Friday, May 23, 2014

Open Letter to Rahul Gandhi

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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. Certainly, the results of other elections which followed subsequently could bear this out equally well
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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
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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








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