Belgavi Resolutions Signal Ideological Changes, But Cong Needs More

If we take the ideological orientation of the Congress, Dr Manmohan Singh appears to be influencing it hugely, as it is really a great achievement for a man who never claimed credit for being a political ideologue

It is only coincidental that the Indian National Congress came out with a concrete program against the institutional decline of democracy in India when the nation was bidding adieu to former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh. The Belgavi session of the Congress Working Committee has showcased the new vigor the Congress has infused in its cadre and leadership. The credit goes to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi.

Dr Manmohan Singh will be remembered for the grace and dignity he gave to the post of prime minister. He showed that even in difficult times, one can adhere to one’s commitments. He showed faith in democratic institutions and respected dissent. He never tried to suppress the voices he disagreed with. His tenure saw unrestricted activity by institutions such as the Comptroller, Auditor General, and the Central Vigilance Commission. However, he was never seen pressurizing them or trying to denigrate them.

Dr Singh’s death will certainly initiate some debate over Prime Minister Modi's political conduct. The social media is full of video clips that exhibit his grace in dealing with the opposition leaders and not taking political attacks as personal ones. He will also be remembered for his works towards making Indian democracy more transparent, liberal, and responsive. The laws like the Right to Information (RTI), the Right to Education, and the Food Security Act empowered citizens. He showed how a prime minister should be ready to take questions. People will remember how he regularly addressed press conferences and made himself available for parliamentary questions. His tenure saw a robust system of collecting data and their dissemination. We have seen how the current regime has destroyed all the systems of data collection so that we do not have authentic data on poverty, health, or the economy of the country. One incident is worth remembering. A department of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was not ready to release data on malnutrition and wanted to postpone its release. He prevailed on the department to release them. He publicly accepted the failure of the government to curb child malnutrition.

The resolutions at the Belgavi session of the Congress Working Committee show that despite the Congress having moved ahead in attacking cronyism and increased corporate control on democracy, it still sticks to the changes Manmohan Singh has brought out in the core ideology of the party. The Congress is yet to revisit its economic policies. The CWC resolution is conspicuously silent over the calculated dismantling of the public sector. It lacks the spirit that Rahul Gandhi has been showing in his public interactions. If we take the ideological orientation of the Congress, Dr. Manmohan Singh appears to be influencing it hugely. It is really a great achievement for a person who never claimed credit for being a political ideologue. The reiteration of Manmohan Singh’s policy, though accidental, has come as a great tribute to the late Prime Minister.

However, there is a need to decode the significance of the Belgavi session of the CWC and deliberate on the legacy of the Congress session at the same place in 1924.

The Belgaum (the previous name of Belgavi) session of the Congress has an important place in the history of India’s freedom struggle, not because Mahatma Gandhi presided over it. Its real significance lies in the times in which it was held. After the withdrawal of the Non-Cooperation Movement following the Chaura Chauri Violence, Gandhi was under severe political attack. The Khilafat Movement had also failed, and the country was divided on communal lines and witnessing violence. What was achieved by the Lucknow Pact between the Muslim League and the Congress was almost lost. The League, under the leadership of Jinnah, had changed its stance on the Lucknow Pact. It wanted more seats in the Council than were promised in the Lucknow Pact. Gandhi almost accepted the failure of the Congress in bringing political consensus in the country and promised to correct the mistake. In the Belgaum session, Gandhi was able to bring together all the factions of the Congress. The leaders of the Swaraj Party, including Motilal Nehru and Chittaranjan Das, agreed with Gandhi that their representative in the Council would be called Congress members and accept Khadi. Gandhi allowed them to enter the Council. The session also unambiguously declared its commitment to communal amity and the eradication of untouchability. It had the support of leaders such as Madan Mohan Malviya and Lala Lajpat Rai.

The Belgaum Session was held at a time when the Congress had completely changed. By now, it was a party of masses, not of elites. Major donations for the session had come from the common people. The communal forces were organizing themselves for a fresh onslaught on the unity of the people. The Muslim League was again slipping into the hands of rabid communalists, and the forces of Hindutva had started to marginalize liberals in the Hindu Mahasabha. Both the League and the Mahasabha were drifting away from the freedom struggle. The RSS was formed next year in 1925.

The Belgavi Session of the Congress will certainly be remembered for its success in removing a major ideological gap caused by the complicated legacy of Gandhi versus Ambedkar. Baba Saheb had different views on how to liberate Dalits from age-old slavery. He opposed Gandhi and the Congress for their patronizing stances. The fight between the two remained alive after the death of Gandhi. Baba Saheb opposed the Nehru-led Congress. However, they had great moments of sharing the same ideals of liberty, fraternity, and equality while they were making India’s Constitution. Baba Saheb has the credit of putting together the best of ideals that emanated from the freedom struggle. The Congress has invoked the ideals Baba Saheb has shared with the Congress in the form of the Constitution of India. Its insistence on the Caste caste census manifests an ideological change in the Congress. The slogan of Jai Bapu and Jai Bhim has a historical significance.

(The author is a senior journalist. He has experience of working with leading newspapers and electronic media including Deccan Herald, Sunday Guardian, Navbharat Times and Dainik Bhaskar. He writes on politics, society, environment and economy)