Yes, that is how the new political forces centering around Mr.Jaganmohan Reddy are talking about in Hyderabad. This is just a warning signal to things to come in AP. Hopefully it is not a pattern that could engulf the Congress in Delhi.
The point is that any great mind or a great leader or a great organisation or an institution must have some basic moral belief system.
The Indian National Congress, as we have always reiterated on many occasions, has a great history and a great legacy.
Now, the party is not adhering to such basis belief system, right?
Or, wrong? We very much like to be proved wrong!
Unfortunately, the Congress has lately played out its game of politics, now christened by the Hyderabad operators, as the “Delhi Game”. We might as well call it the “Delhi’s Great Game”!
Who are the core group who decides who to take over the reins of power in Hyderabad after YRS’s tragic death?
Anyway, whoever is there in the core group, they must ponder over the fact that YSR’s son is a greenhorn, right?
And also, the facts are now tumbling out of the closet that the sort of support that is there for the youngman is all new comers, all chosen by YSR just to build himself and they are likely to give much headache in the coming days.
So, it would be a hard decision and sometimes hard decisions are taken early to avoid further trouble.
Inheritance of public offices by family members is now becoming a routine and who knows that Sonia Gandhi might leave back a legacy that might completely undermine Indian democracy.
The point here is that Sonia Gandhi must desist to give in to pressures that might further undermine her authority in the states.
The way YSR built up his legacy, as we can see now in retrospect, might be inevitable at that point of time. But we now have the opportunity to clean up the political system to some extent.
No member of any family, let us make clear, could aspire to go straight to occupy his or her father or mother’s legacy.
That is the first point. There must be a period of preparation and also an element of fairness and an electoral element as well.
So, in the instant AP case, YSR junior might be accommodated in some other way but not straightaway as the Chief Minister.
Also, let us follow some principles. Any amount of political clout that was bought by criminal activities, be it money making or money laundering or whatever, any quick fix wealth creation, more so in this case the media empire built-up smacks up of all that is alien to morality.
So, this sort of sabotaging democratic norms and also moral means to amass wealth and then go on straight to demolish opposition, be it party rivals and the media opposition is not at all right and Sonia Gandhi had tolerated this sort of disarray in the party for very long.
The AP corporate phenomenon in itself is another disturbing factor. Satyam fiasco is a story that will be written later in all its gory details.
What went wrong with a man and an institution that was symbolic in earlier regimes and with this regime it came to represent some of the worst features of a democratic degeneration are another question that will be asked for long.
The current lobbying in AP, in Hyderabad is seen as not wholesome. There is so much that needs to be resisted at the top level in Delhi.
So, a cooling off period for YSR legacy would serve the party well and also the country’s whole political health.
The state unit of the Congress, the APCC, must be recast to give due representation and also due internal democracy.
Some heads must roll and this is where the nerves of Sonia Gandhi would be tested.
There are other agonising questions.
The Congress never learnt to live with any minimum internal democracy. In the PCCS it is never done or tolerated. Is it not time to change a bit?
Yes, we have to. We have to tolerate some dissent internally at some levels of the national party.
Then only the Congress would leave a great legacy. Let there be this basic principle.
Any young leader ,or an aspirant to one’s father’s or mother’s legacy must go through a period of waiting, training and initiation as a junior or a minister or a party activist and prove his mettle and then elevated with a semblance of an election. Otherwise, this nominated culture, this nomination culture is sure to misfire and invite more tempting adventurers.
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