• Friday, March 29, 2024

Column

Congress: Rahul’s destiny

By: JurmoloyaRava

INDIAN DEMOCRACY NEEDS STRONG PARTY LEADER TO CHALLENGE MODI

By Amit Roy

THERE is a touching photograph of Rahul Gandhi giving his mother, Sonia, a kiss on the forehead, almost as though he were saying farewell, as he succeeded her as president of the Indian National Congress last week.

Sonia, who is 71, and has received treatment in America for an unspecified illness, is not thought to be well.

She must have felt it was about time that Ra­hul, 47, prepared for the job she decided not to do back in 2004 – that of prime minister of India. Instead, Manmohan Singh was prime minister for 10 years, while Sonia exercised power from behind the throne.

In 2014, Narendra Modi became prime minis­ter after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won an overall majority, while Congress was reduced from 206 seats to 44.

Is Rahul the man to revive Congress fortunes at the next general election in 2019?

“He is my son, and it is not right for me to praise him,” said Sonia.

“But I will say, from his very childhood he has borne the experience of violence. The savage personal attacks he has confronted since enter­ing politics have served to make him a brave and fearless man,” she added. “I am proud of his en­durance and firmness, and am confident he will lead the party with a pure heart, courage, pa­tience and devotion.”

Since its founding 132 years ago on December 28, 1885, by AO Hume, a retired British officer, the Congress party has been led by six members of the same family – Motilal Nehru, Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Sonia Gan­dhi and now Rahul Gandhi.

For the health of Indian democracy, it is es­sential for the current dominance of the BJP to be challenged by a strong government in waiting.

This was recognised by even the former Bol­lywood star turned BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha, who was generous enough to wish Rahul well and to add: “In the larger interest of democracy, I also wish ‘Long live the Indian National Congress.’”

Rahul’s record of winning elections is, alas, not encouraging although people have been happily surprised by the manner in which he has taken the fight to Modi during the recent cam­paign in Gujarat for the state assembly poll.

Ironically, Modi is Rahul’s best hope. If the rising tide of Hindu nationalism becomes intol­erable, there could be a correction at the next election. In such circumstances, people would not vote for Rahul. They would vote against Modi. In India, there can be violent political swings and anything can happen.

[TheChamp-Sharing]

Related Stories