Rahul Gandhi - Person Of The Year, 2022
The India Commentary view
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By Our Editorial Team
First publised on 2022-12-26 07:22:50
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The India Commentary view
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In a little over three and a half months that it took Rahul Gandhi to traverse the distance between Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu to New Delhi, he has changed the perception a large number of Indians, rightly or wrongly, held about him. He was viewed as an entitled politician who did not wish to do the hard work required to win the trust of the people and wished to impose himself on senior Congress leaders who were much more experienced than him. But in undertaking the gruelling Bharat Jodo Yatra to reach out to the people, Rahul Gandhi has shown that he has it in him to fight the BJP on the ground.
Throughout the yatra, Rahul has focused mainly on two things - the politics of hatred allegedly being spread by the BJP and what he perceives as destructive economic policies of the NDA government which are allegedly leading to growing inequalities, loss of livelihood and rising unemployment. He has managed to strike a chord with the people in all the states he visited. He also drew people from different walks of life (newspaper editors, economists, social activists and actors, among others) that walked with him to lend support to the cause.
Although it cannot be estimated at present whether the yatra resulted in a surge in public support for the Congress party and whether it will benefit the party in elections, it is clear that despite a big section of the media choosing to downplay the yatra, Rahul Gandhi has managed to raise important issues and personally connect with the people.
For being bold enough to try and open 'mohabbat ki dukan' in 'nafrat ke bazaar', Rahul Gandhi is our Person of the Year, 2022.
