Revival of Congress: is it still possible
Indian National congress or popularly known as Congress was established in December 1985. Earlier on it was an establishment of some powerful intellectuals most of whom were lawyers. It was established with an aime to nudge the imperial government of India to make some positive changes in the administration in the country.
Later on with the inclusion of more enthusiastic and young minds the goal of this political organization changed to the freedom of India. And in this way Congress led the country in its freedom struggle.
After 1947 Congress was led by our first Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru. It was the largest and to be fair only significant political party in India for a long time. It dictated Indian politics single handedly for a very long period of time. Partially this was because in the conscience of the Indian population Congress was the party that led them to independence and another reason was the able leadership that Congress had.
But after a time the leadership degraded in the Congress and with that the ideology of congress got faded away. Since the time of Inpendence Congress was working on the dream that our freedom fighters envisioned at tge time of freedom struggle and Nehru called it ‘the Idea of India’ where India was supposed to be a democracy with values like, ‘Equality’ ‘Equality before the law’, ‘secularity’ etc.
And these all factors acting together made so many dents on the image of Congress that in 2014 it faced greatest defeat in its history in the form of Losing election to not one party but one person that is Narendra Modi, current Prime Mi ister of India. He faught whole election in the mane of ills done by congress in last 60 years of its rule. He gave the slogan of ‘Congress Mukt Bharat’.
Now the situation is that the party, which taught India to have a specific ideolgy and showed the world that you can have a ideology and it can be defended on the power stage of the world if are willing to do what is necessary, that smae party is struggling to have a strong ideological ground to face strong majoritarianism and Hindutwa ideology.
Seeing the current trend in Indian politics is that Congress is not fighting against the party in power but it is fighting against a single person that is Narendra Damodar Das Modi. May be the reason is that Congress is lacking a clear ideology. It is a typical example of a party that is sandwiched between secularism and communalism. On the one hand the party president Rahul Gandhi says that he is representing the Idea of India and on the other he can be seen entertaining rubbish accusations by saying that he is a Hindu.
It is okay to be Hindu and it is okay to show it off if you represent an ideology which glorify it but the Idea of India of Cingress always believed that religion is a personal matter it should not be involved in political and public domain. And my political understanding says that it should stick to it.
There is a saying in Hindi, “जहर को जहर ही काटता है”. and the current ruling party is driven by string Hindutwa Ideology so if Congress want to compete with it will have make it’s own ideology shine brighter than the ruling party.
Althogh congress is an insignificant debate of Indian politica because it has not been able to secure even 10%of the seats in last Lok Sabha elections which is a necessary bar to be qualified as an official Oppistion Party ststus in the parliament. But if congress is interested in receiving itself then may be it should make it’s mind clear. It should decide whether it want to go by the constitutional values or without any ideology.
This is the moment of truth for congress. this is the last time when Congress can make itself significant again by showing and telling out loud to the masses what it stands for and wht is that that it opposes and why.
