DAILY EDITORIAL : THE HINDU

The Congress leadership seems unwilling to engage in honest introspection

The sound and fury at the seven-hour long virtual meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) on Monday signified a lot. The orchestrated tirade by CWC members against party colleagues who raised valid concerns regarding the functioning of the party lent credence to a charge the Congress often faces — that it exists for the Gandhi family. A letter signed by several senior leaders had demanded an “active, full-time and visible” leadership. Their intent, timing and motivation were questioned by Rahul Gandhi, who continues to influence decisions in the party though he resigned as president last year. While former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh shored up support for Mr. Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi, who holds charge as interim president of the party, another senior leader, A.K. Antony, termed the letter “cruel”. Swinging between the senile and the juvenile, arguments at the CWC appear to be an attempt to gloss over the substance of the letter — the entire text of which, incidentally, is not public yet — and vilify its signatories. In seeking to deflect the issue by questioning the character and loyalty of those who raised it, the Congress did exactly what it often accuses its principal opponent, the BJP, of doing. The signatories to the letter might include opportunists too, but many of them such as Kapil Sibal, Manish Tewari and Shashi Tharoor have been staunch defenders of the party. There was no reason to hastily conclude, as many at the CWC did, that the letter was leaked to the media by its senders and not its recipients.The degenerative affliction crippling the Congress party is a concern not only for its members but for all who are invested in India’s democracy. The Gandhi family that commands the loyalty of the entire party has a special duty to ensure that this cry for reform within the party is not reduced to a question about itself. The Gandhis have expressed their desire to remain active without leading the party. Such a role will be seen as a disingenuous scheme to exercise authority without accountability — something that Mr. Gandhi claims to deeply detest. He is fortunate, and must be thankful, that the Congress party in its entirety still supports him and even the reformists, mislabelled rebels by his self-styled loyalists, are not questioning his authority. They have only expressed frustration over his selective interest. It was Ms. Gandhi’s remarkable accommodative skills and magnanimity that paved the way for the creation of the United Progressive Alliance that lasted in government for two full terms between 2004 and 2014. Ms. Gandhi’s legacy faces a serious threat — not only from her political opponents but also from within the household. If Mr. Gandhi is unwilling to give up his obduracy and overcome his bitterness towards colleagues, the responsibility falls on Ms. Gandhi to ensure a transparent election to find a successor along with a new CWC and a parliamentary board.

GLOSSARY

1.SOUND AND FURY(n):-loud and angry words that attract a lot of attention but do nothing useful

2.TIRADE(n):-a long, angry speech expressing strong disapproval

3.SHORE(v):-to give support

4.SENILE(adj):-showing poor mental ability because of old age

5.VILIFY(v):-to criticize someone very strongly, to lower in estimation or importance

6.DEFLECT(v):-to (cause to) change direction, to direct criticism

7.STAUNCH(adj):-loyal, and showing strong belief in something or strong support for something

8.HASTILY(adv):-going or working at speed, Hurriedly

9.DEGENERATIVE(adj):-a lowering of effective power, vitality

10.AFFLICTION(n):-a cause of persistent pain or distress

11.CREDENCE(n):-mental acceptance as true or real

12.INGENIOUS(n):-very intelligent and skillful

ROOT WORD "magn → large, great ''

MAGNANIMITY(n):-kindness and generosity

IDIOM "PAVE THE WAY FOR (Sth or Sb)":-to make it easier for,make the other thing possible