Armed with Love, Respect and Humility, Rahul Gandhi Woos the Indian Diaspora in Dallas/Washington DC

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By Vijaylakshmi Nadar, Edited By Adam Rizvi, The India Observer, TIO: It is truly mind boggling, yet not surprising how Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s first visit to the US, as an opposition leader was greeted with intense disdain by the Indian national media, joined by the saffronized right wing including the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). As the Indian diaspora here feels delighted at his visit, the media back home has been running a rigorous campaign to discredit his visit, falsely claiming that the visit was only meant to discredit the country. Nothing could be further from the truth.

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What did happen over the three days between September 8-10, was that Gandhi bombed Dallas and Washington DC, the two cities he visited with love, humility and respect, traits he seems to increasingly embody and generously spread, wherever he goes. Stopping even his critics in their tracks, who are no longer sure how to deal with this ever smiling, genial, non-confrontational leader.

Dallas in Texas was a surprise choice for a visit, which has never witnessed an Indian leader of his stature and the audience were overjoyed, many of whom were not even Congress supporters.

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Many came simply to witness the caring, compassionate man and politician that Rahul is transforming into, after years of being ridiculed and dismissed by the BJP and the media. Dallas/FortWorth (DFW) with a population of 220,000 Indians is a hardcore Hindutva hub, now challenged by Rahul’s presence, attracting new, much needed supporters to the Indian Overseas Congress (IOC).

Fans queued up for more than two hours to get into the Toyota Music factory, the main venue for Rahul’s Dallas visit.

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Registrations closed at 4000 invitees for the main event, 1000’s more waiting to register, but a technical glitch in the Toyota system prevented them from doing so, forcing many to return without a glimpse of India’s most likely future prime minister, which upset many  The saffron brigade too booked in large numbers in a spate of sudden registrations, only to keep those seats empty, for yet another reel to ridicule the visit.

Rahul Gandhi with his ever smiling, very modest, thoughtful demeanor, humility coating every word that he uttered, had even those students with BJP/RSS leanings eating out of his hands when they had a one to one interaction with him.

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The interaction happened in the office of Dr. Hasan Pirkul, who is the Dean of the Naveen Jindal School of Management, at the University of Texas, Dallas.  Also present in the dean’s office, was Ashok Mago, an alumni of the university and a long term supporter of BJP/RSS/Modi, for which he was even awarded the Padmashri in 2014. Mr. Mago  was expected to oppose the students meeting with Rahul, but was soon smiling and clicking pictures with him.

BJP MP Naveen Jindal who is the alumni of this university and also a major donor to it, was expected to veto the visit, but surprised the organizers by asking them to treat Rahul Gandhi even better than the way they would treat him. The whole college was hosed down for Rahul Gandhi’s visit, a rare welcome gesture for a visiting dignitary in an otherwise clean and well maintained university.

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Events planned for Rahul Gandhi were decidedly small for meaningful interactions, unlike the grand programs planned for Modi, when in the US. Student registrations were limited to about 300, while another 350 + who  registered were made to sit in the adjoining room with live streaming of the event.

Despite the fact that the events were intentionally small, all arranged without much show and pomp, or any media attention  it kept attracting the buzz back home, sending the Modi ecosystem into an overdrive of unwarranted criticism.

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The interaction with students lasted about two hours, where he tackled questions limited to business and development, with a calmness and confidence, rarely seen in contentious Indian politics today. Rahul Gandhi managed to convey his regret over how the Indian economy is being managed, without naming anyone including Narendra Modi. Yet the wave of criticism back home, opened him up to attack Modi’s policies and name Ambani/Adani and how they have been favored by Modi, in direct attacks  in all his subsequent interactions in Washington DC, over the next two days on September 9 and 10.

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Before he proceeded to the main event at the Toyota Music Factory, he managed to meet a few local business leaders. Later he also met US  lawmakers in Washington DC, to apprise them of the attack on democracy in India, among other pressing matters. The event hosted by Congressman Bradley Sherman, included Congressmen Ro Khanna and RajaKrishnamurti and congresswoman Ilhan Omar.  In complete contrast to Modi’s US visits, which are nothing more than show and pomp, to project a larger than life image of him in front of the Indian diaspora here, his supporters and the media back home.

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Indian media’s sharp attacks on Rahul Gandhi’s visit, is also prompted by the fact that Modi is due for a visit to New York, sometime this month, which would be invariably compared to Rahul’s visit, exposing the futility of Modi’s visits, with taxpayers money.

It is interesting how last year when Modi visited the White House on a “historic visit”. When he addressed members of the Indian diaspora in New York, before he left, he spoke for barely five minutes, that too with a teleprompter. Rahul spoke for 11 minutes extempore, without once faltering, taking snippets from Indian Overseas Congress (IOC)’s president USA Mohinder Singh Gilzian’s speech. Mr. Gilzian had just been booed by the crowd who were eager to hear Rahul and his speech was prompted with a sensitivity  to soothe Mohinder Singh’s ruffled feathers. Rahul also insisted that the Global chairman of IOC Sam Pitroda also finish his speech, before he took the spotlight, despite the protesting crowd.

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Rahul Gandhi spoke about how as an opposition leader, he had his duties to perform, but the role that he sees for himself is to spread the message of “love to all human beings, not just one religion, one caste, one state. Respect for everyone who is building India, not just the most powerful, but also the weakest and humility not in others but oneself, that’s how I see my role. Those are the values I want to embody”.

He then used the national anthem that played on stage, to say this, “our national anthem describes us as a union of states, not distinguishing between states, very much like the United States. We share a commonality between us, not just as two of the largest democracies of the world but also as a union of states”.

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“No state is superior to another state, no religion is superior to another, no language is superior to another”, naming Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, sending his supporters in a frenzy.

He mentioned how every language is embedded in it is the culture, tradition, dance and so much more.

Explaining the distinction between the BJP and the Congress, he stated how the BJP under Modi, wants to believe that the idea of India is one, whereas Congress believes how India is a  multiplicity of ideas.

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“Like the United states, we believe everyone should be allowed to participate, to dream, everybody should be given space. This is the fight and it was crystalised in the election when millions clearly understood that PM is attacking the constitution of India, because what I am saying to you, respecting states, religion, caste is all enshrined in the constitution”.

“People clearly understood in these elections that the one attacking the constitution is the one attacking the religious practices too,” he said.

Commenting on the hand that gives whether it is that of Shiva or Guru Nanak, he commented BJP doesn’t understand the spirit of giving and “we will make them understand”, with a smile.

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“A big realization in this election was that within minutes of election results being announced, the fear of modi was not there anymore”, he said, as he was cheered by the crowds.

 “You did not come to this country with arrogance, you came with humility, not with hatred but with love and affection , not with disrespect that we will show these Americans, but with respect. Inside your heart is love, respect, humility, which must act as the bridge between these unions, The relationship between these unions will decide the future of both the countries”, Rahul said as  signed off for the evening, with a satisfied crowd leaving the auditorium with hope in their hearts for some real change with love, humility and respect.

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A chosen few joined Rahul Gandhi for a scrumptious three course meal, before  which he graciously offered to take individual pictures with the 100 plus guests and donors, who contributed to the success of the event.

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