I have been appalled at the phraseology used to describe the newly elected Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge in the national media. We should not, however, be surprised as yet another report has been released that does a social profile of the media itself. A report prepared by Oxfam India and Newslaundry has found that 90 per cent of high-profile jobs in Indian media, print, broadcast and digital media are dominated by upper caste groups, and not a single person from the Scheduled Castes (SC) or Scheduled Tribes (ST) is leading a mainstream media outlet. Some very enlightened and socially sensitive individuals offering commentary are from the upper castes, but equally, some remain boorishly insensitive even as they may write fine English.
Who tells our stories matters, and it shows in the phraseology used about the election of Kharge and his defeat of Shashi Tharoor in the recently concluded Congress presidential election. With notable exceptions, what must be noted is that the disparaging tone about Kharge has not come merely from the so-called "godi media" or lap-dog broadcast press that would have proceeded to raise every past scandal against Tharoor had he won since their agenda is to trash all but the BJP.
What has been more revealing is the superior/condescending tone adopted by commentators who could be described as English-speaking liberals; those who spout great advice to the Congress from the perspective of personality but become tone-deaf to the realities of caste and class. It's entirely possible that because of who they are, they entirely missed the significance of the social origins of Kharge even as they have noted his age (the new Congress president is 80 years old). They have repeatedly called Kharge a "Gandhi retainer" as if he spent a lifetime in service, fetching and carrying for the Gandhis.
Mallikarjun Kharge is Dalit, a Buddhist and an Ambedkarite since the 1960s. That's more than being anyone's retainer. His social origins count at a time when the only significant Dalit political party, the BSP led by Mayawati, has become dysfunctional. One cannot, however, surmise that Dalit support will shift overnight to the Congress but in parts of South India, particularly Karnataka, from where Kharge hails and where elections take place in April 2023, this surely counts. With a section of the state's Dalits inclined towards the BJP, it would be interesting to see what unfolds in the state in next year's election.
One must also flag Kharge being a Buddhist at a time when an Ambedkarite Buddhist has resigned as minister from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Delhi after he took part in a mass conversion event meant to commemorate the day B R Ambedkar embraced Buddhism. Rajendra Pal Gautam would have to quit the ministry of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, but Kharge has become president of the Congress party, the second Dalit to do so after Jagjivan Ram. The latter's name is still invoked as the most significant Dalit figure emerging from the Congress, and it would be interesting to see how Kharge's tenure proceeds at a time of the greatest challenge to the party.
Certainly, it must be said that Kharge does not have a telegenic personality, and this particularly shows when pitted against one of the more suave politicians of the age, across all parties, as Shashi Tharoor indeed is. Kharge is not young, but surely, we can note that it is an achievement for a Dalit to rise to the levels he has within the Congress structure.
I do not know Mallikarjun Kharge but have met Shahi Tharoor, who is always charming. I believe he ran a good fight for Congress president and should be rewarded with a significant post as he does appeal to an aspirational India that is quite fascinated by his manner of speaking (he also showed great aptitude for Hindi during the campaign) and his profile as a UN diplomat, author of many books and one of the first politicians to actively use new media.
For those who may have missed Kharge's caste origins, it's also fair to point out that Tharoor is a Nayar (or Nair) of Kerala, categorised as a group of forward castes. This counts in Tharoor's Lok Sabha seat of Thiruvananthapuram, which he has won three times. There are historical and contemporary contradictions between the upper caste Nayars and Ezhavas, the largest Hindu and OBC social group in Kerala. It must also be noted that even though Tharoor has won three terms, the Congress in Kerala actually lost two consecutive terms to the Left Front, which is against the pattern in the state with the narrowest electoral victory margins that alternate between the Left and the Congress-led alliances.
The nitty-gritty of caste matters for the Congress in South India, where the Bharat Jodo Yatra led by Rahul Gandhi is getting an outpouring of support. The challenge, of course, remains in northern India.
(Saba Naqvi is a journalist and author)
Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH.