Sonia Gandhi must decide if she puts the party before her son. India needs the Congress party.
Did you hear that huge sigh of despair on Sunday evening? At about 8.15 pm? It was the collective anguish of Congressmen.
They had just heard Congress leader, Digvijay Singh, say on TV that Rahul Gandhi would join the Government in September, and take up a higher responsibility in the party.
Congressmen have greeted the announcement in glum and depressed silence. They are wondering if all is well with Sonia.
Many, I am told, are now hoping that Mr R will say “Thanks, Mummy, but I think I’d rather not. You know I am a big boy now.”
If he says that 77 per cent of Indian voters, or those who did not vote for the Congress, will applaud his good sense, he would have saved a wonderful institution of Indian democracy, the Congress party, by recognising his limitations.
But Congressmen must ask: Does it need the Gandhi family to run it? Most Congressmen are beginning to think “perhaps not”.
But if Mr R says “Yes, Mummy, whatever you say Mummy,” the voter could — with some joy not untouched with regret — consign the Congress to the dustbin of history.
“For God’s sake, go”
As some are asking of Sachin, has the time come for the Gandhi family to bow out as well? Rest on its laurels, so to speak? Take a bow? Trot gently away into the sunset?
This is a question that the Congress party must also ask. That it won’t, not just yet anyway, is a given. But make no mistake, it is waiting like the diver at the edge of the diving board. But eventually, it must take the plunge.
As Oliver Cromwell told the Rump Parliament of England in 1653, “You have sat too long for any good you have been doing lately... depart, I say; and let us have done with you. In the name of God, go!”
Cromwell evicted the Rump Parliament by force. But since then, throughout the world, many personalities who have outlived their usefulness to their parties have been asked to retire.
Like Margaret Thatcher, to name just one. Or Harold Wilson, Tony Blair, Willy Brandt, Golda Meir, to name a few more.
In India, Gandhiji retired Jinnah in 1920. Indira Gandhi forced Kamaraj, Nijalingappa and S. K. Patil, D. P. Mishra into a quiet contemplation of the wide canvas of things past.
Since it’s been done before, it can be done again. The Congress party is bigger than the Gandhi family. India needs it, but not necessarily the Family to run it.
Congress Constitution
But though I am not a hundred per cent sure of this, I think the party may have shot itself in the foot.
This is because in 2006 or so, the Congress party constitution was amended so that only the Congress president could remove the Congress president! If you go through it, you will find that while it lays down the procedure for electing the President, there is no procedure for removal.
Not just that: Since the President can pack the electoral body, re-election is guaranteed.
Stalin, it will be recalled by students of history, had pulled the same stunt on Lenin in 1922, thus ensuring not only that only he had the power of appointment but also the power of removal, including his own. He remained in power for another three decades.
That said, the issue for Sonia Gandhi is a straightforward one: Does she put the party before her son or not?
If not, she must explain how she is different from the North Korean first family.
As that TV fellow says, “The nation wants to know.”
Keywords: Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Congress party, politics, party constitution
Comments:
wonderful article... makes sense.
can the senseless gandhi move out of this country please
Its been long due!father, mother, son, wife and now their son!Aren't we tired of them? we should force them to step away from congress.
Dear Mr Raghavan, where on earth did you get your statistics! 77%. Ha ha ha. Secondly if Mummy wanted her son to take up a post she would have told him to do so earlier. You belong to the class of Subramani Swamy who tried to perpetuate a lie that Abdul Kalam told Sonia to refuse the PM's position on his recommendation. Kalam pulled the rug under his dirty feet on that one! Just as much as you and I have a right to become Ministers or MPs, so have members of the political families of India. Remember India is a democracy and not an RSS dictated dictatorship. Indira Gandhi was thrown out of power by the people when she overstepped the limits. So if the people want Rahul, let them have him.
First of all I comment and appreciate the boldness of the writer. I wish at least a few honest and bold leaders should take note of this and so somthing before it is too late. They should realise Congress Party or India is not the personal property of any individual or family.
Wonderful and bold article. Applauds to the writer. Well done Mr. Raghavan.
I feel that Amul baby should come into higher roles. Look what wonders he did for Bihar and UP and now for the centre. Its good for the country. :)
India has suffered a lot under Sonia Gandhi and still our congress veterans depend on the family to rule the country has no choice but to suffer under Rahul Gandhis' rule. It is family democracy and others have to simply follow. The article is a very good food for deep thought for those congressmen who have independent thinking, leadership qualities and guts to give a change of definition for democracy and make the congress party first a democratic party and then take over the leadership from the family democracy and show the nation that the democracy in its true sense exists and country can look forward to a better rule for welfare of the masses. Time has come for awakening and get ruled by those who have feel of the poor masses aspiring for a quality of life and free from perennial suffering from acute poverty, illiteracy and what not?
While the time may have come for the Congress to break loose from the
Gandhi family shackles binding the party, it is a strange paradox that
it is this very family that is keeping Congressmen from each other's
throats. Consider this scenario: Congress totally free of the dynasty.
who will tolerate Dr MMS as PM any longer? And that is just the
beginning. There will be a dozen seniors fighting to replace him and
another dozen younger ones staking their claims. A coalition being a
given, Pawar,Mulayam,Nitish et al who will climb the allies bandwagon
will also stand up to be counted. All this presupposes that the
Congress will not fragment, a very optimistic view but unlikely in
practice. As a mere example,just look at AP. All the congressmen will
rush to Jagan. Congress is well aware of this nightmarish situation
sans the Gandhi family. Thus, the party cannot afford to say adieu
just yet to the Family. Besides,as the excellent article itself points
out, they can do nothing about it.
His real name is not Rahul gandhi at all. Neither his mom is an indian .
Our system has so many flaws that a foreign family has come into our
country and ruling us yet we dont act against it. Moreover they try to
develop only foreign investments to benefit foreign firms and their
friends. I feel responsible and I will vote for the right candidate.
WILL YOU ?
People like george have lot of affinity to their likes. RSS is not ruled
by one family, there are various common people who join the organisation
and have become leaders. Even though india got freedom in 1947, there
are numerous people who gloat over foreign rule without understanding
the destruction caused by them. indian railways etc were developed by
slave labour.
Why Gandhi families r only capturing PM seat???!!!its completely ridiculous.There r so many talented personalities r there, they should get at least a chance.I ve seen so many Gandhi PM but don't want more.PM should be different community...different state..different family who can more than efficient to become a PM should be chosen.I m getting frustrate by seeing number of PM from one family....what is this????
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