Congress stands for corruption,communalism,calculativeness and cynicism
31/12/2011 15:46:58  Dr Mrs Hilda Raja

Pratap Bhanu Mehta in his article in the Indian Express (27th Dec 2010) ‘The C in Congress’ analyzes how social justice has been reduced to mere political opportunism. This is not difficult to accept because it a reality. A simple probe into the quota muddle will show that it is a tokenism and does not in any way benefit the dalits /minorities, women et al How does one arrive at such a quick conclusion?. If this inclusive strategy has been in place for the past fifty years how can we explain the fact that we have now after 67 years of Independence and parliamentary democracy more and more groups backward? How come larger and larger segments are claiming backwardness? The Congress intent is suspect-the ‘C’ stands for calculative. Is it not a vote bank crumb thrown at the poor gullible people? .Is it not an opening for drawing the powerful among the castes to claim backwardness? A recent example-Ajit Singh’s party allied with the Congress-immediately Ajit Singh was given a cabinet posting. His first demand is to include the Jats under the backward quota.So what is ‘backwardness? Is this not a calculated move on the part of the Congress and a trickery played on the real backward people?

The Congress has been in power at the Centre for more than 52 years and still it cannot think of any substantive strategy to unleash the energies and push backwardness still further down and arrest it at a minimal level of the population. By its quota system it has increased backwardness and marginalization. By the estimates of the Congress 60 to70 percent of the population are at survival level and hence the Food Security Bill. Is the Congress then not accountable for its more than 52 years of governance? What has it been doing pushing people below the poverty line and increasing their dependence?

Reservation and quota system has definitely increased dependence and increased political looting. The minorities are kept as minorities because it serves the political class to ghetto them so. It is strange that on one side the Congress wants to consider itself as secular and non communal but it is a mirage because the Congress is the most Communal party-abetting communalism at a very high price by dividing the people into segments- manageable and consolidating them as vote banks-in the process suppressing them into a voiceless, powerless and starved people. Hence they must thank Mrs Sonia Gandhi’s gracious gesture for the Food Security Bill to distribute subsidy grains for their survival. The empty stomach will remain always half empty and the people will be unable to stand erect and realize that the have been cheated-their assets robbed and their rights trampled.

This is the democracy we have after 67 years of Freedom to keep a people subservient with outstretched arms for the tokenism to fall through the benevolence of the extra constitutional power-namely Mrs Sonia Gandhi. And we call this democracy. And she with her Catholic upbringing cannot but think in terms of liberation and independence-having been inbred in the culture of patronizing and throwing tokenism. Let the poor remain poor-only then her benevolence can be exercised for her salvation.

By the Congress accounts we have more than 60-70 percent on survival levels and is it not time for us to question the Congress what was its business of governance? Why this state of affairs? Why are more and more people on starvation and below the poverty line? Why are people with all the quota systems become more and more backward?

 

Compare this with the Parliamentarians who suddenly have realized that they are supreme and are the lawmakers. Does not matter if quite a number of them are law breakers. Does not matter if 60 percent of them are crorepathis and the rest millionaires .This is parliamentary democracy where we are told that the rich is said to represent the poor and its interest. Is there logic in this? The rich will only safeguard the vested interest of the rich and the corporate world. How can they represent the half stomachs and the millions with out stretched hands? This hard truth must seep then Parliament will not puff its self and beat its breast saying ‘we are the law makers’ ‘we are the representatives of the people’ May we ask whom they represent? It is this arrogance which has made Parliament look down with scorn on Anna team. Even Amartya Sen has decried the ‘street people’-The struggle is between those who claim to represent the people and the people themselves. Who have realized that Parliament does not represent them anymore? This is the betrayal.

It is in this background that one must also recognize the cheap slogan and vote catching business that Rahul has engaged himself in UP. ‘Untie our hands which you have tied for 22 years.’ pleads Rahul Gandhi.He forgets that his party and his family’s misrule is revealed in the numbers who need Food Security. The country for the past 52 years was ruled by the Congress-a most corrupt and communal party cannot ask for its hands to be untied in UP. The Congress had cheated the people by waving its HAND. Looting of the public exchequer, scams one a day-more yet to come, an indifferent Congress government, a Communal party which has only divided the people into segments of communalism  and castes cannot be given a fresh lease at the Centre and in the States. Let others take over the reins of governance and let us watch and wait to see if the outstretched arms will roll up into fists, if the stomachs will be filled, if the 60-70 percent of the population will be able to stand erect and demand their rights. This power –this charter must and will come from pavement squatters and street people. It is these people who you betrayed through your cunning- these are the people who you cheated because of their starvation and won their votes. The vote bank appeasement is divisive and instead of integration we see division of people on the basis of religion.

What does it matter which religion one follows. Religion is transcending. So a quota on the basis of religion in Lokpal is uncalled for-what is needed is upright persons and not persons belonging to a range of religions and castes. It is relevant to note that be it black money or fight against corruption had the Opposition not taken up these issues and Anna team not put up a fight in the streets these would not have been the priorities of the Congress. I reinforce what Pratap Banu Mehta has stated in his article that the ‘C’ in Congress stands for communalism, corruption, calculativeness and cynicism. Down with the Congress.