On Rajiv Gandhi’s death anniversary, the Cong should mourn the loss of leadership

The formality of observing Rajiv Gandhi’s death anniversary with floral tributes was carried out with the familiarity of an annual ritual by the Congressmen in Goa.

But the tribute to him would have been far greater if the Congress had managed to create and back leadership that could have held the party together and built on its foundations to create a pillar of political excellence. Strong leadership would have also ensured that fly-by-night parties did not manage to peddle dreams and play on the sentiments of Goans, including those abroad. And how would they do that? Through one word. Trust.

Let the current legislative wing and the organisation wing, ask two questions honestly 1) Did all the people of Goa who did not want the BJP to come to power trust the Congress to be a united opposition force that would not compromise. Congress made pledges and promises in many religious places. But the point is do they achieve 100 % trust of the people. People know the answer.

What does negotiation with the people mean? Can you negotiate confidence and belief when you lose state after state in successive elections?  

His son Rahul is still coming to terms with whether he wants to be really in charge. He was in London on the date of his father’s death anniversary and said India is a negotiation between its people whereas for the BJP it is just geography and golden bird. One isn’t quite sure what “negotiation with its people” really meant. When you lose state after state, what can you negotiate? Can you negotiate confidence or belief?

In Goa, there was a clear chance. BUT THERE WAS A BURIAL OF LEADERSHIP

Before the elections, a serious attempt was made by right-thinking stakeholders of Goa to explain to Rahul Gandhi that the Congress needs to have a strong leadership,  replace the then PCC president, and give the reigns to the only senior leader who managed to pull off an impossible 17 seats in 2017 before he was politically backstabbed internally, Luizinho Faleiro. Gandhi listened, and said he would speak to P Chidambaram, the AICC observer and set things right.

A strong leadership wins, a weak leadership compromise

Alas! It was nothing but lip service. Decisions were already taken; the same failed leadership would be in charge of the polls and lead the party to disaster. That is the difference between a strong and weak leadership. A strong leadership wins a weak leadership compromises.

A hurt and dejected Luizinho Faleiro was compelled to break his relationship realising that the ideals that shaped his party when Rajiv Gandhi was leading were long gone. Perhaps one of the very few Congress leaders whose walls at home were adorned with paintings and pictures of the Gandhi, Luizinho’s toughest task was to bring those pictures down, which he did with his eyes welled up. The Gandhis and the Congress were a part of his blood. But these leaders found no place when the Congress truly became a party of compromises.

But has anything changed after just 11 MLAs were elected and there is a new young president? Amit Patkar’s silence speaks a lot about his party’s affairs, with no word from him emerging even as the state and its people are hearing attempted divisive statements from a section of political stakeholders including elected ones.

Total silence on mining transportation and the beating up of a farmer leader by the police

A farmer leader in Pissurlem was thrashed by two senior cops in the police station for protesting the transportation of illegal ore. In Mayem, a sarpanch was arrested for objecting to the rampant transportation of dumps and the people’s view has been upheld by the court. Shouldn’t the GPPC president answer whether his own purported involvement in the truck transportation business in the mining belt, forced him to remain silent? If so, can the party afford this conflict of interest in its leadership?

This is what takes away from leadership. Till today Congress had not found a pillar on which the cadre can rally around. The party has become a loose coalition of self-interested individuals who have left the people of Goa wondering who will leave and who will stay, including the senior-most leaders who are left.

There is still skepticism that a couple of MLAs are rumoured to leave the Congress soon. So naturally, Goans are bound to ask do we have an opposition party that is capable of taking on the ruling party and preparing to be the next ruling party. When there is no trust and no leadership, floral tributes on Rajiv Gandhi’s death anniversary remind us of just one thing. That the dream has died.