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Bereft of ideology and efficient management, the current state of affairs within the Congress may be defined greatest within the phrases of none apart from Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, whose political legacy has been became largesse by three generations of his household.

Former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru.

“An organisation with out an ideology shouldn’t be referred to as a political get together ordinarily, it ought to be extra aptly referred to as a consuming den.” (Speech at Patna; 19 June 1951)

Commenting on the method of number of Congress candidates for the primary common election: ‘I’ve felt not too long ago as if I used to be in a den of animals.’ (Nehru to Morarji Desai; 22 October 1951)

‘The general public enchantment of the Congress is getting much less and fewer. It could, and possibly will, win elections. However within the course of. It could lose its soul.’ (Nehru to Purushottam Das Tandon; 9 August 1951).

Liberating Congress: Classes from the previous

There’s a common consensus within the nation’s political discourse that Congress can not revive with out the ouster of Sonia-Rahul-Priyanka from the get together’s management. The get together management must be handed over to some real leaders as an alternative of the members of the Nehru household. The widespread notion, nonetheless, is that Congress get together’s organisational construction has been rigged so badly over the past seven and a half many years that it’s virtually unattainable to democratise and revive the Congress.

File picture of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (left), Rahul Gandhi (centre) and Sonia Gandhi.PTI

Nonetheless, the Congress rank and file can be taught a major lesson from the get together’s historical past and dare to problem the present management in a bid to avoid wasting no matter has been left of this get together.

It has occurred earlier additionally when Nehru, who was having fun with a larger-than-life persona, was defeated squarely in an intense wrestle for the get together’s management.  It will probably occur once more additionally if the real leaders of Congress be a part of fingers to avoid wasting their get together.

Tandon vs Nehru

In 1950, the Congress was to elect its new get together president. Nehru was very eager to dam the bid of Purushottam Das Tandon, a veteran freedom fighter. Tandon was identified for his clear stand on points associated to Hindus not succumbing to the strain created by Nehru on his fellow leaders to comply with his coverage of Muslim appeasement.

Nehru determined to write down to Tandon on to dissuade him from contesting the election for the submit of Congress president. Curiously, this letter, dated 8 August, 1950, appears fairly related in 2022 additionally (relating to state of affairs in Congress) as Nehru wrote:

“The Congress is in a nasty approach and, until some steps to rejuvenate it are taken, is more likely to fade away. As it’s, it appears to have misplaced such internal energy that it possessed and we’re involved mainly with faction fights and manoeuvring for place and place. It’s unhappy to see this nice organisation operate on this petty approach… It has been our misfortune through the previous two or three years or so to have drifted aside to some extent… Most likely you assume that a lot that I say or do is improper. Individually, I’ve typically learn your speeches with shock and misery and have felt that you just have been encouraging the very forces in India, which, I feel, are dangerous… I feel the key concern on this nation at this time, whether it is to progress and to stay united, is to satisfactorily clear up our personal minority issues. As a substitute of that we turn into extra illiberal in direction of our minorities and provides as our excuse that Pakistan behaves badly…Sadly, you may have turn into, to giant numbers of individuals in India, some form of an emblem of this communal and revivalist outlook.”

Nehru took the internal wrestle of the get together to the streets as he went public on this concern. He threatened to resign from the federal government if Tandon acquired elected as Congress president. He categorically stated that he wouldn’t be part of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) underneath Tandon’s management. To counter Tandon, Nehru requested JB Kripalani to contest the polls.

However Tandon was additionally not faint-hearted. He was backed by a number of get together stalwarts comparable to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Govind Ballabh Pant. The vast majority of leaders within the get together have been involved about the way in which their get together was shedding recognition among the many lots due to the poor functioning of the Nehru authorities. Additionally they needed to take the get together out of his clutches. The resentment was widespread.

Okay Hanumanthaiya, then Chief Minister of Mysore, wrote to Tandon on 22 August 1950 summing up the sentiments of many of the Congress leaders, “As far as Mysore votes are involved, virtually to a person, they’ll stand by you and the insurance policies you may have publicly propounded. I had additionally (a) dialogue with Sardar Patel. I count on you and Sardar to work unitedly in all issues affecting the destinies of our nation and lead us all out of the chaos and confusion that Pandit Nehru’s management has landed us in.”

Tandon defeated Kripalani fairly convincingly and have become the get together president regardless of Nehru’s all-out effort to dam him. It was not solely a outstanding victory but it surely additionally reveals that Nehru was fairly unpopular inside his personal get together. There was widespread dissent in opposition to him inside his personal get together. However he crushed this dissent over the following few months.

Nehru refused to simply accept this defeat and got here up frequently with new methods and means to focus on Tandon and all those that backed him. His vendetta was fairly seen. He focused Sardar Patel by attacking the functioning of the states’ ministry (which handled points associated to state governments at the moment). In truth, he had drafted a letter to tell Sardar Patel that he was being divested of this ministry.

S Gopal writes in Jawaharlal Nehru: A Biography (Vol. II. Pp95-96), “The letter was not despatched, in all probability, as a result of Nehru knew that Patel was now a dying man however he let or not it’s identified by means of Rajagopalachari that he was dissatisfied with the conduct of the states’ ministry, notably in Hyderabad. He additionally wrote to Patel on the identical strains…”

Nehru went after Tandon not bothering concerning the impression it might have on his get together with the prime minister concentrating on his personal get together president.

S Gopal describes, “He (Nehru) agreed to serve on the working committee however made identified his disapproval of the number of many different members by Tandon, and claimed the proper to lift fundamental points on the first assembly of the brand new committee. He may solely proceed as a member if he felt that the state of affairs within the Congress could be grasped in the way in which he needed and a brand new flip given to the organisation.”

For the following 13 months, Nehru relentlessly tried to nook Tandon. In August 1951, Nehru triggered a significant disaster by resigning from the CWC. This was adopted by a gathering of the Congress Parliamentary Get together that led to the Nehru camp compelling all of the CWC members to resign. This made Tandon’s place untenable. The primary common elections have been just a few months away. Not like Nehru who was not bothered concerning the harm being brought on to the Congress Get together as a result of his tantrums, Tandon, as a real Congressman, was involved concerning the impression of all these developments on Congress’ electoral fortunes in forthcoming polls. Thus, to salvage the get together’s picture, Tandon resigned in September 1951. That is what Nehru had at all times needed. Now, Nehru took over as Congress president. And since then the get together has been run as a household fiefdom.

It’s clear that if Congress needs to revive its fortune, it wants a president like Tandon, and never somebody like Nehru!

The author, an writer and columnist, has written a number of books. Views expressed are private

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