Many
are apt to forget, because of the rosy pictures given
shout dainty dinners at Demascus and right royal welcome
at Coppenhagen, that this same Pandit Nehru, the de
facto leader of the Congress party, issued an S.O.S.
a fortnight ago, to his countrymen and partymen.
With all the energy at his command, this globe-trotter,
is proposing a toast at one capital today, the nextday
he confers with the chief of another domain, and on
the third day inspects a guard of honour in another
place—and in all these places, he is being hailed as
a hero, a leader of laudable qualities—but let us not
forget, that amidst all this pomp and pageantry, Pandit
Nehru cannot forget that he had to issue an S.O.S.to
the party which today happens to hold the reins of power.
Tributes paid by foreign dignitaries cannot wash out
the worries that torment Pandit Nehru.
When parchments are presented making him a distinguished
citizen of this on that State capital, when bonfires
are lit to mark his visit, or when in palaces painted
in golden colour, butterflies flutter and spiders smile—anybody
is bound to be elated, get into a trance as it were
and forget the real state of affairs. We are afraid
that the temptation is too strong even for Pandit Nehru.
But in the interests of the country and the people one
should not forget truth—raw and rough though it be.
For, what matters is the real state of affairs here,
and not the grandiose welcomes and full-throated tributes
paid on foreign soils.
And hence, it is of utmost importance to analyse the
state of affairs here and inside the Congress party
itself.
It tickles one's vanity to read delightful accounts
about, how Pandit Nehru sauntered on the banks of the
Rhine or bestowed his benevolent smiles while at the
bouelewards of Paris, or how he appreciated the apple
juice given by a farm owner near Coppenhagen and such
other sunny sweets! But these cannot sustain a nation!
It is not the halo around the hero that is essential,
but the rosults of his efforts, the achievements arising
out of his accomplishments. Pandit Nehru is not happy
when he takes stock of the situation and that is why,
he issued the other day, an S.O.S.
Save Our Souls—Pandit Nehru, almost seems to shed some
tears, at seeing the sorry state of affairs inside the
Congress.
"You have converted the Congress, into a sort of
Mutt" says Pandit Nehru forgetting in his fury,
that the party was all along in his hands!
"And you have made me a Mahant of this mutt"
adds he, again forgetting that it was in his power to
avoid such an ugly situation.
Let us note, however that, Pandit Nehru has come forward,
though late, to point out the real state of affairs—and
has offered also very many suggestions as remedies.
Mahant and Mutt are not happy words, now-a-days!—the
former signifies a successful sorcerer, and the latter,
a citadel of cant and hypocrisy. And for Pandit Nehru,
to compare the Congress to a Mutt, is to say the least,
shocking.
Many, they say, are the dark deeds that do take place
inside these Mutts—and though there are some to defend
the inmates and deny the dark deeds, all are one in
saying that these Mutts are not interested in the spiritual
uplift of man—but are too much entwined in mundane affairs.
To Compare the Congress, to a Mutt therefore is to write
a volume of condemnation against the party.
And just as people do talk about the rotten state of
affairs inside a Mutt and yet pay their homage to the
Mahant, the people, do scold the Congress for its defects
paying at the same time their homage to the Mahant—Pandit
Nehru.
You are hankering after some office or other!
When once in office you are trying to stick to it leech-like.
You are far, far removed from the people—and you are
leading a life of indolence and pomp—at the expense
of the people.
This is but a sample of the hot stuff poured forth by
Pandit Nehru, on the very face as it were, of his partymen
—the big ones by the way.
"How can, you, dear Pandit, be so harsh and unsympathetic?
We are the chosen representatives of the people! And
we would not have fared so well, had we been leading
a life of indolence and pomp as you complain of"—many
were tempted to say—but the halo silenced them.
As if he understood this, Pandit Nehru, hammered that
bed-rock too, by saying.
"Many complaints were received during and after
elections, about irregularities—casting doubts about
the integrity of Congressmen"
So, this is what it amounts to . These Congressmen,
do sneak into places of power by dirty means, and having
got power, become leech-like, sucking the juice and
forgetting that they are placed in power to serve the
people.
The A.I.C.C. became almost a sort of dissection table
and the sight was a bit bad even for those who are accustomed
to it.
After having pointed out, how these Congressmen betray
the people, Pandit Nehru, advanced next to another ugly
aspect and he says.
"Congressmen are cutting at the throat of one another"
These are grave charges coming as they do from the Mahant
himself.
"Parading before the people with pomp and arrogance!"
-is another charge levelled against the Congressmen,
by the Pandit.
"You do not go to the grass-roots"
Condemns Pandit Nehru, and as if to crown all, he points
out that the Congress membership affair is a big hoax—a
bogus list is prepared and presented!
With almost a pang, Pandit says because of this, today
we find the youths, especially students have got an
aversion towards us—have gone away from us and that
section was to a great extent responsible for the stiff
opposition that the Congress had to face during the
general elections.
None else than Pandit Nehru could have laid bare the
state of affairs in such a thorough manner and to none
else would the A.I.C.C. have given such a patient hearing—
for whatever may be the harsh remarks that he makes,
he happens to be the dispenser of offices—his one smile
may mean a Governorship—his mere nod is enough to make
one, a millionaire!
The inmates of any Mutt, would naturally suffer its
Mahant to have his own say though it happens to be wounding—for,
the moment passes off, the Mutt remains—and ,Oh! how
sweet are the juices that one can sip at leisure, inside
the Mutt! The Mahant is not going to be always scolding—he
has got his other duties!!
And as if to confirm that truth, Pandit Nehru after
issuing forth an S.O.S.—did not care to remain here,
to see that the ways of the Mutt are mended and the
evil ended, but he is out now with his mission—the spreading
of Panch Shila and the like.
We do not know whether he was wounded or not, but there
seems to be some amount of reproach—in
Mr. Dhebar's speech at Rajkot, last week
"So long an tendencies for hero worship and careerism
existed in the organisation it could not be strong"
Was the president making a reference to the peoples'
way of adoring Pandit Nehru as the hero! We are not
far from the truth when we say, that Mr Dhebar is a
bit irritated over this hero worship. And it needs no
imagination to understand, that the only hero worship
today is the one connected with Pandit Nehru!
The other day we are told, a peasant with no heir, left
his entire property, estimated to be fifty thousand
rupees in worth to Pandit Nehru!
Now this is a sort of hero worship!
Mr. Dhebar is emphatic when he says that so long as
this hero worship is to be found in the country and
party, there is no hope for reformation.
Prohably, Mr. Dhebar has taken upon himself the task
of advocating the cause of the inmates of the Mutt—by
just spotting out that the Mahant is as much to be blamed
as the Mutt-Vallas.
In fact it is said that this time even in the A.I.C.C.
there were many who were rather critical about Pandit
Nehru's remarks.
"It looked as though the realisation had come to
the Congress high command in a blinding flash that these
were perhaps the last five years of their unchallenged
rule. There was an element of apprehension".
Writes not an unsympathetic critic, about the A.I.C.C.
Even while they were discussing the ways and means for
radically reforming the party, there were symptoms to
prove, that the disease set in, is beyond the control
of the best experts!
"The back-benchers in the A.I.C.C. were herded
like a flock of sheep on the floor, while the High Command
reclined on cushions on the dais."
Writes the commentater.
Herded like a flock of sheep! How heart-rending to note
this state of offairs!
And all the while, the back benchers were murmuring
about the
Extravagance
Couruption
Power-craziness
of the Big ones!!
"I find today" writes another ther well-wisher
of the Congress, "the top dog enjoys the liberty
of doing just as he pleases and it seems to afford him
the greatest pleasure to preach beautiful sermons to
the underdogs, holding before their eyes the wonders
of Paradise, while preparing them for their journey
to the hot regions."
In fact, there are some, in the Congress and many outside
it, who today think and even say that Pandit Nehru,
assuming a superiority throws all the mud on lesser
people just to show how big he is but shirks all the
responsibility to mend the party.
If only the Mahant is willing the Mutt can be reformed,
they say.
But the credit goes to Mr. Gadgil, the veteran from
the Sathpura Range, to point out the real fact.
All these attempt at reformation of the Congress, is
off the mark—he seems to think and says pungently, that
the presentation of a new fountain pen is not the proper
way to rectify the defect in a student who has got a
bad grammar!
A good pen is no remedy for bad grammar!
Pandit Nehru is presenting good sermons—but of what
avail?
He should, once and for all decide whether he wants
the Congress to be the Tammany Hall of today—or to get
back the Sabarmathi spirit.
Issuing an S.O.S. is not enough.
He should stop supplying sermons—even men with lesser
abilities could do that—he should step in to see, that.
Corruption
Mal-practice
Irregularities
are put an and to and office becomes, an opportunity
for service and not a passport for pomp and power.
Pandit Nehru finds it is of course easier to sermonise
to the eager crowd outside but the virus is rampant
in that small circle around him! And behind his back,
his partymen are closeted with pomp and power
"As is customary in India, officials and non-officials
with axes to grind gravitate to the person who is close
to the throne. Officials want promotion, or prize appointments;
M.Ps. want to go out on foreign tours or gain some political
office. All these naturally cluster round Mr. Menon
especially after the extraordinary manner he has rewarded
an official who stood by him during the Jeep Scandal
probe, and the M.P. who played the second fiddle to
him at the U.N."
Writes the Hindustan Times in its June 12th issue.
Our own view—humble though the station we occupy happens
to be—is this! The Congress cannot be mended, especially
if the aim of the Bosses is to somehow prop up as the
Ruling party. The Congress has let loose Tammany Hall
politics—and it was exactly because Mahatmaji thought
that there would be such a turn of events that he seriously
suggested, the liquidation of the Congress. But even
that the Pandit refused to listen and all of them show
their respects to and pay their homage to the great
Master, when they go on pilgrimage to Rajghat—to shed
a tear or two!
(23-06-1957)