Congress continues its blundering
Since the day the Congress lost the election, the party's pronouncements have acquired an supercilious and condescending tone.
Ajay Maken, once Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs in the erstwhile UPA dispensation has chosen his Twitter handle towhat else - run down Smriti Irani, Narendra Modi's HRD Minister. But who is Smriti Irani? Of course this question has been asked before - and replied - most tellingly and eloquently by Prime Minister Modi while campaigning in Amethi. But Maken has chosen to stir the waters again through his chosen vehicle of communication-twitter. A twitter profile that has been doubly verified by the much valued blue check mark and a banner photograph of the "Chief Communication Strategist" of the Congress Party looking on at Rahul Gandhi. No prizes for guessing the portly middle aged Mr Maken's qualifications for the Sports and Youth Ministry.
Hypochondriac
Since the day the Congress lost the election, the party's pronouncements have acquired an supercilious and condescending tone. Losing is never easy but a lack of respect for the verdict now extends to a derision of elected representatives and Ministers even before they have started working. Their numbers in Parliament do deny them the legitimacy of an Opposition that can be taken seriously but this does not mean that their vigilance is reduced to swipes that kitty party regulars may take at each other on boozy afternoons. The Congress have a role to play even if they do not realize it. As the largest national party they remain a future alternative for the voter who was frustrated by the lack of alternatives this election . This ordinary voter is not being weaned off power and dreading the prospect of at least five years on the margins of history like the erstwhile Congress ministers but is instead accepting a new government and pushing aside apprehensions with hopes of a better future.
On the other hand, the Grand Old Party instead of putting on its trainers and hitting the road insists on behaving like hypochondriac with no ailment but an intense desire for attention and being proved right in their diagnosis. But even a diagnosis (be it a biased one) requires investigation and the time to be taken seriously.
The issue is not Ms. Irani's qualifications for the job. One wishes that she succeeds and proves her detractors wrong given that degrees are no substitute for hard work and honest intentions. I shall not even bother going through the rigour of pulling out examples of academically challenged achievers-of which there are plenty in politics and in life- since these times of artless jibes make such articulations unnecessary. Neither is Mr. Maken the sole perpetrator of this kind of speak. However given his position as the communications apparatchik of the Congress he automatically becomes representative of the bitterness that is the Congress position. It is time the Congress reconciles itself to the reality of its defeat. For if it does not, electoral defeat may not be its only loss.
Criticism
However electoral loss does show up some new facets to personalities. Who knew that the Congress party had so many foodies? But the chatter about biryani and dhoklas did not undermine the tactility of the handshake that was needed between two neighbours locked in a perpetual bout of shadow boxing. Sure, the Congress could have taken this step, the fact is that they didn't. Sure, there would have been criticism, but they chose to avoid it. Prime Minister Modi is no stranger to criticism so he doesn't quite bother with it. Dhoklas were served, hands were shaken, Chief Ministers dropped out, commentators from across the border exulted and some on our side rushed to call it a "victory." The ordinary voter watched it all on television and the Congress spoke about biryani and coronations (the latter unintentionally revelatory).
Bitterness
For those of us looking for justice for 26/11 and who knew some of those who died in the attacks - the fact that the issue was addressed mattered. This was a step closer to some kind of resolution, no matter what was on the menu, which seemed to be the Congress's primary concern.
In their great hurry to remind the voter that they have made the wrong decision, the Congress remains the bitter single at the wedding party, the one who sits in the corner and keeps saying, "It's never going to work out" till no one is really listening. But let's assume that it's not going to work out at least eventually. It's still not a smart idea to tell someone that they got it wrong and in this case I mean the voter. Especially, if you have nothing more to offer than one-liners. This isn't an intellectual argument, it's actually a common sense one, because the voter, dear leaders does not have time to play intellectual footsie with you. Save that for the canteen in parliament. The ordinary citizen is going to conveniently pick up on the noises you're making and if all he is hearing are disgruntled grunts, guess whom he's not going to choose? Remember, no one likes a whiner. Everyone has 99 problems but they're not about to make grumpy politicians one of them.
- The author scripted the story of the much acclaimed film Kahaani