Uncluttered for once: Why Rahul Gandhi’s oratory in Bengaluru is marked improvement from before

By Aravind S Kamal

Ridiculed by the Opposition for his drab speeches and ineffective political rallies for long, Rahul Gandhi seems to be finally getting it right. Bengaluru was witness to a resurgent Rahul. He seems to have undergone a transformation so far as oratory style is concerned.

When Rahul addressed the girls at the prestigious Mount Carmel College in Bengaluru on Wednesday, he showed clear signs of a much-desired paradigm shift in his attitude. Unlike in the past, he was at ease interacting with the well-informed girls. He took questions from them and gave answers that were realistic and convincing. He appeared more hands-on than ever before and proved that he was aware of his audience and their mind.

Are we seeing a changed Rahul? Will this work in favour of the Congress, which has no match in Rahul in oratory skills when compared to Prime Minister Narendra Modi? It is too early to arrive at a conclusion, but the Congress vice president’s changed approach would be appreciated by the Congress. For instance, it was evident that Rahul had made extensive research and homework before addressing the students.

Rahul mentioned the names of three distinguished alumni of the Mount Carmel College – Kiran Mazumdar Shaw (CMD, Biocon Ltd), Margaret Alva (former Union minister) and Nirupama Rao (former foreign secretary). He was honest to admit to his audience that he looked up for the information on Wikipedia. He did not stop there. He, in fact, spoke to Kiran Mazumdar Shaw to understand the importance of Mount Carmel College in shaping her life, and repeated her response verbatim in front of the students. The students were impressed with this small info, and Rahul had already made an impression on them.

He was quick to remind the students that he was not there to deliver a sermon, but listen to them and their vision for a future India. He also recollected his entry into politics and the kind of challenges he faced. At times, Rahul looked more like a teacher trying to interface between life and philosophy with the students, and he was more or less successful.

This change was something that was not anticipated from Rahul. When compared to his speeches in the cow belt of India, his thought process and its presentation in front of girls in their 20s, was meticulous.

On Wednesday, he showed signs of evolving into a mature speaker who can understand the psyche of the youth as well as the target audience. He has to further consolidate this and convert it into his strength while addressing different audiences. His body posture too appeared relaxed. To further connect the youth with women’s issues, he narrated a story from Andhra Pradesh about a woman from a self-help group  and about the troubles she faced from her alcoholic husband. Later, he connected it to the male-dominated Indian society where women are forced to become subservient. On the whole, Rahul held a grip over his thoughts and the audience.

He did not stop from taking a dig at Modi and his working style. “How can one person have all the answers? I want you all to be part of decision making in the country. I have seen India for too long to believe that one person can change the lives of 1.3 billion people,” he said particularly indirectly referring to Modi-centric image of the NDA government.

Rahul also touched upon a variety of topics, such as GST, the economy, Irom Sharmila, the Land Bill, healthcare budget, Swacch Bharat and many more. This is not the first time that Rahul has spoken on these topics, but he definitely showed this time that there was depth in his argument and his speech was well-crafted. It is to be seen if he can build on this further.