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By:

Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 3:26:24 pm

Congress’ solo path for ‘ideological survival’

Mumbai: The Congress party’s decision to contest the forthcoming BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections independently is being viewed as an attempt to reclaim its ideological space among the public and restore credibility within its cadre, senior leaders indicated. The announcement - made by AICC General Secretary Ramesh Chennithala alongside state president Harshwardhan Sapkal and Mumbai Congress chief Varsha Gaikwad - did not trigger a backlash from the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi...

Congress’ solo path for ‘ideological survival’

Mumbai: The Congress party’s decision to contest the forthcoming BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections independently is being viewed as an attempt to reclaim its ideological space among the public and restore credibility within its cadre, senior leaders indicated. The announcement - made by AICC General Secretary Ramesh Chennithala alongside state president Harshwardhan Sapkal and Mumbai Congress chief Varsha Gaikwad - did not trigger a backlash from the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) partners, the Nationalist Congress Party (SP) and Shiv Sena (UBT). According to Congress insiders, the move is the outcome of more than a year of intense internal consultations following the party’ dismal performance in the 2024 Assembly elections, belying huge expectations. A broad consensus reportedly emerged that the party should chart a “lone-wolf” course to safeguard the core ideals of Congress, turning140-years-old, next month. State and Mumbai-level Congress leaders, speaking off the record, said that although the party gained momentum in the 2019 Assembly and 2024 Lok Sabha elections, it was frequently constrained by alliance compulsions. Several MVA partners, they claimed, remained unyielding on larger ideological and political issues. “The Congress had to compromise repeatedly and soften its position, but endured it as part of ‘alliance dharma’. Others did not reciprocate in the same spirit. They made unilateral announcements and declared candidates or policies without consensus,” a senior state leader remarked. Avoid liabilities He added that some alliance-backed candidates later proved to be liabilities. Many either lost narrowly or, even after winning with the support of Congress workers, defected to Mahayuti constituents - the Bharatiya Janata Party, Shiv Sena, or the Nationalist Congress Party. “More than five dozen such desertions have taken place so far, which is unethical, backstabbing the voters and a waste of all our efforts,” he rued. A Mumbai office-bearer elaborated that in certain constituencies, Congress workers effectively propelled weak allied candidates through the campaign. “Our assessment is that post-split, some partners have alienated their grassroots base, especially in the mofussil regions. They increasingly rely on Congress workers. This is causing disillusionment among our cadre, who see deserving leaders being sidelined and organisational growth stagnating,” he said. Chennithala’s declaration on Saturday was unambiguous: “We will contest all 227 seats independently in the BMC polls. This is the demand of our leaders and workers - to go alone in the civic elections.” Gaikwad added that the Congress is a “cultured and respectable party” that cannot ally with just anyone—a subtle reference to the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), which had earlier targeted North Indians and other communities and is now bidding for an electoral arrangement with the SS(UBT). Both state and city leaders reiterated that barring the BMC elections - where the Congress will take the ‘ekla chalo’ route - the MVA alliance remains intact. This is despite the sharp criticism recently levelled at the Congress by senior SS(UBT) leader Ambadas Danve following the Bihar results. “We are confident that secular-minded voters will support the Congress' fight against the BJP-RSS in local body elections. We welcome backing from like-minded parties and hope to finalize understandings with some soon,” a state functionary hinted. Meanwhile, Chennithala’s firm stance has triggered speculation in political circles about whether the Congress’ informal ‘black-sheep' policy vis-a-vis certain parties will extend beyond the BMC polls.

Gaza’s Water Wars Amid Trump’s Peace Gambit

Without secure access to clean water, even the most ambitious ceasefire will be little more than a cease-fire.

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Recently, U.S. President Donald Trump announced what he calls a ‘breakthrough’ in Gaza’s interminable war. The framework for an agreement between Israel and Hamas for the first phase of a peace deal includes a ceasefire, release of hostages, withdrawal of Israeli forces to a mutually agreed line and the opening of humanitarian aid channels. These developments foster cautious hope that more than just violence might be halted. But lurking beneath the headlines is an even more intractable crisis that may determine whether any future peace will hold. That is Gaza’s water system, which is presently dead on its feet.


Gaza is one of the most densely populated places on earth, squeezed between Israel, Egypt, and the sea. Its main source of fresh water, the coastal aquifer, has been degraded by decades of overuse and by saltwater intrusion. Much of the water that does reach people is polluted by untreated sewage.


Breaking point

The war that reopened in October 2023 has pushed this system past its breaking point. Fuel shortages driven by blockades and border restrictions have crippled desalination plants, pumping stations, wastewater treatment, and sewage networks. Reports show that over 85 percent of Gaza’s water and sanitation infrastructure is now either damaged or in partial disrepair.


For most Gazans, access to clean water has fallen far below even the bare minimum. Estimates range from only 3-5 litres per day per person for drinking and basic cooking needs. That is a fraction of the World Health Organization’s emergency benchmark of 15 litres. Meanwhile, nearly 96 percent of groundwater is deemed undrinkable, whether because of salinity, chemical pollution or sewage contamination.


Water in Gaza is not just a tool of survival. It has become a bargaining chip, a tool of coercion. The supply lines from Mekorot (Israel’s utility) once supplied up to 70 percent of Gaza City’s needs. But the damage to those pipelines in the ongoing war and the numerous blockades have sharply reduced that share.


To control water is to control life, or at least to make survival dependent on others. For any peace plan to take root, negotiators must somehow guarantee not just a ceasefire or a troop withdrawal, but reliable and sustainable access to water, power, fuel, and repair of broken infrastructure.


The articles and statements emerging from recent negotiations suggest that Trump’s deal includes a phased Israeli withdrawal, hostage exchanges and perhaps an interim governance mechanism for Gaza under international supervision. But governance over water and infrastructure has so far received scant public detail.


Perilous existence

Critics warn that unless control over fuel supply, electricity, and access for reconstruction is explicitly addressed, water access will remain unstable. If Gaza’s desalination plants cannot run, if its wells have no power, if its sewage cannot be treated and if transmission pipelines are unusable, then its daily survival will still depend heavily on external aid.


Needless to say, humanitarian urgency is paramount at the moment. Disease, malnutrition and death will not wait for diplomacy. Tens of thousands already face life-threatening shortages, and unsafe water spreads cholera, typhoid, and other preventable illnesses. Any peace deal that fails to deliver essentials - clean water, sanitation, electricity - is unlikely to be accepted by Gaza’s population, and hollow peace will further breed resentment and instability. Control over water provides leverage not only for humanitarian relief but also for regional influence; the U.S., Egypt, Qatar, Israel, and others can shape the balance of power depending on who oversees infrastructure, aid flows and utilities.


Scarcity of water is a proven catalyst for conflict, and in Gaza, water could either spark renewed hostilities or serve as the fragile anchor holding peace together.


For peace to endure, fuel and electricity for water and sanitation infrastructure must be guaranteed, because without power, desalination plants, pumps, and treatment works cannot meet daily needs.


Repair and protection of pipelines, wells, and sewage systems must be prioritised, with existing damage not only fixed but safeguarded against further disruption, and technicians, materials, and shipping granted safe and sustained access. Governance of water services must be transparent and accountable. An interim body, if agreed upon, should include water experts and ensure neutral oversight of tariffs, maintenance, and supply chains. Reliable cross-border and international aid flows are critical, with spare parts, chemicals, and generators reaching Gaza without interruption, and logistical agreements structured to survive diplomatic breakdowns. Finally, monitoring and accountability mechanisms must be in place, including independent audits of water quality and infrastructure integrity to guarantee transparency and prevent failures from being hidden or ignored.


Trump’s recent announcement of a first-phase Gaza peace deal is a first step in what has turned into the most violent conflict of our times. Yet, unless water systems are front and centre, the deal risks being undone by what it fails to deliver, rather than affirmed by what it wins.


For its longevity, any proposed peace deal in Gaza must grapple with pipes as much as politics.


(The author is a Mumbai-based educator and an expert on the Indus Waters Treaty. Views personal.)

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