Udhagamandalam, Jan 14: Senior Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Monday said humility is essential to understanding and respecting people, and alleged that democracy in India is under attack by those in power.Addressing students of a private school in the Nilgiris district, braving intermittent rain, Mr Gandhi said that while information on subjects such as IT, artificial intelligence, robotics and data is easily available in today’s information age, true learning requires an atmosphere of love, respect, listening and kindness.
Describing the campus as a “beautiful school in beautiful surroundings,” he interacted with students and teachers, citing an example of a student who described her teacher as good because she taught with affection and kindness, helping students understand better. “If you want to learn, you need an atmosphere like this,” he said, adding that he envisioned an India where people respect one another’s languages, religions and traditions.
Turning to politics, Rahul Gandhi, drawing from his 20 years of political experience, asked students about their future aspirations. While many spoke of becoming doctors or pilots, none expressed interest in politics. He remarked that humility is the most important value for politicians, students and teachers alike, joking that he himself was not an obedient student during his school days.
During a question-and-answer session, he launched a veiled attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging that those in power were undermining democracy by targeting the Election Commission, autonomous bodies, educational institutions and the youth. “They are not scared of us. That is why people are raising their voices,” he said, adding that “those defaming us are only defaming themselves.”
Earlier in the day, Rahul Gandhi participated in Pongal celebrations at the school and distributed the traditional sweet to students, teachers and members of the management.