CRASH COURSE ON SELF-DESTRUCTION
Bikash C Paul
Management students or entrepreneurs can take a cue from Congress as to how and why an organization commits hara-kiri to extinction. The la de affairs in Congress in the past few years, including the latest soap opera of Ashok Gehlot-Sachin Pilot in Rajasthan, can be well-documented as a case study for management crash courses. Like a large company goes down into history because of a series of terrible decisions, unending internal strife and overall lack of leadership, Congress is a crumbling empire…clearly digging its own grave!
It is hard to believe how the grand old party of Indian politics which still has a deep-rooted impact on Indian psyche and polity ruining its own case. This is nothing short of self-destruction. Within a span of just few months, Congress has lost its immensely talented two young leaders—first Jyotiraditya Scindia and then Sachin Pilot—clearly indicating that the party is sabotaging its own cause. The frustration and confusion in Congress is so pervasive that many more young turks may desert the party for a better place of politicking.
What ails Congress? Why the party looks so confused, disoriented and out of sync with the present-day politics? Is it only a turf battle between old and young leaderships? Or is it a vacuum at the top that fails to sail through good and bad times? Does Congress lack a clear vision to counter the cutting edge politics of Narendra Modi-Amit Shah combine?
It all partially contributes to the downfall of Congress. But the real reason lies elsewhere. The root cause of Congress’ present day crisis is the Gandhi family—the Sonia-Rahul-Priyanka troika! Congress cannot be imagined without Gandhi family, and most crucially, the family is hell bent to see it remains so. Congress’ policies revolve around the Gandhi family in such a manner that individuals and party apparatus have simply forget to think and function effectively. Congress is a parasite outfit of the Gandhi family.
The irony is that Congress is trying to find solutions in the people who are actually the cause of the disease! It is not shying away from applying the same ‘medicine’ that has failed to cure their diseases again and again. But a feudal setup breeds only a feudal mindset. No wonder, Congress is gearing up to re-instate Rahul Gandhi as the party president in a few months from now.
Rahul too seems getting ready for the ‘Rahul 2.0’ avatar. It is not only the party, but also Rahul himself is trying hard to ‘re-position’ himself into the ‘2.0’ orbit. Rahul’s new-found aggression, raising practically all and sundry issues on earth in the last few months, is an obvious warm-up exercise to the upcoming launch. Rahul is trying hard to erase his ‘Pappu’ image, hence, pointing out issues that demands knowledge and go beyond politics. He is out to present alternate narratives to various policies of Narandra Modi and his government. Rahul’s recent persistent verbal attacks aim at knocking the people’s mind. He wants to convey: Look, here is an alternate leader who thinks and speaks sense and can give a better solution.
Re-packaging may bring Rahul Gandhi in the centre of attraction again, but it may hardly revive the grand old party from its present comatose situation. Rahul’s way of politics is simply inadequate to counter Narendra Modi. He is far short of performance and acceptance. Congress must look beyond Gandhis by promoting a new breed of young leaders who would not only instill a fresh sense of purpose in the party rank and file, but will send a strong message across its constituents that would revive its traditional vote bank.