The Congress Party

Congress is the most important party in the history of India. It has ruled India for more than 50 years of the 66 years of Independence.

Post Independence, Congress has been responsible for unifying India. The boldest steps were taken by Sardar Patel in bringing all princely states together. He was the single most important reason for unifying India Post Independence. But we fail to appreciate what happened after the first step. How did India stay unified in the good and bad times after Independence?

It was the brand name of “Gandhi”, which was used very effectively by the Congress party to give people a reason to stay united. History (stories and legends) was tinkered to showcase Gandhi more prominently compared to his counterparts creating an idea for people to look up to and have a sense of country and unity. Else, India would have just been a nation of opportunistic people trying to divide the country for personal gains.

Winston Churchill said this on about India -

“Power will go to the hands of rascals, rogues, freebooters; all Indian leaders will be of low caliber & men of straw. They will have sweet tongues & silly hearts. They will fight amongst themselves for power & India will be lost in political squabbles. A day would come when even air & water… would be taxed in India”

This predication would have been more true if not for the Congress Party. New born India owes its survival to Congress. It gave India the necessary time to mature and find its feet and become a fledgling democracy of modern times.

Modern Day Congress

Today, Congress has lost its charm. It no longer stands on the high pedestal of moral righteousness. It is considered a party with rampant corruption and nepotism. India no longer needs Congress in its current form. We need a leader who unifies the country with a more idealistic approach both in speech and practice.

The Congress has failed to put forth such a leader. The reason Manmohan Singh stood against so much hatred against Congress was his clean personal image. His mild mannerism helped him survive a not so strong opposition.

What lies in the future of Congress and its King In the Making “Rahul Gandhi” .. only time will tell.