We are building a new Congress: Mallikarjun Kharge

India’s grand old party is re-inventing itself. The last decade has been a particularly testing passage of time in its 138-year history. There has been a vicious campaign by the Sangh Parivar to belittle the party’s role in the freedom struggle and its contributions to the independent nation. There has been a concerted attempt to misrepresent the party’s pluralist ethos as an appeasement of Muslims and other minorities. Congress stalwarts like Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru have been vilified and others like Vallabhbhai Patel and Netaji appropriated.

There is no denying that India is at a crossroads, that its democratic institutions are damaged, that Indians — certainly those who still think of India as the nation envisaged in our Constitution — are living in dread that their beloved country is turning into a place they no longer recognise.

But luckily, there are still people around who think it’s possible to turn the wheel back. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge spoke to Vishwadeepak on the party’s determination to win back lost ground and to , what’s broken in the party, in the country, in our Constitution. Excerpts:

Why was the AICC session held in Ahmedabad and what did it achieve?

Gujarat is the home state of both Prime Minister [Narendra] Modi and home minister Amit Shah. Many of the BJP’s key officials are also from there. Together, they have disrupted rules and conventions; broken the morale of both public servants and the people. People in Gujarat were resigned to their highhandedness. We decided to hold the to dispel this fear, instilled over the past three decades. We decided to meet people and listen to them. We took the opportunity to speak freely and demonstrate how we are different.

No other AICC session, to my mind, was held with such an objective. That is why the session was significant and we are satisfied with the outcome. We also wanted to reassure Congress workers and the Gujarat PCC leaders that we have their back, there is nothing to fear, that they should continue the good fight against state terror and injustice. I believe we also succeeded in signalling that the Congress means business. It is serious about taking on the BJP and fearless on issues of public interest. It cannot be intimidated.

A resolution was adopted to rebuild the Congress. What does it really mean?

We resolved to build a ‘new’ Congress by strengthening the party organisation. An outline of the kind of organisation we envision is ready and we are going to see changes from the booth level onward to the Lok Sabha level. This overhaul will begin from Gujarat. We will form and strengthen district committees across the country. A senior leader will be responsible for a district. The district president will only engage in organisational work. The best leader across districts will become the .

A committee will be formed. The district committee will elect the block president and gradually we will go down to the booth level. We also look forward to greatly increasing women’s participation. The district committees will be supervised directly by the central leadership. These committees will run the organisation and their opinion will be solicited in ticket distribution.

There will be performance reviews and rewards for those who do well. Wherever the party forms the government, ministers will be appointed from districts where the party performs better. Those who fail to perform should sit at home.

Critics of the Congress say they are tired of the party’s excuses for its electoral failures, with all the hand-wringing about the takeover of institutions, including Parliament. How do you react to such criticism?

To cite just one example, look at the in the case of the Tamil Nadu governor. Governors in all Opposition-ruled states have sat over legislation passed by the assemblies. Look at the role of governors in opposition-ruled states like Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Kerala… not one Opposition-ruled state has escaped! Ever since the BJP came to power in Delhi, all stalled legislation is miraculously getting approved.

The BJP of Modi and Shah does not know how to function democratically; they know how to get work done through intimidation. If rival politicians do not join the BJP—or do not splinter their own party and join hands with the BJP—central agencies like the CBI, the ED, the Income Tax [department] are ever ready to harass them. If intimidation does not work, they create other obstacles like sitting on legislation, not electing a deputy speaker in the Lok Sabha, not releasing central funds for programmes like , Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan, stopping scholarships for students… the list of hurdles is long.

The BJP never tires of accusing the Congress of being ‘anti-Hindu’. Why has the party not responded?

The Congress is a secular party and does not make any distinction based on religion. Can you give me one example of the Congress taking any step directed against Hindus? All our welfare schemes and policies were designed to benefit people of all faiths. The BJP, on the other hand, is by its own admission a party for Hindus first—but what have they done for the Hindus? Given them jobs? The BJP claims that Dalits are Hindus, but does nothing to prevent atrocities against them. Is that not an anti-Hindu act?

For its hard stand on the caste census, the party faces criticism of fomenting casteism, of indulging in caste politics…

Let me ask you, what is the financial condition of backward people in our society? The Dalits? How much land do they own? What kind of jobs do they have? What is their income? We do not know. If plans are to be made and budget allocations made for them, how does one do it without a basic understanding of the social and economic structures in place? Every section must develop, but some need more assistance and hand-holding than others. It is only when we know the details that we can plan.

Who is backward? Anyone can be backward. Some can be backward on the basis of caste, others on the basis of their economic status. Upper castes can also be poor. We can make plans for them, too, if a survey is conducted. That is why we insist on a caste census.

Why is the Modi government so reluctant to conduct a caste census?

Forget about a caste census, this government is reluctant to conduct even the decennial census. The government stalled it in 2021 on the pretext of the pandemic. India is the only country in the world to have missed the decennial census because of the pandemic. Even during the two World Wars, the census was conducted and the survey results published. In the absence of a census, crores of people have been left out of the social security net.

The BJP argues that it has given representation to the OBCs, that the prime minister and several Union ministers and chief ministers are OBCs…

What kind of logic is that? If a person occupies a high position or is made a minister, does the backwardness of his or her caste and community go away? The progress of an individual does not determine the progress of the community. There is a difference between the two. Do ministers in Modi’s cabinet have the autonomy to take decisions? Does the highest Constitutional authority have the autonomy to turn down misplaced, poorly drafted, harmful laws?

There is a feeling among Congress workers that OBCs, despite being the largest caste group, still do not have enough representation. What would you tell them?

We do have to bring OBCs into the party, but a more urgent aim is to uplift the poorest of the poor in the country, irrespective of their caste. In the Congress, we do not formulate policies with caste in mind. Yes, those who are left behind have to be given representation but, to give you an example, when Indira Gandhi went for land reform, when she nationalised the banks, was it for any one caste? It wasn’t directed at only OBCs, or only upper castes, or only Dalits; everyone benefited. We want people of every caste to rise, that is why we are trying to induct the backward and extremely backward people into the party and give them responsibilities.

Would you agree the BJP finds it easier to influence and attract the youth than the Congress?

How long can you divert them with religious frenzy? There are no jobs. Education and healthcare are becoming more expensive. Household income is affected by inflation. Savings are at an all-time low. These are not ideal conditions for the youth. More and more young people are now sensing that they have been used—as tools to spread hatred.

I can assure you that the youth are with us. Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra from Kanyakumari to Kashmir and Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra from Manipur to Mumbai did connect the party with the youth. We are confident they will connect with us, as they see how Rahul [Gandhi] is becoming their true voice, as they see for themselves the party’s efforts to address their issues.

How do you assess Prime Minister Modi?

Modiji was chief minister of Gujarat for more than 13 years. He has been prime minister for the past 11 years—a total of almost 24 years. In 24 years, he has not been able to improve even his own state. Gujarat is a laggard on social indicators. The number of illegal immigrants from Gujarat, as you know, is high.

Nobody reports it but drug addiction and alcoholism (in a state where liquor is prohibited) is of serious concern. In tribal areas, people do not have water to drink and unemployment is rampant. Dalits are exploited, but there is no one to speak up for them. If he can’t even manage his own state, how can he be expected to manage the country? Fiery and venomous speeches do not feed the hungry.