The image of the nation

From Oxford University Campus Hall in London to the British Parliament Chamber, Rahul Gandhi's recent speeches at various venues in the UK have caused severe irritation to the BJP. They are widely campaigning that Rahul has tarnished the image of the country in front of the international community. Union Minister Anurag Thakur reminded that Rahul should not betray the country. Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, who criticized that Rahul has insulted democracy, the nation, the Parliament, the judiciary, and the security of the country, went a step further and accused him of being in the grip of a Maoist thought process. BJP MP Vivek Thakur said that he is thinking of moving a house privilege motion on account of the lectures held abroad. After BJP IT department chief Amit Malviya, the media has now started trials against the Congress leader.

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If we look at the speeches held at various venues in London, it can be understood that Rahul has not made any new criticisms or accusations that will damage India's image internationally, as alleged by the Modi government and the BJP. Citing examples of experiences and incidents, he tried to explain the reality that India's spirit of pluralism, free democracy, and governance systems has been under threat during the Modi regime. Those lectures were to seriously share the objective realities the country is facing. These include systematic infiltration of government institutions by the RSS; what the government is doing to Dalits, tribals, and minorities in India; not allowing Opposition leaders in India to speak in the country's universities; prohibiting all from raising questions about the government's policies regarding China; and the phenomenon of perfectly functional microphones automatically turning off in the Parliament.

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Such lectures are not the first of the kind. From world-renowned Indian academics to internationally reputed foreign personalities, the injustices of the undemocratic governance system in contemporary India have been articulated by many. But what is the reason why Rahul's speech made the BJP so nervous? The BJP was truly angered by one statement - "A large part of democracy has disappeared in India. But why Europe and the US, the defenders of democracy, are choosing to ignore it? Because the US and Europe are getting the market and money they want from India. Hence, they are not trying hard enough to restore democracy in India." The truth is that the BJP fears the courage Rahul Gandhi has shown to criticize the double standards of Europe and the United States toward the destruction of democracy in India and the international influence it will cause. They worry that such a development will seriously injure the image of the Modi government.

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It should also be examined whether such discourses tarnish the image of the country or if it does only the political approaches of the government, especially the high-ranking personalities including the Prime Minister, and harsh acts including hate speech and lynching that harm the country's image. What image of the country is being created by the ED and the police raiding institutions and the houses of staunch opposition leaders who are critical of the Modi administration? What is the democratic lesson that the central government is presenting to the world by making the seizure of power by sacking and intimidating corrupt people? Have the media analysts, who toe the BJP line and put Rahul in the dock, ever thought how much damage was caused by remarks by the prime minister himself who used to say 'we have inherited problems of instability and laziness from the previous governments' and 'there was a time when people left the country saying being born in India is a misfortune'? . Has any one ever thought or discussed the damage caused by the nation's reputationby such words of the prime minister in foreign countries? Democracy is the name of recognizing that the image of the country and the image of the ruler are two. It is the image of the kingdom that we must preserve, not the king's.

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