Kozhikode, Jan 18: A "fifth-generation dynast" Rahul Gandhi has no chance in Indian politics against a "hard-working and self-made" Narendra Modi, and Kerala did a disastrous thing by electing the the Congress leader to Parliament, historian Ramachandra Guha said here on Friday.
Guha said the reduction of the Congress from a "great party" during the freedom movement to a "pathetic family firm" now is one of the reasons for the ascendency of Hindutva and jingoism in India.
"I have nothing against Rahul Gandhi personally. He is a decent fellow, very well-mannered. But young India does not want a fifth-generation dynast. If you Malyalis make the mistake of re-electing Rahul Gandhi in 2024 too, you are merely handing over an advantage to Narendra Modi," said Guha on the second day of the ongoing Kerala Literature Festival (KLF) during his talk, "Patriotism Vs Jingoism".
Addressing the crowd, full of Keralites, he said, "Kerala, you have done many wonderful things for India, but one of the disastrous thing you did was to elect Rahul Gandhi to Parliament."
"Narendra Modi's great advantage is that he is not Rahul Gandhi. He is self-made. He has run a state for 15 years, he has an administrative experience, he is incredibly hard working and he never takes holidays in Europe. Believe me I am saying all this in all seriousness," he said.
But, even if Rahul Gandhi was "much more intelligent, more hard-working, never took a holiday in Europe, as a fifth generation dynast he still will be at a disadvantage against a self-made person", the 61-year-old author said.
He took on Congress president Sonia Gandhi too who, he said, reminded him of the "late Mughal dynasty" and how aloof they were of the state of their kingdom.
"India is becoming more democratic and less feudal, and the Gandhis just don't realise this. You (Sonia) are in Delhi, your kingdom is shrinking more and more but still your chamchas (sycophants) are telling you that you are still the badshah," he said.
Further, he quoted his teacher and noted Indian sociologist Andre Beteille to describe the story of Nehru-Gandhi family as a classic "reversal of the famous Biblical injunction": the sins of the father will be visited upon seven successive generations.
"In the Nehru's case, it is the sins of the seven successive generations have been re-visited upon Nehru... look at the national debate today. Why is Nehru evoked everytime? Why does Modi always say Nehru ne Kashmir mein yeh kiya, China mein yeh kiya, Triple Talaq mein yeh kiye ... because Rahul Gandhi is there.
"Now if Rahul Gandhi disappears, Modi has to talk about his own policies and why they failed," he said.
According to Guha, "Hypocrisy of the Indian Left -- the fact that they loved other nations more than India", "rise of aggressive nationalism worldwide" and "the rise of Islamic fundamentalism in neighbouring countries" are some other reasons behind the evident leap of Hindutva in India in the recent times.
Historian William Dalrymple, novelists like Benyamin, Namita Gokhale, Chetan Bhagat and journalists Karan Thapar and Rajdeep Sardesai are among the many other writers who will be attending the four-day festival.
The focus theme of KLF 2020 is environment and climate change.
Comments
who knows with immense pressure from policticans he might have been framed ..becoz ruling party needs one particular community votes and we know how murders of prashanth poojari and vaman poojari ( witness in murder ) got closed .vaman poojaris death shown as suicide .prashanth poojari murder cases all accused are getting acquitted .one jihadi who shouted islamic war cry while butchering our prashant poojari was standing next to abhaya chandra jain ... so conspiracy theory cannot be ruled out ... ankit is just accused and he is not proven guilty , so let our court decide who is culprit ... we dont talk in rubbish language like hang him , shoot him ... as we are not living in third rated countries , which asks proof from males if rape has hapened ...such a pathetic rules ...long live sangh parivar ... jaio sri ram
Narianna....are you not aware that the bloody goon has admitted his criminal deeds... Are u still in the influence of snake food ??? ....
If he comes out within 10 days, I will be not surprised, since we know the DNA of Indians .... as it happened in the case of Sadvi and Akshamdam cases....
I dont think he has stabbed ..if proved , let him be punished for murder ... but certainly not for silly silly cases ...
comment #16 , first ninna community members ge lecture kodu mama ... no need to advise billawa leaders ... third rated kelasa maaadtha irodu nimma jana maarre ... Mr Kazi , we are not living in third rated country to hang anyone without trial and he has not done any major mistake ... anyways he will come out within 10 days ...love to see many one particular community guys using hindu names and posting their frustration .:) hahaha ...
before punishing this culprit, find which VHP criminal is behind this idiot fellow and put him in the jail forever
These Billava boys are brain washed by RSS leaders. Why can't they brain wash their own children for such criminal act? No they will send their children to abroad for higher studies and for job.
Billava leaders must open their mind and guide their youngsters the real motto of these RSS leaders and keep them away from their bhakthi. etc.
baddy maga, i am waiting for him to get in case like this, he s flying all the time in our colony, police should break his leg again he should not enter our place.
Viren, right is right and wrong is wrong....where is the proof for your allegation against minorities....totally rubbish.....This criminal has been thought to do this by Sanghis to promote communal disharmony around.....
Good job police, specially the mosque for installing CCTV camera, otherwise this criminal would have went scott free. Give him harshest punishment so that others should learn good lesson from it....
Viren ..........No killing justfied .....as far as Nationalism concern no one need your Help...thay all know who you are and your dirty RSS and its wings....so keep your Brahmanism with you at home ....we all know who killed RTI Activists that too being a HINDU....OK ...adella OK neevu ee deshadalli dwesha YAKE ...saaka ?
Elli Nyaya illavo allide ....karya...
send him out of india, hang him to death,,,very dangerous people....
lets pray for his family, god bless u all.
this is a serious issue, should consider him as a main suspect of all the crime and should investigate properly all the goons should be caught and punished properly, my big suggestion is to cut the legs of these type of goons and let them sit on streets for begging,
Very Sad news rickshaw driver, \let his soul rest in peace\" but killing in Hindustan, stone pelting in Hindustan all these doing are really condemnable, but this Criminal does not look like Poojary Family definitely I belong too but his Nature his body language looks like \"Cross Breed\" you readers must have understood that means must Illegal!!!!!!! so you Understand our Local language says for that type of Goons, he never ever can become a good Human, if you punish or put in Jail whatever you do Tail of \"DOG\" can never become straight
Jai hoo Modianna"
guilty must be punished.
Every crime is condemnable. but, we all know that you are a nationalist. If compared to the crime of those who back stab our motherland what u did is nothing.
totally Brain washed by the RSS goons.
lets kill this dog in street by stone.
Should be put on Lie detector, to get the details of his masters / brain washers / supporters .... Afterwords should be hanged in a public place .... as a lesson for the other goons of the coastal districts ...
hang him to death, these type of creatures are creating trouble to the society.
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