It’s quite unpredictable as to whether the Congress party can return to lead the nation in the near future. But the pan-India organizational network – not strength — of the party is matching with that of the governing political establishment, the BJP. This may be in a dormant state in some regions but retains the inner strength to revitalize itself at the appropriate time. The three-day, 85th plenary of the Congress party beginning today in Nava Raipur in Chhattisgarh might not come up with any earth-shaking decisions, but the presence of some 15,000 delegates there lends the meeting a charm of its own.
The Congress party’s relevance today is that democracy requires the presence of a strong opposition. The regional parties, mostly run by greedy dynasts, are incapable of effectively facing the BJP or giving reassurance to the nation even if they group together without the involvement of the principal Opposition, the Congress party. This is clear as sunlight. Apart from discussing political linkages, the plenary would decide on the major recommendations of the Udaipur Chintan Shivir held eight months ago after which new president Mallikarjun Kharge holds the reins of the party. This meant the “first family” chose to stand aside in a technical sense, but not keep apart from the running of the party. Even today, the party cannot do without the overarching influence of Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi. This is in the DNA of the tri-colour party since a long time after Indira Gandhi split the original Congress and later formed her own outfit, which eventually paraded itself as the present Congress Party.
Significantly, the Nava Raipur meet aims to make the party younger by facilitating the induction of a sizeable numbers of people below age 50 – meaning the eventual gaining of an upper hand for the youth in the grand old party. If India must change substantively, its old guard, the deadwood, must either stand aside or be dumped. A change of mindset is what the governing establishments require today, first and foremost. Ageing men cannot think anew. Youths require freedom to perform and inject the animal spirit in the nation’s growth process. It is here that the relevance of Rahul Gandhi, 52, must be emphasized. The run-of-the-mill uniformed politician with his jaded and greedy mindset is the curse of the nation. Those with a modern mindset must step in and lead the people. In this context, a global citizen like Shashi Tharoor’s presence in the CWC may be facilitated. India must discard its antiquated styles and catch up with the changing world.