Shameful

 

THE brazen statement by Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Mr. Rahul Gandhi in the United States about India being a land where skilled people are sidelined is nothing but a complete distortion that pertains to no reality on the ground on any count. That a person occupying a constitutional position of Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha should indulge in such deliberate statements on foreign soil does not mean anything less than taking an anti-national stand with no connect with truth whatsoever. Such statements should be treated very seriously in the law and the person making those must be booked under appropriate provision. In Mr. Rahul Gandhi’s case, such a step has become all the more necessary since he has made similar statements against India in the past, too, on several occasions in foreign countries -- in an obvious attempt to malign the image of India. Hence the need for a strict, no-nonsense legal action against him. In order to create a support of his statement, Mr. Rahul Gandhi has quoted the anecdote of Ekalavya during the Mahabharata times, and has insisted that “millions and millions of Ekalavya stories every single day” happen in India.

 

Thus, in one single sentence, Mr. Rahul Gandhi wishes to communicate to the world that in India every talented or skilled person is sidelined. If that is so, what about those countless millions who have found great opportunities in India -- like Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam (to name only one) and thrived personally and made tremendous contribution to India’s growth story? India has millions of such success stories as well -- involving people from deprived classes making it big for themselves and the country. What about those stories whose number is beyond any statistical count? It is most unfortunate that a person of the eminence of Mr. Rahul Gandhi should make statements as irresponsible as this one and malign India’s image in the world. By indulging in such statements, Mr. Gandhi is trying to tell the world that India’s is a wasted situation in which nobody with talent has a scope to flourish. Is this not a deliberate distortion? The factual situation on the ground is exactly the opposite of what Mr. Rahul Gandhi is trying to tell. Countless lakhs of people from all segments of the larger society are seen rising above the difficulties and vagaries of life and doing well for themselves and the country.

 

That is so because the larger Indian society -- of which people and the institutions and the Government are parts -- has an eco-system in which talent has scope not just to survive but also to thrive against all odds. This is also the story of every society in which talented individuals make their wave up the ladders of difficulties. Turning his back to this eternal truth, Mr. Rahul Gandhi seeks to distort the situation and thereby tell the world that India is no land of opportunities. Such a brazenness cannot be tolerated at any level -- no matter who is involved in pushing a distorted narrative. Yes, it is a narrative purposely crafted to suit a purpose of maligning of the country’s image in the world. Though the small and near-captive audiences at Mr. Rahul Gandhi’s meets in foreign countries may not say anything in response, the world at large knows the Indian story all too well to be presented in complete distortion. Despite this, the law of the land has enough scope to take action against him treating all the distortions by him as a material for a case of treason. The moment Mr. Rahul Gandhi lands back in India, he must be interrogated severely and a case be slapped on him -- making him an accused of deliberate falsehood and treason. He has created enough ground for such an action.