The Indian National Congress launched its Nyay Yatra claiming to fight for socio-economic and political justice. During the Meghalaya leg of this Nyay Yatra, Mr Rahul Gandhi interacted with students at a hotel in Ri Bhoi district.
Reportedly, in this interactive session, a student asked as to how can students be involved in this Nyay yatra. Mr. Gandhi addressed this question by asking a question in return as to “Who is a slave?.” He stated that “Slavery is blind obedience and RSS is trying to make sure that everybody is blindly obedient to what they say.” He went on to say that “I wanted to meet you in your university but the Home Minister gave an order to the owner of your university that if you dare allow this conversation, these students will be able to think.”
Continuing further, he said that “the answer to this blind obedience is resistance.” He advised the students to resist for the sake of their own future. Later on, he compared the resistance to how India resisted the British. Towards the end, he asked as to what name pops in their mind when asked about India’s resistance against the Britishers, the students answered Mahatma Gandhi.
Now, all this might seem as normal to some. However, if one pays attention, doesn’t this seem to give subtle signs of soft Naxalism.? Instead of answering the question, Mr Gandhi choose to portray a narrative of how RSS is trying to enslave everyone. Then, in a very casual manner, he urged the students to resist just like India resisted the British. In this statement doesn’t it seems as if he’s urging the students to resist their own duly elected government.? In the end, he reiterated the significance of “Gandhi” family name by using Mahatma Gandhi.
Not the First Time-
However, this isn’t the first time such statements have been made. While addressing the crowd in Siliguri, Bengal, Mr Gandhi said that hatred and violence is spreading in the country. He urged the Bengalis to fight against this hatred otherwise people won’t forgive them.
Interestingly, during this Nyay yatra in Guwahati, congress workers clashed with the police officials and broke barricades. They had diverted their route and tried to enter a busy areas in Guwahati for media attention. The police had to resort to lathi charge to disperse the crowd. Later an FIR was registered against Rahul Gandhi, Kanhaiya Kumar and others for “Wanton acts of violence, provocation and damage to public property.”
According to Mr. Margherita, Congress workers attacked at least five police officers, leaving them seriously injured. He said that this is not “Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra” but “Barricade Todo,” “Law and order todo yatra” in Assam. He incited people in Naxalite style.
Himanta Biswa Sarma, the Chief Minister of Assam, claimed that the Congressman has steered the party away from “Gandhian ideologies” and toward “Soft Naxalism”. “The essence of the Congress party, originally envisioned by Pujya Bapu, has been lost under the influence of its current urban naxal-dominated leadership,” Mr. Sarma said on X, formerly Twitter.
Speaking with reporters, Mr. Sarma stated that “soft Naxalites now control Congress politics. “The Gandhian ideals are not reflected in their slogans. Such slogans did not exist during my 22 years in Congress. Their slogans were soft and different, and I’ve seen they have killed the soul of Congress too. The entire carcade was full of left-leaning people.”
All in all, such kind of speeches and slogans seems to tend towards soft Naxalism.
People should be educated and informed enough to see through these games, instead of gulping down whatever trash is being fed to them.
Schools and colleges should be fertile grounds for education not such kind of statements or divisive politics.