India forgave Modi for Godhra. Why hold Rahul responsible for his family's sins?

We, the media look for angles in every single news item we have to present. We know we only have a few seconds to grab your eyeballs with the provocative headline or the sensational sound bite.

And sometimes to ensure that our story gets greater attention, we either tend to build people up or tear them down: that “loud obnoxious billionaire running for president?” or that “Indian bahu with the traditional saree and sindoor in Parliament?” Yes, we created those images because we knew it would work. And it almost always does.

And if in the process, some politicians and celebrities are romanticised or demonised, well, that’s just the way the cookie crumbles, our tribe collectively shrugs. All in a day’s work.

In America, we, “the liberal media” are always ready to ridicule Donald Trump, who is currently seeking the 2016 Republican Party nomination because he says outrageous stuff about minorities and journalists. It angers us. It earns us the wrath of the conservatives but that’s how journalism is supposed to be. We are not in the public relations business, we explain.

In India, the media’s soft target and the people’s favorite punching bag is Rahul Gandhi, who has been mocked and scorned for years now.

In 2014, India fell in love with the underdog story of the “simple chai wala who rose to success” and catapulted Narendra Modi to prime ministership.

Rahul, 45, was the incompetent heir of a dynasty that had ruined and exploited India, the narrative went. It was popular with the public.

In fact, Rahul, the masses decided was responsible for everything that was wrong with the Congress.

And then it began. The blame games, the name-calling. "Pappu", "Baba" and the regular jokes circulated on WhatsApp. A section of Indian journalists built their careers on “How stupid is Rahul Gandhi?” kind of stories.

The journalists who tried to show restraint and balance in their reporting were dismissed as “Congress chamchas” or “servants of the Italian woman” (a reference to Rahul's mother and Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s Italian heritage).

The Indian media, quick to gauge the public mood, may have decided it was best to attack Rahul on a regular basis. Let’s give the people what they want, the reasoning went. And carefully choreographed lynch mobs on social media followed suit by trending unflattering hashtags and memes.

But fortune‘s tide is fickle.

Days ago, a student Elizir Nahar, who was at the infamous visit by Rahul to Mount Carmel College wrote a Facebook post that went viral.

In it, the author bluntly showcased the unfairness of the media portrayal of Rahul.

She took the Indian press to task for its colossal failure in getting everything wrong about an event that they weren’t even invited to. It was an effective way of calling their bluff. How do you cover an event when you are not even physically present?

Read her piece here to judge for yourself. 

I was blown away by her honesty and it forced me to do some soul-searching myself.

Here’s my back story: my Sikh family was caught up in the 1984 riots. My father, a devoted Congress supporter at that time, reversed his position and has never voted for the party again.

I am neither a Modi nor a Congress fan. I have never voted in an Indian election. I am a non-resident Indian (NRI) and I just want India to be a stable, strong country and to take its rightful place at the table of the superpower nations.

The victims of the Sikh riots have never given justice or compensation and that is a black mark on the record of the Congress that will never be wiped out.

But should Rahul pay for the sins of his father? His grandmother? For me personally, the answer is no.

After all, India forgave Modi for his role in the 2002 Gujarat riots. Even the US lifted the ban on his visa.

So, let me just say ask India this: Is it this hard to be fair to Rahul, a young man, who has struggled with the family business, and has lived under the shadow of his famous family? Hasn't he tried?

Let’s also be fair here: he could have used his family status to get a high position in the party but he didn’t do that. He has never been accused of being corrupt and he has never been tied to unethical manoeuvres, to my knowledge.

And you have got to say this about him, he's not a quitter. He has failed and fallen many times. But he has gotten back on his feet and is making himself heard.

In politics, taking a stand with a definite strategy against the leader is a small victory but it’s a victory nevertheless.

To function effectively as a democracy of 1.3 billion people, India needs a strong Opposition to have checks and balances. And for better or worse, the Gandhis are the face of the Congress.

The headlines and attention show a clear trend. Rahul can still be a player but it's up to him to keep the momentum going. He has the grudging respect of the people now.

In politics, literature and life, legend says, “The son also rises”. Even if he has faltered again and again. Examples of other politicians who were written off and came back? Mamata Banerjee and Jayalalithaa.

So, don't let the sun go down on Rahul just yet. A star may still ignite.

And can I work on changing the way the media works? Am I my brother’s keeper?