In his dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell describes how life will be under the rule of Big Brother.
“There will always be the intoxication of power, which will constantly increase and grow more and more subtly. … If you want an image of the future, imagine a boot stamped on a human face, forever. “
Orwell based his book on nightmarish visions about the future of the world under Communist dictatorships, which emerged in the 1940s. The Congress party is not exactly that. Rather, if you want an image of the future in Congress, imagine a human face licking a boot, forever.
There is nothing like a surname of the Gandhi Dynasty to activate the “reflex of submission” in the circles of the Lutyens Delhi. For at least 10 years, journalists, academics and intellectuals have been talking about the supposed charisma, intelligence and political vision of Priyanka Gandhi. A lot of this felt like it was made of air. Thus the myth of the “most intelligent Gandhi” was born.
It is impossible to know how much of this myth was cultivated by the dynasty itself. And how much did they cultivate the same ecosystems, academics and intellectuals eager to obtain an “insurance” against the failure of Rahul Gandhi?
But yesterday, Congress appointed Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as General Secretary of the Eastern Uttar Pradesh Congress. For the creators of Indian journalism myths, the object of their worship was suddenly before them, available for public veneration.
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And what a spectacle they put! Filling it with attributes: elegant, intelligent, charismatic, aggressive, from the Brahmastra Congress and so on. Some wanted to know if this changes the game in Uttar Pradesh, paving the way for a sweep in Congress. Others decided to upload one and ask if their entry will change the elections throughout the country.
Some wanted to ask who will deploy the BJP to counteract the influence of Priyanka Gandhi: will it be Smriti Irani? Or Yogi Adityanath? Or Amit Shah? Or PM Modi same?
Others wanted to know what “letter” will play: the letter of victim, the similarity with the letter of Indira, the letter of Brahmin.
The only things that Congress plays are his Darbaris de Lutyens. That is why the political release of Priyanka Gandhi feels like a parody of Indian politics. Something like a comedy sketch in a night show, where the characters disguise themselves as politicians to laugh.
How else explains that the media fall on the supposed “similarity with Indira Gandhi”? A resemblance to someone famous as a ticket to political success? This does not even help in the film industry. Do you expect it to work in politics?
Are we supposed to take this seriously?
Like I said, this feels like a parody. Almost as if the Dynasty laughs in our faces, it tells us that we, as a nation, will accept almost anyone as long as she carries her famous surname. Not so easy.
The previous night, a prominent television channel actually included Priyanka’s “connection with women voters” as one of its many strengths. It is difficult to see this as more than an insult to the intelligence of Indian women.
At best, this is fun. In the worst case, this is tormenting young India, telling us we can have superpower aspirations, but they still expect us to submit to the same old zamindars.
The congressmen, however, will have an extra spring in their step. And we’ll have another reason to laugh at them. Actually, I’m sorry for them. Each human life is unique, full of possibilities for progress and progress. How sad it is that real people find their lives at a point where the only light in their eyes is loyalty to a dynasty … and the heirs and successors of that dynasty are their only hope.
I could try saying the same thing about Lutyens’ editors, academics and intellectuals, but at least those people are doing well … or at least they expect them to do well in their labors. You have to feel sorry for the Congress worker.
While this representation of the Congress Party can make waves in media circles, Indian politics will continue as usual. The best thing this can do for Congress is to give Rahul ji an excuse to put aside Amethi (which seems increasingly impossible for him to win) and look for a safe place elsewhere in the country.
