Backward classes, minorities dominate dais at recent AICC meet

NEW DELHI: Congress’s rhetoric on “social justice” is beginning to show in its makeup. And one such place was the dais of the AICC session in Ahmedabad.

A social analysis of the 54 persons who spoke on the AICC resolution at the open session on the Sabarmati banks, the day-long program that was headlined by the speeches of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, 39 were from SC, ST, OBC and minorities. In contrast, only 15 were from the upper castes. Congress leader Sachin Pilot had introduced the resolution, which was seconded by Shashi Tharoor.

This marks a major shift in the party’s in-house participation story of decades, with a greater space being given to the backward classes and the minorities. The choice of speakers showcased to the large party gathering and the people at large may have been a conscious decision, in the wake of Rahul Gandhi leading the demand for a greater share for these communities in all walks of life. The CWC meeting, that preceded the day-long open discussion on Wednesday, saw a detailed exchange on the “social Justice” section of the draft AICC resolution, and Rahul also made it the core of his speech.

Among the speakers, 11 were SC, 11 OBC, five ST, while eight Muslims and three Christians including an ST, completed the picture.

Over the last two years since Rahul seized upon “caste census” as a major party issue, he and Kharge have steered Congress to a radically new position where identity politics seems to dominate. While it has ensured greater cohesion with a number of Mandal outfits that are also Congress allies, it has also led to uneasiness in the party circles. After the AICC session, some members felt the social identity factor had prevailed upon other criteria in the choice of speakers, the primary being their ability to talk about the party’s policy agenda and of challenging the RSS-BJP, that would connect with the common man watching the session live.

On Saturday, Rahul posted a video of a visit to a textile entrepreneur from OBC section, where the young owner Vicky says the backwards have the talent but lack support of network and infrastructure. Rahul said his objective is to break the “chakravyuh” so that talented persons get the opening into the system.

It is believed that the AICC session may be the start of a change in the organisational set up at various levels, with greater share being given to the backward classes and the minorities. While the spotlight is taken by bigger appointments at the central and state levels, the appointments of individuals and committees at lower levels may see a radical social shift.