Ajoy Kumar (Begusarai)
Today’s Indian political landscape reveals a striking contradiction. The Indian National Congress, a party currently grappling with a weakening organizational structure, is attempting to lecture the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPIM) on the values of “secularism.”
This friction is not merely a regional spat in Kerala; it is a profound crisis of ideological clarity versus electoral opportunism within the national opposition.
1. Organizational Erosion: From Leader to ‘Feeder’
One of the most damning allegations leveled by the CPIM is that Congress has become a “feeder organization” for the BJP. This isn’t just rhetoric; it is backed by stark evidence:
Assam: Former Congress stalwart Himanta Biswa Sarma is now the BJP Chief Minister.
Tripura (2018): Almost the entire Congress leadership defected to the BJP, effectively clearing the path for the Left Front’s exit.
Central Level: Numerous Union Ministers and MPs in the current BJP government share a Congress lineage.
This trend suggests that the Congress’s organizational fabric has become ideologically porous, where personal opportunism frequently trumps political commitment.
2. The Kerala Model: Governance vs. Rhetoric
The CPIM rightly highlights a crucial distinction: secularism is defined by administration, not just speeches.
The Record: In the last 10 years of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) rule, Kerala has not witnessed a single major communal riot.
The Contrast: The Marad massacre, the most horrific communal incident in Kerala’s history, occurred under a Congress-led UDF government.
The political takeaway is clear: secularism in Kerala has been implemented at the level of policy, governance, and social intervention by the Left, while the UDF’s track record remains marred by instability.
3. ‘Soft Hindutva’ and Tactical Math
The CPIM’s critique of Congress’s “tactical” alliances is significant. In various local body elections, Congress has been accused of forming opaque understandings with both communal forces and, at times, the BJP to defeat the Left. Instead of a consistent secular line, Congress’s stance appears to be driven by electoral arithmetic—often sacrificing ideological purity for a handful of seats.
4. Double Standards on Central Agencies
Perhaps the most glaring contradiction lies in the approach toward central agencies like the ED and CBI.
While Rahul Gandhi decries agency action against himself as a “threat to democracy,” he has often been seen demanding action by those same agencies against rival opposition Chief Ministers, such as in the case of Arvind Kejriwal.
This situational ethics—where agencies are “misused” only when they target Congress but are “doing their job” when they target others—weakens the collective opposition’s fight against the weaponization of state machinery.
5. The Real Battle and Priorities
The current political climate in Kerala offers a clear choice:
LDF: Development, social justice, and secular stability.
UDF (Congress-led): Internal fragmentation and opportunistic strategies.
NDA (BJP-led): Explicit communal polarization.
For Congress to truly lead a national fight against communalism, it must first address its own internal ideological vacuum. As the CPIM suggests, a party cannot fight a “Right-wing” force while its own members are waiting for the first opportunity to switch sides.
This dispute is more than a war of words; it is a fundamental question for Indian democracy: Will the opposition fight on the basis of conviction, or will it remain trapped in calculation? The answer will determine whether “secularism” remains a hollow slogan or becomes a lived reality on the ground.