who-is-running-congress

“Things fall apart, centre cannot hold…the best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity…”

—W.B. Yeats

 

Recently some activists of the Indian Youth Congress staged a “naked” protest at the venue of the AI Summit where global tech leaders were in presence. The Youth Congress workers took off their shirts “protesting” against the Indo-US Trade Deal alleging that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was “compromised”. The protest was in an ugly taste not just in its presentation but also in intention.

 

The protest was condemned across the political spectrum, including by some of the Congress allies. Instead of trying to salvage the situation, Congress spokesperson and chairman of the Media and Publicity Department Pawan Khera justified the protests saying these are to be staged where these get noticed. And they found the AI Summit the best place to get noticed and they did.

 

The intention was obviously to embarrass the government, particularly the Prime Minister of the country in the midst of a globally acknowledged AI Summit, which saw in attendance top world leaders and tech giants like French President Emmanuel Macron and Google CEO Sundar Pichai. But in the process, the Congress was itself placed in an embarrassing situation and had to defend itself.

 

The issue is who in the party suggested the protest and who approved and allowed it. It is understandable, that may be the over-enthusiastic and over-ambitious youth Congress leaders wanted to score some brownie points with its leadership, particularly Rahul Gandhi. The way the party defended these protests indicates that these were not spontaneous but well-planned and well-thought and had the consent of the senior leadership with an aim to embarrass the government.

 

Those who planned and staged the protest forgot that in the process they embarrassed the nation in front of the world. The government of the time, including the Prime Minister, does not represent any particular political party but the country as a whole. The government and the Prime Minister belong to the nation. The problem is that the Congress has forgotten the difference between the BJP and the government and Modi as a Prime Minister and a BJP leader. The Congress may have many justified grievances against the government, but using an international event to air these and that too in such an ugly way was not only in bad taste, but quite unacceptable.

 

The ‘naked’ protests drew sharp and strong reaction from the Prime Minister himself, who said the Congress was already exposed and did not need to expose itself further. His anger was justified. Instead of appreciating the global AI Summit, which was hailed globally, the Congress tried to spoil the show. It may have tried to create adverse optics for the government, but it ended up creating ugly optics for itself.

 

The protest in itself is reflective of what is wrong in the Congress. It does not seem to have a proper and centralised “command centre”. It looks like a free-for-all game with everyone involved in a mad race to say and do what s/he feels will please the “boss”. This not only holds true of the overenthusiastic youth Congress workers, but the party spokespersons as well, where instead of putting up the party’s point of view and appealing to the nation, they actually appeal to their “leader”.

 

Also read: 10 Cong workers detained for staging protest at AI Impact Summit

 

The entire power in the Congress rests with a single individual, who may or may not be capable of running the show. But he is running it anyway. No wonder the few chief ministers the Congress is left with, and the state as well as national leaders always ensure to keep that person in good humour, because “he is running the party”.

 

When estranged party veteran Mani Shankar Aiyar made uncharitable remarks about that person, there was a lot of resonance within the party. But who will bell the cat? Even Aiyar only spoke when he knew that he had nothing at stake at the fag end of his political career. He may have his own vested interests in being scathingly critical of the leadership, but that does take away the element of truth from what he spoke and said.

 

Even in the organisational matters the party has been suffering repeated and regular jolts. The exit of senior party leader and former Assam state president Bhupen Kumar Borah, just a few months ahead of the assembly elections this year is a great setback for the party. The party insiders maintain that the issue was not handled properly and on time and Borah’s exit and eventual joining the BJP could have been averted. Borah was not even facing any cases that he could be accused of being intimidated to join the BJP.

 

The mission and motive of most of the Congress leaders appears to remain in the leader’s good books. So much so, like Rahul Gandhi, now most of the leaders, have started carrying and “sporting” the red-coloured copies of the Constitution of India, which they claim has to be “saved and protected”.

 

The party currently survives only on periodical criticism of various “omissions and commissions” of the government. The criticism is also for the sake of criticism without going into the merit of the issue, like the youth Congress protests during the AI Summit. That does not bode well for the future of the party and that too when it is headed for five crucial state elections within a few months.

 

The party indeed has an “all weather” excuse reserved to put forth in case it loses elections, that these were “stolen” by electoral malpractices. And then again, it is business as usual.