By KUSHAL JEENA
Admitting that it has lost total connect with the people of India that led to party’s repeated humiliating electoral drubbing, the Congress has resolved to bring changes in the 30-year old neo-liberal economic policy of the country that the party had initiated in 1991 finding it as only way out to regain faith among down-trodden and marginalized section of the country.
The party also chalked out a new and comprehensive blueprint for its workers and leaders to reconnect with the masses to achieve its lost glory. Following a three-day brainstorming session at Udaipur, the grand old party of the country charted out a new trajectory that brought changes in its perception towards the economic situation, politics, organisation, social, youth and culture that confront the nation.
“Keeping in view the global and domestic scenario, the economic policy must be changed. The basis of the new economic policy must be the generation of jobs. Jobless growth should have no place in India. We oppose the policies of the Narendra Modi government that do not create any jobs. The new economic policy must also address issues such as unemployment, poverty, starvation and malnutrition, “the declaration emphasized.
The position that the Congress party has now taken on the economic policy should have been addressed much earlier because the pace of privatization with which the Modi government has embarked upon is set to create a Sri Lanka like situation in India later or sooner. This is also expected to help the party regain its lost faith among the poor and marginalized section of the country that have suffered most because this neoliberal economic policy is not based on job creations and doesn’t address burning issues like unemployment, poverty, starvation and malnutrition.
Over 400 leaders of the Congress party hailing from every nook and corner of the country had hot debates on almost all the issues confronting the country currently. On the key sector of agriculture the declaration demanded that the MS Swaminathan Committee report on calculating the MSP must be implemented besides increase in the wages under MGNREGA.
In the brainstorming session it seems the main opposition Congress party has identified three key issues that require an urgent attention and action included farm sector, communal hatred and pro-rich economic policy besides overhauling of its old and obsolete organizational sector and election management.
.In order to counter the charges of the dynasty system prevailing in the party the policy of “one family, one ticket” would be put in place with a general exception if either of the family members worked in the party organisation for at least five years. No person will be allowed to hold a party position for more than five years. Those who are under 50 will have 50 per cent representation at all levels of the party’s organisation. The Congress president will also set up an advisory group from among Congress Working Committee (CWC) members to deliberate on political challenges. In its bid to reach out to the common people, the session also decided to hold a nationwide rally that paves the way for its reconnection with the masses.
“I have said that we must have a mass contact programme, where all of us, regardless of our age, our position, go to the people of India and spend, not one day, not two days, but, months with the people of India. Understand what the people of India want and what the people of India are saying; what the farmers want, what the labourers want,” Rahul Gandhi said in his keynote address to the gathering.
Outlining the road-map for the future in her Presidential address Sonia Gandhi said: “The party will launch a national Kanyakumari to Kashmir Bharat Jodo Yatra beginning on Gandhi Jayanti this year. All of us will participate in it. The Yatra is to strengthen the bonds of social harmony that are under stress, to preserve the foundational values of our Constitution that are under assault and to highlight the day-to-day concerns of crores of our people”. Taking a tough and clear stand on the issue of communal hatred that has currently spread over in the different parts of the country, the Congress has given a clear message to the minorities particularly the Muslim that it stands by them and will do every possible thing to protect them. The Udaipur declaration was placed before the Congress Working Committee, the apex decision making body of the party for debate and subsequent approval.
Most of the proposals suggested by rebels were accommodated in the declaration; it appeared that a majority of the participants still pitched for Rahul to take over the party’s leadership. The issue of Rahul Gandhi taking over reins of the party again was left to the organizational polls with most of the people expressing confidence that Rahul will eventually be elected as the new President of the party during the elections
The most of the dissenting leaders barring Kapil Sibal were present in the session and were not only invited to the shivir but made convenors of key discussion panels. Bhupinder Singh Hooda was made a convenor of the panel related to farmers and agriculture while others like Manish Tewari, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Anand Sharma and others were represented in other such panels.
“One Family, One Person”, having a dedicated election management committee, better representation of young leaders in committees, democratising party committees – right from the booth level – by nominating workers from different backgrounds, better representation of caste groups, a public insight committee to get feedback from the ground through the year, and making position-holders accountable, restricting terms for party posts, all found a place in the Udaipur declaration.
The party leaders who participated in panel relating to communal harmony debated the issue threadbare and were initially divided as Bhupesh Baghel and Kamal Nath in favour of party following a soft-hindutva line on the ground that in the past party had to pay heavy prices for taking a non-majoritarian political line. However, leaders from the south pitched strongly for taking a strong secular line to combat BJP and deliver an ideological clarity to party workers.
The majority of the party leaders opted for a secular line arguing that batting on the BJP’s pitch won’t pay desired dividends.
Both Sonia and Rahul anchored their concluding remarks on an “ideological fight” with the BJP; it seems improbable that the party would consent to taking what is called a “soft Hindutva” political line. However, most leaders agreed that for the Congress to defeat the BJP, it has to reach out to a large section of Hindus, including those caste groups which have been unrepresented and underrepresented. This has also been mentioned in the declaration, and has come at a time when BJP’s multi-layered outreach programme has managed to win over a large section among these marginalised groups.