Present status

Diffidence

The news for Congress presently is less positive and more negative. There is no aggressive response to redress issues. Whether the cumulative build-up of all negative factors as an insurmountable mountain is justified? It is not really so. There is a requirement to go into detail to understand reality. 

Elections in India are based on relative trust or merits on persons and issues. When elections are nearer the dynamics in politics and its effects on people may change dramatically. Before the actual sufferings of the people and their impact, many of the issues currently dominating people’s minds may become irrelevant and insignificant.

If machines, money, media, misuse of power, play destructive roles it is a different matter altogether. The responses for such situations may run on an unplanned, uncharted course. What is more relevant is the prospects of Congress in a normal situation. They do have an unease and diffidence as of now.

Dissidence 

The events unfolded in Rajasthan was more of a threat as it involved a fall of Congress government. But ‘Group of 23’ is not so. It was mainly driven by their no-confidence in Rahul and overconfidence in themselves and their strength. 

They wanted to imprison Rahul to their imaginary dicta, while talking about strengthening the Congress by creating instability to the present disposition and building a ‘castle’ by deactivating Rahul, the only mass leader in Congress.

They ‘were’ on a wild-goose chase blinded by ego and insecurities. They view Rahul as an extra-constitutional authority without understanding reality. But they think they are having ‘extra intellectual authority’ to control things which are way beyond their true strength and abilities.

They are adamant about having the cake and eating it too even before someone can buy it for them. Surprisingly these childish tantrums are carried out in full public view by senior leaders who created a brand and name for themselves. This is the extent to which organizational structure is weakened by indiscipline of all sorts.

Organization

Congress leaders not only failed to hold Congress together but were also instrumental in destroying it by their avarice,  opportunism for power and wealth. 

It can be rectified, reconstructed, and rejuvenated over a period of time by strong top leadership, mass leaders.

The ‘Group of 23’ referred to organizational elections and predicted that ‘Congress will sit in the opposition for 50 years if party election doesn’t happen’. 

If Congress has no life or future for the next 5 decades due to the bad politics of such leaders over the past 5 decades, why should Congress bother about such ‘lifeless and life exhausted’ leaders?

Has BJP won because of their organizational elections? Whether Congress had real internal elections over the last 50 years? Have not they won elections? What kind of nonsense they are talking with so much coverage without questions by the media.

What they were doing except indulging in in-house politics over parties, dinners in outhouses. The bars are excluded here as ‘constitution and rules of INC’ prohibits them[Article V(B)(c)].

How many of them talk to the people directly and frankly. They are too deep and secretive to open up their mind. 

It is still true that the organization is to be rebuilt not because of the warnings of these ‘destroyers’. First, they have to clear out the ‘mines’ and then reconstruct the building with new rules for its upkeep and maintenance to make it strong. 

How they do it should depend on evaluation of the overall benefits for the party and the people of this country. They cannot allow the Congress to be destroyed by the disruptive forces. ‘Democracy and socialism are means to an end and not the end itself’: Jawaharlal Nehru. 

Hope

Most of us live in hopes of some kind and Congressmen more so but they just dream without any real action on the ground. Hopes should be based on reasoned analysis. They should check nuts and bolts- tightening, rust-removing, welding, rebuilding structures, and do whatever action that is needed on a continuous basis before waiting expectantly for the delivery of results. Otherwise, it is futile to await a ‘sunrise’ and a new dawn. 

The emphasis for action should never stop at any level of Congress, as lethargy is their chronic disease. The analysis based on facts, information, reports about Congress, its future does indicate what one may say as “flowerful and it may bear fruits”. These words (if my memory is right) were used by Rajaji after his return from the USA in 1962, leading the Gandhi Peace Foundation delegation to press for a total ban on nuclear tests. 

There is a difference between projection and performance. The process involves decision making and execution. The organization should get activated and be kept running with continuous monitoring until the target is achieved. 

It is a question of a delegation with control. Congress leadership delegates jobs to senior leaders, but loses control as there were lacunae in such an exercise due to personal equations, limitations of time, information, assessments, etc. 

 If one evaluates impartially, most of us perform far below our potential. But Congressmen especially leaders are eternal pessimists. Their own fear and self-doubts affected congress.

Diffidence and negativity are infectious. The majority opinion also may not be right as most of them are affected by this disease and they built it into their culture, DNA. Detailed analysis is the only way out as reliability of the information, its sources, and cross-verification are needed when so many varieties of sources are involved with their prejudices and preferences.

Further communication gaps do develop between top leadership, executors of decisions, and the cadres and supporters. This gap invariably created by the carriers, interlocutors, leaders at many levels including Group leaders who want to have control over their group. They become artificial barriers and a dual or divided loyalty gets created. These leaders ensure that their members are first loyal to their Group leader than to the party. This creates long term problems and erosion of the base for the party.

Sonia relied more on her own intuitions and trust with senior leaders from Congress as well as other opposition parties. She could get some good advice from sane and sagacious persons including Manmohan Singh. But still, the intermediaries and power brokers had a field day misinterpreting, misusing their delegated power. The organization was further weakened.

When Rahul got involved closely and started visiting and interacting at the ground level, he could feel the pulse of the organization and people. When he tried to bring in changes, obstacles were created by senior leaders. When Rahul continued to be a power centre ‘portending’ a return as President, it culminated in the letter of ‘Group of 23’ ‘eminent men’ setting in motion actions and reactions.

Let us hope the purification process gets over soon and Rahul settles and plays his inevitable role in rejuvenating Congress. No one can stop it except through devious ways or Divine intervention. The hope lies in Rahul taking over his rightful position. 

Midway Note

Even the opponents of Modi suggest that anyone is better than Modi. The truth is Rahul is the best available candidate to carry the spirit of India and its people with him to a new dawn of freedom and independence.

• He need not be a scholar. He is intelligent enough to choose the right person for advice. 
• He could discern the truth.
• He has the passion and toughness to pursue the right course.
• He loves his people, country, and respects them.
• If he is seen by some people, as a not wise, wily, prudent politician to counter Modi, let it be so. Leave them. They may be from Moon and Mars living in their own wonderland or marshy land. They are not human anyway.

Next part: A possible approach that is likely to unfold. 

Ps: The Blog Post will be continued in Part Ⅱ; will be posted in a day or two.