Re-inventing the Congress Wheel

      

                                             Re-inventing the Congress Wheel

 This is a sequel to my earlier blog where I had endorsed the need for a courageous acceptance of failure as a possible means to success. We have to turn failure on its head to achieve success. Success comes to those who dare and act, but seldom to the timid. So also success comes to those who fall and rise and never to those who refuse to rise. The blog Failure is the Road to Success was mainly intended for the Congress, badly mauled in the last elections and continuously mocked at thereafter whenever it raises its voice on issues that are debatable. “Look! Who is calling the Kettle black” is the refrain from the Media and from all those ranged against the Congress, in particular from the ruling party.

The only way Congress can restore its lost credibility is by re-inventing itself through strategic planning for an alternative form of governance as it is dissatisfied with the present government. No battle is won by merely mocking at the opponent or by taking a confrontationist position vis-a-vis the opponent. Knowingly or unknowingly our films show evil characters especially the mythological ones like Ravan and Duryodhan mocking at the opponent(s) and indulging in mockery and a loud guffaw to end with a dying plaintive whimper. This is as true of the victor as it is that of the vanquished. What we see in our political arena is a vicious mocking of the Congress by the victorious BJP and its supporters that includes the media while  Congress in desperation is sniping at the Prime Minister and his policies. Though these attacks are intended to be good sound bytes, in reality they fail to make any impact on the listeners.. Such efforts at mocking do not help in recovering lost ground. It is what Ralph Waldo Emerson had said : “ We have such exorbitant eyes that on seeing the smallest arc we complete the curve, and when the curtain is lifted from the diagram which it seemed to veil, we are vexed to find that no more was drawn than just that fragment of an arc which we first beheld”.

Congress, now left with a tiny arc should begin to draw the full circle. It should pick up the broken pieces and start rebuilding its lost credibility. It has to set an agenda of reforms both for the party and for policies that would have a far reaching effect on the growth and prosperity of the Nation. I list below a few suggestions though I confess that I am neither experienced in politics nor a student of politics. But I take courage in spelling out my list of priorities from the fact that a majority of those who are now in Parliament have no knowledge of political theories to weave them into a coherent agenda to bring a transformation. That is why India after seven decades continues to meander as a functioning anarchy where the functioning had proved effective despite indiscipline, disorder and lawlessness only because a few worthy leaders brought in reforms at crucial time. The Green revolution(1961-), the White revolution(1965-, the liberalization of  economy(1991-), linking India by creating a vast new network of highways,  envisaging linking the country's rivers and heralding the telecom revolution(1998-2004) were by astute, farsighted leaders from Pt.Nehru  through Lal Bahadur Shastri and Narasimha Rao to Atal Behari Vajpayee.  They brought in reforms that have changed the face of India from an undeveloped nation to a developing nation.

If the 21^st century should transform India to a developed nation, we need good and ethical governance where the ruling and the opposition are constructive in criticism, while laying out roadmaps towards progress and growth. Congress has lost ground despite some good policies it had earlier brought forth as MNREGA, RTI, Land Acquisition Bill, , GST Bill, FDI etc but most of them except the first two were put on hold in the wake of bitter opposition from the BJP. It lost the election as it could not implement any reforms besides being weighed down by corruption scandals running into lakhs of crores of rupees.

Ironically now those very bills are introduced with some modification by the present government and Congress is opposing it on some technicalities (though it is a covert means of paying the BJP in its own coin). Congress has now to show statesmanship and magnanimity and bring forth those reforms that are essential for the economy to grow. Even if it has reservations on some issues on GST and Land Refoms, it should not follow the dog in the manger policy.  In one stroke, Congress can change the negative perception about it and can be seen as a party with a positive outlook. It should pass GST Bill in the coming budget session with a caveat that there should be an annual review to introduce changes if needed. This would show the party has national interest at the core- in sharp contrast to what the opposition did to it during its last tenure.

There has to be internal democracy. Everyone knows that Congress can boast of a large number of intellectuals who also have the ability to articulate their reasoned views on changes and reforms. It is also a fact that however well intentioned Sonia and Rahul may be, the mother and son are ineffective and non fluent speakers in English and Hindi- in total contrast to Narender Modi and some of his articulate colleagues. The present tendency of the Congress to attack the PM and his men and women has come a cropper because in the absence of any concrete suggestion or solution, mere criticism as the birthright of the opposition shows a certain degree of vacuity in the party. Congress should now form a shadow cabinet and work out reforms that ensure economic growth and a rightful fair share of it among all sections of people. The policy should be to support industry while guaranteeing equitable distribution of the nation’s resources among the disadvantaged. For the winning slogan of Indira Gandhi-Gharibi hatao- to be again a success, the stage is to be set to intermediate between capitalism and socialism. There has to be a mix of private or corporately owned means of production and partial state ownership of capital and industry in the ratio of 40:60 which I would term as socio-capitalism. There should be stricter enforcement of private industries passing 30% of its profits to the poor to benefit them in housing, education, health and employment. At the same time the Government has to pay its employees salaries on par with private industry to teachers and academics, doctors and nurses, engineers working in government schools, colleges, universities, hospitals and industry. Today a college teacher of the State or Central University does not get the salary a private school Principal gets. Similarly government doctors despite the Non- practising allowance do not get what a private hospital doctors earn. The result is a continuous exodus of top academics and doctors to the private sector, leaving the government organizations in a limbo.  The only way to attract the best and retain them to serve public institutions and thereby the poor and the disadvantaged  is through attractive salaries and not by the present reverse trend of interfering with good private institutions  and bringing them down without upgrading quality in public schools, hospitals and government owned industry.  It is for the economists to work out the modalities to make India a genuine welfare state. Unemployment dole for a limited period during which period the recipient has to find employment, good and free medical treatment for the poor, upgrading the infrastructure, roads, schools and hospitals in towns and second tier cities instead of spending money on smart cities and the continuation of MNREGA are policies that can bring rich dividend to the vast majority of poor people. Whatever I have said will incur the criticism of economists as being naïve and simplistic. I had grown up and was educated in small townships that were built in rural dam sites where we had good hospitals, schools, colleges and theatres besides all the comforts of a good city life.   Welfare measures in US and England give importance to social security with the mandate that the beneficiaries of Social Security System find employment within the stipulated time. The problem with our youth is they have a marked preference for white collar or new collar (pertaining to middle-class wage earners holding jobs in a service industry) jobs. Unless in schools and colleges, field work forms a part of their learning programme, the youth will not appreciate dignity of labour and take up employment other than desk jobs. We need the youth force to build roads, work in fields, teach in village schools and serve in rural hospitals which involves physical exertion, far removed from the comfortable  desk jobs in the cities. Talking about our healthy demographic dividend, can the Congress come up boldly with policies that involve youth force in a dynamic way?

Bold changes have to be initiated in the education sector. It makes no sense to expect everyone to turn out to be scholarly and an intellectual. I have often cited the five finger example where every finger has an allotted duty and all fingers are not of the same length. Our curriculum should be designed for three different groups of students from class XI to the first degree- students desirous of learning employable skills along with some degree of academic knowledge, students seeking professional qualifications and students (a small number) wanting to pursue academics for research and scholarship. Instead of the one-size fits-all kind of curriculum, separate courses should be designed to meet the ability and aspirations of the students. The trifurcation is essential after class X.  Today young graduates have neither the skill nor the competence to take up a job after graduation, not to speak of their academic credentials. Skill India is a good idea provided it is supported by basic knowledge of society, understanding of key issues that are often inter-related and language felicity. Liberal studies at every stage commensurate with the disciplines chosen by the students have to be introduced at different levels of graduation. Compulsory field work/ military service/ social service in the rural sector for a year or two after graduation with stipend for the work done will make India’s youth a potent transformational force. The small number of students taking up academic research are the ones who can generate new ideas that mesh with new developments in technology and relating to the demands and aspirations of modern India.  Educationists, academics, scholars and researchers belonging to the STEM group (Science, Technology, Education and Management)have to be a part of the think tank/shadow cabinet to draw up the new blueprint for a progressive nation. Why can’t the Congress work out revolutionary changes for genuine reforms? Even if they were to lose some percentage of urban rich votes, it will be still worthwhile attempting the reforms, for it has currently nothing to lose.

Congress should have a unambiguous foreign policy as initiated by Nehru’s philosophy of non alignment. Since the end of cold war and the dismantling of capitalist and socialist blocks, it is easy to pursue a neutral policy of enmity towards none, friendship towards all. It is not necessary either to gush forth and make an excessive display of enthusiasm or develop a haughty and distant demeanour to show patronage, but move in a mature way, understanding the complex and changing geopolitics of the 21^st century. With Pakistan we can neither afford to do sabre rattling nor shake hands and embrace with great bonhomie. Action should speak louder than words and exchange of meaningless pleasantries.  The best way is to speak less, to ignore Pakistan as though it is an empty vessel that makes rattling noise and quietly(without trumpeting)  build up our defence and improve intelligence gathering to be on guard. Has Congress devised any strategy to counter Pakistan? Why can’t it come out with policies that encourage exchanges by musicians, theatre groups, films, sportsmen, tradesmen  and academics of the two countries? Simply decrying all the efforts of the present government does not take it –or for that matter the nation- very far without a concrete proposal in place.

In the recently concluded global conference on Climate Change, one of the characteristic Indian weaknesses revealed itself when India blamed the developed West for all the environmental ills. Though this is factually true, there was no substantial gain for the developing nations at the end because our contribution to the improvement of climate was rather subdued, muted and conditional. If you want to change, be the change yourself, said Gandhi. Congress should have come up with an alternative  blueprint for environmental protection and sustenance in place of homilies that we are good at delivering. There are many such issues that require reasoned responses.

The opposition has to play as much of a responsible role as the governing party.  The catchy slogan of maximum governance and minimum government that caught the attention of the people has to be pursued vigorously as the ownership of implementing reforms is to be transferred to people. If responsibility is conferred on people they develop a sense of belonging to a participatory form of governance. AAP captured the imagination of the Delhi-ites but it has not been successful because people have not been adequately educated and trained to take up responsibility. Let Congress pay greater attention to Panchayati Raj and plug the loopholes that are in the system and make it a model of self governance that can be replicated in districts, towns and cities.

Last but the most important part of the Congress is to shed off dynastic rule. If inner democracy is not maintained how can Congress expect to be democratically returned                      to power?  Everyone knows that this country has a vast array of intellectuals, well meaning and articulate, men and women of rare integrity. I do not want to mention names but sufficient to say we have in our midst Ratan Tatas, Premjis, Narayanmurhtys, Gopalakrishna Gandhis, Indira NOOyis and Kiran Mazumdar Shaws, Nilekenis and a whole list of academics  whose understanding, knowledge, vision and ideas should be harnessed for the building up of Modern India. Modernity is not to be misconstrued as something that questions obedience to tradition but as something that seeks answers to beliefs that do not subscribe to rational explanation. The perception that Congress is modern ,does not care for traditionand an ‘angrezi’ party has been one of the causes for its defeat. Tradition is the foundation on which every civilization builds itself around. The ability to sift the accretions that have grown over tradition from its core essence and adapt it to modern times is the role and responsibility of leaders. Unfortunately, Congress had never paid heed to this important cultural aspect despite having hadthe illustrious example of a visionary like the first prime Minister Pt.Nehru who wrote the Discovery of India. One can no longer live buried in a hole in the name of tradition when technology has facilitated the coming together of different traditions, cultures and civilizations. The world is moving at great speed and whether we like it or not, we are also subjected to that high velocity and spun around. Unless the leaders make every effort to bring a synergy between tradition and modernity, we will either be fundamental and cultural atavists or mindless greedy moderns in pursuit of wealth and pleasure. Why has the Congress been silent on all these issue that have been unfortunately hijacked by men in ochre robe whose understanding and awareness of a Global Knowledge Society is feeble if not absent.

 The country needs a good opposition. Congress has not understood that responsibility. Let the party elect better articulate and knowledgeable leaders and seek the services of intellectuals to form a think tank and a shadow cabinet. The party should elect their leaders and not hold on to one family. A new force, a new dynamism , a new vision and a new team can save Congress from oblivion. Hope Congress starts re-inventing the wheel and not wallow in the broken arc.

At the end I make this plea as a septuagenarian, brought up in the Gandhi-Nehru era, when none of the leaders indulged in British bashing even as they fought for freedom from the British raj. Let us rise up to the historical geneology that began with our great freedom fighters and make efforts to bring in intellectual aristocracy in our public discourses and action.