Life and times of 'middle-aged' Rahul Gandhi

The "almost middle-aged" Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi poured his heart out at the separatist bastion of University of Kashmir.

From invoking his Kashmiri roots to relating his personal ordeal to projecting a terror victim, Rahul used all his tools to make a connect with young Kashmir students at the University.

Around 2,500 students snubbed Hurriyat hawk Syed Ali Shah Geelani and came in hoards to listen to the scion of India's first political family at the same place where a few months ago religious zealots forced the cancelation of fund raising cultural show-- Ilham.

The Hurriyat hawk had called on students not to participate in any youth Congress membership drive in the University. Given the threat tight security arrangements were made to ensure incident free and protest free event.

“This is a special day. I am a Kashmiri, as most of you know," Rahul told a cheering crowd.

The Congress leader then referred to remarks of University officials who said he was one of the youngest parliamentarians in the country.

“Unfortunately that is not the case. I joined Parliament seven years back. I am not middle-aged but almost middle-aged”, he said.

During the tete a tete, Rahul told the students that they were bit younger to him. “I am 40 and you are 20. It is not a small difference”, he said

Rahul poured his heart out to reach out to the students in the hall. Congress general secretary minced no words to describing his life as a child who lost his grandmother and father in succession.

“I was 14 when my grandmother Indira Gandhi was killed and that was the single biggest incident that shook me up. I remember the day when I was in the classroom studying geography and a woman helper came to me and asked me to come back. I was later told that my grandmother has been shot dead. It shattered my inner core”, he said.

If Rahul could reveal his personal tragedy, can Kashmiri students remain far behind? A student in the audience also revealed his tragic story about his father’s death. “I lost my father when I was only nine”, a student remarked while Rahul listened with rapt attention.

One student was candid enough to raise the issue of harassment of Kashmiris in outside states. “Why are Kashmiri students being harassed outside”, one student asked. Another student asked Rahul why MNC are reluctant to come and invest in Kashmir.

Students were enthused to meet Congress general secretary despite the tight security checks. “I was waiting since morning for Rahul Ji to come. But he was late. Still, I sat down just because I wanted to listen to his thought process," a student said.