Like any other young Indian, I was very excited when I got to know about Priyanka Gandhi’s entry into mainstream Indian politics. Yet, like any other skeptical Indian who is always wary of a new entrant in politics, I had my fair share of suspicion about her intent and ability. To test my new found hope and belief in the much loved woman leader, who always shied away from the limelight for a large part of her life, I decided to follow her.
What else could a young aspiring independent journalist do? My agenda was to bring an unmediated perspective to the public. And to do so, in the past few weeks I single-handedly pursued her activities and actions.
The mammoth rally of Congress Party in Lucknow on 11.02.2019, gave me an opportunity to witness her everyday performance, and gauge her as a person from close quarters. Her interaction with a young party worker in the course of the busy rally was a sight to behold.
A young volunteer who had travelled all the way from Ayodhya to catch a glimpse of Priyanka Didi, kept trying to draw her attention to the t-shirt specially made for her. I was absolutely taken by surprise when amidst the sea of Congress supporters and her very own admirers, she spotted this young boy. She ensured that amidst the crowd and the chaos, the t-shirt is passed on to her. Not only did she acknowledge the gesture, but also unfurled the t-shirt atop the bus. The charming lady ensured that the young boy has lived his dream.
This event was organized soon after she attended two days of marathon meetings with party workers and various assembly segment representatives. On both days, these meetings continued till 4 am in the morning. As she waved the t-shirt, I couldn’t help but be in awe of this elegant face.
Despite her enthusiasm to be there for all, and her love for people, one cannot deny that this is just the beginning for her. The truth is that a long road lies ahead and she has to perform a mammoth task. The litmus test she faces now is to prove her political worthiness in a day and age where ruthless attacks are hurled at her from every direction. She is facing the wrath of people in power everyday, and it would have taken a toll on any human being in her place. But she isn’t any other politician. She has lot more to stand up and stand by for: a doting mother, a caring daughter, a cherished sister, and an amazing wife. All these responsibilities make her the most humane politician currently in the Indian sphere of politics.
I remember yet another moving incident I witnessed in the Lucknow rally. One of the supporters at the rally, who got his little daughter along, lifted her on his shoulders so that she could catch a glimpse of Priyanka. I was speechless when I realised that Priyanka actually noticed the little kid. She made her way to her, embraced her and planted a kiss on the little girl’s cheek. At that point, I realised that whatever this lady will do in future, that’s up to time and tide, but for now she has already conquered the little child’s heart forever.
This eventful roadshow ended with her brother, Rahul Gandhi, addressing the sea of people gathered at the Congress party headquarters in UP. After concluding the event, I was pleasantly surprised when I found out that she rushed to Jaipur, to be with her 78-year-old mother-in-law.
She came back from Jaipur, and it was time to attend meetings and do justice to the roles assigned to her by her party. Wasting no time, she organized meetings with party workers, assembly segments’ in-charge, local leaders etc. The meetings yet again continued till early morning on both the days. The preparation was to announce an alliance with Keshav Dev Maurya of Mahan Dal, and also for her to address the first press conference after taking charge as the Congress General Secretary for Uttar Pradesh East.
This is when the unthinkable tragedy struck; 40 CRPF Jawans were martyred in a terrorist attack. Priyanka, without a second thought, cancelled the press conference and observed a two-minute silence for those martyred. She said that was no time for election campaigning or for bashing opponents, but to stand together. She said that the moment of tragedy called for our unquestionable love and support for our country and countrymen.
Her statement read :
“Deepest condolences to the families of the 30 Jawans martyred in a terror attack in Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir. I can very well understand the pain and grief of losing a loved one in the family. I want to say that not only the Congress party, but the entire country is standing shoulder to shoulder with the families of our brave soldiers. But we must also reflect and be concerned about the high number of casualties in Kashmir. We demand that this government take concrete steps to ensure such terror attacks don’t happen in the future,”.
I breathed a sigh of relief at the end of the tragic day, with hope fluttering in my heart. I was reassured when I saw her ability to make an informed and rational decision at the end of such an eventful day. I can now perhaps rest my doubts about the future of this country. With people like her making an entry into politics, there is indeed hope for humanity making its way back into Indian politics. She has given a fresh start to our politics that was otherwise doomed to make political pitches on the bodies of our slain martyrs. She will help us move beyond the rhetoric and towards positive political action.