Existential crisis in India

This refers to the article, ‘An existential crisis for Congress’ (February 20) by Praful Bidwai. The writer has aptly tried to diagnose the continuous descent of the Congress party or for that matter any ‘dynastic party’. It is interesting that within one year of the BJP’s landslide success, it has been thoroughly routed in the recent elections in New Delhi. India’s political commentators have already started pointing out the root causes of the party’s failures in an effort to find ways to revive the old Congress that was multi-class, multi-caste and left learning. The writer has pointed out the Congress’ ostrich-like refusal to recognise that beneath its rapid descend lies its disconnect from people, its abandoning of political strategy and social group appeal, its declining level of empathy with people and its involvement in the trappings of power and arrogance of its ‘new’ leadership.
Now, if we look at some of the typical hierarchical parties in Pakistan, we do not find any difference between the Congress party and the PPP, the PML-N, the PML-Q or the PML-F. Just like the Congress, Pakistani hierarchical parties are prejudiced against the powerless and are suffering from ideological, organisational and leadership crises. The writer has proposed some corrective measures, which are also applicable to the Pakistani hierarchical parties, like democratising parties, freeing them of their dependence on one family, leaving aside arrogant presumptions and reconnecting with the powerless people.
Abid Mahmud Ansari
Islamabad