But if ever there a contest for the ultimate article of illusion, there seems to be only one choice: the constitution of the Indian National Congress. Nothing qualifies to the extent that the Congress party constitution does to claim the title.

This does not mean that the Congress constitution is outlandish or out of the ordinary. It only has provisions that can be considered very normal for any political party, such as regular elections at various levels, democratic methods for electing leaders, decisions based on discussions, so on and so forth. But when it comes to India’s grand old party, all these are simply utopian.

Anyone demanding adherence to the party constitution will be asking for trouble, as the group of 23 letter writers has realised. They have been sidelined in the latest reorganisation of the party outfit, effected by Sonia Gandhi, the reluctant, and yet non-substitutable president, whether in the form of the interim or regular position.

All that the so-called dissidents asked for was the implementation of the party constitution, such as full time and effective leadership. Probably they were overambitious in demanding that the leadership should be both ‘visible and active’ in the field.

The other ‘objectionable’ demands included elections to the Congress Working Committee, and the urgent establishment of an “institutional leadership mechanism” to “collectively” guide the party’s revival.

They also called for sweeping reforms, decentralisation of power, empowerment of state units, elections to the Congress organisation at all levels, from the block to the CWC and the urgent constitution of a central parliamentary board. Obviously, under the present dispensation, all this could mean nothing less than self-destruction for the current leadership, if at all there is one in existence.

It is only natural that the ‘uncertainty’ over the leadership and the ‘drift’ in the party that had demoralised workers and weakened the party that the letter-writers have raised should disturb Sonia Gandhi and co. Further, they faulted the CWC for failing to ‘effectively guide’ the party in mobilising public opinion against the BJP government.

Kapil Sibal, senior leader and flag bearer of the letter writers, despite all that the has said and done in the past, cannot be more right when he demanded in the light of the latest reshuffle that If ‘nominations are the norm, and elections are anathema, then we might as well change the Constitution of the Congress party’.

Maybe, it was due to the sense of general restraint that he has shown in his entire response to the latest reshuffle, which cast him away from all influential positions, that he did not suggest amendment of the party constitution to include a provision that only a Gandhi can become the president of Indian National Congress.

There is nothing outrageous about such a suggestion as that has by now become the established norm in the party, irrespective of the effect of the arrangement on the party’s fortunes. Most of the time, the Gandhi nominee to the top post has proved to be a misfit, as in the first place the incumbents had nothing whatsoever to qualify themselves to occupy the crucial seat, other than the family connection. Also, on many occasions, it was a case of greatness being thrust upon them, rather than they themselves asserting their hereditary right.

Incorporation of hereditary right not only sounds good, but would institutionalise a system that has been ‘time-tested’ in the party. This would also spare the party of the embarrassment of having to enact a drama for the offer by the incumbent to leave the chair, citing health issues or preoccupation with other activities or even indifference to the future of the party, invariably followed by appeals by all well-meaning Congress men to defer the decision.

A new clause that the party has to be necessarily headed by a member of the dynasty at all times will remove the irritant for once and for all. This will also leave present incumbent Sonia Gandhi or for that matter Rahul Gandhi, the unquestioned next title-holder, with no excuse to decline the position as acceptance of the post becomes a constitutional obligation.

This is the point that has been missed by all the well-wishers of India’s oldest party, the decay and increasing irrelevance of which should cause concern to all those who swear by democracy, secularism and Nehruvian socialism. (IPA Service)