Recent survey findings reflect a prevailing optimism among the Indian populace regarding their country’s global influence. The majority of respondents from India expressed the belief that the nation’s impact on the world stage has intensified in recent years. Public sentiment towards India is notably positive across the surveyed nations. Additionally, the global confidence in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s capacity “to do the right thing” serves as a favourable indicator of his international standing. This positive perception of India is a recurring theme among the nations subjected to the survey.
Within the domestic sphere, a discernible contest has unfolded between the incumbent Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, and the aspiring Prime Minister, Rahul Gandhi, in Varanasi. Gandhi’s recent characterization of Varanasi’s youth as “addicts” sparked a notable clash. However, it is imperative to underscore that the youth in the sacred city harbour admiration for Modi while exhibiting disdain for the scion of the Gandhi family.
A casual conversation with the young individuals – Shiv Pandey, Vivek Pandey, Shubham Sawhney, and Pintu Goswami – along the immaculate Meera Ghat in Varanasi unveiled their sentiments. It is noteworthy that Shiv Pandey, an artisan selling handmade paintings at Meera Ghat, Vivek Pandey, a fitness trainer, Shubham Sawhney, a boatman, and Pintu Goswami, a tea vendor along the Ghat of River Ganges, share a common sentiment of displeasure towards Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his derogatory remarks about the youth of the holy city.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his visit to Varanasi, strongly criticised Gandhi, asserting that the Congress MP had “insulted the future of the nation”. Modi expressed shock at the comments and pointed out the irony of those “themselves not in their senses” characterising Varanasi’s youth as addicts. Further discussions with the individuals during a tete-a-tete at Meera Ghat elucidated their disapproval of Gandhi’s statements.
Shiv Pandey, amidst crafting a painting of Ganges boats, expressed his discontent, emphasising that Gandhi’s remarks were politically motivated. Vivek Pandey, a gym trainer, highlighted the misrepresentation of Varanasi’s youth and disapproved of Gandhi’s attempt to gain popularity through such generalizations. Shubham, a boatman, accused Rahul Gandhi of attempting to defame the youth due to his inability to make a mark in Varanasi, emphasizing their preference for Narendra Modi. Pintu Goswami, the tea vendor, concurred with Modi’s rebuke, asserting that Gandhi’s remarks were unwarranted generalisations.
Notably, this sentiment among the youth is not confined to Meera Ghat but extends to various areas near the city’s Ravidas Gate. Vishesh Kumar, a young vendor of cut fruits, criticized Gandhi’s stereotyping of Varanasi’s youth and emphasized their awareness and focus on their future. Criticisms towards Rahul Gandhi were not limited to his comments but also extended to his political career and recent electoral performance. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has intensified its response to Gandhi’s comments following Prime Minister Modi’s rebuke in Varanasi. Gandhi’s remarks, made during his Nyay Yatra in Varanasi, attracted swift criticism, with the BJP leveraging the comments to question Gandhi’s understanding of the local youth. The ill-timed nature of Gandhi’s comments, coming on the heels of a seat-sharing deal between the Samajwadi Party and Congress in Uttar Pradesh for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, adds a political dimension to the unfolding discourse.
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