“People will focus on their own realities”

As the head of the All India Professional Congress,

Shashi Tharoor will play a significant role in shaping the Congress party’s manifesto for the Lok Sabha election. In an exclusive interview with

Kaushik Deka, the Lok Sabha MP explains how his party is gearing up to fight the BJP in an environment dominated by the narrative of terrorism and national security. Excerpts:

QDo you think the recent developments, following the Pulwama attack, have given the BJP an electoral advantage? Hasn’t the narrative shifted from Rafale, unemployment and the farmers’ crisis to national security and Pakistan? The media sets the narrative, not the political parties, though the government clearly leans toward the security narrative, where it can thump its 56-inch chest and promote its “muscular” majoritarian nationalism. This ploy will not work for long because people will again focus on their own realities and remember that achhe din never came.

Q. Is it important that the government gives proof of the impact of the air strike in Pakistan?

The message got muddled because of the government’s claims that large numbers of terrorists were “eliminated” and the bandying about of figures like 300 terrorists killed, which seem to be untrue. International opinion has concluded that India is exaggerating the impact of its strike. If the government had said from the start that the intent was to show Pakistan that we could breach its air defences and that was accomplished, it would have been fine. Making wild claims, which cannot be substantiated, are unworthy of any government and feed into the perception that this government is all about hype, rather than delivery on the ground.

Q. This poll is shaping up as Narendra Modi versus Rahul Gandhi. How will you convince the professionals of the country that Rahul is better than Modi? Rahul Gandhi is a dynamic, committed grassroots leader, who unlike Modi, listens to the people and works to solve their problems. We do not run a presidential system. Voters are voting for a member of Parliament, not a chief executive officer for the nation. When you look at the two leaders, they offer a contrast between two different styles of leadership—between the “hero on a white horse” with upraised sword, claiming to know all the answers, and the humble man on foot who says, ‘I don’t know all the answers, but I will come to you to understand your questions and I will work with a bench of experienced and qualified colleagues to solve them with you’.

Q. Priyanka Gandhi has joined politics. She not only became a general secretary but has also been inducted into the Congress Working Committee. How will you convince professionals to join and support your party, which promotes dynastic succession so blatantly? Priyanka Gandhi’s appeal will be proven where it matters—on the campaign trail and among the masses—where she has an undeniable appeal.

Q. Have you figured out the top issues concerning the professionals of the country?

Employment and job security are certainly high on the list, followed by education, training and skill development. Professionals care about many of the issues the nation as a whole is concerned about, including the Rafale scam, the assault on India’s institutions, the secular co-existence of all communities, the coarsening of political discourse in the country, and so on.