वरिष्ठ टीवी पत्रकार इरफान शेख द्वारा देश के युवा नेता राहुल गांधी पर लिखी गई किताब ‘द मैजिक आफ राहुल गांधी’ का विमोचन पिछले दिनों दिल्ली की मुख्यमंत्री शीला दीक्षित ने किया। किताब में इरफान ने मुस्लिम समुदाय की चिंताओं और युवाओं के सोचने के तरीके को अभिव्यक्त किया है। साथ ही बताया है कि किस तरह राहुल नौजवानों के विश्वास पर खरे उतरने के लिए प्रयास कर रहे हैं। लेखक का मानना है कि राहुल गांधी का जाति-धर्म में विश्वास न कर सिर्फ भारतीयता में भरोसा करना सबसे सकारात्मक बात है।
इस किताब का एक अंश यहा प्रकाशित किया जा रहा है-
“Rahul said that whenever he met an Indian he saw him as an individual without the caste tag. My God what a statement. This statement of Rahul was like a soothing balm to the millions of Muslims who were hurt when people looked at them with suspicion. Muslims are very emotional people and if they get vibes from their fellow brothers that they are not unwanted. Anything for this country? Even a fool with minimum IQ Will never support any person who harms our country. ”
The Muslims of this country were shell shocked after the Gujarat incident. Whenever there was a terrorist attack all Muslim groups came out saying we condemn terrorism. They were victims of police atrocities more than that the attitude of the majority was making them nervous which created panic. The statement of Rahul is very strong and symbolic. If India has to grow secularism can’t gather dust. The British always hit India hard where it hurts the most. Spread communal hatred was their motto. History is witness to the fact that we fell into the trap created by the divisive forces.
“Someone once asked me; what my religion was? I thought about it and I answered that the Indian Flag was my religion. I promised myself after my Father died that I would serve the people, this Flag represents, by taking up a job, before I know what our workers and people feel and need.
I would be doing a disservice both to my religion and to my Party. My place right now is among our people; my place right now is to learn and understand so that I can serve my people and my Party better.”
This speech of Rahul in fact sums up the entire thought process of the young and dynamic generation of India. We have indeed paid a very heavy price due to hate politics and people by and large are aware of the hidden agenda of people who spread hate and divide the society on communal lines The book has also tries to project the aspirations and the expectation of the Youth from Rahul. The author has raised a serious issue of the rise in the rate of suicide cases by young students and has asked Rahul on what are the ways to address to this menace of depression among the youth of this country.
The book also highlights the role of Sonia Gandhi as a mother in nurturing Rahul Gandhi.The upcoming generation is looking forward towards him who will lead the nation in the future.
