'The nuclear deal is in national interest'

Sixty-year-old Digvijay Singh, one of the most promising Congressmen outside the Gandhi family, is witty, crafty and loyal.

Recently, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and general secretary Rahul Gandhi gave him charge of Uttar Pradesh, on of the most difficult states to manage. Digvijay, also known as 'Diggi Raja', was confined to Madhya Pradesh till he lost ignominiously in the 2003 assembly elections when the Congress won 37 out of 230 seats.

Belonging to the family of Raghogarh in Guna district of Madhya Pradesh, Digvijay entered politics in 1970 and was the state's chief minister from 1993 to 2003.

'I've learnt the art of playing on a sticky wicket'

Because of his organisational experience, despite the harsh defeat, Sonia assigned him as general secretary in the All India Congress Committee. Within the party, he faces as many challengers (Jyotirmay Scindia, Kamal Nath, Suresh Pachauri, Arjun Singh and others) as he faces outside it.

He had vowed not to return to politics if defeated, but a seasoned political being like Digvijay without party and politics is not conceivable even for his detractors. Expectedly, he fashioned his party's victory in Maharashtra and Assam by forging fruitful alliances.

However, in 2005, Digvijay got brickbats when he was general secretary in charge of Bihar. Rashtriya Janata Dal supremo Lalu Yadav lost power and the Congress was wiped out, as it managed to secure just 8 (one less than in the previous assembly) out of 243 seats.

Managing Editor Sheela Bhatt spoke to the Congress politician, who "enjoys every bit of politics." 

Do you think coalition politics is here to stay?

Coalition politics has emerged because of the three distinct political groups in this country. One is the Left with communist ideology, other is the Congress with Gandhian ideology and the third is Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh-backed Bharatiya Janata Party with communal ideology. Besides these three national ideological entities, there are regional parties.

The Left and Congress think on similar lines on communal issues, but differ in opinion on economic issues. The BJP and Congress think differently on religious issues, but on economic issues there is not much of difference. The Congress can always join hands with the Left but will never ever join hands with the BJP. The Left may join hands with the Congress but never with the BJP.

As far as other regional parties are concerned, they have been taking different stands on different issues. They are more confined to state politics; so their perspective is not national. At the same time coalition politics brings in instability. Political instability is something that always brings in little difficulty in carrying on with programmes.

I must compliment Soniaji and Prime Minister Manmohan Singhji that despite the difficulties of a coalition government, they have been able to fulfill the social and economic agenda of the government.

Historic decisions like the National Rural Employment Guarantee and the Right to Information Act have been implemented. They are major milestones of the United Progressive Alliance government. In coalition politics, the Congress has been a dependable partner. We want secular politics to be the polity of the country. We want economic empowerment of the poor and social empowerment of the depressed classes. We want to lead this country to the level where the country becomes a superpower in the world context. The economic growth has taken place on sound and solid foundation of planned economy that Jawaharlal Nehru laid.

Nehru set up excellent institutions like IIMs and IITs that created human resources, which are bringing laurels to this country.

Now, you are in-charge of Uttar Pradesh. What is the message that you are getting from the party workers? What do they think of your government?

Uttar Pradesh is one of the biggest challenges for the Congress today. UP has been in the forefront of the freedom movement. The bulk of our top leaders came from UP. It is unfortunate fact that one mistake, which we committed by giving 300 seats to the Bahujan Samaj Party in the assembly elections of 1995-96, has literally brought down the Congress support base in the state. Now, it is for us to build on this.

Sonia Gandhi is working very hard to achieve that end. We are hopeful, now that Rahul Gandhi has become general secretary of AICC. I consider this as the biggest personal political challenge.  

How will you fight the deadly electoral combination of Brahmins and Dalits?

There is no such thing as Brahmins and Dalits combination. This is a simplistic political analysis by the media. Mayawati won only because people thought she was the only viable face that could defeat Mulayam Singh. People were fed up with Mulayam Singh.

People wanted to change the government. Of course, all Scheduled Castes and Brahmins have not voted for Mayawati. And, I mean what I am saying. Why don't you understand the basic contradiction?

All her life Maywati has fought manuwadis. What is the symbol of manuvad? Brahmins! So, it is an unnatural alliance, which will not survive. Because, it is not sustainable.

Is it your logic speaking or your confidence?

My confidence based on logic says so!

How do you see the difference between the Congress of 1984 when Rajiv Gandhi came to the fray and the Congress of 2007 when Rahul joined?

In the 1980s, the Congress ruled supreme but now the scenario has changed. When in 1998 Sonia Gandhi joined, we had governments in only three states and we were at our lowest ebb. Now, under Mrs Gandhi's leadership, despite coalition government we have our President, we have our Vice-President, we have our prime minister!

People have seen that the Congress is the only party that thinks of all while others think in terms of Hindus or Muslims or Yadavs or Jats. The Congress of 2007 faces much more difficult challenges.

The media finds Rahul Gandhi quite a reluctant leader.

So was Mr Rajiv Gandhi! You see, Rajiv was a reluctant leader when he joined the party after Sanjay Gandhi's death. Politics is not the profession of the Gandhis. Politics is their commitment. This is the difference between the Nehru-Gandhis and other people. Tell me, which family or which person would have given up the opportunity to become prime minister of this country with the support of more than 320 members of Parliament? Sonia Gandhi can do it. Give me the name of one such person who could do this. The Nehru-Gandhis' commitment is to the nation and not to any personal ambitions.

If and when elections come, which issues will you go to people with while asking for votes?

The UPA's performance. The greatest empowerment of the people of this country has been given through the Right to Information Act. The greatest employment guarantee, first time after independence, is given through the Employment Guarantee Scheme. This is something conceived and created by Mrs Sonia Gandhi. There is an attempt by all sections of political parties and bureaucracy to defuse its importance.

Just one issue like Ram Sethu will wipe off the impact of your argument.

People have gone wiser now. The Ram issue could be traded by the BJP only once. The BJP has collected money and votes in name of Bhagvan Ram. They have politicised the image of Lord Ram. We do not do it. Again they are doing it in the case of Sethusamudram. They are the people who conceived and sanctioned the project when the National Democratic Alliance government was in power. Why did the BJP, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal keep quiet? Why did it take them three years to speak out? It's all politics. The BJP is not committed to Ram; it is trapped in factional politics.

Are you being frank? Do you think Karunanidhi's utterances won't affect you in UP?

We don't subscribe to Karunanidhi's views. Why was the BJP quiet when Periyar's statues were being put up by Mayawati in UP? Ram Sethu is not an issue.

All eyes are on the Indo-US nuclear deal. What is your take on it and how will you convince people about your stand?

It is very simple. It (the deal) is the part of the government's efforts to set up nuclear power plants with the best technology in the world. This country went into nuclear power generation along with France. Nehru gave this opportunity to Dr Homi Bhabha. But, unfortunately, we did not get the right fuel and right technology. Because of which only three percent of our power requirement is being met through nuclear energy at present.

In France, 80 per cent power generation is through nuclear technology. If we would have got nuclear technology through the '70s, '80s and '90s we would have been surplus in power today. But, now when you are getting nuclear technology and the promise of uninterrupted fuel supply, reprocessing and stockpiling facilities without compromising our sovereign right to do the nuclear test and sovereign right to conduct independent foreign policy without signing the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Act and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, what is wrong in it?

Are you ready to let this government go for the sake of this deal?

We value our friendship with the Left, but not at the cost of the national interest. If this government goes, let it go.

Only over the nuclear deal? Is it not a small issue compared to power...

Why do you say it is a small issue? It is a major issue. The nuclear issue is not a small issue. Initially, we will get a marginal increase in power production, but later on India will get more energy. We have to look at the issue of global warming also. We need to turn to nuclear power generation.

But, why are you in such a hurry to have the deal?

(Loudly) Why not? We have lost decades. We should do it today, not tomorrow.

By delaying it you can retain power, your government.

We can get the government again, but let us not miss this opportunity.

What will you say when you go in the midst of the public in UP?

We will say that the nuclear deal is in the interest of the nation. And, for the sake of national interest we are ready to even let go our government.

Do you mean it? Really?

Yes!