Interment of Congress sure if it doesn't wakeup at least now

This is with reference to "A Grand Spectacle of Strategic Emptiness" (APRIL 11). This talk speaks loud of AICC session held in Ahmedabad on April 7 without clearly demarking its future plans to face election eventualities. The modalities discussed in the grand meet are not charming and shining much to darken the growing image of its core rival BJP.

All along the grand old party revolves round Rahul Gandhi, his mother Sonia and AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge. In BJP also it is around Narendra Modi only. But old man Modi's face value is not seen in any Congress leader. BJP always chants in praise and owned the names of Congress senior leaders Mahatma Gandhi, Subhashchandra Bose, Sardar Vallabhai Patel, Lal Bahadur Shastri and also sometimes PV Narasimha Rao to impress upon the staunch followers of Congress Party. In any meeting these great men's names are not spelt from the tongues of current Congress persons. Probably these stalwarts' names are not in their minds. The session held at Ahmedabad is just a gathering without strategies on how to face Assembly elections in Bihar, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Assam.

A strong opposition in Parliament is necessary for healthy survival of a true democracy said Union Minister Nitin Gadkari two years ago. He felt the need for Congress to grow to become a formidable opposition. Congress has to thrive itself by inviting youth into its fold without depending on alliance groups like INDI block, which is disintegrated after parliament elections. Unless tactful, honest, strategic and dynamic political scenario is built this mighty party will be read in future on a few pages in Indian history.

N S K Prasad, Hyderabad

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V Ramu Sharma's article on just concluded 86th AICC Session (The Hans India, Apr 12), is very informative. While every leader in the session hailed the Gandhi family; the eminent writer and Thiruvananthapuram MP Mr Shashi Tharoor has taken courage to remind the party leaders to ignore the past glory of Congress, as present day youth is interested what the party delivers to them today. This is the need of the hour. But there are no takers for Mr Tharoor's stand in the Session except to eulogise Mother and Son. In spite of its drawbacks, the grand old party, Congress still serve as an alternative for the Parliamentary form of democracy. Sadly, the party leadership doesn't exhibit 'Dasha' or 'Disha' in this regard, except to mudsling the Prime Minister during Ahmedabad Session.

As Leader of the Opposition, Mr Rahul was conspicuously absent in Parliament during the debate of Waqf Bill, (which raised the eye brows of minority voters), but he preferred his party Session to attack the ruling party for passing the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, reminding the proverbial saying 'closing the stable after horses bolted' !

Govardhan R. Jilla, Mumbai

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Writer Ramu Sarma brought out the perennial mindset of the Congress leaders that continued to prevail at the AICC session held in Ahmedabad, irrationally deviating from the current situation prevailing in the country despite enough feedback that the party has been receiving in different ways from different parts of the country.

The extradition to India of the prime accused in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, Tahawwur Hussain Rana from the US is a significant diplomatic victory by India. The then Home Minister of Congress P Chidambaram claimed credit for the ground work for Rana being laid during the Congress rule – there is no denying the truth; but, why did the Congress not react against the Mumbai attack by the ten member fidayeen Islamist gang sent by Pakistan; and one of them Ajmal Kasab was captured by the police, who spilled the beans of Pak's direct involvement in the Mumbai mayhem, in which so many people were killed, that included foreigners from different countries.

Manmohan Singh was on record claiming no retaliatory action was proposed against Pakistan for fear of antagonising the Muslim population of India; and the risk of Hindu voters turning in favour of the BJP, the next general elections was atrocious and dismaying. Congress leader Digvijay Singh went to the extent of levelling RSS and Sangh Parivar responsible for Mumbai massacre - giving a clean chit to Pakistan for its irrefutable complicity. There have been umpteen such incidents to prove the anti-national mindset prevailing in the psyche of the Congress leadership for sake vote bank politics, to the extent of betraying the country, to the whims of China; and by deliberately weakening the defence preparedness of the country that happened during the Congress rule, when A K Antony the then union defence minister had deliberately denied the country of vital replacements and induction of legitimate firepower for IAF, Army and Navy that were reported vulnerable to enemy attack at that time. Antony, cited lack of finance denying these vital requirements when the country’s economy was being looted by a handful of men like Nirav Modi, Vijay Mallya etc., who were permitted to avail uninterrupted financial support from the nationalised banks by the then finance Minister P Chidambaram, no questions asked.

People of India are now fully aware of the cunning designs of the Congress, and mindset of the ‘family’ and the coterie that believes in pandering to the Muslim interest alone; while deliberately standing in the way of required course correction that the nation needs due to cunning machination of the party when in power that are being systematically corrected in the country against great odds.

K V Raghuram, Wayanad

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Though the just concluded two-day All India Congress Committe session in Ahmedabad was billed as a crucial introspection for the congress party but it turned out to be a drab affair. Despite reeling from a decade of electoral decline and with major state elections in Bihar, Tamilnadu and West Bengal on the horizon, it is a sad feature that there was neither any roadmap nor a hard-headed strategy set to fight the polls. On the contrary, once again the party adopted 'cocktail approach' of sulking and blame-shifting. Instead, the speeches of various members of the party all through the session focused on Rahul Gandhi and punctuated by eulogizing the dynasty by leaving out tall leaders who were in the forefront of the freedom struggle. This reveals the sordid tale of intellectual bankruptcy.

Overall, it was clear that the session devoted more about the political journey of Nehru-Gandhi family legacy interspersed with only a vision about restoring familial control coupled with vague promises than initiating genuine reforms. Apparently, the deliberate and glaring omission of congress luminaries during freedom movement who have played a stellar role in the freedom movement especially the role of former congress president C Shankar Nair is a pity that congress still relies on Gandhi family to change its fortune and lead the way.

Overall, the session bordering on the absurd miserably failed to give out a clear message that could resonate and unite the opposition to face challenges in a political landscape dominated by Modi brand of governance. In the midst, the only voice that emerged and enlivened the session was congress leader Shashi Tharoor's speech with clarity and coherence and articulating clearly about congress party to start crafting a narrative in tune with the present ground realities.

This not only stood out but was a challenge to the party to shun outdated obsession with caste arithmetic which risks alienating younger and aspirational voters. It is time, the party reclaim lost ground with a constructive message in tune with ground realities and for this, it must start listening to its own minds instead of turning out even its most loyal members into outcasts the moment they deviate and infuse fresh ideas that really matters to rejuvenate the party.

K R Srinivasan, Secunderabad

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The All India Congress Committee (AICC) session in Ahmedabad aimed to convey the Congress’s intent to usher in organisational reforms at the grass-roots level and bring ideological clarity. While the deliberations signalled the party’s seriousness about bouncing back, critical questions remain beyond idealism and symbolism. Almost all its State units are plagued by power struggles and factionalism, often damaging the party’s electoral prospects. Whether district-level decision-making will intensify or contain factionalism is a question only the implementation of the revamp plan can answer.

The attempt might be to squeeze the domineering regional chieftains between grass-roots leaders and the high command that addresses the aspirations of India’s youth and emerging middle class — the party risks retreating into nostalgia rather than crafting a forward-looking vision. Building on its legacy, the Congress now needs political imagination, strategic clarity and organisational discipline. The Ahmedabad session must be seen as a beginning. It is a work in progress, and the months ahead will test whether the session on the banks of the Sabarmati marks a true turning point or just another event in the party’s ongoing quest for renewal.

N Sadhasiva Reddy,

Bengaluru