Between Rahul Gandhi and Narendra Modi, Shobhaa de prefers a genuine dil ki dhadkan over a fake mann ki baat.
I don’t give a damn who becomes the next Prime Minister of India – Rahul Gandhi or Narendra Modi.
But I do care that India gets its groove back. A groove based on basic humanity, plain decency, and essential levels of tolerance. I vastly prefer a genuine dil ki dhadkan over a fake mann ki baat.
For that, I am willing to settle for a duffer over a demagogue.
At this point, I really don’t care whether Rahul Gandhi is a duffer or a genius. Yup, my desperation levels are so dangerously high, I am afraid they just may breach the emotional dam and flood my overwrought life, sweeping logic and judgement away. While Narendra Modi is urging us – yes, us – not to “spread dirt over social media” (bilkul nahi, Modiji, we are committed to keeping Bharat swachh), our Dimpled Darling (watch out, Taimur, you have competition!) is off to Beijing. I am sure the foodie in him will find the time to shuck into the most historic landmark in that great city. No, no … not Tiananmen Square (he may find it difficult to pronounce), but the equally renowned Peking duck restaurant, frequented by visiting heads of state (in Rahul’s head, he is that). The duck served is spectacularly good. And who knows, he may run into a world-famous personality there. Not Donald Trump. May be Cardi B or Nick J (with or without Priyanka, his fiancée, silly, not Rahul’s sister).
Also read: Narendra Modi’s 2019 headache will come from within the BJP and the NDA coalition
Then on to Mansarovar (again, a tough one to pronounce for him! Damn – why can’t his minders find places with easy names for him to visit – like Capri?). Is Rahul ready to climb that mountain? He has enough practice on ski slopes remember. Mount Kailash and Mont Blanc are not all that different. And a little effort is definitely required, as his team often says, if Rahul wants to get to the top of the heap.
All these adventures take time and a lot of prepping. Rahul will be away for a fortnight. But, he had assured the faithful flock at home that he will only undertake this arduous journey to the top of Mount Kailash (he will be taking a chopper, but let’s not spoil the drama) once he’s done with the Karnataka elections. So sweet and considerate. That’s our boy – always thinking of others.
But Hubli trumped hubris. During that terrifying moment, “Ain’t no mountain high enough” popped up on Rahul’s playlist. And voila! Kailash Mansarovar it had to be.
Here’s a small quiz: Do you remember the name of the topper from your class in school? The person who always maxed every paper and came first? No? Neither do I. But, who can forget the class duffer? The one who just about managed to scrape through and dimpled his/her way out of trouble? Nobody expected the duffer to do well in life. The duffer was always taken for granted, and the seat at the back of the class was automatically reserved for this loser.
Well. Aha! Decades later, classmates were gobsmacked to see the same duffer hitting the headlines. What? Really? Same duffer? But how is it even possible? Well, lots of crazy things are possible. They happen when nobody is looking. The duffer suddenly becomes a somebody! All the classmates who once laughed at the dunce now wanted to claim “close, personal friendship”. Sure, why not?
Also read: Rahul Gandhi is right: India’s RSS is a lot like the Muslim Brotherhood
Something similar is happening with Rahul Gandhi.
Hold it: Cut to the school bully. The one who tormented other kids and became Head Boy eventually after sucking up to the Head Master. The same chap who let loose a reign of terror, spied on classmates, intimidated the weaklings, and carried on like the entire school was his private property. Guess what happened to him? One fine day, all the other students decided they’d had enough and exposed him for what he was – a morally compromised megalomaniac. He sulked and sulked and retired hurt, vowing to fix his opponents some day. His hectoring had finally caught up with him.
Something similar may happen to Narendra Modi.
Meanwhile, Pappu has taken off his dunce cap. And people across India are listening to what he is saying. One may or may not agree with his viewpoint (I mean, those unwarranted comments about 1984?).
Also read: It is time Rahul Gandhi and Congress stop being afraid of the 1984 question
But citizens are willing to concede they may have underestimated the man. Rahul is finally getting something right. After years of getting it horribly wrong. Perhaps, he is saying and doing stuff more intuitively – and it sure is working. Big time. Citizens are sick of being manipulated and misled by leaders who confuse oratory skills with overall efficiency. With all his compounded sins of commission and omission, Rahul Gandhi still comes through as a likeable fella with his heart in the right place. I am a sucker for people with well-located hearts.
Shobhaa De is a columnist, social commentator, journalist and opinion-shaper. She has authored 20 books.
Crap…….she is a porn writer and cheeses off because her friend Mallya in trouble
Look at that. Shobha De finally competing with someone of her class/standard (yeah I mean with a Duffer). Also Ma’am your articles anyway never had logic or made sense, you don’t have to concede to it now.
At best the likes of De can only provide comic relief… She’s so carried away by her contrived n phony image as an opinion shaper. A sleazy porn writer hallucinates a bit much about her intellectual skills. Those 20 junky books of utter trash would put any self-respecting writer to shame…let her gloat in the false glory of pandering to the fantasies of semiliterate twits of satellite towns n not trespass an alien territory like governance….
good. at least we now that Shobha De is a really Pappu hiding under the garb of an intellectual. Pappu to Pappu hai… use kuch prove karne ki jaroorat nahi.. Woh
Mount Kailash jaaye ya Timbaktu kuch nahi ho sakta..Mandbuddhi hi rahega..
True Swach Bharat annoys every one. There is a clean up happening in several facets of life starting from Financial. It bothers as irregularity has been a virtue all along especially for the privileged and their coterie. There is no point blaming any one – we will get what we desire for.
She has a cushy life, I guess that’s enough for her and she does not mind seeing millions of others languishing in poverty under the duffer’s (and his cronys’) corrupt rule. We have seen it for a decade. You may be a romantic with a short memory, but we live in reality and we don’t want to see poverty peddling and national looting again.
Shobha De, the best Indian gossip ever barring Khushwant Singh, I usually read you for entertainment ONLY but for once I agree TOTALLY with you! #MeTooSucker-for people-with well-located-hearts!
Duffer over demagogue – any day! But Rahul is no duffer and unlike Modi, will be surrounded by people of experience, intelligence and knowledge.
Only if he scores the winning goal for his gathbandan or whatever they decide to call that miserable coalition. But more importantly, this Duffer, that you are convinced is NO Duffer, may not have either the gumption and intention of taking on the role that requires hard work. Modi may have displayed botched vision, but this Duffer too has none. He is surviving on cheap quips.
A sentence with “either” without an “or” is neither here nor there.
Well, I knew nit-picking would be your trait. Not truly apologetic for a small mistake while typing. Tolerant people term it as ‘typo’. But then when someone like you is good at trolling, tolerance is least expected.
Shekhar ji, please don’t let her write another article for the print. This sort of stuff is meant for glossy pages of toi. She has insulted both Mr modi and Mr gandhi just to sound cool.
Ms. De, with no offence, who are you to generalise that India is listening to Mr. Gandhi now. He was never given heed, nor will be given the same in future. Though even after you brand him a Pappu officially in your column, why would one want to associate. An old saying ” its good to have an intelligent enemy than a dumb friend.”
One can make out what you are going through if you prefer a different to become a PM !!
Wake up !
Like millions of indians, I love Namo as the best PM we have ever had. You exercise your constitutional rights,we will do ours !!
A duffer is the President of the United States right now. How did that work out?
Shobha De’s motherly instinct – likes Pappu the duffer . We will not be safe with Pappu the PM as his pea of a brain will put the country to anarchy because he goes by horrible instinct rather than by demagogue’s logic. De is anti Modi but for that we cannot accept Pappu, else we will be having a time that we had ‘nevvver evvver’ in the past.
Ma’m,
Duffers are the favourite subjects for your kitty party chattering in the air-conditioned clubs or drawing rooms over scotch whiskey. And I am very optimistic that you will continue to get him around you with more stupidities after 2019. But governance is a real hard, sweaty task where dimples will not come handy – you really need wrinkles.
Recently Priyanka Chopra has exhibited that some prefer Dil ki Dhadkan of much younger men with lot of wealth in Euros and Dollars.If Priyanka is Chopra, Shobha is a Chahti(in marathi )
Madam, The School I went to has the Best Boy as the Head. He did not suck to anyone. Also I still remember the Boy / Girl Who used to top in my School. And about the Duffer’s there were so many that it was best to forget them ( just like your MahaThagBandan).
You cannot climb up Mount Kilash. You can only go around it from the base for a 3-day parikrama. Madam Opinion Shaper etc.etc. please do some research before writing. Editors @print should do fact check before publishing such dumb content.
Yet another congi chamcha….who is paid to promote duffer
What can One can expect from so called liberal so called intellectual S.de.,Sudha Bhardwaj also has same mindset.
How can we expect these geese to adapt hard core Nationalist Leader.
Thank God Indian electorate is not as great a genius as Shobha De… You keep choosing the ‘duffer’ madam… The lesser stupid souls like us will choose the ‘demigogue’ ????
Sorry I don’t want duffer as my PM period.
Hello, Madam the congress ruled us on making ourselves duffers. so please leave mr. Duffer in his shell. And talked about hollow secularism, civil society and our so called thinker or intellectuals. Who made the opinion that every thing is wrong by the government, then why not you change the system. Sitting in a.c boardroom and talk about poor is so phathetic on your part.
This government came after fighting in elections with one to many, ok so do not shy to give credit to this government. Elected by the peoples and change by that only. Ok please remember this.
Ms.dey is probably suffering from delusion of grandeur
Thank god she only gets 1 vote during election.
She does not fear 1984 ..want to forget it only to remember 2002 and forget Godhra…..hopeless people…
She is columnist…social commentator…journalist…Opinion-shaper and does not fear 1984 ..want to forget it only to remember 2002 and forget Godhra…..hopeless people…
I quite like it although RG is not clearly that dumb
I agree with shobha on this.
Waste of my internet data…. 2 precious minutes of my life…. Why does Google promotes such stupid articles as clickbaits.
Lady, basic research helps where one does not have a personal experience. Mount Kailash is so revered that even flights don’t fly over it, let alone anyone climb it. One just goes around the base of the mount and it is not easy. Yes, you are right. Dil ki dharkan is a thousand times better than manipulative mann ki baat.
But Modi was nobody before becoming PM and everybody thought him as a nice person talking about the aspirations of people and corruption of the ruling party. Now first thing is that you have accepted Modi’s challenger as a duffer. Be ready for Congress’s revenge if they come in power. And we may see another duffer turning into what you are terming current PM.
Who, after 2002 thought Modi was a NICE person? are you mad? Competent perhaps – nice NO!!
I think shoba de got it wrong this time TOO.
Writer’s views are far far away from people’s perceptions.
No
Be it ThePrint orWire it’s a spoiled slaved India Today.You do not find anything constructive affirmative positive or debatable.Forget such out dated old reporters or hecks pretending to be society builders when it comes to New India being built by BJP AND MODIJI our beloved PM of India.
Shobha dey, Apne AAP ki bahut Sayani samajh to hai, but hai pappu ki mausi
one of the urban Nexelite paid by Congress to brainwash Rahul’s image of a duffer. This is like Antony’s speech in Julius Caesar.
Some stories might be like that, but it will not go for RG for he is even not the fit character to such stories. None other than Gandhi is his stake. None can take away nothing from him. Did he achieve anything by himself so far?
Because Ms De, regretfully, you are an idiot. BTW did you check up with your duffer if he is ready to take on the role of PM? Don’t be surprised if your Mr Duffer is planning a long holiday to some undisclosed destination after the miserable coalition, that he and his party are pining for, win the elections. He knows his cut will reach him. Life is good!!!
Who cares what Sjobha De chooses. The nation is full of them. Many would choose freedom to loot and scoot. The elite of the decades with their parasitic lifestyles based of privileges of knoeomg someone in the power corridoors are understandably ruffled.
Shobha De may have been paid for eulogizing Rahul with an eye on 2019 but I, like millions of other Indians, am no fool to buy what she says. It is an insult to PM Modi to be compared with a remote controlled political robot like Rahul Gandhi.
Madam, you may not care who becomes the Prime Minister of our country. But we, the common people definitely do care and we want our beloved leader Shri Narendra Modi to become the Prime Minister again.
Shobha De is a third grade porn writer.
She is no authority to give her comments about Narendra Modi.
I am sure Narendra modi is million times better for india than Rahul.
The columnist too has begun to refer to herself in the third person …
I don’t think one is a duffer, the other a demagogue. Two men, with different ideas and ideology. Their life stories could not have been more dissimilar. Once every five years, Indians decide whether they want more of the same or it is time for a change.
Remember Mrs. Indira Gandhi was called Gungi Gudia , Rahul is facing the similar moment , but you are right , we have had enough of fake politicians , Rahul comes across as some one who has his heart in the right place , maybe an occasional slip can be compromised as long as he remains genuine !
Big difference between Indira and Rahul.Indira was a proud Hindu,while Rahul is a rabid Catholic who is a plant by the Catholic church.The very history and geography of India if Christian Rahul becomes PM and lets loose anti-Hindu forces like John Dayal on hapless Hindus.It is extremely dangerous to have a non-Hindu like Rahul G as PM.
No substance other than the language in the writing. If she says she’ll support a different like Rahul and not a person who is otherwise, that goes on to prove what a person she is.
It think you are competently DUFFER . because now the trends are mixed and mostly intelligent one is seating at the end and on first bench. and i am hoping you are seating in middle.
please come out with your old theory and study.
get well soon.
Can I be considered rightful citizen of India? My credentials are- a tax payer, hater of any crime commited for any reason whatsoever, who will watch out for the minorities and oppressed and who is ok with reservations given to those who are/were oppressed. I don’t concur superiority of any religion, nor bow down no menace in the name of any vigilantism. But, Ms Shobha Dey stop mentioning me and my likes in your arguments to see Mr Gandhi as future PM. You might be desperate to get rid of the ruling party but as you can’t see the economic progress of India, I can’t see the, so called ‘hostility’ of one religion over other making this country intolerant. I doubt your intentions the way you doubt the sanctity of our PM. He may not have taken best decisions so far, may not have had best execution of the plans, but he doesn’t come from a dynasty, which makes a ‘duffer’ somebody (or, maybe he wasn’t a duffer at all as who will study if you already have a business to manage in the end) or doesn’t have a lifetime membership as a head of one of the most powerful party. There is no comparison b/w Mr Gandhi and Mr Modi. Period.
Well said.
Frivolous and facetious….or maybe that was the intent of the author Shobaaa ji
Are you competing with Rahul?
Nobody climbs Mount Kailash.
It’s brain n brawn versus Duffer who was not even a backbencher (Pls don’t insult them.)
Headboys in schools we attended neither sucked up the headmaster nor bullied anyone. (Speaking of your experience is it?)
What happens to Modi will be decided by voters and not by a pen, (lost its might anyways and who is responsible for it? Few who suck up The Family.)
And he must be doing something intuitively (right or wrong doesn’t matter) to get YOU to defend and field or shield him.
Hoping you don’t abandon (fibrillating) Dill ki Dhadkan post 2019. Ciao!