Former Finance Minister P.Chidambaram has made it clear that India needs to be saved from the evil clutches of Modi who has been destroying freedom and democracy in the country making the people live in fear . He opines that a broader and united platform of all political parties opposed to Modi policies is the need of the hour to check Modi juggernaut. One may agree with his viewpoint but the fact is that it is not so easy to find an acceptable leader who wins the confidence and trust of all opposition parties in the context of Rahul Gandhi being unable to have the required level of image and dexterity to take a lead role in this herculean task of dislodging Modi. First , Rahul must do everything possible to strengthen Congress party by purging it from maladies such as sycophancy and corruption and make it a party of pragmatic decision making where there is no scope for bankrupt mindset. One classic instance of political bankruptcy of Congress is the way it bifurcated the United AP without doing any homework because of which the party was routed in its citadel AP and was not voted to power in Telangana in 2014. If all parties opposed to Modi policies are serious to dethrone Modi, they need to come together with an alternative economic agenda that provides concrete and effective solutions to the sufferings and miseries of people. Everybody agrees that the country is saddled with plethora of problems such as unemployment, agrarian crisis, depreciation of rupee, atrocities against women and Dalits, communal hatred and shrinking space for freedom of speech. A common minimum program should be chalked out by all like-minded parties opposed to Modi and that must be the basis for their functioning. Obviously, the issue of prime ministerial candidate may be decided after elections basing on consensus if they get sufficient seats to form the government. The opposition parties need to live in reality where they cannot win the hearts of people by criticizing Modi bitterly day in and day out . Instead they are expected to come out with efficacious and remedial solutions that are different from what Modi prescribes so that the economy and the country are bailed out from the present precarious position. The widespread dissatisfaction and frustration prevalent among people should be translated into electoral advantage for non BJP parties and this would be a reality when there is a single candidate from opposition to contest against BJP in all constituencies if possible or atleast as many constituencies as possible in 2019 elections. Most importantly the opposition parties should formulate efficient strategies in right direction to confront Modi in the ensuing electoral battle by channelising all their energies in a big way by being aware of the fact that Modi is a charismatic and gigantic leader of the masses and there is no matching leader of this magnitude from opposition camp. The stalwart leaders of Opposition parties need to shed their egoism and work coherently in this mission of dislodging Modi from power failing which their ambition to come to power will be a daydream forever.
Poonam Bajwa Goa Diaries