Skip to main content

Brahmanical legacy? Spineless paratroopers leaving Congress 'shouldn't worry' party

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*
The so-called 'exodus' of spineless paratroopers from the Congress party should not worry anyone. At the moment, any such parasite who can abuse the Gandhis and the Congress would be seen by the Manuwadi Brahmin-Bania media as BJP's great achievement.
Most of these paratroopers actually enjoyed unlimited powers in the Congress because of their 'jaati' and their degrees from various universities abroad. They are great at 'arguments' and fight cases like a 'lawyer', which means whichever party funds them, they will twist their arguments accordingly.
Politics is not about being a 'great debater' or being 'argumentative', but also commitment to ideology and convictions. Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar used to call the Indian National Congress a Brahmanical party because it rarely spoke about social change, as most of the leaders were committed to varna dharma, and were not ready to fight for the annihilation of caste.
However, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru was a visionary, hence India developed policies which benifitted all segments of society, particularly scheduled castes and tribes (SC and ST) and other marginalised sections. Public sector undertakings grew. India under him was largely a welfare state.
The party faced a huge crisis after Indira Gandhi came to power. She nationalised banks, ended privy purses and took the issue of SCs, STs and minorities seriously. The Congress' right-wing lobby at that time led by Morarji Desai opposed all this. Desai, a staunch opponent of nationalisation of bank, failed to read what the masses wanted.
Indira Gandhi got massive mandate and all the kshatrapas were defeated. The people who left the Congress at that time and challenged Indira Gandhi were leaders of the party, but not rootless, yet they got defeated.
Right now, the people who are leaving the Congress are mostly the backyard boys of the Brahmanical elite. Many of them can't fight elections. When they did, they lost heavily. Yet they want to preside over the party and deliberate.
Rahul Gandhi's Congress gave these people more importance than what they deserved. These people remained uncomfortable with the agenda of social justice. They sang songs of secularism and against the 'economic' policies, but as soon as Rahul Gandhi spoke so eloquently for social justice, caste census and representation, these drawing room manipulators actually felt they have no space.
There is a big reality which Rahul Gandhi needs. The Congress was an ocean where all kinds of forces had space to survive, but now time has come when such adjustment will not work. All such forces could only survive in the Congress because the Brahmanical elite had control over the party.
As long as this Brahmanical elite has control of the party and power, these people were ready to sing the song of social justice, but as soon as they realised that the marginalised were seeking representation in the power structure and the Congress party was ready to accommodate them, they get panicky and looked for green pastures.
I can understand their pain as they feel that the Congress has become 'dishahin' or directionless, but if they were really committed to ideology, they should have stayed out of the BJP. They have enough money to engage with people, do social work, or even join other secular parties. But by singing the 'sanatana' rag, they have proved that they are nothing but pure believers of the Brahmin-Bania hegemony, which is being challenged, hence they moved out.
Rahul Gandhi would need to understand that even in the past the Congress was dominated by forces which had no root. Pranab Mukherjee and Ghulam Nabi Azad and many others who presided over the fate of the leaders of the party never had the courage to face the people. Mukherjee dominated the party for long but could only enter the Lok Sabha with Mamata Banerjee's support.
He would speak on anything but could not make the Congress a force in West Bengal. In the end, he started hobnobbing with RSS and BJP to be in power. Everybody knew his relations with Reliance. It was Mukherjee who mishandled the Anna Hazare movement that benefited BJP enormously.
Similarly, Ghulam Nabi Azad enjoyed everything in the party without giving the party anything. He is now happy to join NDA. The point is, the Congress needs to understand the importance of convictions and ideology as well as mass leaders. To the credit of Rahul Gandhi, the Congress is now looking towards a categorical ideological force to fight against the Sangh Parivar's tainted vision of an exclusive India which excludes the minorities and the marginalised.
Already, Narendra Modi and the Sangh Parivar do not like rights-based politics, which they feel has destroyed India. In their scheme of things, Indians should be tied to 'duties' alone, and that too as dictated by RSS and the huge number of Manuwadi babas that would preach you to follow their view f things.
Rahul Gandhi and the Congress must focus on fighting the Lok Sabha elections seriously. There is a massive undercurrent, and the Congress and the INDIA alliance partners need to focus on the issues of the people. They must speak about a united and inclusive India, where everyone grow and prosper.
All the recent "cross overs" have happened during electioneering, but it should not hurt. The Congress is getting cleansed. It does not need those who have no trust in social justice and inclusive politics. The Congress needs to honour leaders like Digvijay Singh, who has given the Congress more than any of his contemporaries. A man who remains committed to the Congress ideals and social justice, it is the Brahmanical coterie in the Congress which vilifies him.
Let the Congress and the INDIA alliance offer committed and credible pro-people candidates and start campaigning seriously. People of India are looking for a change, and without the Congress as the central figure, this wouldn't be not possible.
The Congress should wake up and fight to provide an alternative to people. Everywhere, people are realising that the Congress had always been a better alternative than any of the other parties which replaced it. Parties do make mistakes and people teach them lessons. Now it is time for the Congress to act and fight the battle seriously as India is looking for a change.
---
*Human rights defender

Comments

TRENDING

Loktantra Bachao Abhiyan raises concerns over Jharkhand Adivasis' plight in Assam, BJP policies

By Our Representative  The Loktantra Bachao Abhiyan (Save Democracy Campaign) has issued a pressing call to protect Adivasi rights in Jharkhand, highlighting serious concerns over the treatment of Jharkhandi Adivasis in Assam. During a press conference in Ranchi on November 9, representatives from Assam, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh criticized the current approach of BJP-led governments in these states, arguing it has exacerbated Adivasi struggles for rights, land, and cultural preservation.

Promoting love or instilling hate and fear: Why is RSS seeking a meeting with Rahul Gandhi?

By Ram Puniyani*  India's anti-colonial struggle was marked by a diverse range of social movements, one of the most significant being Hindu-Muslim unity and the emergence of a unified Indian identity among people of all religions. The nationalist, anti-colonial movement championed this unity, best embodied by Mahatma Gandhi, who ultimately gave his life for this cause. Gandhi once wrote, “The union that we want is not a patched-up thing but a union of hearts... Swaraj (self-rule) for India must be an impossible dream without an indissoluble union between the Hindus and Muslims of India. It must not be a mere truce... It must be a partnership between equals, each respecting the religion of the other.”

A Marxist intellectual who dwelt into complex areas of the Indian socio-political landscape

By Harsh Thakor*  Professor Manoranjan Mohanty has been a dedicated advocate for human rights over five decades. His work as a scholar and activist has supported revolutionary democratic movements, navigating complex areas of the Indian socio-political landscape. His balanced, non-partisan approach to human rights and social justice has made his books essential resources for advocates of democracy.

Four J&K MLAs visit Wular lake, pledge support to fisher community, environmental conservation

By Shamim Ahmed*   In a historic meeting that highlighted both environmental and social concerns, four Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) visited Wular Lake to meet with the fisherfolk community, signaling a significant step in addressing their longstanding issues. This gathering, organized with the support of dedicated advocates, marks a strengthening of efforts to both safeguard the lake’s ecosystem and support the community’s welfare.

Supreme Court’s dismissal of PIL on Covid vaccine safety is counter to known science and mathematics

By Bhaskaran Raman*  On 14 Oct 2024, the Supreme Court of India dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) on the side-effects of the Covid vaccine. In 2021, the world saw the rollout of various Covid vaccine candidates. In India, Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin and Serum Institute of India’s Covishield were rolled out. Covishield was nothing but Oxford’s AstraZeneca relabelled in India. The importance of open-minded and scientific probe of Covid vaccine safety In 2020/2021, all Covid vaccines were authorized for emergency use, which meant that the necessary efficacy and safety follow-up was incomplete at that time. The originally approved trials – called randomised controlled trials (RCT) had a “vaccine” group and a “placebo” group for comparison. Such experimental comparison/control is the cornerstone of the scientific method – which even children learn in photosynthesis experiments in class-1. The vaccine trials were scheduled to conclude in late 2022/early 2023. For instance, Covax...

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

A Hindu alternative to Valentine's Day? 'Shiv-Parvati was first love marriage in Universe'

By Rajiv Shah  The other day, I was searching on Google a quote on Maha Shivratri which I wanted to send to someone, a confirmed Shiv Bhakt, quite close to me -- with an underlying message to act positively instead of being negative. On top of the search, I chanced upon an article in, imagine!, a Nashik Corporation site which offered me something very unusual. 

Right-arm fast bowler who helped West Indies shape arguably greatest Test team in cricket history

By Harsh Thakor*  Malcolm Marshall redefined what it meant to be a right-arm fast bowler, challenging the traditional laws of biomechanics with his unique skill. As we remember his 25th death anniversary on November 4th, we reflect on the legacy he left behind after his untimely death from colon cancer. For a significant part of his career, Marshall was considered one of the fastest and most formidable bowlers in the world, helping to shape the West Indies into arguably the greatest Test team in cricket history.

Buddhist shrines were 'massively destroyed' by Brahmanical rulers: Historian DN Jha

Nalanda mahavihara By Our Representative Prominent historian DN Jha, an expert in India's ancient and medieval past, in his new book , "Against the Grain: Notes on Identity, Intolerance and History", in a sharp critique of "Hindutva ideologues", who look at the ancient period of Indian history as "a golden age marked by social harmony, devoid of any religious violence", has said, "Demolition and desecration of rival religious establishments, and the appropriation of their idols, was not uncommon in India before the advent of Islam".

Will Left victory in Sri Lanka deliver economic sovereignty plan, go beyond 'tired' IMF agenda?

By Atul Chandra, Vijay Prashad*  On September 22, 2024, the Sri Lankan election authority announced that Anura Kumara Dissanayake of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)-led National People’s Power (NPP) alliance won the presidential election. Dissanayake, who has been the leader of the left-wing JVP since 2014, defeated 37 other candidates, including the incumbent president Ranil Wickremesinghe of the United National Party (UNP) and his closest challenger Sajith Premadasa of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya.