Can Congress combat BJP by singing a track of affection?

By main the Bharat Jodo Yatra Rahul Gandhi seems to have pulled Congresspersons and liberals out of the quagmire of pessimism they had been sinking in. They’re singing praises of him as if by merely setting out on a stroll from Kanyakumari to Kashmir he had triggered a storm that might blow the Modi regime away!

We solely hope their bullishness is a propaganda pitch and never an actual feeling. For, in the event that they actually really feel that means, they’re fooling themselves. Their leaping out of a sea of despair and into one among delusion won’t assist both them or the reason for the pluralistic concept of India. For, those that try to determine a singular concept of India usually are not going to be vanquished by a number of thousand folks singing a track of affection. They’re well-entrenched within the society. They’re no extra their silly monochromatic previous selves, however are a number of steps into reworking themselves right into a rainbow.

They’ve fused singularism with welfarism. They’ve brainwashed decrease castes into carrying Hindutva hats. Buoyed by the success of their rainbow disguise, they’ve even began attempting to seduce Pasmandas, the decrease castes amongst Muslims. Hindutva is not any extra made solely of political components — its new method has financial components too.

That new method is actually an evolution of the Gujarat mannequin. Narendra Modi was the architect of the fundamental Gujarat mannequin — fusion of Hindutva with financial progress — and he’s the architect of its evolution as a fusion of Hindutva with social welfare. Within the previous Gujarat mannequin, Mr Modi was idolised as ‘Hindu hriday samrat’ (the emperor of Hindu hearts) and ‘vikas purush’ (man of progress). Within the new Gujarat mannequin, he’s deified for his mix of hardcore Hindutva with ‘garib kalyan’ (welfare of the poor).

The Congress can not supplant the brand new Gujarat mannequin with a yatra. It’ll want a far higher endeavour to take action. It’ll want a motion, a nationwide mobilisation of brave folks able to make sacrifices — for the brand new Gujarat mannequin has not solely political and financial components but in addition authorized components. It’s a lethal compound of Hindutva, welfarism and repression.

Maybe, as a substitute of main a yatra, Rahul Gandhi ought to have centered on Gujarat. That is the place the Gujarat mannequin originated. That is the place the core of the advanced Gujarat mannequin is. This can be a state which Mr Modi managed as CM and continues to manage whilst PM. On this state, Mr Modi is the BJP. The social gathering all the time sought votes on this state in his title, as it’s doing now in each state.

There was no higher place than Gujarat for the Congress to mount an assault on Mr Modi. It will elect a brand new Meeting in December. If Mr Modi had been defeated in his state, he could be lots weaker going into the Lok Sabha elections in 2024. A weakening of Mr Modi and of Modiism would imply the poor popping out of the phantasm of welfarism and throwing off their Hindutva hats. It might tear aside the social coalition of opposites he has so deftly tailor-made.

And the Congress was well-placed in Gujarat to problem Mr Modi. After practically three a long time of residing below BJP rule, an rising variety of Gujaratis had been wanting a change. The farmers weren’t joyful as their prices had been rising and incomes had been falling. Farmers who suffered crop failures owing to drought or pests confronted difficulties in receiving insurance coverage cash. Indebtedness amongst them was rising.

The residing circumstances of individuals had turned from dangerous to worse owing to rising costs. Households needed to reduce down on the bills of even important items. The poorer sections, reminiscent of tribals and Dalits, who make up 16% and seven% of the state’s inhabitants respectively, had been in deeper distress. The state authorities had didn’t create sufficient safe jobs with respectable earnings for them. The financial gulf between the better-off Patels — the core vote financial institution of the BJP — and the folks belonging to the OBCs, tribals and Dalits was rising.

State repression was rising. Protests had been curbed by the police. Farmers, who needed to go to Delhi to affix the protest towards the three farm legal guidelines, had been restrained by police. The younger dalit chief, Jignesh Mevani, who’s a Congress MLA was arrested and brought to Assam. He has been convicted in a case.

In 2017 the brutal battering of 5 Dalits by cow vigilantes at Una had resulted in Dalit mobilisation, which had helped the Congress. The Congress had carried out very properly in 2017. It received 77 seats towards the BJP’s 99 within the 182-member Meeting. The social gathering received 1.24 million votes towards the BJP’s 1.47 million. One of many main components was a vigorous marketing campaign led by Rahul Gandhi. A celebration that got here near successful energy 5 years in the past ought to have been extra animated and spirited. Rahul Gandhi ought to have invested extra time and vitality than he did in 2017. He has visited Gujarat solely twice in latest months, whereas Prime Minister Modi has used a number of events to handle the folks of Gujarat. Arvind Kejriwal has toured the state a dozen instances up to now two months.

Gujarat is but extra proof of Rahul Gandhi’s poor management. He makes dangerous strategic selections, and he lacks focus, ardour and workforce administration qualities. A celebration that got here near successful energy in 2017 ought to have consolidated its positive aspects going towards the elections in 2022. However owing to Mr Gandhi’s poor management abilities the social gathering stored on shedding its MLAs to the BJP. It even misplaced Alpesh Thakor and Hardik Patel, who had been as soon as seen as GenNext leaders. Just a few years in the past the Congress appeared rejuvenated with the induction of the trio of younger leaders — Alpesh Thakor, Hardik Patel and Jignesh Mevani. Rahul Gandhi appeared to be succeeding in his endeavour to infuse younger blood into the social gathering of ageing leaders. Nonetheless, he didn’t retain Thakor and Patel as he couldn’t steadiness their ambitions with these of the older technology leaders.

So, whereas Rahul Gandhi warmly hugs odd males, girls and youngsters on his Bharat Jodo Yatra and Congresspersons and liberals sing a refrain of affection, the Congress leaves the sphere clear for the BJP to return to energy for the seventh time in Gujarat. And it makes means for the Aam Aadmi Social gathering to stake a declare to a share of the Opposition house within the state. Are Rahul’s misplaced priorities strengthening the Congress or weakening it?

Arun Sinha is an impartial journalist and writer