The UPA was on a strong and positive wicket, determined to go ahead with its policy of participating actively in an international consortium of nations that would share technology and expertise to enhance growth and development. All of a sudden, the government appeared to crumble, yet again, under pressure and blackmail from the Left parties who are supporters of the regime but from the outside, unencumbered with the responsibilities of governance and delivery of the goods and services promised in election manifestos. This is what has come to be known as the ?nuclear deal?.
The rather insane retreat that Karat and his ilk have forced on the ruling coalition has diluted the image of the Congress president and the Prime Minister, who are seen to be succumbing to the unacceptable rhetoric and demands of political supporters whose ideology they neither believe in nor abide by. This reality has put the Congress paces behind in the lead up to Elections 2009.
Congress haters and baiters for decades, the CPI (M) and other Left parties have historically assisted the Congress only for opportunist reasons of survival rather than because of a shared agenda. This hypocrisy has betrayed the aspirations and the patience of the people of India. The Left has failed and the rump that remains is fighting to live despite its dwindling numbers. The next election will put them down by at least 20 seats in Parliament, if not more. Thankfully, we are a democracy, not a Stalinist regime.
In this political mess and confusion, where the signals from government and the Congress shift ever so often, we can try and wallow in a dream sequence where all is not lost?where we shall not be relegated to continuing isolation, intellectual and physical poverty, political exploitation because of delayed empowerment and more; where Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi are playing ducks and drakes with the untrustworthy Left by pretending to fall in line for short spells interspersed with the voicing of a commitment to the ?deal? and the opening up of the economy that will come with that first step; where they are waiting for those days before Parliament reconvenes to announce their decision and establish their final position; where on the eve of the winter session, the Left will be either forced to pull down the UPA or fall in line.
In the event the Left disallows and prevents the UPA from having its full term in office because their bullying tactics failed to hold the UPA and India to ransom, they will be seen as the inconsequential minority that upset the stability of a billion-strong country that is marching ahead despite their archaic ideology. Is the Congress leadership shrewd and confident? Will it step down before a full term, put selfish interests aside for what it believes will put the development of India on a fresh trajectory? Or, can they not see the writing on the wall that predicts a dismal future for them at the hustings in 2009?
The obvious question then would be, why would India want to vote back a party that does not stand by the policies it professes are essential and critical for growth, change and inclusive governance? Why would the young of this country place faith and trust in a political dispensation that led them to the river we could have crossed decades ago had we not been a left-of-centre command economy and brought them back? Their frustration would probably compel them to cast their ballot for Mayawati, the unknown political enigma.
A leadership that comes across as unconvinced about its own beliefs, that dithers in confusion and is not willing to face the risk of a snap poll because of the stalling of its agenda, that is desperately looking for lame excuses and incomprehensible explanations for why is it back-tracking, discredits it. If the Congress intends to remain in the national political arena as a primary player, it will have to take a stand and stick to it regardless of the critical responses that emanate from ?partners?.