The congress party was formed in
1885, and played an important role in the freedom movement in India. For almost
a century since its inception, it was a solid fulcrum, around which all other political
parties played only secondary roles. The party’s history was brought in
limelight recently, as Rahul Gandhi became the 49th Party President.
Most of the past party presidents
have faded into oblivion, to the extent that the current generation may not
have even heard their names. The only exceptions to this are the stalwarts such
as Subhash Chandra Bose, Sardar Vallabh bhai Patel, Rajendra Prasad and Mahatma
Gandhi. These people had amplified the aura of the position of party president
with their high intellect, selfless attitude and exemplary leadership
qualities. Their contribution to the party and the country transcends
generations and deserves respectful remembrance long after they are gone.
In the last 40 years, except for
a brief period 1992 – 98, the members of Gandhi family occupied the position of
the party president. Out of this, 17 years were with Sonia Gandhi. Incidentally,
she is the person, who held the office of President for the longest period in
the long and illustrious history of Congress. It is ironical for a party with a
rich legacy of 132 years, to have a foreign-born person as the longest serving
president, even after 50 years of independence.
As Rahul Gandhi takes over the
reins as the president of this grand old party, there is a mixed outlook about his
and the party’s future. He has the dubious record of losing a string of
elections ever since he started taking active part and leading the election campaign
for his party. In fact, someone has already applied for a Guinness record on
his name for losing maximum number of elections.
His public speeches and the very few
addresses in parliament can at best be described as ordinary. On the contrary,
many of his impromptu statements on camera makes one wonder, whether he really
understands the intensity and depth of the issue discussed by him. His
antipathy towards the ‘old brass’ of Congress party is not hidden from anyone.
It is a coincidence that, none of the senior party leaders would really want to
work under him.
With his official coronation, the
young Turks within the Congress party would be energized. They know that he
would be dependent on them for advice and suggestions. So, they get prominence,
if not on the screen, at least behind the scene. Better to have something than
nothing.
However, one question, which we
need to ponder over, is how long would all this last? He and the party are now
standing at the crossroads, from where, they could reach zenith or nadir. The
party can still be revived to its past glory. However, for that to happen,
Rahul’s ‘wisdom’ needs to be perceived not just by the Congressmen, but even
others. He needs to strive and work hard to generate enough respect for himself
in the minds of people, that they stop making funny jokes about him. He needs
to stop his habit of disappearing without a trace in the midst of hot action on
political front in the country. Those are the moments, on which he needs to
prove his mettle and leave his imprint in the minds of the party men.
More importantly, who would be
his successor? In the current scenario, without a Gandhi on the top post, the
Congress party would crumble like a pack of cards. Rahul is in his late 40s,
and not married still. He has acquired this position, not on his merit, but
because his ailing mother has lost the zeal to continue anymore. His sister,
Priyanka is saddled with a notorious husband, who has many allegations of
impropriety in real estate deals against him. Priyanka’s children are still far
away from making their debut in politics.
Under such circumstances, it
almost looks certain that Rahul shall be the last emperor of the Gandhi family
to rule over Congress. It is unfortunate for a party of such historical legacy
to end on such a sad note. He would probably be the only party president, who
is elected to the coveted post for absolutely no proven credentials.
He is the LAST but also the LEAST
Scion of the Congress Party …!
