Congress Wades Into Ideology Debate, Creates Unnecessary Controversy

The Congress may be trying to reassert its ideological positioning in an attempt to counter the ruling BJP but the grand old party needs to avoid falling into a trap ahead of five crucial state polls.

The issue came into focus with the recent comments made by former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, who articulated his views on the difference between Hinduism and Hindutva. The remarks led to an intra-party debate over the topic.

“What is the difference between Hinduism, as we know it, and Hindutva? Are they the same thing? If they are the same thing, why don’t they have the same description? Why do they have different names? Why do you use the word Hinduism, why not just use Hindutva, if they are the same thing? They are obviously different things. Hinduism is not about killing innocents, Hindutva is,” Rahul said while addressing party workers.

While a section of the grand old party and some public commentators have backed Rahul’s remarks, saying it was expected of him to take positions on sensitive issues, the leader’s well-wishers are concerned that his views have created an unnecessary controversy.

The prominence of ideology factor over issues like jobs, health and education in popular narrative, just months ahead of crucial elections in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa and Manipur, could indirectly help the BJP, which has the expertise to turn such controversies into its advantage.

Congress insiders acknowledge that in comparison the party lacks resources on the ground to spread its message among the voters despite having the ability to draft well-thought out strategies.

To add fuel to fire, a similar controversy was generated around the latest book by Congress veteran Salman Khurshid in which the leader has allegedly stated that Hindutva was similar to the ideology of Islamic terrorist organization ISIS.

Salman Khurshid in his new book ‘Sunrise Over Ayodhya: Nationhood in Our Times’, in a passage ‘The Saffron Sky’ reads: “Sanatan Dharma and classical Hinduism known to sages and saints were being pushed aside by a robust version of Hindutva, by all standards a political version similar to the jihadist Islam of groups like ISIS and Boko Haram of recent years.”

Though Khurshid defended his views, another party veteran Ghulam Nabi Azad said such comparison was factually wrong and an exaggeration.

“We do not agree with Hindutva as political ideology distinct from composite culture of Hinduism, but comparing Hindutva with ISIS and Jehadi Islamist is factually wrong and an exaggeration,” Azad said.

Sensing the Congress was wading into troubled waters, Lok Sabha MP from Punjab Manish Tewari sounded caution that the party should refrain from getting into such debates.

Tewari pointed out that those who believe in values of liberalism and secularism should be in the Congress while those who want to mix religion with politics should be in the majoritarian, right-wing parties.

In Tewari’s view, the secularism espoused by country’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru meant a separation of State and Church, but, in practice, the Congress had moved closer to the idea of “Sarva Dharma Sambhaav” (All Religions Are Equal) over the past years.

Concern over UP

Congress insiders fear that Rahul’s remarks may have resulted from elaborate brainstorming sessions with his close advisors but the move to counter the BJP over ideology plank could backfire and wash away the gains made by party’s Uttar Pradesh in charge Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

Khurshid, who belongs to UP, is an important member of Priyanka’s team. Yet, she chose to distance herself from the remarks made by the former external affairs minister, saying those were his personal views.

In the past, the Congress has been accused of indulging in soft-Hindutva to counter the BJP but could not derive benefit from the plan.

Notable among such drives were Rahul’s temple-hopping across poll-bound Gujarat in 2017. The western state will have assembly polls later next year where the Congress will fight the BJP.

In 2016, Rahul visited prayer houses of all religions ahead of 2017 UP polls. Over the past months, Priyanka too has visited major temples across UP to make a point but was careful enough not to raise the ideology plank.

Ideology factor

Rahul, it seems, is more focused on targeting the BJP over the ideology plank as he has been consistent over the issue.

A few months ago, Rahul had urged party workers to lay emphasis on the ideology factor and had told them to induct people with beliefs similar to that of the Congress and expel those who had a different view over the issue.

Both Rahul and party interim chief Sonia Gandhi have articulated in various party forums that the Congress-BJP fight was, in fact, a war of two ideologies, which reflected in two ideas of India.

The timing of Rahul’s views on Hinduism versus Hindutva debate could be explained as a response to the frequent reference to Taliban by his political opponents ahead of UP assembly polls.

The Congress has been battling the perception that it is pro-Muslim and BJP is pro-Hindu for long. The grand old party lost its traditional Muslim votes after the Dec 1992 Babri mosque demolition in Ayodhya.

Of late, former chief minister and Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav’s comments on Pakistan’s founder Mohammad Ali Jinnah invited strong reactions from the BJP, which constantly targets the UP leader over his party’s traditional Muslim-Yadav support base.

The presence of AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi in the UP elections too is questioned by his rivals who claim that the Lok Sabha member from Hyderabad is deliberately pushing the Muslim card to polarize the voters.

Training

To deal with the ideology factor, the Congress is conducting a massive training programme from top to bottom. As part of the plan, regular training programmes for the leaders and workers at all levels are being carried out.

Through these continuous programmes, the workers and leaders are being trained in party ideology, policies, expectation from a Congress worker, grassroot messaging, election managements, failures of present government and countering propaganda.

Congress insiders feel a grounding in these topics can help the party cadre regain lost ground across states in the future assembly elections as well as the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.