Commentary / Janardan Thakur
Any other party would have thrown Narasimha Rao into the Arabian Sea
Clearly, there was no Sonia card for Congressmen to play. They
were stuck with Narasimha Rao or his nominee, Sitaram Kesri, and
there was little they could crib about. How many of them complained
when Rao virtually undid an open party election and packed the
CWC with his nominees? How many complained when the Babri Masjid
was demolished? How many pilloried Rao when the party lost successive
elections in the states? How many of them hauled him over the
coals for the scandals which kept erupting through the years?
Far from denouncing Rao they only pronounced their loyalty to
him. Working committee after working committee endorsed his actions
and resolved to strengthen the leader's hands.
Let us make no mistake about it. If Rao goes into the limbo, as
he may sooner than later, it will be not because of the so-called
Congress rebels but because his own pot of sins has overflown.
For the time being, he still continues to be the party's real
leader. No matter what else one might say of the Congress, there
are still a few values it preserves. Like their absolute servility
to their leader.
The leaders of the party who go around perkily
mouthing brave words are above all well heeled courtiers. Though
they may conspire and whisper in dark corners, they are above
all disciplined men and women. Much as they may shout and bluster
in their living rooms, when the supremo is in court, they can
seldom be faulted on their manners. Most of them bend and scrape
in unison: A case of collective spinelessness.
Before the election
it was understandable, for they had to get the party nominations
ad who else was there but Narasimha Rao to genuflect to? There
was never a time when you didn't hear of a revolt brewing against
him, and yet when it came to the crunch they were all so obedient.
Sharad Pawar, the great Maratha leader, was always considered
to be in the forefront of the impending revolt against Rao, but
every time his spine proved as strong as an over-ripe banana. Remember
what he did when it was heard that his archival Sudhakarrao Naik
could be made one of the general secretaries of the party? He
just mumbled some sounds of approval. 'It is a very good
thing.. now his services are available to the all India party
and Maharashtra has one more member in the working committee..'
How well behaved, how completely obedient. Narasimha Rao
must have thanked his stars he led a party called the Congress.
Where else could he have found such docility? Perhaps any other
party would by now have thrown him into the Arabian Sea. But he
still continues to be the leader and has the gumption to tell
everyone that 'everything will soon be fine.'
The way some of the Congress leaders have talked big about throwing
Rao out and have then crumbled themselves has given rise to the
theory that the former prime minister has such incriminating files
against most of these potential rebels that just a whisper at
the right moment of what might happen to them if they persisted
with their bravery was often enough to make them wilt like tin
soldiers in blazing fire. How else does one explain the somersaults
of the so-called rebels?
Besides, there is another vital question:
Who is going to lead a revolt against Rao and who will follow
it? Who is going to bell the car is a question that everyone keeps
asking. Party leaders are all too aware of the plight of Narain
Dutt Tewari and Arjun Singh. Consider the options. Sharad Pawar?
Was he going to lead the Congress to victory at the next Lok Sabha
election after leading the party to defeat in his own bastion?
Who else? Karunakaran who could not even retain his own seat in
Kerala? Rajesh Pilot who could not get even his wife elected to
the assembly? Which one has the spine to revolt and face the consequences
of all the deeds recorded in their dossiers?
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