1 Now Supreme Court (SC) has asked the Central govt not to implement the new farm reform laws. They have formed the panel and asked all farmers’ union who are protesting against these laws to discuss the same in the panel and resolve the issue. Nut now the union representatives are saying that they do not want to discuss the same with the panel, and they want all the new farm lays should be withdrawn. I fail to understand the behaviour of these unions, they do not want to discuss with govt and also they do not want to discuss the issues with SC appointed panel, they are adamant that these new farm laws should be withdrawn. Now this amount to Dadagiri. SC has not commented on whether these laws are against the spirit of the constitution. Now my only question is who are the people/parties who are financing this protest. Now these supposedly poor farmers can not sustain protest for such a long time unless somebody is financing them to continue the protest.
2 Yesterday I wrote about Shiv Sena’s new found love for Rahul Gandhi and Congress party Now Shiv Sena has got no alternative other than to align with Congress on national level, but the problem is Congress is ailing party, what benefit Shiv Sena is going to get from them. The million dollar question is why Congress ailing?
The situation in Congress party is such that real Congressmen are feeling angst, dismayed at the manner which Congress party had allowed a mindless drift to happen. The party , which is the main opposition party failed to highlight the Modi’s govt failures and build a public opinion against it.
There is no clear cut strategy. Congress party was able to form a successful alliance with Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) in the state election, on the other hand immediately after that they were completely wiped out in Delhi state election..
There is some fundamental fault within the party. The party has to completely change its structure and it needs to become less bureaucratic, which it has become. It needs to de centralise power, presently nothing moves without the consent of high command (Gandhi family). It also needs more transparency in working style, requires elections for the Congress Working Committee (CWC), and for the post of President. In short it has to become well oiled and energised party, if their cadre had to take on BJP. Now if the party is not ready to discuss even why Congress lost both 2014 and 2019 parliament elections, that only means that they have a serious inability to grapple with facing the reality.
In last election in 2019, they thought they will win on anti incumbency factor against Modi govt, and in 2014 they thought Modi will never win because of his political past (Gujarat riots in 2002). Both the time their assumptions came cropper. Actually if you go back and think in early 2019 economy was not going great guns and there was widespread recession, job market was not in great shape, but Congress party could not score points on this. And what was there agenda-“ Modi Chor Hai”, there leaders went on shouting corruption charges against Modi govt, and if they thought on corruption issue they will win elections, then Congress would not have won many elections. If the Congress think they can win 2024 elections on only anti Modi plank when there is no clear leadership at central or at various state levels, and the cadres at grass root level not clear about the direction, then they are grossly mistaken.
The problem is that the Congress has become like a Delhi-centric party. They have suddenly discovered the social media power on Twitter. No doubt social media is an important tool and nobody can deny that. But in the end, there is other India also who lives in Nukkads, Chawls, villages and street of urban cities. India does not live in Lutyens (Delhi).
The difference between BJP and Congress is —- HUNGER TO WIN.
In politics you do not get runners up award, you either win or lose, and winner takes all. There one must have hunger to win and to defeat the opposition. In last 2 general elections, Congress could not even combinedly cross the 100 seats mark A party which had even crossed 400+ seats in 1984, and 300+ seats they have won many times. From 1989 they have not even reached plain majority mark, even when they were heading the govt ( in 1991, 2004 and 2009). This only means that BJP of 2019 has replaced Congress of 1984.
After the 2019 loss, to checkmate BJP, they had to win states, but instead they lost in Karnataka, they delayed the decision after the results of Goa and Manipur elections, and in both the places BJP formed the govt. In MP they could not hold their MLAs and within year they were toppled. This is not called hunger.
Compare the two parties, in last more than 20 years Congress has seen only two party presidents, where as BJP has more than 6 presidents. The problem with Congress is how to revive this political party which has become Gandhi family party?
This needs to change, it need is now to change. Rahul Gandhi refused to become the party president after resigning and still other leaders want him to take over. What you call this type of attitude- a plain chamchagiri of Gandhi family. This is because there are so many leaders in Congress who do not have any base, and they have survived in the party because of chamchagiri.
The question which needs to be answered is – why Congress party did not elect a new party leader in last one and half year? This mystery is letting down the party and demoralising the cadres. If they do not understand this immediately it will lead to their extinction, and BJP will the sole political party and if that happens, it will be very bad for Indian democracy, because if democracy has to survive it also needs an very effective opposition, and the Congress is not performing the role of active opposition.
Awaiting your comments and views.
Anil Malik
Mumbai, India
13th January 2021
R. N. Mungale.
I totally agree witg Mr. Malik.