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रविवार, 28 जून 2015

Congress and Cow- calf syndrome !



           Gandhiji suggested that after Independence Indian National Congress should wind up.Probably his view was that as an organisation Congress was platform for people representing diverse political thoughts who unitedly fought for the National Freedom . As Congress achieved its objective congressmen should be left free to pursue the new goals of nation building as per their own thoughts. But Congressmen ignored Gandhiji's opinion and Congress became ruling party of independent India. However first the socialist block of Congress floated a new party and later C. Rajgopalachari floated 'Swatantra Party' representing capitalist point of view. Indian National Congress ruled India unchallenged before 1966-67. During 1966-67 Congress faced first major political challenge when it lost power in many states.However it could retain power at Center. 

          After Lal Bahadur Shastri's demise K. Kamraj and his group supported Indira Gandhi for the post of Prime Minister who was known as 'Gungi Gudiya'( the dumb doll) in the political circle due to her peaceful ways of functioning. They were hopeful that she would do their bidding. With their support Indira Gandhi became new P.M. defeating Morarji Desai who was known for his tough ways.

          However Kamraj and his group were disappointed when Indira Gandhi acted on her own and disregarded them. Kamraj Group started pressure tactics. In 1969 Mrs. Gandhi decided that enough was enough and supported independent candidate V V Giri for presidenship of the country against official Congress candidate N. Sanjiva Reddy. V. V.Giri became the new president of India and simultaneously Congress was devided over the issue. The Group supporting P.M. Indira Gandhi came to be known as Congress ( Indicate ) while the other Group ,as Congress(Syndicate) . Indira Gandhi strengthened her position by going for a mid term pole in 1971and coming back to power with thumping majority. 

          After division of Congress it was Indira Gandhi who called the shots in her party and no one else mattered.She came to be known as a person who didn't like to listen a 'no' . Everything was decided by High Command which meant Indira Gandhi.This killed the democracy in her party.While assisting her father Pandit Nehru when he was P M ,she had seen politics and politicians from close quarters and knew that no one could be relied upon in poltics and back stabbing was common. So she did not believe anyone and slightest of suspicion or provocation was enough for her to throw people out.

          When Indira Gandhi found herself in a shaky position in 1975 , she imposed emergency upon the nation to keep her position unchallenged. 

          In my view after imposition of emergency Indira Gandhi found herself lonely as no one dared to speak before her at party forums. As she herself didn't have faith in people she looked towards her family. Rajiv Gandhi was satisfied with his life as an Indian Air Lines pilot and had no political ambitions at that time. So Indira Gandhi had to look towards her Younger son Sanjay Gandhi for solace. Since his education days ,Sanjay Gandhi was a law unto himself and ambitious too. Emergency provided Indira Gandhi a perfect background to launch Sanjay Gandhi into politics as there was no one to question the idea. Her party was totally subservient and opposition was in jail or subdued.It is exactly the time since when Congress became afflicted with cow- calf syndrome. I term it as cow-calf syndrome because cow and new born calf have immense affection for one another and at the same time suspicious of others. In those days pair of cow and calf was party symbol of Congress also.

          After the untimely accidental death of Sanjay Gandhi in 1980, Indira Gandhi brought Rajiv Gandhi( although he never had any political inclination) to groom him as her heir . Here we see signs of cow-calf syndrome reasserted.

          I find Congress again afflicted with the same syndrome when the party feels that it can't do without Soniya and Rahul duo . When I compare Soniya Gandhi with Indira Gandhi I don't find her as insecure or tendency of not having faith and being retributive as was Indira Gandhi.The reason may be that she had a Happy family life with Rajiv Gandhi and basically an apolitical person . She had no qualms in aligning with Sharad Pawar or D M K although Sharad Pawar had earlier ditched her while D M K gave moral support to the group responsible for killing of Rajiv Gandhi. She had no grudge for Jitendra Prasad or Rajesh Pilot who challenged her for the presidenship of Congress and had no hesitation in rehabilitating their sons.She has shown immense faith in Dr. Manmohan Singh.

          So I think she is the right person who can help Congress come out of the cow-calf syndrome. Today's Congress is only a shade of Nehru era Congress when it had many giants as leaders and a true democratic system. Today for each and every thing the party looks towards Soniya and Rahul Gandhi. To earn the last glory, the party should revive democratic apparatus of the party so that natural leaders could emerge. Presently Rahul is being promoted as heir of Soniya under the cow-calf syndrome only. Rather than that he should secure his place democratically and if a competent leadership emerges challenging him same should be given space in the party.His mother was at least challenged by two-three people and she overcame that. Today the Congress Party seems to be ideologically confused and opposing B J P seems to be the only one point agenda . It opposes even celebration of "World Yoga Day" and at the same time releases photographs of Nehruji doing Yoga. To establish itself as a true opposition it has to find where it is politically-ideologically standing. Only clear ideological moorings can help it regain the lost political space. India needs an All India Opposition Party with clear ideological standing and true democratic traditions.To fulfill this role Congress has to evolve itself. 

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