The unease

The pain of Congress cadres and supporters is getting reflected in their reactions. All are feeling the pinch but the responses are different. Some are disappointed with Rahul’s leadership. Some indulge in hero worship. The truth is hidden, not deeply analysed or dealt with.

The leadership of Rahul is just one question before Congress. The issues and problems confronting it are unlimited. Are they having the right process to address them? If they have it then why are failures repeated? If old problems recur and new ones crop up, why do they happen?

They do a post-facto analysis of failures selectively. Is it enough if causes are identified? Are they comprehensively dealt with to avoid their recurrence? These questions are logical. We will not get to know the details as their analysis, discussions, conclusions are internal.

It is for the party to decide what is to be conveyed for public consumption. Sometimes the problems are not solvable in the short term. So it may not divulge them so openly as it may hurt the process of corrections if any. But that creates doubts, confusions in the minds of cadres.

Is it necessary to share all details with its cadres or the public about internal processes and findings? Strictly speaking, it is not necessary. It may be counterproductive. The problems may get aggravated. But people get to know partly from reports on actions and reactions.

Can they not have the trust in leadership for taking the right decisions? If the leaders show that trust to the top leadership and even among themselves the cadres will show the same. Some cadres do raise questions out of disappointments while others blindly trust leadership.

Agitated minds question the decision-making process. Their leaders are out of their reach or may not divulge full information. But if the results are fruitful, if efforts made are building up hopes and confidence, they may be satisfied. When it is not so, negativity, anger prevail.

When you are losing governments; when your leaders are sold wholesale and retail; when you cannot challenge the present ruling parties and win elections; such reactions from cadres are expected. The degree and tenor of such anguish among cadres may vary but it does exist.

The solution

What is the solution for this? In simple terms, the party should win elections and create hopes. But the truth is the decision-making process of Congress is not complete and comprehensive enough to eliminate errors. It is more due to systemic failure and organisational weaknesses.

The flow of information, exchange of opinion, discussions are incomplete invariably. Our leaders are experts in being silent when they are to be vocal. How many will venture to differ with senior leaders to register their opinion? We are just humans; do observe some nuances.

It should be understood that the analysis and evolution of decisions is a scientific process. Here what is supreme is truth, logic and sense. There is nothing wrong if our opinion is proved wrong. We should not get hurt. How can we assume that being always right is our birthright?

The problem is not limited to the decision making chambers. It is widespread at every level. The information from the ground is choked naturally and artificially. The free flow of information, opinion, suggestions are absolutely essential for relatively error-free decision making.

Some may have doubts whether it is practical and humanly possible? For scientific analysis, no information can be ignored and we know how to sort out valuable information from them. What is needed is to take out the human element and ensure that the process is dispassionate.

One can find many ways to keep the process objective, dispassionate to eliminate doubts and suspicions. The decision making in Congress involves a variety of people from different backgrounds, age, experience. Care is needed to ensure equalisation in listening to their voices.

Considering the drastic changes that are required in Congress to address the weaknesses in its organisation, the meticulous efforts required, an exclusive platform is needed to work in the background to aid and advise decision makers concurrently and proactively on all issues.

This can function as a primary analytical team that will receive, source all information, analyse and present their conclusions which decision-makers can examine, criticise, approve, return for further examination on any doubts, clarifications, objections by the decision-makers.

It is not that this is anything new. The Congress party has a team to do research. But the scale of operation can be comprehensive and complete with the freedom to cover all issues including successes and failures of individuals and the party dispassionately, conclusively.

Some may raise questions about the need for such an arrangement when other parties manage without them. We are to compare the comparables. For parties that are authoritarian with one or few heads taking all decisions, it will work, fail and fall with individuals concerned.

Congress party need not mimic other parties and throw away its democratic culture, processes or whatever that is left of it. Instead, it should improve, restructure, restore, redefine it. Democracy is crucial to take Congress and the country back to the path of growth and glory.