Rahul Gandhi raised caste issue, but Congress 'failed' to take up Dalit, Adivasi, OBC cause

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*
The election results in the four States came on expected lines, except for those who were thinking too highly of Rajasthan's 'schemes' and Chhattisgarh's 'governance' model. In both the places, the Congress chief ministers were overconfident of their schemes. The governance structure remained lacklustre, and no effort was made to create an ideological projection of the rule of law and constitutionalism to counter the BJP narrative.
In fact, in all the States, the Congress tried hard to look like BJP. The leaders who were 'projected' as the OBC face rarely bothered to speak about OBC, Dalit and Adivasi issues. They were purely fixated to Brahmanical narratives.
The Congress needed to promote rule of law, secularism, inclusion and constitutionalism. It should have invoked the legacy of the great leaders of the past, but that is not possible if you don't follow what you preach.
Rahul Gandhi's caste census plank looked absolutely hollow when the party leadership and structure does not have the space for Dalits, OBCs, Adivasis and Muslims. How many national spokespersons or State level leaders in the party belong to these segments?
Rahul Gandhi campaigned sincerely, and is the biggest influencer for the Congress. There remains no doubt that he tried hard to build a counter narrative, but those entrusted to reach to the masses had no connection or no sincerity on the Dalit-OBC-Adivasi issues.
Look at Kamal Nath. He failed to deliver a single Lok Sabha seat in 2019 despite being chief minister. He did not take moral responsibility. Same was the case with Ashok Gahlot. They ended up damaging the Congress.
The infighting in Rajasthan cost a lot. The Congress needed to rebuild social coalition inside the party apparatus. People will never trust Kamal Nath over Shivraj Singh Chauhan. Despite all his drawbacks, Shivraj Singh Chauhan remains the most agreeable and acceptable face in the BJP. Sidelining him would be extremely difficult.
While Rahul Gandhi raised the issue of caste census in these states, his party had no time to speak to smaller parties. They could have settled with less than 20 seats and would have provided him a bigger help in championing the OBC cause. This issue will come up in Talangana too. The party needs to be ready for such issues because communities want their share in power.
The result also shows the crisis of the first-past-the-post voting system. Indeed, there is not much difference in the vote share between the BJP and the Congress, yet the difference in seats is too big. Here comes the importance of alliance with smaller outfits. The Congress needs to nurture such alliances. But it remains arrogant.
It will be good for the party if it learns a few lessons. Kamal Nath and Ashok Gehlot should be dumped. There is a need to develop leadership on the basis of social coalition with strong ideological shift. Most importantly, while there is a need to respect powerful kshatrapas, they must work in coordination with the Central leadership and follow the guidance of professionals.
Kamal Nath never wanted Rahul Gandhi to campaign in Madhya Pradesh, and instead focussed on Priyanka Gandhi, who did temple hopping. While Rahul Gandhi spoke about caste census, the party never attempted to reach up to Dalits and OBCs. On the other hand, it lost upper caste votes. He must remember that his slogans will be empty if the party cadres and leaders do not take the message to the ground.

Also, it needs to do a lot of research on what is fit for the Congress in Telangana, and whether this fits Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. Rahul Gandhi needs to pick up State and community issues , but his voice will be taken seriously only when he shows them his own model of governance, which is inclusive.

Ashok Gehlot was unable to counter Hindutva narrative; he failed to act against cow vigilantes, and did not provide confidence to Dalits

Ashok Gehlot was unable to counter Hindutva narrative ideologically; he failed to act against the cow vigilantes, and did not provide confidence to Dalits in Rajasthan. Instead, he thought that his 'welfare schemes' would win him the day. It helped but fell far short of expectations.

The battle is still open as far as the Lok Sabha elections are concerned. Yes, it will help BJP enormously in building the narrative. The Congress had not won a single seat in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan in the last elections despite heading governments in these two states.

Now, when it has lost the assembly election, the leadership should focus strongly on the next election, build alliances everywhere to stop split in the opposition votes. Even if the Congress sticks with the voting percentage of the assembly polls in the Lok Sabha in these states, it may win many seats. So, there is no need for disappointment.
The victory in Telangana is historic. The Congress must try to keep the promises made to the people of the State. It must hold on to Karnataka and keep a close eye on the JDS-BJP alliance. The party must ensure that Siddaramaiah and Shiv Kumar don't clash like Gehlot and Sachin Pilot.
It is essential for the Congress leaders to be ready to sacrifice their position for the sake of the growth of the party. Congress leaders have proved that they are power hungry unlike the Gandhi family who have been fiercely fighting the battle despite all personal setbacks.
Rahul Gandhi and the Congress need to be careful of their words in public. Indeed, Hindi is not the forte of Rahul Gandhi, and therefore he should be extremely careful and not compete with Modi on this count. He must present the power of secular values, rule of law, constitutional morality, India of Gandhi, Ambedkar, Bhagat Singh, Maulana Azad, Nehru, Birsa Munda and Subhas Bose.
Lastly, the issue of level playing field, authenticity of EVMs, and failure to maintain impartiality, VVPAT counting, misuse of the officials, raids on opposition during elections, are equally important, and cannot be wished away. It is time our institutions reflect the will of the Constitution and play an impartial role so that democracy is strengthened.
---
*Human rights defender. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vbrawat. X: @freetohumanity. Skype: @vbrawat

Comments

Designing the edge, erasing the river: Sabarmati Riverfront and the dissonance between ecology and planning

By Mansee Bal Bhargava, Parth Patel Across India, old black-and-white images of the Sabarmati River are often juxtaposed with vibrant photos of the modern Sabarmati Riverfront. This visual contrast is frequently showcased as a model of development, with the Sabarmati Riverfront serving as a blueprint for over a hundred proposed riverfront projects nationwide. These images are used to forge an implicit public consensus on a singular idea of development—shifting from a messy, evolving relationship between land and water to a rigid, one-time design intervention. The notion of regulating the unregulated has been deeply embedded into public consciousness—especially among city makers, planners, and designers. Urban rivers across India are undergoing a dramatic transformation, not only in terms of their land-water composition but in the very way we understand and define them. Here, we focus on one critical aspect of that transformation: the river’s edge.

Top civil rights leader announces plan to lead delegation to Pakistan amidst post-war tensions

By A Representative In a significant move, well-known academic and civil rights leader Sandeep Pandey has announced the plan to send a 22-member delegation to Pakistan to engage in dialogue with its government and civil society. The delegation proposed to go to Pakistan under the banner of Socialist Party (India) as a fact-finding mission to help seek solution to continuing tensions between the two countries over the fallout of the Pahalgam terror attack.

J&K's Mallabuchan villagers symbolically cut Off pipeline in protest against ‘water injustice’

By A Representative In a striking act of peaceful protest, residents of Mallabuchan village in Jammu and Kashmir's Budgam district symbolically disconnected the Ahmadpora-Tangmarg water pipeline on Thursday, denouncing decades of official neglect and violation of Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) norms.

Primary sources of the underground Naxalite movement (1965–71): An analytical compilation

By Harsh Thakor* Voices from the Underground: Select Naxalite Documents (1965–71) is a compilation of documents and writings related to the Naxalite movement, spanning the period between 1965 and 1992. The collection includes materials not widely available through mainstream publishers and often considered controversial by the state. It is divided into two sections and contains eighteen documents authored by individuals associated with the movement.

A healthier model for goat-based livelihoods in remote Madhya Pradesh villages

By Bharat Dogra While buffaloes and cows often receive greater attention in animal husbandry-related government development schemes, goats remain vital for poorer households. Therefore, enhancing goat-based livelihoods is especially important for marginalized communities—particularly when such efforts reduce villagers' costs and lower goat mortality rates. One promising strategy involves training local villagers, especially women, to provide essential veterinary services. A welcome byproduct of this is that several women gain a respected source of income within their own villages.

Relevance of historical foot marches like Dandi and Salt march in achieving developmental goals in India

By Bharat Dogra India has a great tradition of organizing foot marches, including some which become historically very important, the most obvious example being the Dandi Salt March under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi which is a very important chapter in the freedom movement of India.

Few Bollywood actors possessed Sanjeev Kumar's subtle detachment and sensitivity

By Harsh Thakor On 9th July, we celebrated the 85th birthday of legendary Hindi film actor, Sanjeev Kumar., known as Haribhai Jariwala. Sanjeev Kumar penetrated zones of versatility or acting craft, almost unparalleled in Hindi cinema. He was one one the very few who touched horizons of true genius, transcending regions in acting virtually unexplored. Rarely did any artist get stuck as thickly into the skin of the character. The diversity of expressions in his moves reminded one of the different water colours of a painting. Sanjeev manifested the ventures of an artist to tap the regions unexplored. He simply defied all conventions of Bollywood, making path breaking experiments. His acting had a subtle degree detachment and sensitivity, which few Bollywood actors ever possessed. He may not have possessed the drop dead looks of a Dev Anand, Dharmendra or Sashi Kapoor or the professionalism or star charisma of an Amitabh Bachan, Rajesh Khanna or Shah Rukh Khan. However in pure acting...

Ecological alarm over pumped storage projects in Western Ghats: Policy analyst writes to PM

By A Representative In a detailed letter addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, energy and climate policy analyst Shankar Sharma has raised grave concerns over the escalating approval and construction of Pumped Storage Projects (PSPs) across India’s ecologically fragile river valleys. He has warned that these projects, if pursued unchecked, could result in irreparable damage to the country’s riverine ecology, biodiversity hotspots, and forest wealth—particularly in the Western Ghats.

Guru Dutt: The melancholy visionary who redefined Indian cinema

By Harsh Thakor* Iconic Indian director and actor Guru Dutt was just 39 years old when he died in 1964, but he left behind a cinematic legacy that continues to resonate. On July 9, the world marks the birth centenary of this cinematic wizard. Guru Dutt, whose name epitomises the golden era of Indian cinema, left an indelible mark with his talents as a director, producer, and actor. He elevated the art of filmmaking to new heights, bringing innovative storytelling to unexplored domains. Like the protagonist of "Pyaasa", true recognition came to Dutt only after his passing. Cinema enthusiasts continue to wonder what more he might have achieved had he lived longer.

Search This Blog