Dear Rahul ji,
I am pleased to introduce myself as a fellow
citizen based out of New Delhi
While the poll results have taken everyone by
surprise, both positive and negative, yet under no circumstances can it be a
‘write-off’ for the Grand Old Party of India, the Indian National Congress.
In March 1977, I was a school going kid, and
I distinctly recall the first ever major rout for the INC, then known as
Congress (I). While it was manifestation of public anger against the imposition
of emergency, and some excesses committed during that period, yet I as a
teenager could not fathom the extent of public anger then, because I was
exposed to amazing discipline in the Public Sector Undertakings, as my father
served in one of them. The timely arrivals and departures of trains, law
and order being under control due to fear or whatever reasons, which those
days were immaterial to me, and above all the mass campaigns through hoardings and
print media by the government of the day, promoting virtues of handwork,
discipline, the need to prevent wastages etc. had caught my imagination.
That rout of the Congress (I) was so
overwhelming, that some sections of the media even wrote obituaries of the
Party. But three years later, that very electorate was wise enough to vote Congress (I) back to power with equal vengeance.
Thus, if history is any guide, an electoral
debacle is by no means an indicator of the future fortunes of any political
party in India
.
After having the privilege to serve the Nation
through treasury benches in the Lok Sabha for two consecutive terms, it was in
any case time for introspections, soul searching, correctives, and overhaul of the entire set
up of INC, to be prepared for playing a greater role in shaping the
destiny of our Nation in the future. And this electoral outcome has
indeed come as an opportunity for INC, as now it will compel each and every
party member across the length and breadth of our country to do some serious
soul-searching and brainstorming, so as to ideate on the future course of
action and necessary correctives.
While key reasons behind such a massive
debacle would be debated and discussed threadbare in various sections of the
media, and within your own think tanks, along with the suggested correctives,
kindly allow me to suggest the following for your kind perusal:
a) Shake up the entire
administrative set up of the Party units, by adopting a bottoms-up approach.
The lower most party worker should be the most vocal member in the Party
meetings as he or she being in touch on an ongoing basis with the ground
realities. His or her voice and opinion should serve as key inputs for overall
policy formulations of the INC,
b) Insist on a
non-negotiable basis, a moral code of conduct for each Party cadre. Senior
citizens who were either a part of our freedom struggle, or those who grew up
in British India would still recall nostalgically those
days when being a member of INC was a matter of pride and prestige. Gandhi ji’s
ideals had rubbed into most of the Party cadres then. Today, people are just
fed up with corruption, anti-social elements sponsored by Political parties,
and above all, the menace of dharnas, rowdism, etc indulged by some party
cadres. This should stop and its end should be non- negotiable for INC. Any
party cadre involved in any unlawful activity or indulging in provocative statements which
can arouse passions and can create law and order problems, should be dismissed
without any delay
c) If you are indeed
committed to public service, then you do not really need the positions or power
generally bestowed upon the elected representatives of the people. Unfortunate
events like natural calamities, bereaved families of farmers who were compelled
to end their lives due to draught, bereaved families of our security personnel
who made the supreme sacrifice on the line of duty etc should be the key focus
of your selfless service. It should not be done just for photo-ops, but rather
to transform the INC to a genuine public service oriented organization,
d) Even though your
numbers in the Lok Sabha do not qualify INC being categorized as the
Principal Opposition Party, yet you can keep the Modi govt on its toes by
engaging in enlightened debates on the floor of the House on various bills and
policy measures it decides upon. The debates may or may not be fruitful on the
floor of the House, but would be highly fruitful and effective in the social
media where a significant chunk of our electorate aged 18 to 25 years is.
Certainly, Modi government would not be able to ignore the public opinion
generated through social media. Of course, it goes without saying that even if
you intend a scathing criticism of the Modi govt on any issue, please ensure
that you do not lose sight of civility and courtesies required in public
discourse,
e) Assembly polls in
some states are due sooner or later, Re-energize your Party cadres in those
states and be a foot soldier along with them, by going to the electorate
requesting them for another chance to meet their aspirations, through a clean,
efficient and effective governance of the state. Do not lose sight of the fact
that one of key reasons behind this debacle was lack of confidence among the
electorate that INC would be able to meet their aspirations. Call it a mere
perception issue, but the fact of the matter remains that it did wreck havoc on
your fortunes at the hustings,
f) All attempts should
be made to ensure that Congress ruled states become model states of our
country, through clean, efficient, and effective governance. While it would be
very tempting for INC to dismiss BJP’s spectacular performance at the polls, to
slick marketing and brand building exercise backed by heaps of money flooded by
top industrial houses, yet it would be a grave mistake to ignore the real brand
ambassadors for Modi were our fellow citizens from other states who had some
linkages to Gujarat, and who were a witness to his governance style and the
state of affairs in Gujarat. It was their word of mouth publicity that
contributed in no insignificant way to the Modi wave or Modi Tsunami as may
call it
.
The list could go on…..
Rahul ji, it is now time for each member of
the INC to brainstorm enthusiastically and collectively without pointing
fingers and indulging in blame game, to work out the strategies and action
plans, and go to the people of India with the sole objective of
genuinely regaining the trust and confidence, albeit slowly but steadily.
Wishing you all the very best in your
endeavors to rejuvenate the INC, and expecting amazing turnaround in your
fortunes in the near future.
With Warm Regards
Navneet Dhawan
