Rahul Gandhi’s maiden visit to Jharkhand as the Congress president on Saturday was not only about political jibes and election promises, but also about learning the tribal culture and making party office bearers feel special.
The Gandhi scion on Saturday shook a leg with tribal dancers on the beats of Mandar (traditional drums) before addressing the rally at Morhabadi Ground. He seemed visibly interested in learning the traditional dance moves that the tribal community in Jharkhand performs during indigenous festivals and social gatherings.
His gesture of holding hands of tribal dancers and joining them as they grooved brought out a deafening cheer from the crowd, which saw him on the giant screens installed at the venue.
The tribal community forms 27 per cent of Jharkhand’s 3.20 crore population and plays a significant role in elections. The community is extremely sensitive about its culture and land. Many tribal rights organizations here have been up in arms against the incumbent government’s land acquisition policies. In the given circumstances, Gandhi’s move may find success in appeasing the tribal population in the mineral-rich state.
Even while addressing the rally, Gandhi spoke about the Congress party’s agenda of preserving the rights of tribal people and ensuring their ‘Jal, Jungle, Jameen’ (water, forest, land) wasn’t taken away by industrialists.
“The Congress party will ensure that the tribal land is not given away to industrialists,” he said. Gandhi’s tribal card at the rally also assumes significance as he did not visit Jharkhand since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power here in 2014.
The BJP, on the other hand, has been boasting about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s eight official visits to Jharkhand since 2014, the maximum by any Prime Minister in one term. Modi’s eight visits, the BJP claims, is evidence to his love for the tribal people.
While Narendra Modi merchandises were a hit during the 2014 elections, Saturday was perhaps the first instance wherein youths were seen carrying RaGa merchandises. Some Youth Congress leaders were spotted carrying laptop bags and caps with picture of Rahul Gandhi printed on them at the rally.
Before joining the tribal dancers, Gandhi personally met all the senior office bearers of the Jharkhand Pradesh Congress Committee (JPCC) and shook hands with them.
Later, his address to the crowd also seemed quite interactive. The Congress scion who became the butt of all jokes during the 2014 election campaigns, oozed confidence as he asked the crowd to maintain silence as he spoke.
However, empty seats at the ground just before Gandhi reached the venue caused panic among local Congress leaders, who accused the police of not letting supporters enter the venue on time. Minutes before Gandhi’s address, Congress leaders asked the crowd to cross all the barricades and gather as close to the pulpit as possible. The move may have been intended to show a higher headcount at the rally.