Paromita Das
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 8 October. As Bharat gears up for the highly anticipated Lok Sabha elections in 2024, caste politics has taken center stage once again. Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and a prominent figure in the Congress party, has been actively discussing the issue of caste, making several provocative statements. From raising questions about caste representation in events like Miss India contests and the ‘Prana Pratishtha’ ceremony at the Ram Mandir, to advocating for a caste census, Gandhi’s recent political rhetoric has drawn significant attention. However, his comments have also sparked widespread debate and criticism. One of his remarks, made during the ‘Samvidhan Samman Sammelan’ in Kolhapur, Maharashtra, has stirred particular controversy. He claimed that he never studied the history of Dalits or backward classes during his schooling, raising questions about the Congress party’s own educational policies during the period when his family was in power.
Rahul Gandhi’s Remarks and the Stirring of Caste Politics
At the ‘Samvidhan Samman Sammelan’ in Kolhapur, Rahul Gandhi lamented that he had never been taught the history of Dalits and backward classes during his school years. He further criticized the current government for allegedly erasing the remnants of that history from textbooks. “Whatever little history is left is also being erased,” he said, in a veiled reference to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its educational policies.
This statement immediately raised eyebrows, not only because of its implications for the present education system, but also because of what it suggested about Congress-era policies. After all, during Gandhi’s school years in the 1980s, his grandmother, Indira Gandhi, and later, his father, Rajiv Gandhi, were in power. If the history of Dalits and backward classes was absent from his textbooks, as he claimed, then it is the Congress government—led by his own family—that is responsible.
The Congress’s Education Policies Under Scrutiny
Rahul Gandhi’s education took place at elite institutions such as St. Columba’s School in Delhi and The Doon School in Dehradun. He completed his schooling during the 1980s, a period when his family was at the helm of Bharatiyapolitics. His grandmother, Indira Gandhi, was Prime Minister until her assassination in 1984, after which his father, Rajiv Gandhi, took over until 1989.
Dalit thinker and political commentator Dilip Mandal was quick to point out the contradictions in Rahul’s statements. Mandal asked whether Gandhi was indirectly blaming his own family for the lack of representation of Dalit and backward-class history in the curriculum. He posted on social media, “When Rahul Gandhi was studying in St. Columba and Doon School (1980-1990), Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi were in power. The fault of there being nothing about Dalits and backward classes in his school books is that of his grandmother and father.”
Mandal went on to accuse Rahul of dishonesty, asserting that major events related to Dalit rights and caste issues occurred during the period when the Congress was in power. For instance, the Mandal Commission was established in 1979, and its recommendations for OBC reservations in jobs and educational institutions were a major political issue during the 1980s. Violence against Dalits, such as the massacres in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, also occurred during this period, and newspapers would have undoubtedly reported these events. Mandal’s question, therefore, is simple: How could someone so closely connected to the political elite be unaware of these critical developments?
The Mandal Commission and Congress’s Role in Caste Politics
The Mandal Commission, which recommended affirmative action for Other Backward Classes (OBCs), was established during the Janata Party government in 1979. However, the Congress party, under Indira Gandhi and later Rajiv Gandhi, did little to implement its recommendations during their time in power in the 1980s. This has been a point of contention among political observers and Dalit thinkers, who argue that the Congress missed an opportunity to champion the cause of backward classes.
Mandal further criticized the Congress’s inaction during the implementation of the Mandal Commission’s report. He remarked, “From 1980 to 1989, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi sat on the Mandal Commission with their heads bowed down.” His criticism extended to the violent suppression of Dalit protests during that time, which, according to Mandal, should have been enough to educate anyone following political developments.
Rahul Gandhi’s Foray into Caste Politics: Strategic or Hypocritical?
Rahul Gandhi’s recent statements have led to speculation about his political strategy. Analysts believe that Gandhi is attempting to build a coalition of marginalized communities—specifically Dalits, OBCs, and Muslims—in the lead-up to the 2024 elections. The Congress’s focus on caste census and representation suggests that the party is hoping to exploit divisions in the BJP’s voter base, which has been united largely through the politics of Hindutva.
For decades, Congress has relied on a broad coalition of caste groups, but the rise of the BJP, particularly under Narendra Modi, has upset this electoral formula. The BJP has effectively consolidated upper castes, OBCs, and even sections of Dalits under its Hindutva umbrella. Rahul Gandhi’s emphasis on caste inequalities, therefore, could be seen as an attempt to break this unity by appealing to OBCs and Dalits, who may feel neglected by the BJP’s upper-caste leadership.
However, critics like senior columnist Tavleen Singh have labeled Gandhi’s newfound caste consciousness as “shocking” and “foolish.” In her article for The Indian Express, Singh argued that Gandhi’s focus on caste politics seems opportunistic and hypocritical, especially considering the Congress party’s long-standing role in Bharatiyapolitics. She questioned why the Congress had not done more to address caste inequalities during its decades in power if the issue was so important to Gandhi. According to Singh, the Congress’s sudden focus on caste is simply an attempt to counter the BJP’s dominance in national politics, rather than a genuine concern for the marginalized.
BJP’s Caste Narrative and Its Challenges
The BJP, on the other hand, has built its political strategy around the idea of Hindutva, which aims to unite Hindus across caste lines under the banner of religious nationalism. This strategy has worked well in the past few elections, allowing the BJP to win a majority of seats across caste-diverse states.
However, the opposition’s narrative—claiming that the BJP may abolish reservations if it gains power—has resonated with certain communities, particularly Dalits, OBCs, and Adivasis. These communities have long viewed reservations as a vital tool for social and economic mobility. For them, the threat of losing this lifeline is a compelling reason to align with opposition parties, including the Congress.
With the Ram Mandir and Hindutva narratives dominating the BJP’s campaign strategy, Rahul Gandhi’s pivot toward caste politics may be an attempt to counterbalance this. If Gandhi can successfully galvanize OBCs, Dalits, and Muslims, he could pose a significant challenge to the BJP’s majority in the upcoming election.
Conclusion
Rahul Gandhi’s increasing focus on caste politics is a calculated risk. On one hand, it gives him a platform to challenge the BJP’s dominance by appealing to marginalized communities that feel underrepresented. By pushing for a caste census and highlighting inequalities, he is attempting to build a coalition that could offset the BJP’s Hindutva-driven unity. On the other hand, his rhetoric raises uncomfortable questions about Congress’s own record on caste issues, particularly during the years when his family held power.
From a broader perspective, Rahul’s statements about not learning Dalit history in school could backfire, as they draw attention to Congress’s failures in addressing caste inequalities during its long tenure in government. His critics, both within the Dalit intellectual community and the media, have pointed out that his narrative appears disingenuous and selective, focusing on caste issues now that they have become politically advantageous.
Ultimately, Rahul Gandhi’s foray into caste politics may serve as a double-edged sword. While it has the potential to galvanize a broad coalition of voters, it also opens up Congress to criticism for its past failures. The success or failure of this strategy will largely depend on whether Gandhi can convincingly distance himself from the contradictions of Congress’s historical stance on caste, and whether the electorate buys into his message as genuine concern rather than opportunistic rhetoric.
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