What does Gandhi have to do with Delhi polls?

It’s easy to forget the man who went around half-naked with a walking stick in his hand and made it possible for us to be free. It’s easy to cast him to the dustbin of amnesia and enjoy a relaxing national holiday on October 2.

What’s not easy is to reinvent the man or his brand of politics. But just as it became fashionable to discuss, televisually, or perhaps delegate column space on, "Is the Mahatma relevant in Indian politics?" we, in a way, reinvented him.

Take Delhi elections 2015: What are the takeaways?

Don’t dress in a way we can’t relate to

Clothes and accessories are as much a part of politics as dressing for a job interview is. And at a time when the public is fascinated with politician-watching, would-be voters can be put off or drawn by the way a politician dresses. Gandhi took to wearing the simple dress of an India peasant, because every Indian could relate to it. He refused to change his dress code for anyone, not even for the British emperor George V in 1931 (“The emperor was wearing enough clothes for the both of us,” he had famously said.) This year, we had a prime minister whose dress sense drew too much attention. We had a lady chief ministerial candidate, who dressed like a "professional" (which her very middle class Krishna Nagar constituency may not have related to). And we had a man with a muffler, who had been such a brunt of jokes for the last two years that no one bothered to make fun of him this time around. Perhaps, the voters could relate to his muffler this time?

Power of forgiveness

Seeking forgiveness and forgiving are easily understood concepts to most Indians. All our ancient religions highlight the value of forgiveness. “Forgiveness is virtue; forgiveness is sacrifice, forgiveness is the Vedas, forgiveness is the Sruti,” says Yudhisthira in Mahabharata. Buddhism tells the story of a monk who when tortured and hacked to pieces by a king, experiences compassion for him. Jains observe Kshamavani Divas. “Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong,” said Gandhi once. Obviously he knew what he was talking about. And this time, the voter did precisely that, when Arvind Kejriwal asked for their forgiveness for quitting office last year.

We don’t like it when people are targeted

As Kejriwal and Kiran Bedi, friends-turned-rivals, took swipes at each other, the public watched their every move, gesture and word. Taking a few jabs here and there means nothing in politics but their war of words caught everybody’s attention:

• She said: “He hasn’t got any experience of politics. He is just scared. He won’t be able to manage the post of CM again.”
• He said: “I am a common man and I have common sense unlike my dear old friend. These days, she doesn't even realise what she is talking about.”
• She said: I think he is playing sob-sob. I think he must grow up.”
• He said: “I feel sorry for her. The BJP has gagged her.”

The voters finally chose Kejriwal. Did they also remember Gandhi’s words? “Who is untouched by respect or disrespect, who is not puffed up by praise, who does not go under when people speak ill of him.”

No one knows how the Delhi voter thought. If their decisions were conscious or not. But perhaps there’s a little bit of Gandhi in our collective consciousness? Perhaps, elections 2015 brought that out?