THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Is Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Bharat Jodo’ yatra dropping focus throughout its Kerala leg? The reply to that query, sadly, must be within the affirmative.
The Congress had began the yatra with the categorical goal of countering the BJP-led Union Authorities’s ‘divisive and anti-federal agenda. A laudable goal certainly. However, sadly, the yatra, throughout its 19-day lengthy Kerala leg, has been extra vital of the CPI(M)- led Left Democratic Entrance (LDF) Authorities’s insurance policies. This, the LDFF leaders really feel, is completely unwarranted and defeated the very function of the yatra, which has, undoubtedly, energized lakhs of Congress activists not solely in Kerala but in addition in different components of the nation. The elevating of regional points, as an alternative of concentrating on bigger points like communal polarization, the politics of hatred and hovering unemployment, can solely assist the BJP-RSS mix. The goal, the LDF leaders really feel, ought to be to isolate and defeat the forces of communalism and the majoritarian politics menacing the nation’s cohesion and unity.
The LDF leaders are notably peeved over the assault by a number of Congress leaders, notably senior social gathering chief Jairam Ramesh’s outburst towards Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. This was nothing however an insult of the Kerala CM, they identified. Additionally, the Congress leaders ought to keep in mind that within the battle towards the BJP on the nationwide degree, the social gathering’s effort ought to be to make sure complete opposition unity. The CPI(M) is a crucial ally on this battle and any try and preserve it out can solely be useful to the BJP. CPI(M) leaders are notably sad over Rahul’s assembly in Thiruvananthapuram with the Latin Catholic Archdiocese to focus on the coastal neighborhood’s agitation towards the Vizhinjam port on the nationwide degree. Equally, Rahul’s interplay with anti-SilverLine protesters has additionally not gone down properly with the LDF.
It’s gratifying, nonetheless, to notice the measured response of CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan to the assaults of Congress leaders. He stated the CPI(M), which isn’t towards the yatra, wouldn’t exit of the best way to criticize it. Nevertheless it reserved its proper to criticize it if and when the event demanded such a response. The CPI(M)’s solely grouse, Govindan stated, is that Rahul’s emphasis on native points had relegated extra critical nationwide issues to the background.
Congress leaders, nonetheless, really feel that the CPI(M) also needs to restrain its leaders from launching broadsides towards the social gathering and Rahul Gandhi. They cited, in defence of their argument, the CPI(M) tweet with Rahul’s caricature. Congress leaders stated they thought that this isn’t being completed with out the information of CPI(M) normal secretary Sitaram Yechury. In actual fact, Rahul Gandhi shares rapport with Yechury, they opined. This being the bottom actuality, CPI(M) leaders ought to keep away from private assaults towards Rahul. That was the burden of their track.
In equity, it should be stated that the CPI(M) has rightly justified its stand that the Congress ought to be extra aggressive in its criticism of the Centre’s divisive insurance policies. They’re additionally aghast that the yatra is spending 19 days in a state the place a Left Authorities is in energy whereas it should spend solely two days in Uttar Pradesh, the spine of the BJP-RSS duo. There are stories that in response to the CPI(M)’s criticism, the Congress has determined to increase its Uttar Pradesh leg of the yatra by three extra days. Even this isn’t sufficient. The yatra ought to spend a minimum of 10 days in that State whether it is actually critical about making a powerful and nationwide anti-BJP influence. Such a stance would have deflected criticism that the Congress just isn’t critical in its goal to counter the BJP. All just isn’t misplaced. There’s nonetheless time to use the correctives. That is of paramount significance because the yatra has badly rattled the BJP. That’s clear from the knee-jerk and nervous response of the BJP leaders, together with House Minister Amit Shah.
Final however not the least, the Congress ought to construct on the momentum created by the yatra. The passion witnessed throughout Rahul’s yatra ought to be channelized right into a individuals’s motion aimed toward capturing energy on the Centre. An important pre-requisite on this Herculean job is a powerful organisation which may measure as much as the challenges posed by the mighty BJP juggernaut. It’s a golden alternative for the Congress to revitalize the social gathering and its group. The social gathering ought to bend all its energies to the duty of getting the social gathering into prime form and battle-ready to tackle the BJP within the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. (IPA Service)
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