Indeed it is an earth-shaking event, a tectonic political development. And if the national media are to be believed, it would henceforth be hunky-dory for secularism, now that the good old Congress has shed its historical ‘untouchability’ habit and condescended to break bread with allies.
Aah, the latter should all now consider themselves blessed, rather doubly blessed, because the Congress president has also said the leadership question could be discussed later instead of it being a stumbling block in the formation of a ‘secular’ alternative to the ‘communal’ NDA.
Now, what caused this monumental change of mind in this museum-piece of a party called Congress? Concern for secularism, as the party president parades? But we know that gag pretty well to fall for it. If in the recently concluded Assembly polls the BJP won hands down without raising all the so-called communal issues, then it was because there was no necessity for it, secularism or rather pseudo-secularism having died a silent death, much earlier. That’s why development issues hogged the poll limelight as they should.
Then why rake up secularism again? Because that is still the best bogey, actually the only bogey available to camouflage the Congmen’s incurable itch for power. But the party needs allies to scratch this burning itch and hence the secular smokescreen to blind them. After all, the ‘S’ word is still popular with some of them.
But will they all walk into the trap and follow the pied piper to nemesis? If Sonia believes so, then she is only exhibiting her habitual ivory-tower presumptuousness. For starters, her prospective allies like Mulayam and Pawar are unlikely to buy her ‘assurance’ that the leadership issue could be reckoned with later. If and when push comes to shove, these men, PM candidates themselves, could be relied upon to remember the lady’s origins and call a halt.
Of course, for the present they too would play ball by saying that the leadership issue is not relevant. Only that they are saying the truth because they know they are not going to allow Sonia to become the PM –for them it is a foregone conclusion and so irrelevant.
In any case, Sonia has not said that she is not in the race. Rather she has only made out a case for non-interference by other parties into her party’s affairs. As a quid-pro-quo she has very magnanimously assured that the Congress will not dictate to the allies on who should lead their respective parties! How very logical! And the lady believes that she can get away with this kind of puerile polemics and bury the pumpkin in a pot of pasta.
In her blatant ambition to rule this country the Signora has missed the whole point once again and presumed that her would-be partners would be naive. Mulayam at his secular worst or Pawar at his dithering best or for that matter any other leader of any party, big or small, are still sons of the soil and eminently entitled to make a bid to lead the country. But can that be equated with the lady’s claim? It is by virtue of being the leader of the Congress, despite her foreign origins, that she is emboldened to make an attempt with the party and her cheer-leaders in it acting as conduits for her passage to PMO. Now will not accepting her as the Congress president be tantamount to accepting her as the PM too in case the Cong dream materialises? How can these allies later turn around and cry halt to her ascension?
And finally to the mother of all assumptions. The lady seems to believe that since the Congress has blown the alliance whistle, the allies would now come rushing into its arms. Far from it. Rather, after opening its gates, it is now the Congress itself that has to reach out to regional parties with a begging bowl. And that is not going to be easy either. Even the super-secular Leftists would think a thousand times before even entertaining the Congress for poll-talk.
To rub shoulders and shake hands at panel discussions in cosy TV newsrooms are fine, but at the hustings in Kerala and West Bengal it is a different ball game altogether. The hands will move from the shoulders to the neck. Same is the case in most States where the Congress remains the principal enemy for its prospective local partners. No dose of secularism is going to lull these parties into submission. Their demands would be stiff. Mulayams and Pawars would prefer to have their pounds of flesh on the negotiating table itself, and not in Parliament after the polls. And in TN, the AIADMK is unlikely to even look at the Congress, while the DMK will use it as a ladder for itself, to be kicked away later.
There is a way out, of course. Now that Sonia has shed such profuse tears for secularism, she can do the most honourable thing. Instead of standing in the way of ‘secular’ forces coming to the aid of her party and the country, she can announce, here and now, that she will not be making a bid to become the PM of this country. Why not become a martyr for secularism? Does not the cause deserve it?
After all the communal forces are on a roll now and what better occasion than the present to display her concern? It would also help her allies breathe the secular air a little more easily! She can keep the Congress, but spare the country. In any case, she is only giving up an imaginary claim, that may or may not fructify, and not a concrete post or position! But we know this will not happen. Because we know she wants to rule this country, a burning ambition fuelled by an assumed divine dynastic right.
And the highest ideal of most Congressmen is to serve Sonia by making her the PM and in the process serve themselves. Reason why the party has hastened to add that Sonia is still in the reckoning, despite her own attempts to play down the issue. Aah, what theatrics! Even the harshest of winters does not warrant this kind of wool-pulling!
The Congress cat, under the influence of Sonia-mania had been keeping its eyes shut. And prodded by the drubbing in the Assembly elections it has suddenly opened its eyes. And even that it has done only partially, with one eye still dreaming of putting Sonia on the stand. But life outside will go on as usual for the polity is no longer Congress centric. It makes no difference whether the party is awake or asleep or alive. India can happily shine without it.
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