Imagine a runner who has done well in the hundred metres. He has completed cross country races. He has survived marathons. He has trained for years. But when he arrives at the starting line of the four hundred metres, somebody stops him and says, “Sorry, you have never run this event before. You are disqualified from representing your country.”
Sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it?
Yet that is exactly the argument many people use when discussing Rahul Gandhi.
“Has he ever been Prime Minister before?” they ask.
Well, neither had Narendra Modi before he became Prime Minister.
Neither had Jawaharlal Nehru.
Neither had Indira Gandhi.
Neither had Rajiv Gandhi.
The strange demand we often make of leaders is this: Prove you can do the job before we allow you to do the job.
Life does not work that way.
When Rahul Gandhi was younger, I will admit, he often appeared like a reluctant prince who had wandered into politics because the family business happened to be democracy. His speeches were awkward. His timing was poor. His opponents mocked him mercilessly.
Many wrote him off.
But something interesting happened.
Adversity began doing what adversity always does. It began building muscle.
The long padyatras across the country were not conducted from air conditioned studios. They were not managed from behind computer screens. They involved walking for thousands of kilometres, meeting ordinary people, listening to their fears, their frustrations and their hopes.
Whether you agree with his politics or not, few can deny that those journeys transformed him.
Leadership is often revealed not in comfort but in struggle.
When everything is going your way, it is difficult to judge character. But when you are ridiculed daily, attacked constantly and still continue moving forward, people begin to notice.
Over the last few years Rahul Gandhi has become a far more effective speaker, a sharper politician and a more resilient leader. He has stood against one of the most formidable political machines India has ever seen. He has absorbed blows that would have sent many others quietly into retirement.
History shows us that leaders are rarely fully formed when they arrive. They grow into the role.
The tragedy is that voters are often dazzled by performance rather than perseverance.
We can well see this as sometimes we choose good actors instead of good leaders. We have seen this happen before in politics, and it it is happening right now in Tamilnadu.
Real leadership is not built on a stage.
It is built on difficult roads.
It is not built through silly hugs and Melody sweets, it is built through being called, “Pappu’ and grinning through it.
Because adversity has a habit of doing what gyms do.
It builds muscle.
And sometimes the person struggling uphill today may be far better prepared for leadership tomorrow than the person already posing, yes posing, at the summit…!
____________________________
HERE’S MORE THE AUTHOR CAN OFFER YOU…. JUST CLICK HERE..
————————————————
Would love to hear from you in the COMMENTS section below…and IF YOU WANT TO RECEIVE BOB’S BANTER EVERYDAY, PLEASE SEND YOUR NAME AND WHATSAPP PHONE NO TO [email protected]
————————————————–
Robert Clements is a newspaper columnist and writes a daily column, which has graced the pages of over 60 newspapers and magazines, from a daily column in the Khaleej Times, Dubai, the Morning Star, London, and in nearly every state in India, from The Statesman in Kolkata, to the Kashmir Times in Kashmir to the Trinity Mirror in Chennai.
Absolutely! At least he is kind, empathetic and concerned about the common man. Does our SL care about the women who walk miles for one pot of drinking water, about the child miners who work in the blazing heat to earn a pittance. It is fine building superhighways and bridges but are the votes not coming also from those who struggle to earn Rs.100 a day?
He had an opportunity to prove himself when in government but avoided it.
Its a herculean task now against the PR machine. Ultimately he needs votes which are rapidly dwindling. But a far more approachable and humble person than many other leaders
And yes+ hes not afraid to face the press
Leadership evolves through persistence and perseverance and a dogged determination to overcome odds and Rahul has demonstrated resilience and pugnacity in challenging the powers that be. His is a voice in the wilderness. A voice that is rousing the consciousness of a nation that has been stilled by might and heft
Well said, thank you Thomas!
Struggles will make persons succeed in life. Good reflection
Well said.
Yes indeed. Rahul has matured as a leader but he must stop listening to the older members of the party and learn to make proper decisions himself. But he is kind and definitely on the side of the poor and downtrodden and that to me,is a sign of true goodness
Thank you Rachel!
Democracy requires majority. Which his party is lacking. Congress is losing its hold steadily. They have to explore reasons.
Absolutely.
How can anyone prove one’s worth without first being given an opportunity? Silly theory.
Various people above have pointed Rahul’s good qualities … as being Kind, having empathy for the poor, being persistent etc. But is that really enough ? Leadership requires a VISION. What is Rahul’s vision for India? I have never heard him express it. All we hear him do is whine and complain. Yes he has certainly developed as a speaker, but he is wasting his energies abusing Modi, Amit Shah and the BJP, even India itself rather than spelling out his and the Congress party’s hopes and plans for India. Calling the PM and the HM a Gaddar (Traitor) shows his Superciliousness. Praising and applauding his party workers’ stunt of disrobing at an International IT event shows his immaturity and a lack of respect for India’s image internationally. Encouraging his MPs to shout and try and drown out the PM’s budget speech shows a lack of any proper strategy for opposing the BJP. Turning up to parliament in a Tee shirt shows arrogance and disrespect for our highest institution. Signing a secret MOU with China’s Communist party raises questions about his motives. Surreptitiously meeting the Chinese ambassador in the middle of the night – and denying it until exposed – makes one question his loyalty to this country. I could go on, but these will suffice.
Before one aspires to the highest seat of power one has to show Leadership qualities. Loyalty to the nation, a long term Vision, a practical down to earth plan on how to achieve it, team building skills , maturity and some performance somewhere along the line …. say in Congress led states. What do we have instead ? Even though he is roaming around freely abusing Modi and Shah he claims we are living in a dictator ship. Even though 300+ TV Channels and a few thousand newspapers come out daily he claims there is no press freedom. Even though we have moved from 11th position to the 4th in world GDP he says our economy is dead. He insists that Make in India is a failure when as a matter of fact our Space and mushrooming arms industry are making its mark internationally. Even though pretty free and fair elections are conducted regularly – where his party and other opposition parties win too – he asserts that Democracy is in Danger and has the temerity to go abroad , bad mouth India and urge western countries to intervene and “restore” democracy …i.e. overthrow Modi’s govt. Are all these actions of a mature and responsible politician aspiring to be the PM?
Then look at Modi. He has a clear vision, expresses it at his public rallies and then goes and delivers. 15+ Crores of toilets in Rural India giving dignity and safety to our women. 4.5 Cr. pucca brick and mortar houses to our people, nearly 16 Cr. rural houses now get water through a tap in their homes. No more trudging miles to fetch water. 5+ Cr. families have availed free medical attentions. 50+ crore, collateral free Mudra loans to aspiring entrepreneurs, totalling Rs. 40 Lakh Crores, have already been distributed creating employment. This scheme has a 96% good servicing record. And I am not even talking about the infrastructure – Highways, electrification of the railways , doubling of the number of airports from 74 to 150 in just 10 years and so on….
Has any Congress state shown anything close to any of this either in Vision , scale of delivery? Unless Rahul can take his party by the scruff of it’s neck, shake it up, sideline his “”Yes sir” coterie , sit down and do some serious thinking of where he wants to take India, express that vision in a way that can fire the imagination of the youth, and then show some results at state level there is no hope for him.
At a personal level I just can not trust Rahul. What is that secret MOU that he signed with the Chinese Communist party. Does that explain why he is always praising China, proposes policies and actions that help China? And what was he doing visiting the Chinese ambassador in the middle of the night even while our brave Jawans were fighting back a bloody Chinese assault in Galwan? Can we trust someone to lead us who is hobnobbing with our greatest enemy? Think about it.
Thought about it. Rahul displays class, good upbringing, empathy for others and a belief in the principle of unity in diversity – something our nation needs far more than mudra loans and infrastructure.
Thought about it again. And I stick to my guns. 😊
All said and done, I wonder why Mr. Modi has not had a single press conference ever since he became the PM of India. I remember his interview with Karan Thapar. Pretty embarrassing. And also his interview with Akshay Kumar. I’ve never heard of any great leader world wide ever avoiding or evading a press conference at home or abroad. I wonder why?
See what is happening to our Democratic country… difficult to ignore Manipur, Chhattisgarh…. I like the great Ravindernath Tagore wish for a nation where
‘ the mind is without fear and the head is held high’….,
I always wish to see Rahul Gandhi to become prime minister of India. Wishes do comes true ✌️🙏🏻
Very soon the youngsters of the country would really behind him as he has already exposed many infested wounds in the powers-that-be.
Spot on Bobby! Leadership is
Often revealed through struggle rather than comfort. Rahul Gandhi is a vocal defender of our constitutional values, secularism and democracy. His humility and efforts to engage with marginalised groups and the youth during his Bharat Jodo Yatra captured the interest of society. Despite intense political and media hostility and Name calling he remains composed and persistent. He is also unafraid of voicing direct questions.
I hope that sooner rather than later people will rally around and let hom prove his mettle.
Over the last few years !! Yes! He has !! However, since the last decade and more,many of our country men love to bury their heads in the sand like the ostrich !!!
Thank you so much for writing this. I was a little upset when the two prominent people I admire so much spent 40 minutes on their channel discussing why Rahul cannot be PM. I have always admired Rahul’s character which by itself is a great attribute to a leader. Add to it courage and conviction. And charisma! Of course yes, while the two men felt he did not have! Seriously? Didn’t he prove it? He did. And his forbearance would put many Christians like me to shame, who get offended for the slightest reasons! Thank you for putting this so clearly. I wish this article would be heard by all Indians in their languages.
Also look what the last 12 years have done to us. We have made the PM as the be all end all. We have easily given in to the Presidential model, which ours is not, but they image built to that. A good PM has to be a good enabler of good leaders, that’s it.