The entire gamut of organizing AICC sessions has to be relooked with a new and modern perspective while holding on to the founding principles.
NEW DELHI:
Dear Rahul Gandhi,
The recently concluded Ahmedabad session of the AICC has raised many more questions than untying the knots in which the 130+ year-old Congress finds itself entangled. The cluelessness of the party on how to break the electoral “Chakravyuh” masterminded by the BJP, seems to have deepened than finding a way out.
This is the impression one has gathered from leaders, and rank and file of the party, who participated in the session or curiously watched from a distance, and the public at large who were hoping to see some blueprint emerging from the expected brain-storming sessions, though there was none.
Democracy loses its meaning, as currently the case is, if the opposition is weak. The AICC session was a golden opportunity for the party to embark on a journey to find its moorings. Unfortunately, another chance has been lost to reignite the imagination of both the party rank and file-leaders, and, more importantly, the large section of people wishing for a strong opposition.
Mr Gandhi, it is more alarming that the deliberations in the two-day session have not been able to enthuse even those leaders decoratively perched on the imposing dais. Many of them have been enjoying the fruits of power over decades including being part of the high-profile AICC set up without any break.
Their whispers, before the session: “Nothing is going to emerge as it will be ceremonial presentation and passage of certain resolutions, and customary speeches.” After the session: “What could we have done? It has gone on the expected line.”
This is serious. It raises a vital question: Who framed the session programmes? If such senior leaders were part of it why the expression of dismay, which is nothing but an attempt to pin the entire blame on the top echelon, of which you are an important part, of the leadership? This is the net outcome of the “responsibility without accountability” culture perpetuated in the Congress over the decades. And no clue or roadmap is visible after the session to deal with this problem, which has already caused immense damage.
Before I draw your attention to the veracity of holding AICC sessions in the format which is both outdated, unimaginative, and anything but result oriented, I touch upon a more serious issue which has a direct relation with the historic twin “Bharat Jodo Yatra” and “Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra”, which you painstakingly took out as an effective public-outreach programme. No doubt, it was a great success due to your strenuous efforts.
These “yatras” combined with “Save the Constitution” campaign spearheaded by you with a focus on social justice, did effectively counter the BJP propaganda particularly against you, which was reflected on two counts: the result of the Lok Sabha elections, BJP scaling down, and helped some people see through the BJP game plan.
Notwithstanding the fact that your efforts stirred the public mind which was reflected in the crowds thronging your programmes in solidarity, but it has not received the desired strong support from your fellow travellers—from top to the bottom, in the party. The net result is the Congress losing state Assembly elections in quick succession.
It is because of the non-committal and deceitful attitude of a strong section of the party leadership, both at the Centre and in the states/UTs, that the movement launched by you has started losing steam. It is primarily because no hard decisions are taken and the lofty pronouncements are not implemented on ground. In a nutshell, no one is scared of even a misdoing as every wrongdoer is let-off coolly.
Mr Gandhi, you had on March 9, 2025 accused a section of the party leaders in Gujarat of “conniving with the BJP” and had even advocated a cleansing process by removing “20 to 30 people” if needed. Nothing much has been heard on this count. People including loyal and committed Congresspersons are marvelling whether you really meant what you said.
By raking up this issue of what is also alleged as the “BJP’s sleeper cells” operating within the Congress, particularly in states and union territories, you had hit the nail on the head. The diagnosis was on target but the treatment went missing.
Experience in the recent past has shown that “sleeper-cell” members have been able to influence organizational and electoral issues. Getting their favourites appointed to the key positions as PCC chiefs and to other posts, to selection of candidates and manipulating a low-key poll-campaign to further BJP’s chances, is the model being followed by them. These minds within the organization need to be exposed and acted against.
Spare a thought on the following:
- The entire gamut of organizing AICC sessions has to be relooked with a new and modern perspective while holding on to the founding principles. The sessions should be more interactive than merely being ceremonial with a mechanism to have wider debates on issues.
- The AICC sessions should be used as a forum to unveil important policy decisions and the accompanying implementation plan. This process should not be confined to a select few sitting in the AICC.
- Please implement your own plan of exposing and expelling those within the Congress, hobnobbing with the BJP. This plan should be implemented across the states and UTs as identifying such element will not be difficult.
- The more the top leadership talks about changing the status quoist culture the more it has remained the same. As a result, either there are no decisions or delayed inordinately.
- Social justice is necessary for equitable distribution of resources but sight must not be lost of reverse polarization. A parallel approach to build bridges with sections of Hindu society and win their confidence, is desirable.
Last but not the least, the AICC structure itself needs a relook. The current structure is totally opaque and outdated.
Wishing you the very best.
* Anil Anand is a senior journalist.