Tryst With Destiny

But it would be surprising if she allowed herself to be persuaded, at least immediately, to take a more active part in the partys affairs. Her own disinclination to be involved in politics is well known. As indeed are her various other apprehensions. The chances are that she regards her decision as an unavoidable element of a Faustian pact with the Congress president, Sitaram Kesri, who will claim credit for having brought her in. This, he must reckon, can only strengthen his hand against his opponents. With organisation elections round the corner, the importance of these developments for Mr Kesri personally cannot be underestimated.

 

The problem with such neat solutions is that often they cease to remain neat. Circumstances alter and with that the context which made the solution appear neat. What can ensue is a mess because Ms Gandhi will now face increasing pressure from a variety of groups within the Congress, wanting to prosper with the help of her name. She will find it hard to resist this pressure, especially if in the next general election, which may not be very far away, the Congress does even more badly than it did in the last one. The current lot of leaders having been discredited, the herd will look for someone new and reliable. Will Ms Gandhi be able to resist the pressure then? Indeed, could it be that this is her long-term plan, her only security against the Bofors sword? It is too early to tell but one thing is certain: Ms Gandhi, whether she likes it or not, is finally an active political player, that too in the open. From being a shadowy figure operating behind the scenes, she has finally been forced to show her hand.

Whether this eventually works in her favour or not, time alone will show.

As for the United Front, its leaders will now have to factor this new development into their strategies for dealing with the Congress. Will a move to table the Bofors papers in Parliament be opposed as anti-Congressism and bring down the Gujral government? On the other hand, wont the failure to do so discredit the government and make it the target of attack by the BJP? If indeed Ms Gandhi has joined the Congress because of developments on the Bofors front, she might find that she has only helped add fuel to an old fire and brought the issue centrestage. If, on the other hand, she has overcome her well-established distaste for politics and decided to test the water for unconnected reasons, she must explain what these are, and what she stands for. To not do so would be to imply that the dynastic destiny is sufficient explanation.