The critical issues facing students in India are once again being overshadowed by intense politicisation as their concerns over exam paper leaks, the On-Screen Marking (OSM) system and other lapses in the education system have turned into pawns by vested groups and the opposition. The Indian National Congress has predictably jumped into the fray, framing its involvement as support for protesting students only to advance its political goals.
Rahul Gandhi, the primary successor of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty, is eager to capitalise on this opportunity and use it as a catalyst to revive his political fortunes. This is certainly not the first time, nor will it be the last, that such an effort has been undertaken to rejuvenate his image. In fact, he has had more relaunches in his career than the satellites in space, but to no avail.
Rahul Gandhi-led Congress party’s antics
Rahul Gandhi has consistently proven to be a disappointment in elections while he and his party continue to seek out fresh or controversial platforms in the hope of a miracle that will transform him into a real “jannayak” and not merely in their perception. Thus, the challenges associated with the Indian education system have been developed into a plank for this purpose.
On 21st July (Tuesday), dramatic pictures surfaced from 7 Lok Kalyan Marg, showing the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha being detained by the police. He, alongside Congress veterans including his sister and Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, party president and Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, as well as prominent leaders and parliamentarians like KC Venugopal, Pawan Khera and others, initiated an agitation outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official residence, which led to the subsequent action.
They chanted slogans and tied plastic bands over their hands during the demonstration, calling for the resignation of PM Modi and Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan due to the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) paper leak. However, several participants were oblivious to their own party’s intention.
Rahul Gandhi and the top brass wanted to keep Rahul Gandhi’s secret plan under wraps and did not inform other members, who were caught off guard when they landed at the protest venue. The MPs were just told to assemble at Kharge’s house at 10 Rajaji Marg to celebrate his birthday. The distance to PM Modi’s home is about 500 metres from there.
None of the about 25 MPs who arrived at the place had any inkling of the upcoming course of action. They were tricked under the guise of wishing Kharge on the occasion. “Once the birthday celebrations were over, we were asked to follow Rahul Gandhi’s convoy without asking questions. We did it and reached 7 Lok Kalyan Marg and were told that we have to sit here,” an MP told The Indian Express.
Other Congresspersons rushed to the scene as soon as the word got out, as they were also unaware of the situation. Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and KC Venugopal were behind the deception, which was only disclosed to a few senior leaders. It is crucial to remember that it is a high-security area, and the massive security breach prompted the government to intervene immediately.
The truth behind the drama
Union minister Dr Jitendra Singh and Union home secretary Govind Mohan were sent to convince the protestors to vacate the sensitive site. However, the former unveiled that Rahul Gandhi not only changed his previous stand but seemingly aimed to engage in a confrontational scenario with the government, evidently to gain political leverage.
The Rae Bareilly Member of Parliament first promised that the agitation would end if “NEET and related education issues including the ongoing protests” were debated in Parliament, following repeated inquiries about his demands. Singh had talks with senior leadership at the central government and, on its behalf, assured him that the condition would be met. However, he swiftly backtracked on his commitment, asserting that he had changed his mind and was now seeking Pradhan’s resignation.
When confronted about the shift, Rahul Gandhi justified it as his “wish” and dared the government to “take us away.” He also remarked, “You can draw your own conclusions. I’ll do what I want.” Singh expressed, “He doesn’t want to cooperate with the government to discuss or advance public interest issues. They’ve come with the intention of confrontation, conflict and finding an issue.”
This shows that he either aimed to mislead the government or modified his stance midway. Nonetheless, both scenarios illustrate the frivolous attitude of him and his party, where every significant issue is diminished to a mere gimmick to capture headlines and elevate his reputation. Additionally, the incident was occurring in the most critical part of the national capital, which further demonstrates his lack of comprehension or, more accurately, his indifference to such considerations.
Interestingly, the alleged violence against students during the Cockroach Janata Party’s march to Parliament on the first day of the monsoon session was given as the reason for the demonstration. It bears mentioning that Congress, its leaders and the entire ecosystem have been in a constant war of words with the party.
Rahul Gandhi’s nationwide campaign, “Chhatron Ki Goonj (Echo of Students),” was also announced as the grand old party appeared to be insecure, fearing that the CJP was aggressively pursuing the matter and did not wish to relinquish whatever little relevance it has maintained in light of a new online phenomenon.
The Indian Youth Congress even identified itself as the real cockroaches who are fighting against the government on Indian streets, while Abhijeet Dipke, the founder of CJP, was condemned for managing the discredited “youth movement” from Boston. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which is reportedly linked with the latter, criticised Congress for being scared of the Gen Z members despite having 140 years of history.
These political entities are obviously two sides of the same coin, competing to depict themselves as the ultimate “messiah” for students, all the while lacking any concrete roadmap or solutions to their problems. Both Congress and CJP are solely focused on attaining their personal goals at the expense of students, who have regrettably become instruments in these political shenanigans.
The age-old strategy in a revamped package
Rahul Gandhi understood that the spectacle transpiring outside the Prime Minister’s residence would place him on the front pages of newspapers as he would be portrayed as championing the cause of Indian students by Congress.
If the former Congress chief truly cared about the students, he would have at least sought to engage in a constructive dialogue with the government, which was willing to discuss the matter in Parliament. He could also have provided a roadmap or alternative solutions to address the persistent challenges that have plagued the education system for decades.
However, his intention was only to create a scene at the pivotal location. He is currently encountering strong competition from the CJP and thereby devised a theatrical presentation to capture public interest and spark conversations.
Rahul Gandhi wanted to be seen being dragged away by the cops in a striking manner and therefore even lay on the ground to resist his detention to amplify his performance, which had no genuine concern for the future of students, but ratherwas reoccupied with his own prospects in politics.
This occurrence illustrated that the 56-year-old remains as whimsical and immature as ever, even when addressing vital issues. He prioritised a dramatic display over unifying the opposition based on an acceptable agenda and initiating a dialogue with the centre. He had the opportunity to share his viewpoint regarding the difficulties encountered by students and their families. He could have offered valuable criticism of government policies or pointed out their flaws to alleviate these grievances.
Nevertheless, this approach would have demanded time, diligence and commitment without any drama, and thus he opted to converge at PM Modi’s residence alongside other leaders, exemplifying an opportunist without political acumen or insight.
Furthermore, his dedication to the cause was outlined when the “Chhatron Ki Goonj” events had to be postponed due to his unavailability while he was abroad. Notably, no Congress leader took charge of the programs during this period. However, Rahul Gandhi has a history of neglecting issues affecting the Indian public after making a fuss about them and peddling propaganda. This was recently evident when he disappeared amid the high-voltage contest during the Bihar assembly elections last year.
Rebel without a cause
The only consistency in Rahul Gandhi’s political journey is his nonchalant attitude towards all subjects, ranging from his assertions about EVM rigging accusations of voter disenfranchisement by the Election Commission of India supposedly to benefit the Bharatiya Janata Party, as well as his objections to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the country.
None of his allegations has been substantiated, nd he has repeatedly refused to submit an affidavit or apologise for his failure to provide evidence, instead doubling down on his arguments before abandoning his party to endure one electoral setback after another. Rahul Gandhi only tries to hijack the narrative, attract brief attention and then fade away, possibly to an undisclosed overseas destination. It has been his continual political tactic, and this instance is no different.
His target is to harness these orchestrated public acts to sway voter opinion, evoke emotional reactions and rally supporters rather than to seek substantive outcomes for students. However, he conveniently disregards that this also requires sustained work and cannot be a part-time political endeavour.
On the other hand, the Modi government has already stated that it will not succumb to pressure; action is underway against the perpetrators, and steps have been implemented to ensure that such problems do not arise in the future. However, this will not deter Rahul Gandhi and his party, determined to create a theatrical production out of this protest along with the CJP, which has been endorsed by several vested groups.
The plans to replicate unrest similar to those in Bangladesh and Nepal have already been echoed multiple times by opposition leaders and their supporters. It remains to be seen how far they are willing to go to damage national interests in their hunger for political gain.
Meanwhile, one should not expect any helpful guidance, recommendation or suggestion to address the hardships suffered by students from Congress or this entire faction. They oppose merely for the sake of opposition, and to expect anything further from them is to deceive oneself, as it lies outside the bounds of political reality.
Rahul Gandhi will act similarly before he again concludes that it is time for another vacation or a break after which his headless party will have to fend for itself in his absence. Amusingly, he seems to have embodied the classic definition of a half-hearted rebel without a cause.
