State’ remark. If we break down Rahul Gandhi’s comments then a unified Bharatvarsh never existed in the thousands of years old history of the Indian subcontinent. Rahul believes that modern India is a result of compromise by various states to avoid violent conflict. He seems to be deliberately ignorant of the fact that Bharatvarsh has common demography and a common Dharma, that is Sanatan. Another possibility is that he actually does not know real Indian history, which frankly is a more realistic one.
Rahul Gandhi factually demolished by Himanta
Even in the modern context, Congress hegemon is absolutely wrong. Though every state he named in his remark has not responded to falsehood, but, Assam having suffered the torture of staying outside the mainstream nationalistic fold during the Congress era was not going to stay quiet.
Himanta Biswa Sarma, firebrand Chief Minister of state, decided to call him out on a public platform. He even termed Rahul Gandhi with an adjective mainly associated with leftist historians. Himanta, a subject matter expert of Indian politics reminded Rahul of how his grandfather Jawaharlal Nehru was ready to hand over Assam to Pakistan.
On Twitter, Sarma shared a clip of Rahul Gandhi’s remarks about Assam and wrote, “This is height of fake intellectualism! Assam never ‘negotiated peace’ with India. With Gandhiji’s support, Gopinath Bordoloi had to struggle to keep Assam with Bharat Mata since Nehru left us to be with Pakistan as per Cabinet Mission Plan. Get your facts right, Mr. Gandhi.”
This is height of fake intellectualism!
Assam never 'negotiated peace' with India. With Gandhiji's support, Gopinath Bordoloi had to struggle to keep Assam with Bharat Mata since Nehru left us to be with Pakistan as per Cabinet Mission Plan.
Get your facts right, Mr Gandhi. pic.twitter.com/jx7Cz3VOGH
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (Modi Ka Parivar) (@himantabiswa) May 21, 2022
If it was upon Congress, Assam would be a part of Bangladesh
Himanta exposed Congress’ hypocrisy in a crisp manner. In his factual reply to Rahul, Assam Chief Minister was referring to the role of Gopinath Bordoloi, Assam’s first Chief Minister in ensuring that Assam is not handed over to Pakistan.
Congress, Muslim League, and Cabinet Mission had designed the restructuring of India in such a way that representatives of local Assamese would become a minority in comparison to Bengal. Bordoloi had rejected the offer. In spite of mounting pressure from Congress’ head office, Bordloi had refused to surrender Assam’s sovereignty. In the wake of Congress not listening to him, Bordoloi led mass agitation in the state. Only then Congress allowed Assamese representatives to be part of the national committee to form the Indian Constitution.
If Bordoloi was not there, Congress and Nehru would have surrendered Assam to East Pakistan territory devised after the partition.
It’s not Rahul Gandhi’s fault
But, a factual analysis does not come naturally to the Congress monarch. You see, Rahul Gandhi is 51 years old. No matter how much his minuscule fan base shouts around his six-pack abs, age is relevant when we consider how Rahul obtained his knowledge.
He grew up in a pre-Internet era. There was no free speech in that era. Whatever Congress wanted, they could publish it through news channels. Even if it was a blatant lie, no one would come to counter it in the public domain. Those who did also did it in such a sheepish fashion that at the end of the day, common folks would feel bad for doubting any information spread by the Grand old party.
Read more: Himanta Biswa Sarma factually demolishes P Chidambaram’s claims
This is the main reason why there is a difference between pre-2014 and post-2014 Rahul Gandhi. Pre-2014 Rahul was a legend of the media world, post-2014 Rahul has unfortunately become a meme material. For all its faults, social media has catalysed the upcoming counterforce to Congress and its lies. Now, Rahul Gandhi can’t get away with any falsehood he spreads.
Rahul Gandhi’s Cambridge stunt is drawing criticism from all quarters. The fact that he is the main face of the largest opposition in state forced even India’s Foreign Minister to counter his absurdity. Now, the ball is in the individual state’s Court. Himanta has started it and shortly other states are expected to follow suit. In the name of freedom of expression, falsehood should not go unpunished.
