How Can the INC/Opposition Rejuvenate and Reinvent Itself in the Public/National Interest?

WHERE IS THE CONG/OPPOSITION GOING WRONG

When things go wrong and deteriorate, the best thing to do is to fall back and do some real, solid introspection. India has a vision, and for that vision to materialise, it is important that both the ruling party and the opposition work in tandem. Failure to do so would lead to serious loss and consequences for the country. It is increasingly becoming quite clear that at this juncture, all help must be extended to the Opposition to help it resolve its internal crisis and make it a force to reckon with. ‘Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely’ is an old saying. If the BJP is guilty of this now, the Congress too is guilty of this when it was at its zenith during the heydays. But the point now is to bolster the ranks of the Congress/Opposition. Vendetta politics by either the BJP or the Congress will be straight away rejected by the public. How do we do it?


No Bitterness/Vengeance/Hatred

The first thing the Congress/Opposition should realise is that decisions should not be influenced by any sort of bitterness, hatred or vengeance. Bitterness paralyses you, forces you to live in the past and prevents you from thinking clearly about the future. Vengeance prevents you from transitioning to the next stage and from moving ahead in life/work. Hatred is a malaise that subsumes your inner energy reserves and leads to all cessation of constructive activities.


No Acerbic Attacks On RSS Ideologues

The UPA combine must realise that today there is an alternate discourse in the country. You will agree that both the NDA and the UPA want the good of the country, though their ideologies and paths may be different. If the BJP can acknowledge the contributions made by Congressmen/Opposition for the good of the country, the Congress/UPA combine should also  acknowledge the good done by the RSS/BJP  and its ideologues. Just as the phrase ‘Congress-mukt Bharat' is wrong, the phrase ‘Smash the RSS’ too is wrong.


No Personal Attacks On Modi/Shah

The UPA combine should focus on attacking the style and tone of governance of the BJP leadership but should avoid targeting its leaders personally. In the age of zoom-in television and internet, your every word, gesture, tone, eye movement, gaze, twitch of the muscles conveys a hundred messages about yourself to the millions of watching public. Personal attacks on the BJP leadership conveys to the public that you are driven by the negative emotions. The public is yearning for a positive discourse and it will bring back to power the party that does so.

Accept Them As An Alternate Ideological Party

By saying and believing that the only discourse that has a right of place in the country is that of the Congress/Opposition, you are conveying to the public that you are intolerant, that you are not open to new ideas and that you cannot cooperate on national matters. The UPA combine must accept the NDA as a viable alternative. Once you cross that milestone of accepting them as an alternate ideological party, you can then focus on the real issues facing the country and on solving the existential crisis that plagues the UPA combine.

Welcome Competition/Avoid Confrontation

The country is yeaning for a leadership that is mature, level headed and is willing to work with its opponents with the goal of larger public and national interest. Showing your intolerance, dismissiveness for the opposition conveys to the public that you are driven by the negative emotions. Just as in the work place, in the political arena too, cooperation is better than competition and confrontation is just not acceptable. The public is watching you minutely, and it will pay you back, kind for kind, positive for positive and negative for negative.

Project 25-30 Faces From The Cong/Opposition

It is high time the Congress/Opposition put together 25-30 faces combine in the age group of 35-60 who can relate with the issues of the youth and who can be the faces of the UPA combine. If you put a collective front and stop depending excessively on Rahul/Priyanka combine, the country will see you as a viable alternative. You must subsume your inner egos and internal conflicts and work as a well-coordinated team which can deliver a strong charge. When the charge is coordinated, it is more effective and can dent the Opposition’s defences.


WHY THE CONG/OPPOSITION SHOULD BE A VIABLE ALTERNATIVE

People stand by those who articulate a strong vision of the future based positive energy, strong belief and hope. The old adage ‘work without hope is like nectar in a sieve’ is particularly true in this case. Power is like money, it intoxicates but can slip away at any time. There is no permanence in power, it is like time, changes constantly. The leadership of the BJP is deviating from the core messages which it promised to the countrymen before the 2014 general elections. Now that they are in power, they are conveniently peddling their agenda surreptitiously. Country first, next the party and last the individual is conveniently forgotten. The reverse has become true. The leader and the party which keeps the country first before self, will win the 2024 general elections. So, what should the UPA do?


Get Your Vision Right

The UPA combine must set a vision for the country which excites and carries with it all constituents of the Indian public---be it the minorities or the majority. It must articulate a vision for India that is progressive, dynamic and in which every Indian is a stakeholder. It must translate and transmit that vision to every Indian, down to the last man or woman, boy or girl. Every Indian must be a stakeholder in that vision. The vision must include essential elements pertaining to defence, external affairs, internal security, commerce and industry, agriculture, manufacturing and the services sector.

Get Your Messaging/Communication Right

Messaging needs to be precise, pithy and targeted. The message should deliver the thought process of the leaders and should at all times be positive. Messaging—whether spoken or written---must be well coordinated and should be synchronised across the 25-30 leaders who will be the face of the UPA combine. The communicators should be articulate and bilingual, they should be logical and be driven by reason, they must do their research well and should have incisive analytical skills and they must be persuasive and influential.

The Necessity To Reorganise/Restructure The UPA

The INC being the principal opposition party should seriously consider reorganising and restructuring itself. Apart from the prominent faces like Sonia ji, Priyanka ji and Rahul ji, it must identify at least twelve more strong/articulate  leaders who can be the face of the party. These leaders must be in the age group 40-60. In any public rally, before the members of the Gandhi family speak, at least two such leaders must speak for 10 minutes each followed by a 30-40 minute speech from one member of the Gandhi family. Excessive focus on the Gandhi family will give the impression that the INC has no other leaders. This model must be replicated by other parties of the UPA combine.