Former Law Minister and ex-Rajya Sabha member Ashwani Kumar talks to Smita Gupta about the many challenges before the Congress, as it struggles to regain its position as the premier party, and Indian politics in general:
The Congress says cases relating to National Herald, AgustaWestland, and a benami residence [allegedly of Robert Vadra] in London, are part of the government’s strategy to target the Nehru-Gandhi family. The BJP says these are legitimate investigations.
The Congress has consistently stated that its leaders have nothing to hide in the cases you’ve mentioned. But it’s obvious the BJP government has forgotten the difference between malicious prosecution and persecution on the one side and a bona fide pursuit of justice on the other. There is an overwhelming feeling in the country that a particular family is being targeted so as to rob the Congress of its moral sheen.
As a lawyer, I can tell you it is extremely difficult for any citizen to face the oppressive prosecutorial processes in a criminal case. And yet, the government, which assured the nation that it would work on the basis of political consensus, is seeking to anchor its politics in political vendetta. A self-willed destruction of the credibility of political parties by politicians themselves is ominous for the quality and future of our democracy. The challenge is to rescue the nation’s moral centre from the debilitating and diminishing political discourse.
How can the Congress regain the people’s confidence while in Opposition?
The Congress faces an unprecedented challenge to its claim as India’s premier political party. The comeback journey will be long and arduous, requiring transformative changes in its functions. We must bring in younger persons at all levels, but only a replacement of functionaries is not enough. Congress ought to be seen as a party that stands by what is right on principle.
Wisdom, experience and merit cannot be at a discount in any organisation seeking to rejuvenate itself. Mrs. Sonia Gandhi has provided able and dedicated leadership to the party, but it is now clear that the baton of leadership has been passed on to Rahul Gandhi whose leadership is now on test. In any case, national politics will need to move away from individuals to issues.
The Nehru-Gandhi family has a unique place in the DNA and history of the Congress. No one can take that away, but a much larger number of people will need to be projected and taken into confidence. A few individuals alone cannot successfully run a party of that magnitude. In political organisations, until respect, dignity and a sense of participation are given to all at different levels they will not put their hearts and souls into it. So the first thing is to establish the bond between the leadership and the cadres.
Those over 65 should not be given tickets to fight Lok Sabha elections; younger people should be given charge of the organisation and the States, where the strength of the Congress will need to be resurrected.
It’s obvious that there is a major shift of gravity with the BJP at its centre. Regional and secular parties will be challenged to forge a purposive alliance, which will require a realistic appreciation of the ability of leaders and parties to lead such a coalition. The nation is yearning for an alternative to the BJP.
In opposition, we have to create a broad-based national alliance committed to secularism.
Should this national alliance go beyond the Janata Dal (United) and the Rashtriya Janata Dal to include the Trinamool Congress, the Nationalist Congress Party and the YSR Congress?
The Congress will need to take the lead in forging winning electoral alliances with like-minded parties ... and yes, it will have to be the broadest possible coalition without which we have an uphill task. The Congress leadership should consider bringing back in the party fold those leaders who had left the organisation at different points of time.
The AAP that wiped out the Congress in Delhi is your biggest challenge in the upcoming polls in Punjab. It has also started working in Goa and Madhya Pradesh. It works by a different set of rules from traditional parties. While the Congress can’t emulate the AAP, does it need to re-invent itself for contemporary politics?
You can only win elections by doing what is right, Mrs. Sonia Gandhi told me years ago. But, as the wheels of politics grind on, increasingly, expediency and the compulsions of the moment triumph over idealism and principles. That must change.
We tend to be taken in by what we perceive is the popular mood: leadership is about seeking to change the popular mood by doing what is right. That’s the challenge before the Congress. That’s what Rahul Gandhi’s leadership should be all about if he has to take the Congress to new heights.
The Congress must remain an umbrella party and promote collective leadership through genuine intra-party deliberations and decision-making. It can be an effective and constructive opposition without being seen as obstructionist.
The AAP’s emergence is the direct consequence of the total loss of credibility of established political parties. If political institutions — which include political parties — are weakened, we could be heading towards what B.R. Ambedkar described as the grammar of anarchy.
The anti-Sikh riots of 1984 keep cropping up. Shouldn’t the Congress address the issue?
In 2005, when a parliamentary debate took place in the Rajya Sabha after Dr. Manmohan Singh became Prime Minister, a full day’s session was devoted to this subject. An unqualified apology to the nation was offered by Dr. Singh and by Sonia Gandhi, followed by their visit to the Golden Temple. [Congress leader] Jagdish Tytler who has not been found guilty by the courts was asked to resign. Tickets were not given to those who were accused.
Some questioned whether this was fair but it was seen as politically right even though the courts had not found them guilty. .. there is no merit in the argument that we have not tried to assuage to the best of our ability the hurt feelings of people post the 1984 riots. The violence of 1984 was a national shame. It should never have happened, but after the event whatever best could be done within the framework of the Constitution and the law was done by the Congress.
What is the reason for the increased judicial activism?
An active judiciary has ensured many progressive changes in the country. It is equally true that, in the process, its reach has extended beyond the original constitutional intent. There’s a general feeling that the expression of judicial power is a result of the loss of credibility of the political executive. Quite clearly, we need to restore the equilibrium between the various organs of the state.
What will you do next?
I have decided to dedicate myself to reflection and pursuit of public causes without any formal organisational responsibility. Public service is the highest form of service and can be pursued in different ways. I am grateful to Mrs. Gandhi and Dr. Manmohan Singh for enabling me to serve the nation in various capacities.
