Amit Kushari (IAS Retd)
The results of the Maharashtra and Haryana elections are now out. It seems the downfall of the congress party is continuing unabated. Modi’s dream of Congress mukt Bharat is now almost a reality. The saffron coloured flag with the lotus emblem is now flying every where in the entire northern and western India, which I have named Hindia. In entire Hindia Jammu and Kashmir is the only state where the lotus flag is flying only in Jammu and Ladakh regions—it is not flying yet in the Kashmir valley. Even in J&K, where elections will be held in November / December it is very likely that we will have a PDP-BJP coalition government in place after 23rd December. It is expected that PDP will get around 35 seats and BJP will get around 25 —– giving the combine a sweeping majority of 60 in a house of 87. Maharashtra and Haryana were Congress strongholds which have crumbled— thus vastly reducing the financial strength of the Congress party. We have to pause and think seriously as to what are the reasons behind this continuous downslide of the Congress. The huge Modi wave which is sweeping across the whole of India, rampant corruption in UPA and the back breaking inflation, are the well known reasons which are often being debated. There must be many other reasons too which are not openly debated due to politeness and propriety. Dynastic politics also could not be a major reason for the downfall. When Indira Gandhi succeeded Nehru, and Rajiv succeeded Indira we did not witness a Congress mukt Bharat. There was no major problem at all. After the Emergency the Congress strength in the Lok Sabha was reduced to 154, and after the unpopular rule of Rajiv Gandhi, the Congress strength was reduced to 196 but never did it touch the shameful figure of 44! It is quite obvious that the people of India are not at all ready to accept Rahul Gandhi under any circumstances. Do the people of India percieve Rahul Gandhi to be utterly undeserving specially in contrast to his rival in BJP, the roaring lion? Dynastic politics in Congress suffered a minor jolt when Indira Gandhi married a Parsi. However, Congress recovered from the jolt quickly because Parsis are an integral part of the Indian society, though they are non Hindu. Rajiv Gandhi had no difficulty in being accepted as a Hindu in India though he was half Parsi, half Hindu. But when he married a foreigner and a non Hindu matters became much worse for Rahul and Priyanka. It is difficult for them to be accepted as Hindu in India. To make matters worse, Priyanka has married a Christian, branding them finally as non Hindu.
Rahul Gandhi needs to be exceedingly efficient and popular to rise above this non- Hindu image. He has to be outstandingly aggressive and pro-Hindu in his public image.Congress has, for decades, nurtured the Muslims and other minorities as their vote banks. This has slowly alienated the Hindus from the Congress. Modi has taken away the Scheduled caste Hindus to main stream Hindu society and this has also weakened the Congress. The fact that the Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid did not invite the Prime Minister of India to his son’s ‘coronation’ as Imam, but invited the Prime Minister of Pakistan along with Mrs. Sonia Gandhi of the Congress party has helped in bracketing Sonia Gandhi with anti Indian elements, thus painting the Congress party with a deep black colour — at least in the eyes of the Hindu voters.
I think the Congress has to take an out rightly pro Hindu stand now, in order to regain its lost grounds. They could, perhaps, agitate for a common civil code, construction of Ram temple at Ayodhya or abolition of Article 370. Such an agitation could catch the BJP unawares and take the wind out of its sail. A big U turn would be required —- embarrassing, but essential indeed.
( The author is former Financial Commissioner. Feedback to the author at 09748635185 or amitkus@hotmail.com )
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