Has Rahul Gandhi’s communications improved lately? From khatakhat to taka tak and tana tan, Rahul Gandhi seems to have honed his communication skills to effectively reach the Indian masses. His ability to connect with the people, despite being labelled as Sahajada, a leader born with a silver spoon in his mouth, is truly impressive. In contrast, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party appears to have a significant communication gap with the people, despite his image as a hardworking leader with his hand on the nation’s pulse.
In his first parliamentary speech as a leader of the opposition, Rahul Gandhi tried to snatch the monopoly to talk on behalf of Hindus from the BJP. But he seems to have miscalculated his adventure, and it did not grant him any benefit if it did not sow some more seeds of distrust among the Hindus against Congress. However, the Gandhi family scion can afford some hits and misses as long as he is at the centre of attention. After his Hinduism vs Hindutva speech in parliament, he again resorted to a weapon from the same domain – mythology. This time, he invoked the Mahabharata and cited an example, an irritating pain in the neck of the Indian psyche. Abhimanyu!
We Indians avoid discussing topics that hurt us, and the Abhimanyu episode is undoubtedly one of them. Why is Rahul Gandhi going to this extreme?
When he invented khatakhat, taka tak, and tana tan, he wanted a catchphrase that resonated with the people across regional and educational divides. Indians can understand khatakhat, taka tak, and tana tan better than a commentary on banking or budget. It’s useless to talk about these issues to those who don’t understand them. Rahul is working on how the uneducated and illiterate mindset works. Invoking Hinduism and Abhimanyu in fiery speeches is part of his communication strategy. It has paid off well in the last elections.
In contrast, BJP’s communications sound jarring after hearing PM Modi and his colleagues for the last ten years. The BJP certainly needs a new communication paradigm. They must pay attention to the power of khatakhat, taka tak, and tana tan. Speaking issues that the masses can understand has significance in politics. The talk of Ram may incite, but it also alienates.
In politics, where millions of voters are involved, anything that works for you can also be used against you. Interpretations are subjective, but you can’t misinterpret khatakhat, or the reference to Abhimanyu. Pitching young leaders such as Anurag Thakur and Kangana Ranaut against Rahul Gandhi is a good strategy, but they must add more grey than green stuff in their talks.
India’s progress under PM Modi’s leadership will always be a topic of discussion in academic and intellectual circles. However, for a meaningful discussion, clear and understandable data points should be available. Has the BJP effectively communicated to the nation what it has achieved over the past 10 years? Was this communication clear and understandable to the masses who can only understand khata-khat and nothing else? This underscores the importance of clear and understandable communication in politics.
With the collapse of traditional media, relevant data should be included in the public domain. Traditional media is also questioned for biases in favour of the government. How does the government or the ruling party communicate in this environment when there isn’t a reliable communication channel?
Communication is extremely important in governance and business. When the PM catches some quiet and fresh breath in Lakshadweep, people think he is denouncing the Maldives. This kind of misinterpretation runs across the system. He has not gone nuts when Rahul Gandhi talks of taka tak or Abhimanyu. He is simply trying not to be misinterpreted in a nation with a hazardous potential for misinformation.
The BJP must learn some lessons from Rahul Gandhi’s latest. This will not only benefit the BJP in its electoral politics but also help the government it runs. It will save Indians many misinterpretations and their hazardous consequences. (IPA Service)
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