On the second day of the ‘Chintan Shivir’ in Udaipur, once again the contradiction and confusion within the Congress party came to the fore. This time it was related to Hindutva policy.
The Congress, which has faced criticism for being a minority appeasement party and being anti-Hindu, forced an intense discussion on the subject on the second day of its meeting in Rajasthan. Several leaders from Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and even the Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh said that the oldest party cannot allow the BJP to take the lead in matters involving the majority community.
He suggested that the Congress should organize and participate in rituals as well as festivals, especially religious ones. For example, a leader from Madhya Pradesh asked why there should not be a Congress-sponsored ‘Dahi-Handi’ festival in Mumbai.
Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel said that Congress should come forward in organizing these festivals. However, interestingly, states like Kerala and Andhra Pradesh opposed the suggestion to mix religion with politics. Leaders in the southern states pointed out that there is a large minority population who vote for the Congress, and if the party is seen to be “pampering a religion”, the move could come down heavily on the Congress.
The leaders said the potential for boomeranging is high, as the oldest party has always projected itself as a party that is secular and does not mix religion with politics. “Why should Congress change its colour?” Some leaders asked.
The reason for Hindutva to find a place in the Congress ‘Chintan Shivir’ is the party’s electoral drought, which is not over yet. The leaders pointed out that the Congress would have to drop the tag of being “anti-Hindu”. Interestingly, former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat supported the idea that more such festivals should be celebrated and more and more leaders should be involved in organizing these festivals. Rawat was focusing on these lines even before the Uttarakhand elections.
The Hindutva image of the Bharatiya Janata Party and its electoral benefits have forced the Gandhi brothers and sisters to adopt a soft Hindutva stance. Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s visit to various temples drew much criticism amid allegations that the move was only for electoral gains. But there was a warning from some young Tamil Nadu leaders who pointed out that if BJP is seen as a Hindu party, people will not vote for the Congress. A leader said, ‘If you have the real one, why vote for the poor option.
However, the fact remains that this was a discussion that went on endlessly with no conclusions. Will there be any further change as far as Congress’ stand is concerned? Will the party give up the secular position it had tried to adopt in its previous meetings in Pachmarhi and Shimla? The Udaipur convention will, perhaps, be remembered as one that will saffronise the Congress party as it seeks to take on the BJP.
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