by PANKAJ SHARMA
Its now time for Rahul Gandhi to come out. It is high
time when Rahul must crash all the barriers installed on the roads going out.
Though it does not require an eye on Congress politics for 35 years to
understand that the day anybody from Nehru-Gandhi clan decide to open the door
to go out in the fields or open a window to let the fresh air flow in, the
tremendous resistance they face is from their own brigade commanders. It
happened with Rajiv Gandhi, it happened with Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi is
also facing the same music for last few years.
It was the morning of the
last Saturday of the year 1985 when Rajiv Gandhi gave a glimpse of his real
mind to the members of All India Congress Committee and the thousands of
Pradesh Congress Committees' delegates present in the Brabourne Stadium which
was converted in to 'Indira Nagar' to celebrate the centenary of Indian
National Congress, the ordinary worker and grass route leaders of Congress
party were buzzing with highest possible inspiration within themselves. Rajiv
mentioned in detail the role played by Mahatma Gandhi and Pandit Jawaharlal
Nehru and then discussed the contribution of Indira Gandhi in strengthening the
nation's basic foundation, values and principles. He then elaborated his plans
for the future and said, "Millions of ordinary Congress workers
throughout the country are full of enthusiasm for the Congress policies and
programmes. But they are handicapped, for on their backs ride the brokers of
power and influence, who dispense patronage to convert a mass movement into a
feudal oligarchy.... For such persons, the masses do not count. Their life
style, their thinking - or lack of it, their self-aggrandisement, their corrupt
ways, their linkages with the vested interests in society, and their
sanctimonious posturing are wholly incompatible with work among the people...."
Listening to this, the
gangs within the Congress ganged up to project Rajiv as a novice and began
working to ensure to prove him as a big flop in times to come. Rajiv Gandhi had
climbed the Raisina Hills with 403 members in Loksabha but had to console himself
with only around half of it after five years in 1989. His best friends were
three 'A's--Amitabh Bachchan, Arun Nehru and Arun Singh. All of them ditched
him in due course of time when they found that Rajiv has become mature enough
and gone are the days when they could have cater their vested interests. And
who put the final nail in the political coffin of Rajiv's government? It was
his most trusted lieutenant Vishwanath Pratap Singh whose ambitions became the
armoured vehicle for different gang leaders who wanted to dilute the leadership
of Rajiv Gandhi.
Sonia Gandhi also faced
the similar circumstances. There was a time after the assassination of Rajiv
Gandhi in 1991 when she was not at all interested in politics. But then there
also was a time when several of her own people who were busy day and night to
ensure that she keeps herself locked within 10- Janpath. Sonia Gandhi sometimes
was so helpless that she had to express her anguish in public against the
Congress government for going very slow in the investigation of Rajiv Gandhi
assassination case. Rahul Gandhi was around 25 years old then and Priyanka was
23.
In the elections of
summers 1996, Congress came down to 140 seats. Atal Bihari Vajpayee had formed
his government which lasted only for 13 days and then came H.D. Devegowda who
occupied the chair of prime minister for 11 months. Narsimha Rao was hanging on
as Congress president unless one fine morning in September 1996 he was given 24
hours' ultimatum to go home. Sitaram Kesari who was a trusted old guard of
Gandhis and was fondly addressed as 'Chacha' became its president.
But Kesari was also
proved no less an enemy within as the time passed. He was no more a man in 'dandawat
mudra' which people like me were used to witness him even in front of Capt.
Satish Sharma, a friend of Rajiv Gandhi from Airlines days. Kesari and his
coterie also did everything to keep Sonia Gandhi at a safe distance from
on-goings in the party. It was only because of the presence of few well wishers
in the first ring of 'chacha choupal' that Sonia was kept updated about
the internal developments.
By the time Calcutta
Plenary Session of the Congress was held in 1997, the continuous pressure from
the party leaders and workers from across the country and family friends and
sympathisers could convince Sonia Gandhi that her keeping away will worsen the
situation of party's already shrinking base. 1998 again was the year of
parliamentary election because of the fall of Inder Kumar Gujral's government.
Congress could maintain its tally to 141 seats when the results were announced
on 2 March. The time to say good bye to Chacha Kesari had come. After some
initial maneuverings, he ultimately resigned on 9 March and Sonia was elected
to the post of Congress President on 14 March. By that time, Atal Bihari
Vajpayee had taken oath as prime minister but his term lasted only for 13
months.
It was on Saturday in the
third week of April 1999 that a vote was taken on no confidence motion against
Vajpayee government because its alliance partner AIADMK of Jaylalitha had
withdrawn support. Vajpayee lost the vote on 17 April. There was no other
alternate than to go for elections and President K.R. Narayanan dissolved the
Loksabha. Elections were to be held in September-October and while Congress
party started gearing up, in May that year, one time trust worthies of Rajiv
Gandhi--Sharad Pawar, P.A. Sangma and Tariq Anwar--raised flags against Sonia
Gandhi.
Every development
followed the dotted lines. Till a Gandhi is ready to play in the hands, garner
the votes and follow the system of "Khalq Khuda Ka, Mulk Badshah Ka
Huqm Shahar Kotwal Ka" everythoing goes smooth. But whenever a Gandhi
openly comes to the pitch, gangs do everything to send him back to pavilion.
Congress won 114 seats in 1999 Loksabha election, 27 less than the election
held in 1998 and Gandhi hooters came out with the chorus that even during
Kesari's presidentship party got more seats. But Sonia kept on fighting these
enemies hidden under the carpet of her own drawing room and shut them up when
Congress won 206 seats under her leadership in 2004.
If it is now the turn of
Rahul Gandhi to cross the same corridors, at least I am not surprised. We all
have seen him going post to pillar in the assembly election of Uttar Pradesh in
2007 where he did not spare any stone unturned but got only 22 seats in return.
Then came the election for 2012 assembly and again in spite of the fact that
Rahul put all his efforts and energy, Congress could get only 28 seats. Same
story was repeated in Bihar in 2010 when Congress went to the polls without any
alliance and Rahul's managers gave him only 4 seats. Congress story in Delhi
and Rajsthan in 2013 was also similarly worded and the same script writers
wrote the last saga of the current political travelogue of Rahul Gandhi when
they managed 2014 General Election with lowest ever 44 seats to Congress.
So, Rahul Gandhi was
bitten every time and not once. Therefore he should have every right to be shy
twice. But in spite of all the odds it is necessary for him to get up before it
is too late.
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