Is there a rift between Sonia and Rahul?
3 March 2015 11:00 PM GMT
There may be a deeper and more unsettling reason for Rahul Gandhi’s sabbatical from active politics than the explanation that he has gone away to introspect after the Congress party suffered a string of recent electoral reverses.
Even the reticent and reclusive heir apparent cannot be unaware that a spell far away from the madding crowd will not last long enough for him to understand why the party is facing an “existential” crisis.
Arguably, Rahul Gandhi may want to pore over the various points, which he imbibed during his prolonged sessions with party functionaries after the its defeat in last year’s general elections.
An atmosphere of peace and quiet is undoubtedly necessary to sort out the many inputs. Even then, the sabbatical implies a mentality, which is not typical of politicians, who are all invariably extroverts and revel in an environment of bustling activity. Only thinkers seek solitude. However, there is nothing to suggest that Rahul Gandhi has an introspective bent of mind.
This is borne out of the fact that there is nothing out of the ordinary in his idea of organisational elections. Also there seems to be nothing new about his criticism that most parties, including his own, are run by closed coteries.
If Rahul Gandhi really wants to do away with such self-serving groups - his father called them “power brokers” - he should have begun by not accepting the Vice President’s post.
It is therefore possible that in addition to the instincts of a haughty loner, which is the result of a privileged upbringing, Rahul Gandhi is chafing against the curbs he apparently faces in the implementation of his ideas.
In this regard, a hint emerged from the observations of Congress General Secretary, Digvijay Singh, when he said that Rahul Gandhi wanted to “run a Kejriwal-type campaign: open the party up, allow people to come in, put a greater emphasis on mass contact, but unfortunately he was not allowed to give a new direction by the establishment”.
It is not easy to discern who Digvijay Singh referred to as the “establishment”. To outsiders, the Congress establishment or high command, comprises of Sonia and Rahul Gandhi. Their word is the law. Or is this assessment an over-simplification? Do these “power brokers” still exist? Have differences arisen as a result of friction between the mother and son over how to run the organisation?
Ironically, there have been suggestions, notably by Congress MP Kamal Nath, about a replay of the Sonia Gandhi-Manmohan Singh diarchy in a new form, involving the party President and Vice President.
It is necessary to remember that since the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) success in December 2013, Rahul Gandhi has spoken of learning from the fledging party.
The AAP “involved a lot of non-traditional people”, he said, “and we will learn from that and will better it in a way you cannot imagine”. Was he thinking of opening up the party?
The point, however, is whether his shock tactics will bring the Congress in line with his views, or whether his escapism will discredit the dauphin more than the royal family.
The answer will lie in his favour if he can come out with a clear formulation not only for breathing new life into the party but also in giving it an ideological direction, which is in sync with the present-day world.
As of now, the Congress is seemingly leaning towards a return to Nehruvian socialism. If it wants to do so, the party must be forthright and not hedge its bets on the occasional reference to the needs of the “aspirational” generation, as stated by Digvijay Singh, along with the pursuit of a left-of-centre line. Clarity of vision is the hallmark of a leader. But it also has to be of the right kind. Otherwise, it can lead the party to the edge of a precipice, as in 1977 and again at present.
Doubts may arise over Rahul Gandhi’s outlook not only because of his Left-leaning ideas but even more so because one of his role models is Indira Gandhi. A combination of his grandmother’s Leftism - her ideology was derisively called Left-of-self-interest - with her authoritarian streak will be a fatal mix.
It is not only the Congress which will wait eagerly to hear Rahul Gandhi’s articulation of his vision when he comes out of his hideout to become the party President. The country, too, will be equally interested in knowing whether he has finally grown up or remains the dilettante that he appears to be. IANS
Even the reticent and reclusive heir apparent cannot be unaware that a spell far away from the madding crowd will not last long enough for him to understand why the party is facing an “existential” crisis.
Arguably, Rahul Gandhi may want to pore over the various points, which he imbibed during his prolonged sessions with party functionaries after the its defeat in last year’s general elections.
An atmosphere of peace and quiet is undoubtedly necessary to sort out the many inputs. Even then, the sabbatical implies a mentality, which is not typical of politicians, who are all invariably extroverts and revel in an environment of bustling activity. Only thinkers seek solitude. However, there is nothing to suggest that Rahul Gandhi has an introspective bent of mind.
This is borne out of the fact that there is nothing out of the ordinary in his idea of organisational elections. Also there seems to be nothing new about his criticism that most parties, including his own, are run by closed coteries.
If Rahul Gandhi really wants to do away with such self-serving groups - his father called them “power brokers” - he should have begun by not accepting the Vice President’s post.
It is therefore possible that in addition to the instincts of a haughty loner, which is the result of a privileged upbringing, Rahul Gandhi is chafing against the curbs he apparently faces in the implementation of his ideas.
In this regard, a hint emerged from the observations of Congress General Secretary, Digvijay Singh, when he said that Rahul Gandhi wanted to “run a Kejriwal-type campaign: open the party up, allow people to come in, put a greater emphasis on mass contact, but unfortunately he was not allowed to give a new direction by the establishment”.
It is not easy to discern who Digvijay Singh referred to as the “establishment”. To outsiders, the Congress establishment or high command, comprises of Sonia and Rahul Gandhi. Their word is the law. Or is this assessment an over-simplification? Do these “power brokers” still exist? Have differences arisen as a result of friction between the mother and son over how to run the organisation?
Ironically, there have been suggestions, notably by Congress MP Kamal Nath, about a replay of the Sonia Gandhi-Manmohan Singh diarchy in a new form, involving the party President and Vice President.
It is necessary to remember that since the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) success in December 2013, Rahul Gandhi has spoken of learning from the fledging party.
The AAP “involved a lot of non-traditional people”, he said, “and we will learn from that and will better it in a way you cannot imagine”. Was he thinking of opening up the party?
The point, however, is whether his shock tactics will bring the Congress in line with his views, or whether his escapism will discredit the dauphin more than the royal family.
The answer will lie in his favour if he can come out with a clear formulation not only for breathing new life into the party but also in giving it an ideological direction, which is in sync with the present-day world.
As of now, the Congress is seemingly leaning towards a return to Nehruvian socialism. If it wants to do so, the party must be forthright and not hedge its bets on the occasional reference to the needs of the “aspirational” generation, as stated by Digvijay Singh, along with the pursuit of a left-of-centre line. Clarity of vision is the hallmark of a leader. But it also has to be of the right kind. Otherwise, it can lead the party to the edge of a precipice, as in 1977 and again at present.
Doubts may arise over Rahul Gandhi’s outlook not only because of his Left-leaning ideas but even more so because one of his role models is Indira Gandhi. A combination of his grandmother’s Leftism - her ideology was derisively called Left-of-self-interest - with her authoritarian streak will be a fatal mix.
It is not only the Congress which will wait eagerly to hear Rahul Gandhi’s articulation of his vision when he comes out of his hideout to become the party President. The country, too, will be equally interested in knowing whether he has finally grown up or remains the dilettante that he appears to be. IANS
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