Seven months after Rajiv Gandhi’s tragic death, the Congress (I) is passing’ through an ‘identity crisis. With the Finance Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, and his World Bank-trained advisors pushing the country into a ‘market economy at jet speed, the ‘Congress (leaders are wondering ‘whether their core constituency of the poor, the backwards, the minorities and of the industrial workers is being destroyed systematically. And wondering, 0, whether the reforms, if implemented, would finally bring an ‘economic prosperity, and consequently consolidate vote banks.
But if the tenor of the brainstorming session, currently in the ‘Congress party, is any indication, the rank and file i skeptical about its future, During the last week, both Prime Minister P.V.Narasimha Rao and the Finance Minister have met important party leaders to dispel their fears on this count, But not with much success. For example, in the first meeting of the AIC office-bearers, held this week, its permanent treasurer and the Union Welfare Minister, Sita Ram Kesar, reinforced the Congress ideology and indirectly warned the finance minister against diluting it, He asserted :Garib aur pichde verg ‘Congress ki constituency hai ‘Hamari antic neetiyan aisi nehin hon, jisse hum inko bhi gavan deen (the poor and backwards constitute ‘our basis support, our economic policies should not allow us to lose them).H.K.L.Bhagat, another general secretary, echoed Kesari’s sentiments when he asked “What is happening none of us know.
Earlier, similar questions were put to Chidambaram, the articulate Union Minister of State for Commerce, who was also directed by the Prime Minister to brief the Congress (I) office-bearers about the likely thrust of the nation’s international trade policies.
Not only are the ordinary Congressmen confused about the party’s actual political and economic policies: even important ‘union ministers are not able to digest the substantial dilution of the party’s traditional commitment to the socialist and Nehruvian ‘model of economic development.
In fact, the Congress (I) fought and won over 200 seats in the June elections on a manifesto which spoke about job reservations for the poor, rolling back of prices, and making the public sector more efficient, But what has happened during the last six months is exactly the opposite of what was promised in the Congress manifesto. Prices of essential commodities have gone up by over 20%, public sector losses are burgeoning and there is ‘no sign of rolling back the prices.
‘These failures were brought to the notice of both the prime minster and the finance minister during their meetings with the MPs and other members of the Congress (I) parliamentary party executive committee. The party leaders sought an assurance from the prime ‘minister that not only the hike in the issue price of both wheat and rice be withdrawn, but also that the government must ensure that the prices of essential commodities are not allowed to rise for the next three years.
But the prime minister was not in a position to give an assurance. One way the government could have curbed the price rise was through subsidies. But in order to ‘get the IMF and World Bank loan, the government is committed to abolish all kinds of subsidies. In fact, Indira Gandhi introduced subsidies on essential commodities as part of her political strategy to retain her electoral base of the rural rich and the urban poor. By extending the subsidy on fertilizers, and by raising the procurement prices, she ensured a continuous rise in real incomes of the rich and middle class peasants, and by distributing cheaper ration in the ‘urban areas she retained the support ‘of the poor and middle class.
But Dr. Manmohan Singh is seeking to knock out both the ‘constituencies, and therefore he is in conflict with both the rural and the urban lobbies in the Congress. For example, Union Agriculture Minister Balram Jakhar made it clear that any attempt to withdraw subsidy on agricultural inputs and products should be sufficiently compensated with other fiscal measures, He has already begun his own consultations with the {former and rural leaders regarding budget proposals. So, while Manmohan Singh is determined to demolish the system of subsidy doles. Fakhar is fighting to retain it in some form or the other.
‘The ideological conflict is being seen in labor policies, too. Barring those Congressmen who either belong to top industrialist families, rare part of the urban elite none ‘else is in favor of the exit policy being pushed by the Manmohan ‘Chidambaram duo. The ideological stress is being felt acutely by those who have made their way of the political ladder through the trade union movement. The Congress affiliated Indian Trade Union Congress (INTUO), leaders have expressed their inability to support the proposed exit policy which will permit retrenchment and redeployment of surplus Labour, and they are expected to oppose it strongly. Union Minister of State for Law P.R.Kumarmanglam has made his opposition on it known the prime minister and others. Various other Congress leaders have also expressed their reservations about the content and nature of economic reforms. According to these leaders, these reforms will adversely affect the indigenous industry and benefit the multinational corporations.
The Congress (l) rank and file is ‘also among it difficult to reconcile to its top brass’ love-hate relationship with the BJP. During the inner-party discussions, they have made it clear that the Congress ‘electoral base in north India will be substantially eroded if the party is not perceived as a political alternative to the BJP. In fact, the party’s basic political plank has ‘been anti-BIP, and during the last election Rajiv’s frontal attack was ‘on the BJP and not on the other ‘opposition parties. Congressmen like Arjun Singh feel that there is of late a leaning in the party’ leadership towards the BJP, which seriously dilutes the “basi philosophy of the party Singh ever Justified to the prime minister his ‘anti-BIP stir in Madhya Pradesh ‘on the ground that it was necessary to dispel the image of the central leadership of the party being pro BJP, because otherwise the party ‘would lose in Madhya Pradesh as well.
‘The identity crisis of the Congress (I) has seeped down to the state level now. In Uttar Pradesh, the party’s leadership is unable to formulate any coherent strategy against the BJP government. Says a PCC-L office bearer. “The AICC I cannot tell us if the BJP is friend or foe.” The same incoherence with regard to policy afflicts other state units, too. In West Bengal, the PCC-I has not launched any agitation against the ruling Left Front because of the awe in which Chief Minister Jyoti Bas is held by the Center. Firebrand West Bengal Congress) leader Priya Ranjan Desmunshi has repeatedly gone on record complaining about the central leadership’s ambivalence about the Marxists in general and about Basu in particular.
‘According to middle level young Congress leader, the identity crisis has been caused by the sudden disappearance of tall leadership from the top. During the last 20 years he party could win elections not on the basis of any major electoral issues, but on the strength of charismatic leaders, who could carry the masses with them, tis for the first time, the Congressmen are feeling that they would not be able to piggy-back on someone: else’s electoral pull, Since issues like price rise, unemployment corruption, inefficient public contribution system are important. They should identify themselves with these rather than with the leadership which is formulating economic policies on the basis of hard realties rather than on popular issues.
Job reservations are yet another area where the party’s own stand is not clear. Senior leaders like Kesar and P Shiv Shankar recently told the Prime Minister that if the party failed to formulate its stand on this Vital issue, it would further erode its following in the rural areas.
‘They have even reasoned that over the last two years, the party has lost the minorities, back wands and upper caste Hindus due to its ambivalence on various issues. ‘And if it persists with the market economy approach, it would lose industrial workers’ support as well.
Some others have pleaded for returning to the India-style of politics. In fact, she used Narasimha Rao for giving representation to, backward castes in the Andhra government during his chief minister ship. She even encouraged the late Devraj Urs in Kamataka ‘and Madhavsinh Solanktin Gujarat to play the backward common card. But now the party be losing its original ideological mooring after having lost the leader,
Article extracted from this publication >> February 14, 1992
