“A country full of Congress leaders and still not one deemed fit enough to take the reins of the party?” – That was my first thought when Sonia Gandhi came back to take on the role of the Congress party’s interim President a year ago. It was not shocking; but it was definitely disappointing to see how so many active and efficient leaders were bluntly sidelined only to carry on the “family legacy”. A year down, and multiple incidents of internal rifts, rebellions and high-profile leaders jumping ships later, it is even more disappointing to see that nothing seems to have changed. How else would you explain her continuing for another 6 months as the interim President, as if in this one year they could not find even a single capable leader outside the Gandhi family to be the head?

I write posts related to politics only rarely when I am absolutely tired of seeing the shameless mudslinging between hypocritical and blind followers of different parties on social media. But this post is not about that. It is my genuine concern about how this democracy is supposed to go on like this with the single biggest Opposition party showing time and again that democracy is not something they practice within their own party. Forget high time, it is much, much beyond that high time that the other leaders in the party realized how wrong they are in encouraging this dynasty culture, and forgetting the greater good of the party and the country, if at all they have any interest in serving citizens and not just being politicians.

And while I understand why their political rivals are rejoicing all this on account of how it can yet again benefit them in future elections, I don’t see any reason for an ordinary citizen to think of this as a matter to laugh off. Anyone sensible should understand that for a democracy, that too one as big and old as ours to work, a ruling party with landslide majority is not the only requisite. In fact, if the same trend goes on election after election without any change, it is not good for the government or the people they intend to serve. At the end of the day, in any field, absolute monopoly and an utter lack of proper competition can easily lead to complacency.

As citizens, it is equally important for us to have a healthy, strong Opposition, that can ask the right questions and participate in effective governance. And in India, the one party that could do it would have been Congress, if only they were more concerned about the bigger picture and not keeping loyalties and power within a family. It is sad how a national party of its reach has to keep finding alliances with even some of the worst political leaders that Indian politics has seen, only because it is conveniently blind towards its own potential and strength that could be tapped with the right person at the helm.

God knows what difference another 6 months would bring, or if at all it would bring out a difference. But I sure hope it does. Because the way the Gandhis and Gandhi loyalists among the old guards are destroying this party by shutting their eyes to the naked truth and calling any efficient insider who is brave enough to question the status quo a traitor, I find the political future of our country quite worrisome. Let us hope that someone who is actually capable of doing the job takes up the role in another 6 months.

P.S. As I have made absolutely clear, this post has got nothing to do with love or hatred for any political party. When it comes to politics, I have nothing but a case-by-case approach which gives me the freedom to appreciate and criticize different leaders in my personal space. So don’t make this a platform to start labelling anyone with your favourite political lingos or kick up a fight.