The arduous journey of Rahul Gandhi

Even the son of a monarch has to undergo childhood and education in those stages. For such children of royalty, many risks would be lurking in their childhood, youth and student days. None can tell what happens at which instance. We have seen such things in many a folklore film. Though a child of the family of Prime Ministers, Rahul Gandhi had to learn everything.

Moreover, he had the onus of living up to the pride and level of the grand parents and their parents. This is a mental distress and a pressure point. Moreover, Rahul had to live right from childhood in a circle devoid of liberty unable to see the realities outside the security ring around. Because of such limitations, he had to grow up under special situations.

His childhood and schooling went ahead under turbulence. Grandmother in 1984 and father in 1991 fell to the bullets of assassins. Mother Sonia Gandhi worried much about Rahul Gandhi. At the tender age of eleven, Rahul joined St Columbia School in Delhi and shifted to Doon School and studied there during 1981-83.

After the assassination of Indira Gandhi, it became hard for him to continue there because of security reasons. With that, arrangements were made for Priyanka Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi to study at home. Thus they lost the opportunity of growing in a lively social and collective atmosphere among fellow students at school. His father Rajiv Gandhi also had the same or similar conditions in his formative days.

In his 19th year, Rahul Gandhi just completed his first year in St Stephen College when his father succumbed to a terrorist attack and hence the boy had to live in a fearful milieu. He joined the Harvard University. He completed graduation from Rollin’s College in 1994. He did his M Phil from Trinity College of Columbia.

He worked for a while in the role of a Management Consultant in the Monitor group. Mother Sonia Gandhi never liked her children to get into politics. The deaths of her mother-in-law and husband and danger of the terrorists were behind such a feeling. She wanted her kids to be away from politics. Rahul Gandhi observed the anguish the mother has undergone.

Sonia Gandhi’s idea of keeping away from politics never sustained. She could not even keep Rahul out of politics. She wanted support from within. But, there were shadows spread on his childhood, education and entry into politics. The family prestige gave Rahul Gandhi a big chance. But it turned out to be a dead weight in case of personal growth.

People who depend on the name and fame of the elders remain duds. They do not know the effort behind the name and fame. This is true of all the generations that follow the earlier famous ones. As such, they are put to duress in personal growth mentally and internally. Even though great grandfather, grandmother and father were Prime Ministers, one had to live like all the other kids.

One has to get educated like all the others. In such a situation the opportunities would be as wider as the pressure thereupon. They would be subject to comment even if talented. Rahul Gandhi is one such individual. This danger was a Damocles’ sword for Rahul always. He had to struggle with special trainings and experiences in order to mold himself.

He struggled to rebuild the Youth Congress and the students wing in such a situation of voids. Through the method of direct elections he gave fresh life to the two party arms. Thus he found a chance of growing as a leader of youth. It was possible for Rahul Gandhi to come in touch with youth cadres. He started to get among people directly, and enthusing the youth, and took an active role in attracting young masses into Congress party.

But when estimations went awry, opposition groups took the chance to bitterly criticise him. Rahul Gandhi struggled many ways to overcome these fetters. He proposed many active programmes as a Member of Parliament. He evinced serious interest in certain bills and opposed certain others.

When it was proposed that the Information Bill was being tackled with a clause of restrictions, he took serious objection. He was very keen about women’s representation and land acquisition bills. His actions were seen as experiments and experiences. And the lessons he learnt thereof are sure to stand him in good stead. (The writer is an official spokesperson of Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee)

By Dr Vakulabharanam Krishna Mohan Rao