Renaissance Man

The narrative about Rahul Gandhi is changing because he himself, not any spinmeister, is leading the change

- Shashi Tharoor

The country, and the world, have woken up to Rahul Gandhi amid a surge of revivalist enthusiasm in the party he is all set to lead, the Indian National Congress.

His every utterance on social media is followed, retweeted, re-posted. His witty one-liners—“Quick, Modiji: Mr Trump needs another hug!”—are getting people to laugh along with him and against the so-far sacrosanct prime minister. The ‘Pappu’ jokes assiduously pushed by legions of BJP supporters on forums like WhatsApp have dried up, or if they are still being generated, they are no longer acquiring any virality.

Instead, reports speak of ecstatic crowds thronging his rallies in Gujarat. Old timers speak of being reminded of the adulation his illustrious grandmother, Indira Gandhi, used to attract.

Rahul Gandhi is on the rise, and India is sitting up and paying attention.

It all started, many say, with a game-changing trip to the US this summer, when Rahul Gandhi shed his old reticence and interacted effectively with a variety of audiences, from university students to Silicon Valley entrepreneurs and Washington Post journalists. I was in the front row of his audience at Berkeley, and can vouch for his successful rapport with a standing-room-only crowd, made up mostly of students of Indian origin. He came across as clear thinking and comfortable in his own skin, as well as a good judge of his audience. It was here that his frank and unapologetic answer on political dynasties earned both applause and approbation.