The Indian Regional Congress!

How silly I was to foresee a rebellion and spate of resignations of the G23 group from the Congress Party after their rout in the five-State elections. They are likely to lose the Largest opposition party soon. My expectations were overly optimistic and grossly misplaced, as Sonia, the eternal interim president of the Indian National Congress party, declined to resign, instead demanded the resignation of the five State Congress chiefs.

A few from the G 23 have raised the need for collective leadership, Kapil Sibal, a senior Congress leader, articulating the demand in his characteristic manner. The sycophant group within Congress quickly grabbed the opportunity. It started their vilification campaign against Sibal, daring him to fight an election, deflecting the volleys on the Gandhi family and exonerating them as the cause of electoral reverses. On the positive side, more support is pouring in for the G23, which e popular leaders like Ghulam Nabi Azad, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Anand Sharma, Manish Tiwari, Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, Veerappa Moily, among others.

There seemed a difference when the senior leaders like Nijalingappa, Prafulla Ghosh, Kamaraj and others were stonewalling Indira Gandhi when she dared them, split, and took away the Congress party with her in 1969. History has taught a few lessons, as none are expelled now, and the rebel leaders seem to lack the courage to split the party. Their fear of a total wipeout of the Congress party, like the Janata Party, may not be unfounded. The G23members may not have the wherewithal to run a party and can merely run along.

The argument that India has moved from its avowed secular path towards an unconcealed Hindutva must be viewed with the many opportunities missed by the Congress party while in power. They failed to tackle China and Pakistan; they failed the Kashmir Pundits; they failed the country with listless scams and corruption charges and promoted a dynastic culture, seen only in kingdoms and not in any healthy democracy. The Congress party cultivated the minorities as a vote bank, which could be achieved only if the community remained in misery, poverty, lack of education, etc.

The Congress party is left in two states, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh. A weakened Gandhi family will see more dissent and defections in the coming days. Sonia’s health does not permit her to take the load any longer; Rahul is tried, tested, and dumped and is more remembered for his caricatures in and outside the parliament. The new star, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, has been soundly rejected, despite her reinventing the imagery of her grandmother. Priyanka has a big burden, Robert Vadra, her husband, who seems to be waiting on the wings to plunge into politics and justify the legacy of ‘family.’

There is no doubt that India’s image has elevated in the world’s eyes as an important regional power in the last ten years of the BJP rule. The recent successes of the BJP party might have been by comparing Modi in his various avatars with any opposition leader. Unfortunately, there is none to fit the bill right now. Bengal is an exception, as they would never shed the ‘toad-in-the-well’ syndrome. Indians feel far more comfortable with Modi when it concerns India’s security. There can be no second opinion that our borders are safer, and China is wary of any misadventure with Modi as a prime minister.

The Congress party has taken India for granted, and forever relied on one family, the Gandhi’s, and has only one direction to go, down!

Sampath Kumar

Intrépide Voix