By Justice Katju-
(Justice Markandey Katju is a former Judge, Supreme Court of India, and former Chairman of Press Council of India. The views expressed are his own)
Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi’s decision to contest in the ongoing Indian parliamentary elections from Rae Bareilly constituency in UP, instead of Amethi, has been widely commented on by the Indian media, as if it was a great historical event.
Even the California based website indicanews.com has commented on it. In fact Rahul’s decision was obviously made because he felt it unsafe to contest from Amethi, where he had lost to BJP leader Smriti Irani in the 2019 elections and there was a possibility he may lose again, whereas Rae Bareilly was comparatively safe.
Many have described it as a ‘master stroke‘.
Here are my comments on it:
1. Considering the matter from the point of view presented in my article ‘The Grand Indian Theorem’, the event is wholly irrelevant.
As pointed out in the above article, the huge socio-economic problems India faces, of massive poverty, massive unemployment, appalling level of child malnutrition, almost total lack of proper healthcare and good education for the masses, skyrocketing prices of essential commodities like food and fuel can only be solved outside the system of parliamentary democracy (i.e. by a historical mighty people’s revolution), but Rahul Gandhi lies within the system. Hence it is totally irrelevant where he contests from.
2. Even otherwise, as pointed out in my previous articles, Rahul Gandhi (or for that matter, any of the present political parties or leaders in India) have no inkling how to solve India’s massive socio-economic problems. In fact Rahul has nothing in his head.
3. The Indian media’s depiction of Rahul Gandhi’s filing his candidature from Rae Bareilly as if it was a great historical event, when it is really irrelevant, only shows the low level to which the Indian media has sunk. Instead of being an organ of the people who are suffering terribly, and championing their cause, the Indian media seeks any ‘mirch masaala’ to sensationalise issues, however irrelevant to the people they may be, to increase their rating and earn profits.
4. The political scene in India is disgusting. The BJP only seeks to polarize the people on religious lines, by spreading hatred of Muslims, in order to consolidate and get Hindu votes, and the so called ‘secular’ parties like the Congress only have an eye on the large Muslim vote bank in India, and have looted the country when in power.
It seems that after the elections, whose results will be declared on 4th June, an era akin to that of the later Mughals, when there will be a weak central government and chaotic conditions, will begin in India.
5. However, in my opinion the present parliamentary elections will also have a historical significance, as mentioned in the article below.
