The trapeze show is on!

I was disgusted after seeing the obnoxious vaults and trapezes from one party to another by leaders elected in one and joining the opponents for whatever reasons. I had decided that I would take a hiatus in commenting on Indian politics. I realized that it is politics, and however bitter it may seem, it has to be digested as a part of a transition in the game called democracy.

Today, Kapil Sibal, a senior Congress leader, quit the party to join Samajwadi Party. Though he is not a mass leader, he does not need money or fame and has made his name in the annals of the Supreme Court as a successful lawyer. My SC Bar certificate bears his signature when Sibal held some senior post. Many leaders have left the Congress party, including Jyotiraditya Scindia, Jitin Prasada, Rita Bahuguna Joshi, Narayan Rane, Capt. Amarinder Singh, and Sunil Jhakar, to name a few. However, Sibal’s exit could be a bigger blow to the Congress party as it will lack an intellectual face now.

Sibal will not be alone, and many others from the G23, a dissident group against the Gandhis to which he belongs, will follow him in quitting the party. Gandhi’s family is so far frozen from any reaction. Kapil’s first statement was to try and organize the 3rd front to take on Modi led BJP in the 2024 polls. If Kapil’s quitting has hit the Gandhis hard, it could be hitting a few other PM aspirants from the other states even harder, over which I shall elaborate separately.

Rahul Gandhi was recently in England, and I have never stopped admiring him for his endless gaffes each time he opens his mouth. His entourage consisted of failed politicians and motormouths whose only qualification was to abuse Modi, India and our culture on Twitter or other social media. I was not disappointed, as the irrepressible scion of the Gandhi family ran into an unscripted question and spilt, “Nation is a Western concept and India is a Union of states,” whatever he had meant by it.

I guess he had also said that India is bound only by religion and is very weak, little knowing that many wars in the world have been fierce to defend their gods. The present debatable resurgence of a spirit of nationalism is driven by religion. The Gandhis hiding under a cloak of pseudo-secularism, seem clueless about confronting the BJP.

Gandhis seem to dismiss their leaders’ exodus and are still basking in the glory of a miracle resurgence by 2024. I expect a recall of Prashant Kishore, luring him with additional bonuses to revive the fortunes of the beleaguered Gandhi family’s Congress party. The Gandhis, despite repetitive defeats and lacklustre leadership, by obnoxiously tightening their hold on the Congress party, have paved the way for a virtual one-party rule, destroying democracy in India.

Unlike some parties, who manage to get back leaders facing various criminal charges, merely to prove a point or humiliate the Center, the Samajwadi’s recent acquiring Sibal is a jewel in their crown.

Sampath Kumar

Intrépide Voix