Editorial

Four Exciting Years

Smt. Sonia Gandhi completed four eventful years in office on March 15. It required tremendous courage, grit and determination to assume presidentship of a tottering party that was overtaken by despondency, pessimism and deep frustration. The century-old Congress that brought independence making supreme sacrifices and won for the nation a unique place of honour in the world was face to face with the prospects of disintegration. In desperation partymen turned to Smt. Gandhi, who never thought of a political career, to assume the leadership. For her politics was a strange, new and totally unfamiliar world. The only thing she knew was that the Congress party was essential for India to survive as a nation — a faith for which her husband, Rajiv Gandhi, worked and died. She could not allow his dreams, his commitment to wither away.

She said "I came into the service of the party, not for a position of power, but because the party faced a challenge to its very existence and I could not stand idly by". Smt. Gandhi was convinced that "the renaissance of the Congress is a national need. The country requires a revitalised Congress". It was the year 1998. The Congress was in power only in five states - Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Nagaland, Mizoram and Goa - and lost heavily elsewhere in elections. Exhibiting remarkable boldness, Smt. Gandhi went about what looked like an impossible task of setting the Congress house in order in the face of Doubting Thomases who spared no effort to undermine her efforts. Soon she gave proof of her greatness ignoring detractors and focussing on rebuilding the party. She summoned a brainstorming session of leaders at Pachmarhi in September, 1998 to tell the partymen "we have to look forward to the future. We have to learn from the past and not to remain stuck to it". That injected fresh energy and dynamism into the sullen and sloppy party. She told the Pachmarhi conclave "I can see now a new discipline and goal in our method of working. A beginning has been made to induct a new work-culture in the AICC and the Pradesh Congress Committees. This will be continued. No organ of the Congress Party will remain inactive". And she set five vital tasks before the beleaguered party : 1) ideological crusade, 2) accommodating aspirations of the new generation, 3) attracting and retaining ‘good’ people, 4) economic philosophy to meet new challenges and 5) proper attention to foreign policy.

The Bangalore Session of the AICC was a landmark in the ‘new Congress’ that was emerging. The political resolution said Smt. Gandhi "has infused a new sense of unity, purpose and enthusiasm among Congressmen and women". The session resolved unanimously to stand by her as she assured the partymen "I have no doubt the Congress will soon win back the confidence of our people". How prophetic she was! The party, charged with new vigour and vision, was on a winning spree. The Congress gained power in Delhi, Rajasthan, Arunachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Nagaland, Pondicherry, Kerala, Chattisgarh, Assam and continued in power in Madhya Pradesh. In the just concluded Assembly elections - 2002, the Congress wrested power from the BJP and its allies in Punjab, Uttaranchal, and Manipur.

The Congress Party has come a long way since 1998 and is poised to reclaim its rightful place at the Centre under her trusted and spirited leadership. The year 1998 has a special place in India’s political history, for on that day Smt. Sonia Gandhi had heralded a new era to save the Congress Party.