Rahul Gandhi is currently leading an intense campaign for the Congress party in the ongoing Lok Sabha election. His campaign primarily focuses on two key issues: caste and poverty, which have long been central themes in India’s political landscape since its independence 76 years ago.
Rahul Gandhi’s determination to conduct a nationwide caste census is so strong that he considers it his “life’s mission”. Additionally, he has devised a “magic formula” to combat poverty, which involves providing a monthly sum of Rs 8,500 to women from impoverished households, as he himself has stated.
However, Rahul Gandhi’s perspective on caste and poverty has undergone a significant transformation over the years. Prior to 2014, he was seen as the heir apparent, poised to assume the role of Prime Minister, until his party was unexpectedly ousted from power at the hands of a political wave from Gujarat. His public speeches, interviews, and statements portrayed him as a progressive thinker who looked beyond the confines of caste and religion, treating people equally regardless of their socioeconomic status.
Fast forward to 2024, and Rahul Gandhi appears to be a different individual altogether. He perceives caste as a pervasive factor in every aspect of society and attributes every societal ill to it. From confronting a journalist in a crowd and inquiring about their caste to accusing the IIT selection process of being biased based on caste, Rahul Gandhi’s rhetoric has become increasingly strident, serving as his primary weapon in his attempt to undermine the Narendra Modi government.
Rahul Gandhi’s position regarding poverty
In his recent campaign speeches, Rahul Gandhi emphasized his commitment to eradicating poverty through his “khatakhat khatakhat” promises. During a rally in Rajasthan in April, he assured the audience that if the Congress emerged victorious in the upcoming general elections, poverty would be eliminated in one fell swoop.
Gandhi stated, “If you are below the poverty line, then every year Rs 1 lakh khatakhat khatakhat will be provided, and with one stroke, we will eradicate poverty from India.”
According to the Congress manifesto for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the party pledged to provide Rs 1 lakh annually to women from impoverished households under the Mahalakshmi scheme.
Furthermore, Rahul Gandhi proposed conducting a wealth survey in addition to a caste-based census if his party came into power. Following the wealth survey, there would be a redistribution of wealth, ensuring that marginalized sections identified through the caste survey receive a fair share of the country’s resources based on their population.
Although the Congress manifesto does not explicitly mention a wealth redistribution program, Rahul Gandhi has consistently highlighted this initiative in various public gatherings.
However, Gandhi’s stance on poverty has evolved over time. In 2013, he controversially dismissed poverty as “just a state of mind,” a statement that contradicted the claims made by his colleagues Raj Babbar and Rasheed Masood, who asserted that Rs 12 and Rs 5, respectively, were sufficient to afford a substantial meal.
In 2013, Rahul Gandhi expressed a philosophical perspective on poverty, highlighting that it is not solely defined by the lack of food, money, or material possessions. According to him, poverty is merely a state of mind, and with self-confidence, individuals can triumph over it.
Rahul Gandhi’s lack of belief in caste was evident:
In October 2009, Rahul Gandhi, who held the position of Congress General Secretary at the time, made a statement expressing his disbelief in the caste system. He further stated that the disparity between the poor and the rich solely lies in the difference of opportunities available to them.
During a press conference in Thiruvananthapuram, Rahul Gandhi addressed queries regarding his visit to a Dalit household in Uttar Pradesh, which was criticized by rival parties as a political maneuver.
“I personally do not believe in the caste system. I visit the homes of human beings, not just Dalits,” he asserted.
Rahul Gandhi also emphasized that the caste of an impoverished individual holds no significance to him. Illustrating his point with the example of a tea vendor and a university student, he highlighted that he does not inquire about the tea vendor’s caste. “The disparity lies in the opportunities. They possess the same intelligence and capabilities as you, but lacked the chance to attend university. That is the only distinction,” he explained.
In 2016, Rahul Gandhi reiterated his aversion to the caste system. During an interview with the Times of India, he was questioned about his party’s perspective on caste and the Brahmin narrative in relation to the 2017 Uttar Pradesh Assembly election. In response, Gandhi stated that he “neither believes in caste nor endorses any of it.”
“Uttar Pradesh needs to break free from this predicament. The only way to achieve that is by becoming a party that represents everyone equally. In my view, the Congress is a party for all,” Rahul Gandhi asserted.
It is worth noting that in 2016, the Samajwadi Party was not in alliance with the Congress, and the BJP was not considered a major force in Uttar Pradesh. Presently, both the Samajwadi Party and the Congress play significant roles as constituents of the Opposition INDIA bloc, aiming to challenge the BJP’s dominance in both the central government and Uttar Pradesh, where the party has secured two consecutive terms under Yogi Adityanath.
During the interview, Rahul Gandhi also discussed the allocation of tickets and emphasized the importance of selecting candidates who can effectively represent all communities.
Now, let’s compare this to a roadshow held by Rahul Gandhi in Raebareli in February 2024.
A journalist from a private news channel, who was present in the crowd, reportedly expressed his frustration about not being allowed to cover the event properly. In response, Rahul Gandhi began asking the journalist a series of questions related to his caste, which escalated the situation and put the journalist’s life at risk.
In a viral video of the incident, Rahul Gandhi can be heard saying, “Are you from the media? What is your name? Are you Shiv Prasad? What is your owner’s name? Tell me the name.”
As the crowd started attacking the journalist, Rahul Gandhi had to intervene and shouted, “Don’t harm him. We shouldn’t resort to violence.” However, he continued to ask questions about the journalist’s identity.
In another instance, a video was uploaded on Rahul Gandhi’s official YouTube channel in May of this year. The video, allegedly from the Bharat Nyay Yatra, shows Rahul Gandhi suggesting that Dalits should be involved in preparing questions for IIT entrance exams. He argued that this would provide more opportunities for underprivileged students to enter these institutions.
To support his point, Rahul Gandhi drew an analogy with the American SAT, stating that the exams designed by Whites were biased against African Americans and Latin Americans. He mentioned a scenario where African Americans wrote the same papers, and as a result, all the Whites failed the exam.
What is the reason behind Rahul Gandhi’s focus on caste and class issues?
Notably, the rise of Mandal politics in the 1990s marked the decline of the Congress in the Hindi heartland states. The reservation for various caste groups empowered regional leaders like Lalu Prasad Yadav in Bihar and Mulayam Singh Yadav in Uttar Pradesh, overshadowing the traditional support base of the Congress – the upper caste Hindu voters. Even Muslims began to place their trust in caste-based politics.
Presently, the BJP has expanded its voter base in the Hindi heartland states under the banner of ‘Hindutva’, uniting all caste-based identities under a single Hindu identity. Its combination of Hindutva and welfare policies effectively countered Mandal politics.
Nevertheless, following a caste survey in Bihar and the subsequent rise in its importance, Rahul Gandhi is looking to utilize Mandal once again to counter the BJP’s Hindutva.
He has returned to caste-based politics, aiming to use the same strategy that led to his party’s decline in these states.
In terms of poverty alleviation, Rahul Gandhi has drawn inspiration from Indira Gandhi’s 1971 Lok Sabha election slogan ‘Gareebi Hatao, Desh Bachao’ (remove poverty, save the country).
The ‘Gareebi Hatao’ slogan was an effort by Indira Gandhi to neutralize the influence of major rural castes by classifying people into a category of the poor. Indira Gandhi emerged victorious in the 1971 election, but ‘Gareebi Hatao’ remained merely a slogan.
More than 50 years later, in a bid to prevent the Congress from further decline, Rahul Gandhi is attempting to do the same – by pledging to eliminate poverty swiftly.
It is the political necessity and absence of a clear ideology that have led Rahul Gandhi to shift his stance on caste and poverty. However, it remains to be seen whether he will achieve the desired outcomes, ‘khatakhat khatakhat’, or if the scion of the Gandhi family will need to explore new strategies.