Broken Tables, Splintered Promises: Youth Congress ‘Celebrates’ Modi B’Day In Its Own Way

It must be peak political season, for while the Prime Minister’s party colleagues and admirers celebrated Narendra Modi’s 75th birthday across the country, on September 17, the Indian Youth Congress held a protest at its Delhi office, labelling it as ‘Rashtra Berozgar Diwas’ (National Day of Unemployment).

Participants at the Congress party event tried to inject some enthusiasm and energy into their youthful participants, claiming that ever since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power in 2014, unemployment has skyrocketed. They sought to draw the attention of job-seekers, saying the Indian youth were desperately searching for job opportunities.

The youth Congress office at Raisina Road in Lutyens’ Delhi, barely a five-minute distance from the BJP’s Delhi State office, was boldly decorated with black balloons and banners that screamed ‘Rashtra Berozgar Diwas’ and the current campaign of the party, focused on Bihar: ‘Stop Vote Chori’.

One protester, just before the ‘event’ began, instructed everyone present to make sure they’re holding a placard or a balloon—and to raise them as high as possible. He shouted instructions: ‘It’s your responsibility to catch the ‘vote chor’!” He then cited some safety guidelines so that the protest didn’t spiral out of control.

Youth Congress members wore black T-shirts with ‘Modi Chor, Gaddi Chodh’ (Modi is a thief, he should leave his seat) on them and placards with ‘Sirf vote aur naukri chori nahi hui, Bharat ke yuvao ke sapne chori hue’ (Not only votes and jobs were stolen, the dreams of India’s youth were stolen) in bold.

But, of course, the protest did spiral out of control. As soon as the members rushed outside, grabbing as pre-decided, a so-called ‘vote chor’—a man made to stand outside wearing a Modi mask—the scene quickly turned into a push and pull—and a bit of bashing. It appeared the enthusiastic youth Congressis forgot the poor guy is just a decoy. Before long, the table on which he had been made to stand collapsed, perfectly wrapping up the spectacle.

At the right side of the front gate, some members wearing graduation robes and caps held fake degrees in their hands and stood behind counters that had a teapot, a frying pan, cups and a gas stove set up. Acting as if selling tea and frying pakoras (due to being unemployed), they commented on how India’s youth are forced to take up jobs that are not on par with their educational qualifications.

Akshay Lakra, Delhi President of the Indian Youth Congress, when asked how unemployment is not a big deal compared to religious sentiment stoked by the ruling party, said, “The BJP indeed does religious politics, but the need for employment in every Indian household is also the truth. Any youth who pursues engineering, law or any other career has their dream to earn a good job, take care of their family and live a respectable life, and it is something they are not able to get. They simply say, ‘make tea or cook pakoras’. Should the children of Bharat Mata do all this? If the BJP does not act soon, it will face massive anti-incumbency.”

The event was undoubtedly on a small scale, with a good amount of police and central force presence, and enough barricading to keep crowds away. However, curious onlookers could not help but wink and nod and stare as they walked by in twos and threes.

Whether that happens or not, the IYC put up a political spectacle that will be remembered–at least by all who participated in it.