look news india
These days, there is a lot of discussion in the corridors of Indian politics about the new autobiography of former Congress President and Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, ‘Belonging: A Journey of Love’. On one hand, this book is being described as a document of his personal life, feelings and his association with India, on the other hand, political activity regarding it has intensified in the election states. Can the autobiography of a senior politician influence the equations in electoral states? And will the Congress Party ever be able to escape from the accountability of the shadows of its past and the decisions that still haunt its present? This is a question on which political analysts and opposition parties are constantly pondering.
Memoirs related to the pages of the past and politics of electoral states
Whenever a top political figure of the country writes his memoirs, its implications are not limited to literature only, but they start directly impacting the current political scenario. In this much-awaited book of Sonia Gandhi, many sensitive and important turning points of the country’s political history have been mentioned. Since assembly elections are to be held in many important states of the country in the coming time, the arrival of this book has once again given political parties an opportunity to target each other. Political experts believe that when such memoirs become public, the opposition parties immediately start exploring those chapters of the past which are related to the sentiments of the voters of a particular area or community.
How much will be the impact on Uttar Pradesh and Punjab elections?
Politically sensitive states like Uttar Pradesh and Punjab have their own distinct character and electoral history. While in Punjab, politics heats up at the mention of historical and sensitive events related to the sentiments of the Sikh community like ‘Operation Blue Star’, in Uttar Pradesh, the memories of the demolition of Babri Masjid and the period related to it still remain alive in election speeches and debates. Opposition parties are trying to capitalize on the statements and memoirs on all these historical events in Sonia Gandhi’s book in their own ways. However, the bigger question is whether today’s young voter or common citizen decides his vote on the basis of these past events, or whether he gives priority to current development, employment and livelihood issues.
Congress faces the challenge of getting rid of the shadows of the past.
The Indian National Congress has long seemed to be stuck in a dilemma as to how to absolve itself of the accountability of its glorious and sometimes controversial political past. Whenever the party tries to move forward on the basis of future politics and modern issues, some chapter of the past comes to the fore. The opposition parties have been continuously demanding that the party should openly fix accountability for the mistakes of history which had affected the social fabric of the country. After the arrival of this book, the debate has once again started whether the Congress leadership is stuck in the pages of the past, or is it fully prepared to face the challenges of the present and future.
Can autobiographies change the reality of the electoral field?
There is always a huge difference between political history and the ground reality of the electoral ground. Voters in electoral states generally take decisions which are related to their daily life, local development and basic needs. Emotional stories from the past or statements from autobiographies may make TV debates and social media headlines for some time, but polarizing votes or gaining support on the ground is no longer that easy. The biggest challenge before the Congress strategists is that instead of getting entangled in these political controversies, they should present their agenda directly among the public, so that the burden of accountability of the past does not overshadow their present struggles.