Rahul accuses RSS/CPM of lacking empathy; calls for emulation of Oommen Chandy’s work

Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday accused the RSS and the CPI-M of not having any empathy for the people.

Speaking after inaugurating a memorial meeting at Puthuppally in Kottayam on Friday to mark the second death anniversary of former Kerala chief minister Oommen Chandy ,Rahul Gandhi said that he fights the RSS and the CPI(M) ideologically, but his biggest complaint about them was that they have no feelings for the people.

Advertisement

“I fight them in the realm of ideas and in the realm of speech. But, my biggest complaint is that they do not have feelings for the people,” he said

The opposition leader said that if one does not feel for the people, connect with them, or hug them, “you cannot be a leader.

“The real tragedy of Indian politics today is that very few care enough to listen or understand what others are going through,” he added.

“So, that is my biggest complaint. If you are in politics, feel what people are thinking, listen to them, and touch them. The real tragedy in Indian politics today is that very few people are actually feeling what others are feeling,” Rahul Gandhi said.

Recalling his enduring association with the former Kerala chief minister Oommen Chandy,Rahul Gandhi said He (Oommen Chandy) was someone who understood human emotions more than anyone else

Stating the values and traditions Oommen Chandy represented, Rahul Gandhi called on the party leaders and members to emulate the legacy of the former Chief Minister( Oommen Chandy ) in addressing the needs of the people.

Calling Oommen Chandy a “guru” and a “master of the politics of feeling”, Rahul said the late leader had left an indelible mark on his political journey with his unwavering commitment to the common man.

“A teacher explains, but a guru guides through action. Oommen Chandy was a guru — not just to me, but to Kerala. He never preached; he simply showed the way through his life,” he said

Reflecting on his 22-year political journey, Rahul said Oommen Chandy was one of the masters of political feeling

“Oommen Chandy was one of the masters of political feeling I have come across in my political life” he said.

Recounting a touching memory from the Bharat Jodo Yatra, Oommen Chandy, despite his deteriorating health, insisted on walking alongside him, Rahul said “Many advised him not to, including myself, but he still came. After walking a short distance, he was forced to return in a car. That act of showing up, even when his body resisted, was a reflection of how deeply he felt for the people.”

Rahul further said Oommen Chandy faced brutal and unfair political attacks during his career. “He endured criminal assaults and non-stop lies were spread against him. Yet, I have never heard him respond with anger. Oommen Chandy is not just an individual, but a special person in Kerala politics. Kerala has the tradition of these types of people,” he said

Expressing his aspiration to cultivate more leaders like Oommen Chandy, Rahul told the leaders to touch the feelings of the people to become a leader. “If you do not feel for the people or are not able to connect with them or hug them, you may not be a leader. Oommen Chandy was one of the masters of political feeling I have come across in my political life,” he said.