The Barfi! in Rahul Gandhi

The actor Ranbir Kapor played the adorable elfish character in the movie Barfi! . He pulled at our heartstrings for actually pausing and reflecting on the real issues in life, sifting through the clutter; engaging in a pursuit of happiness.

The transparent quest for problem-solving over exhibitions of power is what is being played out in front of us.

Barfi ! was not about the brash display of machismo; it portrayed the sensitive and maybe thinking Indian man. When you look at life through Barfi! ’s non-judgemental and open lenses then India is indeed the energy-driven beehive as suggested by Rahul Gandhi in a recent speech at the CII -- and not just the hoary, venerable ‘mother India’.

This article is not a justification of Rahul Gandhi, the individual, but an appraisal of what he says and stands for, and why that should not trigger such a negative reaction from all quarters.

It will be infinitely better to have a leader with attributes of directing credit to where it belongs, in this case the business community. “Over the last couple of years, you have done a tremendous job. The image of India has changed”, said Rahul at the CII talk, addressing a packed hall of business leaders. It was refreshing when he concluded by welcoming suggestions and feedback.

An Open mind

He is absolutely right. We don’t want a leader who will ride up on his high horse and tell us what to do with our money and time. Our opinions and experiences are equally valid. Ideation, approachability and promise of being included in the development process is just as important as a leader’s performance and experience. India Inc. should certainly take that into consideration.

After looking at Rahul Gandhi’s speech at the CII and the reactions to it, I have come to the conclusion that India is stuck with a mental image of how a leader should look, act, talk and behave --- anything beyond and above that is unacceptable.

Therefore, it is a complete shocker that an individual in a leadership role can be troubled or publicly ideate his way through life and its problems, like all of us. How dare he? He should be born with all the solutions; it is inconceivable that he should waste his precious energy ideating core problem areas in the country and asking us –the general public --- for inputs on how we can work together towards solving these problems.

Then we should ask Machiavelli to retrain the little prince since he does not have the ruthlessness expected of an Indian leader.

Machiavelli in his political treatise The Prince maintains that, “It is best to be both feared and loved; however, if one cannot be both it is better to be feared than loved.”

Does only raw machismo and exhibition of confidence translate into impactful development and true social inclusion? Can this definition be expanded?

IDEA OF INCLUSION

The Barfi! in Rahul can dramatically transform India if we dare to dream, open our minds and hearts to consultative revolution and change, without the blood of innocent people on our hands.

When you play the politics of alienating communities you stop the flow of movement of people and ideas – and when that happens we all suffer, said Rahul in the same speech.

This thought rings true in a country with a rapidly urbanising population catering to the needs of megacities and semi-urban areas.

Businesses and the government need to quickly join hands and create an enabling environment for any realistic inclusive march towards growth and development.

This process can indeed have no silos, or it will result in further ghettos of communities already marginalised.

Here is a young leader who identified a crucial problem and considered building bridges towards a solution; this, most definitely, was not a philosophical treatise.

Gandhi’s speech is no Lincoln at Gettysburg, where he said, “The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced”.

The historic speech was delivered in dedication to the National Cemetery Gettysburg, Pennsylvania by US President Abraham Lincoln during the American Civil War on November 19, 1863, four months after the union army defeated the confederates at Gettysburg.

Over 10,000 soldiers were killed in battle. The speech stirred the entire nation towards a path of human equality and dignity.

I am not drawing any rhetorical parallel but that leadership style drew you in, made you a part of the process -- rather than watching with your nose pressed on the window pane on how leadership and nation building should happen.

The roadmap does not need to have only data points of elaborate solutions, but also a compassionate thoughtfulness.

AGAINST HOMOGENEITY

While India is seeking large leadership answers from its two leading political parties –the Congress and the BJP -- it is critical to ascertain our expectations.

While the CEO and benevolent dictator approach clothed as democracy can be vaguely appealing, the world is flat and building a roadmap for development together is all the more so.

A pre-packaged robotic perception of leadership where one size fits all may not be the solution for development.

Viewing Rahul Gandhi through this alternate prism of engagement could chart us through calmer waters. Leaving you with the conclusion of his speech to formulate your own thoughts: “This country is only going to move forward if we stitch together a coalition where we are all working together and you are critical to that. Absolutely critical. It cannot be done without you. So that is my message. Thank you for coming here and listening to me. If you have any questions, I would happily answer them”.

(The author is a graduate from the University of Pennsylvania and writes on culture, business and politics.)

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