Congress Takes A Leaf Out Of Ramayana At United INDIA Rally

Ahead of Lok Sabha elections 2024, opposition leaders of the INDIA alliance bloc united in Delhi’s iconic Ramleela Maidan in a bid to “save democracy” and protest against the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. The Aam Aadmi Party leader was arrested on March 21 by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in relation to a now defunct liquor excise policy. Representatives of political parties across the spectrum including Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Trinamool Congress MP Sagarika Ghose, AAP leader Atishi and Kejriwal’s spouse Sunita Kejriwal, RJD’s Tejashvi Yadav, JMM’s Champai Soren and others took to the stage at the 'Loktantra Bachao Rally' and spoke against alleged misuse of central investigative agencies by the NDA government. Leaders also urged the Election Commission to ensure a level playing field for all parties in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, starting April 19.

The rally was symbolic not only because it saw the coming together of diverse and some even sometimes ideologically-clashing political parties, part of the INDIA bloc, but also because of its location. The Ramleela Maidan is where the Anna Hazare campaign against corruption was born and it was also here (symbolically) that Kejriwal’s AAP unseated Congress from the capital after 15 years of rule under Sheila Dixit in 2013. On Sunday, the ground was flickering with flags of both Congress and AAP, along with banners and flags of other INDIA bloc’s regional partners, painting an image of camaraderie and a united opposition.

The symbolism of the Ramleela Maidan was also key to the Congress’ apparent strategy to woo Hindu voters, as was evident by the party’s General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s speech. The leader drew from the Ramayana and spoke voluminously on the virtues of Lord Rama. In the strategically crafted address, the leader recalled how she has been coming to Ramlila Maidan since childhood. “Every year Ravan's effigy is set on fire. When I was a kid, I used to come (here) with my grandmother Indira Ji (Indira Gandhi) and she used to narrate the Ramayan to me," she said.

She emphasised Rama’s staunch commitment to the truth even in the absence of material wealth, worldly comforts or military might. Meanwhile, she described Ravana as opulent and powerful but amoral and lacking integrity. She also said that power is fleeting but virtues like righteousness, integrity, and humility persist. 

“Those in power today call themselves Ram bhakts. When I was sitting here I thought that I should say something to them. I want to remind them of the 1,000-year-old tale and its message.When Lord Ram fought for truth, he did not have power, resources or even a chariot. Ravan had chariots, resources, army and gold but Lord Ram had truth, hope, belief, love, kindness, modesty, patience, courage and truth. I want to tell those in power that the message of Lord Ram's life is that power is not permanent, it comes and goes. And ego gets shattered eventually.” Along with allusions to Rama, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also read out the demands of the opposition alliance at the rally. 

Analysts have pointed out that the speech may have been designed to have an impact on Hindu vote bank in Uttar Pradesh. The speech has attracted a lot of attention on social media with some commending Priyanka Vadra Gandhi’s succinct words while others criticised her for adopting ‘soft Hindutva’ tactics. 

This is not the first time that the Congress has been accused of using “soft Hindutva” as a way to counter the BJP’s majoritarian religious politics. In August 2020, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra tweeted in support of the Ram Temple 'bhoomi poojan'. "Simplicity, courage, restraint, sacrifice, commitment are the essence of the name Deenbandhu Ram. Ram is in everyone, Ram is with everyone. With the message and blessings of Lord Ram and Mother Sita, the program of Bhoomi Pujan of Ramlala's temple should become an opportunity for national unity, brotherhood and cultural gathering”. Many at the time including INDIA ally Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had slammed the Congress at the time for its “soft Hindutva approach”. The statement was seen as part of Congress’s approach to appeal to Hindu voters of Uttar Pradesh ahead of Assembly Elections 2022. Rahul Gandhi has time and again come under fire for his temple visit sprees in tandem with elections. Ahead of Gujarat Assembly elections in 2018, the leader visited over 21 temples in a short span of days. This year also the leader has been temple hopping, having already visited religious sites as part of his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra like the Baidyanath Temple in Jharkhand, Trimbakeshwar Shiva temple in Maharashtra, Mahakaleshwar temple in Madhya Pradesh. One of his recent visits to the Batadrava Than temple in Assam even led to controversy after the leader alleged being denied entry by the temple authorities. The incident, which came ahead of the Prana Partistha (consecration) ceremony of Ram Temple in Ayodhya in January, led Gandhi to state, “Aaj sirf ek vyakti mandir mein ja sakta hain..."(Perhaps today only one person can go to the temple)”. 

In Madhya Pradesh where the BJP returned to power last year after a heated battle, Congress was accused of running a fairly religious election campaign led by Kamal Nath who was seen actively courting babas and sadhus ahead of the election. In 2018, Congress' manifesto drafting committee chairman for Madhya Pradesh, Rajendra Singh, had admitted that the party was compelled to focus on Hindu voters since the BJP had been painting it as a “pro-Muslim” party. Last year, the party’s overtures to the increasingly powerful Bagheshwar Dham temple in the Chhatarpur district of MP’s impoverished Bundelkhand region in order to get the upper caste Brahmin and Rajput votes dented the party’s reach not only among Muslim voters but also among OBC voters of MP, who have traditionally voted for BJP and continued to do so despite anti-incumbency. 

The coming together of the INDIA alliance partners for “saving democracy” indicates that in the arrests of Kejriwal and before that JMM chief Hemant Soren, the opposition leaders may have found a common and enduring agenda to unite. Repeated evocation of the Hindu narrative nevertheless reveals a limited response. There is visible anger among large sections of voters, especially in Hindi-belt states, against the Congress and other INDIA bloc partners’ refusal to attend the Ram Temple consecration. The parties have also been branded “anti-sanatan” by BJP and others due to statements made by INDIA bloc leaders like DMK’s Udhayanidhi Stalin. The Congress might be trying to assuage such criticism by evoking Ramayana.

Keeping in mind MP (and to some extent UP) assembly elections, where the “soft Hindutva” approach failed to work, Congress which is the biggest national alliance partner in INDIA bloc, perhaps needs sharpen its poll pitch and look beyond its ambivalent “if you can’t beat them, join them” attitude toward majoritarian politics by instead identifying other pockets to exploit where the BJP remains weak. Instead of adopting the BJP’s narrative or trying to counter it, the party needs to work an alternate vision of development and growth for itself and for the country. It also needs to strengthen its mobilisation and grassroots campaigning to ensure its message reaches every stakeholder on ground. The party is set to release its manifesto in the coming days.