The thundering speeches also did not reflect the basic understanding that stature of political personalities alone cannot and do not win. A mantra that would raise expectations to put aflame imagination of people alone can be the electoral trump to beat all opponents. This is the message from all clear mandate electoral results.

Yet missing from the deliberations was introspection of strength of the opponent and weakness of the party. Also missing was a clear picture of how the party intends to move forward. Deliberation at the session indicated that the party hoped to regain its glory alone. Yet the retiring President Sonia Gandhi had hosted a dinner for most of the opposition leaders keen to ensure denial of power to the NaMo regime again.

The noticeable difference was only in stage arrangements for shifting focus from leaders to individual speaker. Yet contents of speeches delivered clearly indicated a careful selection of speakers to keep out critics whose words would sound harsh to the leadership. Only those who would thunder against opponents were chosen to hold the mike. It clearly indicates that the party high command is still not ready to establish a two way system of communications for it yet,. Despite the electoral disaster, it prefers to keep its mind shut to ground realities.

The special resolution was intended to clarify that the party would attach priority to attending to the agrarian crises, employment and poverty elimination. Yet it did not denote a shift of its methods from welfare measures to empowerment of individuals. Even in reference to agrarian crisis, there was no specific mention of plight of landless labour that has suffered more than others. The agrarian crisis meant, in the Congress eye, debt burden of farmers and alleviation of their miseries through write off of their unpaid debts. It did not mention of measures to be taken to make the farming remunerative so that they do not have in future problems of securing credits. Also missing was the analysis of cause of agrarian crisis and contribution of rapid urbanization to the agrarian crisis.

The resolution speaks of added allocations for education with a threat of five per cent Cess to be collected from one per cent top earners. The party has glossed over the needed introspection of causes that led to collapse of public education system for want of quality education. It did not refer to the new crises with demands for reservations coming from lower strata of society that is not economically or socially backward but are denied opportunity for higher education. It is a major issue that can demolish all that was achieved so far.

The plenary session was no different exercise than what transpired at the party jamboree since 1975 plenary session at Chandigarh. The party had prepared for installation of PV Narsimha Rao as the new party chief by replacing Dev Kant Barooah. Even printed copies of the presidential address by Narsimha Rao were ready for distribution. But behind the scene activities forced the Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to give in to insistence of her younger son Sanjay Gandhi to retain Barooah for yet another term.

Similarly, this session was also to endorse elevation of Rahul Gandhi as the new party chief. In his concluding convocation, he promised to storm the power corridors for the party in 2019 elections. He did not enlighten delegates on his scheme to rejuvenate the party with necessary changes in the party agenda to bring it in tune with the harsh realities and changing needs and demands of transforming Indian society, particularly the rural expanses.

The Congress agenda was set in tune with the economic and social realities obtained in 1971. The literacy rate then was below 50 per cent. Today 83 per cent Indians are literate. Their psyche has undergone a perceptible change. Even poor below poverty line are seeking empowerment of their children through quality education so they can have a dignity of life. Today dignity of life is more important than bread. Yet the special resolution has missed the major change in Indian psyche.

It also does not take in account what had led to unprecedented victory of Narendra Modi in 2014 election even though he was the most abused political entity then. Every political unit has to be prepared to learn from opponents, particularly from who carved out their victory even in most adverse circumstances. But the Congress appears to be ready to shun everything that NaMo stands for. The Congress Plenary session had opportunity to do better than him on the unemployment, a most burning and sensitive issue as vocal section 120 million educated young are affected by it. Such an explosive issue cannot be dealt with cursory approach that we will attend to unemployment.

Even 12 per cent economic growth rate, if it can be achieved, would not resolve it. Only unconventional approach is needed to address it. The acute shortage of skilled hands in developed countries due to their aged working population provides an opportunity to young of India. They are literates but without skills for specific works. Indians are more acceptable than young from other Eastern or African nations. The economic resolution could have included a specific solution that would enthrall educated young to carry Rahul Gandhi on their shoulders to realize his ambition of storming power corridors at the next electoral confrontation. Only Congress hearts may have been attending the Session but whole country was watching it also. The applause may have been loud at the Session venue than usual but no hands were raised outside to clap at what transpired in the 84th futile exercise.