Skip to main content

Rahul against civility, clean-chit to Modi for saying it was 'shame to be born in India'?

By Prem Singh* 

M Rajivlochan's article 'An attack on civility' (“Indian Express”, 30 March 2023) has been published in response to the newspaper's lead editorial of 25 March 2023 titled 'Disqualified'. The editorial was about the cancellation of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's membership of Parliament after his conviction by the Surat Court in a defamation case.
In the opinion of the newspaper, the swift action against Rahul Gandhi is yet another example of a politics of vindictiveness. The newspaper has also opined that this action is another bad sign for a democracy. It further hinted that the praise of democracy in the propaganda machinery and speeches of leaders of the government seemed to be a cover up for its inner hollowness.
Disagreeing with the editorial, Rajivlochan has suggested that a better title for the editorial would have been 'Deservedly Disqualified'. Means, Rahul Gandhi should have been put in the dock for his ‘disqualification’, not the government.
Registering disagreement with the editorial, the author has served some such assumptions about politics, judicial system and civility in society, which can only be termed as surprising. Before proceeding further, I would like to make it clear that as a citizen, on the basis of the Constitution, and as a political worker, on the basis of socialist ideology, I am opposed to the politics of Rahul Gandhi and Arvind Kejriwal. I also see no point in lumping together Rahul Gandhi and Kejriwal, as Rajivlochan has done in his article.
My political belief is that the semiological universe of the RSS/BJP, the Congress and most of the political parties involved in the game of power is the same. This universe is formed by the nexus of corporate-communal-criminal forces -- even if there is difference of more or less between these parties and leaders on this account.
Rajivlochan says in his article, “Arvind Kejriwal and Rahul Gandhi seemed to be willing to make specific accusations that would actually torture the honour and dignity of other people on false grounds.”
The article is about Rahul Gandhi. The editorial to which disagreement has been noted was also written regarding the question of Rahul Gandhi's conviction and disqualification arising out of it. But Rajivlochan has included Arvind Kejriwal in the later part of his article, so that it does not appear that Rahul Gandhi, a ‘deliberate lair’, is the only target.
The author further says that “no other political leader in India does this. At least I don’t know of anyone else who insists that their accusations against others are correct, especially since they have no evidence to back the accusations.”
According to this assumption of the author, the rest of the country's politics and leaders should be considered beyond reproach. For those suffering from depression due to the present political decline in India, the author has presented this great recipe!
Before saying all this, the author has also stated in the article that allegations and counter-allegations have been common phenomena in the speeches of leaders in India. Their audience enjoys it. In the era of "wild TV news channels", this enjoyment of the people reaches its zenith “even while everyone tut-tuts about the decline in standards of public discourse.”
This means that by taking advantage of this 'innocent trend' of allegations and counter-allegations, Rahul Gandhi deliberately commits the 'crime' of degrading the honour and dignity of the people. The court has done the right thing by punishing such an 'arrogant' person. The government has also done the right thing by expelling him from the membership of Parliament. Needless to say, this is the RSS/BJP line about Rahul Gandhi.
Rajivlochan probably does not consider Narendra Modi a leader, but, like many others, he considers him a Messiah. Therefore, what Modi says about others is beyond question for the author. But has the author not heard the speeches of Chief Minister and Prime Minister Narendra Modi? Even mentioning only two things will be sufficient, without opening the box of his statements about the dead and living persons, or about different communities.
One, by saying 'nothing happened in the last 65 years' again and again, the achievements of the independent India have been defamed repeatedly. Further, a great humiliation has been done to the citizens, dead and alive, who have done their work with integrity and honesty in nation building.
And two, by saying that till now "it was considered a shame to be born in India", while on a trip abroad, he is directly attack on the honour and dignity of the motherland. The propaganda that 'the country has really got freedom now', which started with Modi becoming the Prime Minister, has not stopped yet. Even if it insults the countless Indians who made sacrifices during the country's long struggle for the independence.
It is a good thing that the author has full faith in the country's judicial system, despite the “mysterious” nature of its decisions. He believes that disobeying the court's decision is weakening the fabric of justice, due to which civility is maintained in the society. The author warns that in case of non-compliance of the court's decision, the gates will be open for a free for all situations where norm of might is right would prevail.
Does the author really not know that civility has already become a victim of 'free for all' in the society? Is he really ignorant of the truth that what are the elements involved in eradicating civility from the society?
It may be noted that well-meaning people in RSS/BJP take solace in attributing fringe elements to the frequent attacks on civility. They assume that these fringe elements do not pose a real threat to civility.
Rajivlochan, who expresses concern about the attack on civility in the article, also seems to believe the same. By proving Rahul Gandhi as the only villain of civility, does he also want to prove that even the strings of ‘fringe elements' are not connected with the RSS/BJP fold, but with Rahul Gandhi?
It is a matter of regret that even scholars of history and political science often fail to show mature understanding of the complex reality. It is not only the TV channels that provide hyper excitement day and night in the name of news that have lowered the level of political discourse; scholars are also not performing their role properly in this matter.
This article by Rajivlochan is a hallmark of the same worrying phenomenon.
---
*With the socialist movement, former teacher of Delhi University and former fellow of Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Shimla

Comments

TRENDING

Wave of disappearances sparks human rights fears for activists in Delhi

By Harsh Thakor*  A philosophy student from Zakir Hussain College, Delhi University, and an activist associated with Nazariya magazine, Rudra, has been reported missing since the morning of July 19, 2025. This disappearance adds to a growing concern among human rights advocates regarding the escalating number of detentions and disappearances of activists in Delhi.

How community leaders overcome obstacles to protect forests and pastures in remote villages

By Bharat Dogra  Dheera Ram Kapaya grew up in such poverty that, unable to attend school himself, he would carry another boy’s heavy school bag for five kilometers just to get a scoop of daliya (porridge). When he was finally able to attend school, he had to leave after class five to join other adolescent workers. However, as soon as opportunities arose, he involved himself in community efforts—promoting forest protection, adult literacy, and other constructive initiatives. His hidden talent for writing emerged during this time, and he became known for the songs and street play scripts he created to promote forest conservation, discourage child marriages, and support other social reforms.

‘Act of war on agriculture’: Aruna Rodrigues slams GM crop expansion and regulatory apathy

By Rosamma Thomas*  Expressing appreciation to the Union Agriculture Minister for inviting suggestions from farmers and concerned citizens on the sharp decline in cotton crop productivity, Aruna Rodrigues—lead petitioner in the Supreme Court case ongoing since 2005 that seeks a moratorium on genetically modified (GM) crops—wrote to Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on July 14, 2025, stating that conflicts of interest have infiltrated India’s regulatory system like a spreading cancer, including within the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR).

The GMO illusion: Three decades of hype, harm, and false hope

By Sridhar Radhakrishnan  Three decades of hype, billions of dollars spent, and still no miracle crop. It's time to abandon the GMO biotech fairy tale and return to the soil, the seed, and the farmer. “Trust us,” they said. “GMOs will feed the world.” Picture a world where there is plenty of food, no hunger, fields grow without chemical pesticides, children are saved from malnutrition, and people live healthily.

Overriding India's constitutional sovereignty? Citizens urge PM to reject WHO IHR amendments

By A Representative   A group of concerned Indian citizens, including medical professionals and activists, has sent an urgent appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to reject proposed amendments to the International Health Regulations (IHR) before the ratification deadline of July 19, 2025. 

Sandra Gonzalez Sanabria: An inspiring life from Colombia’s Amazonian valley

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*  In the village of Héctor Ramírez, known as Agua Bonita, in La Montañita, Caquetá, Colombia, a vision of peace and renewal is unfolding. In the pre-2016 period, this would have been nearly impossible for outsiders to visit, as it was the epicenter of violent resistance against state oppression. However, after the Peace Accord was signed between the Colombian government and former revolutionaries—marking the end of a 70-year insurgency that claimed over 400,000 lives until 2025, including civilians, rebel fighters, and security personnel—things began to change. Visiting Agua Bonita during the Global Land Forum in Bogotá revealed a village of hope and resilience. Former FARC revolutionaries have settled here and transformed the village into a center of peace and aspiration.

Indigenous Karen activist calls for global solidarity amid continued struggles in Burma

By A Representative   At the International Festival for People’s Rights and Struggles (IFPRS), Naw Paw Pree, an Indigenous Karen activist from the Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG), shared her experiences of oppression, resilience, and hope. Organized with the support of the International Indigenous Peoples Movement for Self-Determination and Liberation (IPMSDL), the event brought together Indigenous and marginalized communities from across the globe, offering a rare safe space for shared learning, solidarity, and expression.

Activists allege abduction and torture by Delhi Police Special Cell in missing person probe

By A Representative   A press statement released today by the Campaign Against State Repression (CASR) alleges that several student and social activists have been abducted, illegally detained, and subjected to torture by the Delhi Police Special Cell. The CASR claims these actions are linked to an investigation into the disappearance of Vallika Varshri, an editorial team member of 'Nazariya' magazine.

India’s zero-emission, eco-friendly energy strategies have a long way to go, despite impressive progress

By N.S. Venkataraman*   The recent report released by OPEC’s World Oil Outlook 2025 has predicted that by the year 2050, crude oil would replace coal as India’s key energy source. Clearly, OPEC expects that India’s dependence on fossil fuels for energy will continue to remain high in one form or another.