Congress revival formula, the only one formula.
My village has no special role in the independence movement of India as far as I know. Of course it had a primary school since 1887.
My birth year is 1967. In the seventies and eighties we kids played with two umbercharakhas in our backyard. My mother told, some years back the village formed a Mahila Samiti and spinning became one of the activities. She proudly announced that her product own the first prize.
This had nothing to do with politics but was just a woman empowering activity. Probably the government promoted this. Hopefully Congress party had a say in that and got political benefit.
How it is related to Congress survival?
In pre-independent era, Congress had a lot many social programs and sister organizations; like abolishing untouchability, against alcohol and addiction, working for literacy, safeguarding against communal sentiment, doing Sevadal work and so on.
Congress was not in power. Liberating India from British and liberating the mass from many social evils were the party activities. Power keeps people glued. The selfishness behind support is not measured, only the jindabad is heard. For too long a time Congress remained in power. It's supporters remained attached.
One important thing happened, the government took up the social works. Party's social work activities had decreased to zero, when Congress first time went out of power in 1977.
In a party's defeat, selfish people jump out of the boat. When the social activities became zero there remained no work, no talking point. Unfortunately Congress came back to power on opposition's instability and once again the selfish attachment continued. Congress needed no introspection. The party's all social wings almost died.
Congress should remember, Gandhijee wished it to continue as a social organization and political activities should be done by a separate organization. His wish was not carried out in power play. Had it been so, the Congress should have been continuing as the biggest social organization ahead of RSS and ahead of Left's mass attachment. So once it became out of power again, a further corrosion happened to party base.
In the meanwhile, exactly the same game plan happened for RSS BJP combined. RSS, whatever it's activities to our liking or disliking does not matter but became a huge organization. The non profit (to worker) organization kept selfless workers attached to the pan Indian grass root. The work in education sector, in Swedeshi, in Mandir issue, in talking nationalism kept a solid base that helped the BJP whole hearted during elections. My intention is not to say that all activities were good. I just want to highlight that a big base of selfless workers BJP created that remained in an outside organization.
During the same time Congress as a social organization got extincted. When the actual freedom fighters decreased in number and their place was taken by more and more selfish and corrupt leaders there was no need for a selfless person in the party. It remained an organization of power hungry people from grass root to Delhi. Had its social work nurtured until date it should have kept a similar mass of selfless social workers with it.
Another important thing happened in last quarter century period. The village as a whole got lost. The village had mass need, mass functions and mass activities which needed group leaders. Every village had to have a Congress village head and another village head for Janata dal or party. They divided the people in all issues and ruled them as per their sweet will. The respective parties became dependent on them. Also people who were influential for other reasons joined thr party for their own benefit and for the benefit of the party. He might be a royal clan or simply an underworld person. However from 90s of last century, common people unable to fulfill their personal aspiration came out of the clutch of the village head. Urbanisation, education, private employment, IT explosion, decrease in dependence on agriculture and all these made the village weak . So weak that it is difficult to get 11 players for a sports team. In such a scenario, any party just hiring or connecting to village heads or his opponent failed to achieve the purpose. Such a method died with twentieth century.
Meanwhile Congress remained out of power and became sure it won't come to power again on it's own. They accepted coalition politics. A half decreased party in coalition politics was bound to decrease further. Because coalition is a give and take. By giving, the Congress permanently became zero in places.
The NDA coalition politics is different. A half increased BJP in an acceleration did the coalition. With a solid social organization and huge selfless workers networking in grass root, it increased its vigour. BJP on acceleration did coalition and Congress in deceleration did it.
Then happened the phenomenal Narendra Damodar Modi and no further discussion required.
The position Congress has reached is dangerously at the point of extinction. The BJP with its repeated anti Congress attack kept it valid to some extent. So Congress is surviving only for BJP.
I do not agree to Yogendra Yadav. With the AAP failure no one is going to accept that his Swaraj party will come up for alternate politics. A bunch of people combined to form a party that drew a pan Indian attention died in infancy. They could not maintain. His image as the victim in the situation is not going to help his party. Yes he is in right path in building up a social need based party. However it will take a lot of time. Similarly left has become weaker and weaker.
But at this juncture the country needs a good opposition party, a central party. When there is a need there is a way. Swaraj, AAP, Left, Congress and you may add anyone else, it is not difficult to say which has a better chance to take the space of opposition.
So, what the Congress should do?
It should forget power and go back to basics. It is a time decisive, as told by Javed Akhtar. The country decided to go with BJP with its idea that creates apprehension in the mind of a lot many. Is not Mr Modi aware of this. Did he not say to gain the trust of all sections. If anyone says the same thing then there is a danger for him. Of course the situation is not very good for independent minded thinkers. From Congress singularity the country has travelled to BJP singularity, from no opposition to no opposition.
Congress, if do not want to do a suicide also it has a chance to die naturally now. Yogendrajee said it as the need and Congress is the biggest obstacle. I say the reverse. It is Congress which has a better chance to grow as opposition than other national parties in opposition.
The method should be like this.
1. Forget power for a decade.
2. Give strength Seva Dal and similar sister organization. Keep growing selfless workers.
3. Work in the field of Education, Health, Environment, Disaster management and relief.
4. Reopen the Congress motto of a liquor and addiction free society.
5. Organize farmers and labour force.
6. Make youth sensitive to their issues.
7. Go back to not only secularism but all other directions the Indian Constitution has directed.
8. Do not follow the hard-line of Right wing. All people who love hard lines, trolls, jokes and all other ugly things are not Congress minded people. They won't like it. Congress must not copy paste the same lines but go soft and soothing. What is the method for extreme minded people should not be the method of soft minded people. Being soft is not a weakness.
Calling some one Chor and saying that we love the person is too confusing.
Basing on all these above told points reorganize the party. Just finding out very rich people and making them state chiefs is not reorganization.
It should be a completely committed reorganizing from the grass root, with no war with BJP.
A base less Congress and a cash starved Congress should give more importance to the base first. The method may take long but it is the only available method to build up a party where workers have engagement even in out of power. Congress may not regain power at all but such a powerless Congress will do a lot good for the society. And doing good for society is enough an issue for the good reason of the survival of the party.
Thank you, and I don't put my copyright in suggesting the only method to Congress.
My village has no special role in the independence movement of India as far as I know. Of course it had a primary school since 1887.
My birth year is 1967. In the seventies and eighties we kids played with two umbercharakhas in our backyard. My mother told, some years back the village formed a Mahila Samiti and spinning became one of the activities. She proudly announced that her product own the first prize.
This had nothing to do with politics but was just a woman empowering activity. Probably the government promoted this. Hopefully Congress party had a say in that and got political benefit.
How it is related to Congress survival?
In pre-independent era, Congress had a lot many social programs and sister organizations; like abolishing untouchability, against alcohol and addiction, working for literacy, safeguarding against communal sentiment, doing Sevadal work and so on.
Congress was not in power. Liberating India from British and liberating the mass from many social evils were the party activities. Power keeps people glued. The selfishness behind support is not measured, only the jindabad is heard. For too long a time Congress remained in power. It's supporters remained attached.
One important thing happened, the government took up the social works. Party's social work activities had decreased to zero, when Congress first time went out of power in 1977.
In a party's defeat, selfish people jump out of the boat. When the social activities became zero there remained no work, no talking point. Unfortunately Congress came back to power on opposition's instability and once again the selfish attachment continued. Congress needed no introspection. The party's all social wings almost died.
Congress should remember, Gandhijee wished it to continue as a social organization and political activities should be done by a separate organization. His wish was not carried out in power play. Had it been so, the Congress should have been continuing as the biggest social organization ahead of RSS and ahead of Left's mass attachment. So once it became out of power again, a further corrosion happened to party base.
In the meanwhile, exactly the same game plan happened for RSS BJP combined. RSS, whatever it's activities to our liking or disliking does not matter but became a huge organization. The non profit (to worker) organization kept selfless workers attached to the pan Indian grass root. The work in education sector, in Swedeshi, in Mandir issue, in talking nationalism kept a solid base that helped the BJP whole hearted during elections. My intention is not to say that all activities were good. I just want to highlight that a big base of selfless workers BJP created that remained in an outside organization.
During the same time Congress as a social organization got extincted. When the actual freedom fighters decreased in number and their place was taken by more and more selfish and corrupt leaders there was no need for a selfless person in the party. It remained an organization of power hungry people from grass root to Delhi. Had its social work nurtured until date it should have kept a similar mass of selfless social workers with it.
Another important thing happened in last quarter century period. The village as a whole got lost. The village had mass need, mass functions and mass activities which needed group leaders. Every village had to have a Congress village head and another village head for Janata dal or party. They divided the people in all issues and ruled them as per their sweet will. The respective parties became dependent on them. Also people who were influential for other reasons joined thr party for their own benefit and for the benefit of the party. He might be a royal clan or simply an underworld person. However from 90s of last century, common people unable to fulfill their personal aspiration came out of the clutch of the village head. Urbanisation, education, private employment, IT explosion, decrease in dependence on agriculture and all these made the village weak . So weak that it is difficult to get 11 players for a sports team. In such a scenario, any party just hiring or connecting to village heads or his opponent failed to achieve the purpose. Such a method died with twentieth century.
Meanwhile Congress remained out of power and became sure it won't come to power again on it's own. They accepted coalition politics. A half decreased party in coalition politics was bound to decrease further. Because coalition is a give and take. By giving, the Congress permanently became zero in places.
The NDA coalition politics is different. A half increased BJP in an acceleration did the coalition. With a solid social organization and huge selfless workers networking in grass root, it increased its vigour. BJP on acceleration did coalition and Congress in deceleration did it.
Then happened the phenomenal Narendra Damodar Modi and no further discussion required.
The position Congress has reached is dangerously at the point of extinction. The BJP with its repeated anti Congress attack kept it valid to some extent. So Congress is surviving only for BJP.
I do not agree to Yogendra Yadav. With the AAP failure no one is going to accept that his Swaraj party will come up for alternate politics. A bunch of people combined to form a party that drew a pan Indian attention died in infancy. They could not maintain. His image as the victim in the situation is not going to help his party. Yes he is in right path in building up a social need based party. However it will take a lot of time. Similarly left has become weaker and weaker.
But at this juncture the country needs a good opposition party, a central party. When there is a need there is a way. Swaraj, AAP, Left, Congress and you may add anyone else, it is not difficult to say which has a better chance to take the space of opposition.
So, what the Congress should do?
It should forget power and go back to basics. It is a time decisive, as told by Javed Akhtar. The country decided to go with BJP with its idea that creates apprehension in the mind of a lot many. Is not Mr Modi aware of this. Did he not say to gain the trust of all sections. If anyone says the same thing then there is a danger for him. Of course the situation is not very good for independent minded thinkers. From Congress singularity the country has travelled to BJP singularity, from no opposition to no opposition.
Congress, if do not want to do a suicide also it has a chance to die naturally now. Yogendrajee said it as the need and Congress is the biggest obstacle. I say the reverse. It is Congress which has a better chance to grow as opposition than other national parties in opposition.
The method should be like this.
1. Forget power for a decade.
2. Give strength Seva Dal and similar sister organization. Keep growing selfless workers.
3. Work in the field of Education, Health, Environment, Disaster management and relief.
4. Reopen the Congress motto of a liquor and addiction free society.
5. Organize farmers and labour force.
6. Make youth sensitive to their issues.
7. Go back to not only secularism but all other directions the Indian Constitution has directed.
8. Do not follow the hard-line of Right wing. All people who love hard lines, trolls, jokes and all other ugly things are not Congress minded people. They won't like it. Congress must not copy paste the same lines but go soft and soothing. What is the method for extreme minded people should not be the method of soft minded people. Being soft is not a weakness.
Calling some one Chor and saying that we love the person is too confusing.
Basing on all these above told points reorganize the party. Just finding out very rich people and making them state chiefs is not reorganization.
It should be a completely committed reorganizing from the grass root, with no war with BJP.
A base less Congress and a cash starved Congress should give more importance to the base first. The method may take long but it is the only available method to build up a party where workers have engagement even in out of power. Congress may not regain power at all but such a powerless Congress will do a lot good for the society. And doing good for society is enough an issue for the good reason of the survival of the party.
Thank you, and I don't put my copyright in suggesting the only method to Congress.
