Throughout a current inside Congress assembly, Rahul Gandhi all of a sudden grabbed the wrist of a pacesetter sitting subsequent to him. When the chief was caught off guard, Gandhi casually defined the idea of martial arts by linking it to politics.
Later, the Chief of Opposition (LoP) within the Lok Sabha additionally advised his fellow occasion members that they might make one other transfer in opposition to him now that his consideration had shifted fully to his wrist.
Though it could appear unconventional, Gandhi’s motion was a message to leaders that they need to stay centered on the duty at hand and never be distracted by the ways of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Occasion. From chanting ‘Daro Mat’, which was a key theme in his speeches a decade in the past, to chanting ‘Abaya Mudra’ to convey a message of fearlessness to Congress staff just a few years again, he’s now selecting to make use of martial language and metaphors to encourage the occasion’s rank and file.
Gandhi had come to the above rally sporting martial arts costumes, together with an expert jiu-jitsu teacher who was his sparring associate that day. A dialogue adopted, ending with a jiu-jitsu demonstration for younger occasion leaders. The session lasted almost 5 hours, throughout which he additionally sparred with among the gamers. “It was attention-grabbing to see the bodily demonstrations. A number of the discussions had been very philosophical, like the place we will focus our consideration and the place others can compete… how we take into consideration life,” mentioned a pacesetter who was current.
Politics could also be about delivering a verbal punch after which receiving a counterattack. It additionally entails tactically dodging punches, demonstrating stamina and fortitude, and outwitting your opponent with technique, generally tiring or distracting him. And Gandhi is aware of that very properly. He and his occasion have been on the receiving finish of political and generally relentless central financial institution assaults since 2014. Congress has repeatedly been defeated in elections, and the central financial institution continues its relentless drive for management.
He has ceaselessly talked about Jiu-Jitsu in current instances, and in the course of the Union Funds debate final month, he focused Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Parliament Home utilizing the martial arts “grip” and “chokehold” analogy. Martial arts demonstrations at parliament and coaching camps have additionally aroused nice curiosity within the occasion. Some occasion leaders consider that is unconventional, whereas others argue that bodily coaching is a “right-wing” attribute. And others, primarily occasion critics, have ridiculed it, calling it simply “good leisure.”
At a parliamentary coaching camp for newly elected District Congress Committee (DCC) chairmen in January, Mr. Gandhi advised them that they need to not squirm round like martial arts fighters and be pinned down in politics by the Bharatiya Janata Occasion. The occasion ought to work skillfully with the Bharatiya Janata Occasion and keep away from shedding focus or being overwhelmed by its rivals.
Gandhi has lengthy believed that concepts and beliefs should all the time precede persona. He has usually framed the battle between the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Occasion as a battle between two ideologies.
The vital query is what prompted him to mix politics and martial arts. The thought first got here up in the course of the Bharat Pure Land Yatra of 2022-2023 and 2024. He engaged in martial arts coaching to native kids throughout yatras at campgrounds, particularly in the course of the course of the second version, in collaboration with native karate and judo golf equipment.
Folks near him say he has drawn parallels between politics and martial arts, but it surely has solely served as a stark reminder that Congressional leaders have to be resourceful, fearless and centered.
Sources say he has been a supporter of martial arts for the previous 30 years. He has a black belt in Aikido and a blue belt in Jiu-Jitsu.
“For Gandhi, Jiu-Jitsu is not only bodily however somewhat non secular. It’s a non secular framework that he tries to uphold not solely in his political life but in addition in massive facets of his private life. Due to this fact, he makes use of Jiu-Jitsu as a prism in a number of conditions. It is vitally instinctive for him to search out out rather a lot from what he has realized via Jiu-Jitsu and its philosophy and methods,” the Congress chief mentioned.
It was after the 2024 Lok Sabha elections that Gandhi determined to talk extra brazenly about this. In personal conversations with individuals near him, he all the time talked about martial arts and the way it helped him early in life. “It was a really private area for him. Then we began opening it up a bit. It began with the yatra. He was coaching with the youngsters nearly on daily basis in the course of the yatra. The children had been laying mats within the evenings after the yatra and he was educating them. That is when it began turning into public,” a celebration supply mentioned.
After the Lok Sabha polls, Gandhi began coaching with volunteers from the occasion’s entrance group. “Many youth conferences and NSUI
Executives and principally all younger individuals need to meet him. However he did not need to meet them simply to debate politics. So, one of many frameworks that we began utilizing was that he would train them a sure life philosophy and way of life…then he mentioned why not introduce Jiu-Jitsu as properly,” the supply mentioned.
In August 2024, Gandhi introduced that he would quickly embark on the ‘Bharat Dojo Yatra’ and practice Jiu-Jitsu with youth and youngsters throughout the nation throughout his travels over the following few years. His thought was that the notion of martial arts wanted to alter as a result of it was greater than only a martial artwork.
“There are numerous different components like self-control, self-defense, acceptance of defeat and victory. That is very near Mr. Gandhi’s coronary heart and he needs to inculcate these values within the youth via these periods,” a celebration chief mentioned.
One other occasion chief, who attended one of many chief’s coaching periods, mentioned: “He’s a dialogue starter for younger individuals to speak freely. Identical to on the mat, everyone seems to be free to speak to him. That is why greater than 600 individuals within the occasion, together with volunteers and officers, skilled with him. He held greater than 20 periods with the younger individuals.”
“Then when the Sangatan Srijan train began (on the finish of 2025), Rahul Gandhi mentioned why not lengthen this to the senior members of the district Congress committees. This lightened the temper and inspired him to share his philosophy and learnings. It brings them nearer to him they usually open up as properly. It is nonetheless evolving. He enjoys spending time with them in that approach as a substitute of only a common sit-down assembly. Leaders take part in a number of of those periods.
“It is a completely different type of ambiance than a conventional political rally. It is principally an icebreaker and it is accomplished otherwise. And it is also the hardcore philosophy that Shri Rahul needs them to imbibe. At first I used to be skeptical too, however the periods haven’t solely created a bond with him for the individuals however are additionally giving them a really distinctive expertise.”
However a few of Gandhi’s inside critics are removed from impressed. They’ve all the time accused him of turning the occasion into an “NGO-like group”. “Rahul is now making an attempt to show the membership right into a sports activities membership and the instances name for management,” a senior occasion official mentioned.
However one other group of leaders argue that such abuse shouldn’t be taken severely. Certainly one of them mentioned, “There are all the time a sure variety of sad individuals. Gandhi does nothing that’s dangerous to the occasion’s pursuits. He isn’t doing it on a regular basis. He’s immersed in critical occasion work. That is simply one other technique to join with occasion cadres and volunteers.”
