A Tragic Coincidence | J P Gadkari

The nation had the tragic coincidence of a huge nature being struck to it when it was about to celebrate in a big way the Centenary of Mahatma Gandhi having completed 100 years of his presiding over the only time as the president of he oldest national political party in the country, the INDIAN NATIONAL CONGRESS, when one of its stalwarts, late Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, who changed the face of the country a decade ahead of the last Century breathed his last.

The Congress had planned to make it a big National jamboree for two days on 27-28 December 2024 at BELGAUM in Karnataka to celebrate the historical occasion when Mahatma Gandhi had presided over the Congress the only time in his life as its President. But it was not to be. In the evening, a day earlier, the veteran leader and the former Prime Minister of the country Dr Manmohan Singh had passed away at AIIMS, Delhi.

The Congress had planned to make the two-day AICC session at Belgaum a turning point in history to relaunch and rejuvenate itself as the main force in the Opposition to the BJP emphasising its role to lead it from the front in an atmosphere of voices being heard in the political circles to downgrade it. Apart from boosting its all India image, the Congress wanted its morale to be lifted up which had taken a severe beating in Karnataka during the last one year with various corruption charges being levelled against it at the official as well as political level. It is not clear yet whether the event will be revived and taken up at a later date as it stands cancelled for the time being.

The oldest national political party in the country, without a forward looking outlook and understanding of the future based on progressive ideals is back to its favourite game of factionalism and groupism. Despite denial by party leadership several times, the speculation on change in the State Govt leadership level keeps on coming up.

If you look at the futile (non) functioning of the Winter Session of Parliament and the lack-lustre performance on the part of Opposition, mainly the Congress, you get a feeling that the open demand by some of the prominent Opoosion leaders to transfer the leadership of Opposition from Rahul Gandhi to Mamta Bannerjee of TMC was the result of this poor performance.

While internal rivalries in Opposition, could be blamed for this, Rahul Gandhi’s over insistance on Adani-based charges ignoring other important issues like price rice of all consumer goods, sky-rocketting un-employment, health and education related issues which were being raised earlier, has also emboldened it to raise their voices against him. After all as somebody from Opposition commented that Opposition has constantly to train its guns to snatch power from the ruling party and not only going on opposing it. After all Opposion is not there to play its role as Opposion only. Its unprecedented poll reverses in Haryana, followed by Maharashtra and its poor showing in several State Assembly bye-elections has added to this criticism. The only Silver Lining was the Congress victory in all three bye-elections in Karnataka.

In the meantime, because of MUDA, in which Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s wife’s name figures, and other alleged corruption scams in which the name of C M is involved, is providing enough fuel for BJP-JDS Opposiopn in the State to keep its campaign alive and going.

The main opposition parties in the State the BJP and RSS are planning to have a major campaign to celebrate the Centenary of the formation of RSS during a week-long function from January 29 to 6 February, 2025 in North Karnataka. A Rightwing group lead by RSS-BJP leader K N Govindacharya and former BJP M P Basavraj Patil Sedam with their BHARAT VIKAS SANGAM are going to launch this programme from KALBURGI to rebuild the party and gain it’s lost ground.

Countering this move, a Progressive Group known by the name of SOUHARDA BHARAT UTSAVA led by Left parties and individuals is launching a Statewide movement from 17 January. The leader of the Group, Prof Meenakshi Bali in a statement has declared its intention is to "defeat" the move of Rightwing parties. Another leader of the progressive group, Prof R K Hudugi has described the BJP-RSS campaign move as a "precursor" to something far larger.

Earlier asked about the participation of Congress in the forthcoming event by Progressive Group, Prof Bali replied "Congress has no strategy and do not understand what is at stake here."

With the financial resources available and the manpower and infra-structural facilities with it, unless the Congress joins such a move it is going to be an uphill task for the anti-Right wing move can be successfully overcome. All well-meaning progressive forces therefore feel that if they don’t wake up now, it will be too late to defeat these forces later.

31-12-2024