Shiban Khaibri
This writer would neither congratulate the veteran politician, son of the soil Gulam Nabi Azad, the hard core “Congressi” for having finally decided to bid adieu and perhaps not any revoir to Congress after nearly 50 years nor can any sympathy be extended to him for having been ”sidelined ” by the party in many senses. What could be the fate of G-23 , this writer had predicted about no sooner the “conclave” was held in Jammu than it had started responding to emerging situation very poorly as a result of the very purpose of the conclave. The Congress leadership, whatever it is all about, got least rattled by G-23 or any dissent expressed in much guarded, cautious and hush hush manner and that is to be appreciated. Through these very lines , it had been predicted that one by one, all from the ”dissident ” group, if not duly accommodated by the Party , would either tender apology to the high command or get relegated to the background but keep struggling to remain in all fomenting and all comfortable political system and that also only in an active mode. Political power is an opium which once tasted , the addiction becomes irreversible even convulsions in its absence, make the aspirants toss here and there.
We have an instance or two seen from the BJP , one who would not get tired to recite couplets in praises of the Party and its leader broke away from it , tried his fortune with the ”most honest” Aam Aadmi Party but the proverbial lentils could not get cooked into any curry , then he switched over to Congress and rest is all the history. Whatever was left of the Congress in that state was pulled down like Noida towers. The veteran and experienced leader Capt Amarinder Singh was ill treated. Another one, similarly saw importance in his “traditional” Party getting diluted , decided to switch over to Congress but all hopes were dashed and then finally had to walk as far as to Kolkata to join the ex-Congressi but with a prefix of Trinmool , ”Trin” means the grass and ”Mool” means the roots. In other words, what is conveyed is that it was the (real) Congress which is grass deep rooted like in Bengal. Changes in a system and that too with monopolistic rather dynastic hold, do not take place with sailing in two boats.
What Mr Azad did today would have meant a lot had he done it while being actively associated with Congress as its RS member and leader of the opposition in that House. Timing has stolen the thunder, timing has darkened the spark , timing has proved as an opaque of the expected gleam , timing has unwittingly squandered the ”right time”.
Those whose hearts are beating with irregular rhythm out of sheer worry , those whose sleeps of nights are getting disturbed , those whose dreams of ”How the BJP could be defeated” in the absence of a non resurrected Congress need to be counselled as they feel the situation having slipped out of hands by bidding farewell to the Party during the last few months by stalwarts like Jyotiraditya Scindia , Sushimta Dev, Kabil Sibal, R. P. N .Singh, Jatin Prasad, Veteran Capt Amarinder Singh, Balram Jhakhar, Hardik Patel, Young leader Jaiveer Shergill, Ashwani Kumar, Kuldeep Bishnoi, Raju Parmar, Naresh Raval and now Gulam Nabi Azad and the list is getting longer. Has there been even a solitary attempt to even remotely persuade any of these leaders to ”reconsider” their decision and return to the Party ? No, not at all but why , is the big question. When the leadership is not bothered even a bit , not moved by such a long and consistently consistent spate of resignations , why some Media Houses are conducting spate of debates as to how can Congress be ”revived” and rejuvenated because ”for democracy there must be a strong opposition and other arguments put forward etc ” . Why selectively worry for the democracy? When the Grand Old Party was split into two, humbling the veteran Niglingappa and Congress (I) emerged, these elements celebrated but when the doyen of Congress politics the great Jagjiwan Ram floated “Congress for Democracy” , he was criticised. The visionary politician and able administrator had long desired to induct democracy within and into the Party but he was not supported.
When old stalwart Sita Ram Kesri was humbled and virtually lifted from the seat of Congress President-ship , his name plate removed and unceremoniously ”relieved” of his assignment , these elements raised not a whimper instead sang ballads and odes to the new incumbent installed not by election but by selection coupled with showering unstinted praises on and exhibiting unsparing loyalty to the ”new President”. When Sharad Pawar , Sangma and others parted ways , when Mamta Banerjee formed her own (Trinmool) Congress , no hue and cry was raised by the elite “impartial” media Houses, why only now ? Ostensibly, such thinking and organised thinking is not bothered about steadily weakening of Congress if any taking place , as much as they appear to be increasingly ill at ease by the prospects of the BJP emerging stronger as a result which may be a fact or turn out just their fear.
That is their real problem. Why are these journalists and (so called ) political analysts not worried about the Communists getting weaker day by day in the country, why are not they eager to have the BSP regain its strength , why these “impartial” political analysts are not bothered about the RSS being unnecessarily attacked day in and day out without any substance, ground or reason . Why they are not disturbed with the Shiv Sena fragmented into three wings under separate leadership , so on and so forth.
So long as absolute loyalists like Dr. Manmohan Singh, Salman Khurshid, P. Chidambaram, Sachin Pilot, Dr. Singhvi, Randeep Surjewala, Mallikarjun Kharge, Ajay Makan, Ashok Gehlot , Digvijay Singh , Jairam Ramesh and scores of other ”stalwarts” are with and very much in the Congress, Congress is in absolute comfort.
Kapil Sibal did not get another term in Rajya Sabha despite his tremendous professional contribution in courts to further the agenda of Congress . He desperately argued and pleaded for deferring hearing on Ram Mandir Ayodhya case to post 20129 general elections as ”the verdict could go against the chances of winning elections by the Congress” and what not and now, has the same Kapil Sibal the veteran law practicing towering man become so frustrated so as to dare cast aspersions on the Supreme Court by saying that he has “lost hope in Supreme Court and now no practice…?” The question now asked is whether he shall have his licence to practice surrendered ? Should the same veteran ”Secular Congressi” enter Rajya Sabha on the crèches of the Samajwadi Party . A person of high legal and intellectual prowess has decided to go to, rather having already accepted in principle Akhilesh Yadav as his political boss ? But why – what happened to “Congress ek sooch hai, vichardhara hai etc “?
Had Gulam Nabi Azad not enough opportunity and better available feasibility and fantastic striking rate as LOP to say the same thing which he, in is long letter, has alleged and rather spelt out based on facts ? Why he completed his term behaving as the most loyal Congress leader and obeying the wishes and the directions of the High Command? He waited all these months but seeing Randeep Surjewala nominated for the RS but not he, Chidambaram the same way again nominated for the Upper House etc , he felt sidelined. At least, he had envisaged to be projected as the CM nominee for the UT of Jammu and Kashmir for the ensuing Assembly polls . Anyway, as it is said better late than never, even though he is mocked by sworn loyalists from the coterie as “Azad’s DNA having been Modi-fied” and lamenting not for leaving Congress to make it further fragile but leaving to ”help and encourage fascist forces” as alleged by Khargee Ji denote the arrogance, the blind fold approach and non realising the train of blunders committed all these 70 years with intent to strengthen the vote bank and furtherance of appeasement policy, Congress is in its crucial stage of survival.
It is beyond comprehension , again, as to why hair is pulled, chests are beaten and moans and sighs are galore on the dim prospects of resurrection of this Party . Why should this Party resurrect at all , if it has reached that stage which in fact it has not, as yet. Should it resurrect to repeat the manufactured ”Hindu Terror”? Should it resurrect to call the RSS as akin to Boko Haram and the ISIS? Should it resurrect to cast aspersions on the Shree Ram Setu ? Should it resurrect to re-introduce the Sonia Gandhi Ji led National Advisory council (NAC) Prevention of Communal and Targeted Violence Bill like it attempted hard to pilot in 2011 to woo ”minorities”? Should Congress resurrect to declare , now through a possible legislation, that Muslims had the first right on the resources of India even after two theocratic Muslim countries carved out from this country plus vast areas of Kashmir, Baltistan , Gilgit, Hunza etc in 1947-48 occupied by aggression by Pakistan ? Should it resurrect to erase “Satyam Shivam Sundaram” signature tune of Door Darshan ? We respect Azad ji but admit that even if he has left Congress , still he is basically a committed Congressi by conviction as an association of 50 years is not a joke and shall behave politically like Mamta Ji, Sharad Pawar and other leaders who quit congress but continue emotionally to be with the Congress ideology, hence no major difference at all . Next move of Mr Azad only shall make things clearer.
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