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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.

Lethal Pedagogy

It takes an extraordinary failure of judgment for a school to forget its prime duty of protecting the child. This is precisely what happened in Palghar, where a Class 6 student died days after she was allegedly forced to do 100 sit-ups with her schoolbag strapped to her back for the simple offence of arriving late. The 12-year-old’s death is a searing indictment of an education culture that remains in far too many corners of India both authoritarian and indifferent to the dignity of children.


The child, who was already burdened by fragile health, was subjected to a punishment that would test even the fittest adult. Her mother says she staggered home in agony, unable to stand, weeping from searing pain in her neck and back. When confronted, the teacher allegedly defended the ordeal as the sort of ‘strictness’ that is expected in a fee-paying school where parents demand results. Corporal punishment in India is supposedly banned. The Right to Education Act and various juvenile-justice provisions promise a protective, nurturing environment.


But the enforcement is sporadic, coupled with weak oversight and social attitudes often permissive. Many parents still regard physical punishment as a ‘normal’ and even a necessary instrument of learning.


This tragedy is not without precedent. From Tamil Nadu to Uttar Pradesh, students have died or been permanently disabled after being beaten, slapped forced into stress positions or humiliated in class. Such incidents rarely result in more than perfunctory inquiries or cosmetic training sessions. The deeper problem of schools valuing obedience over curiosity and rote learning over emotional development remains unaddressed.


Palghar’s case is especially chilling because it speaks to something darker than mere negligence. The punishment seems to have been carried out not in a moment of temper, but as standard operating procedure. The teacher’s alleged defence reveals a corrosive market logic invading the classroom. If education is treated as a transaction, discipline becomes a performance in which children ultimately pay the price.


The Palghar tragedy demands that the response must be more than the usual choreography of suspensions and inquiries. Not just Maharashtra, but India needs to confront the persistence of corporal punishment with the seriousness it deserves. That means mandatory reporting of all such incidents, real consequences for institutions that allow them and better psychological and pedagogical training for teachers. It also means an honest engagement with parents, many of whom still equate severity with quality. Countries that have successfully eliminated corporal punishment have done so not just by banning it, but by reshaping culture.


Children do not die because they are late to school. They die when the adults entrusted with their care treat them as instruments to be disciplined, not humans to be nurtured. The Palghar tragedy should shame a country that prides itself on its demographic dividend yet often treats its young with callous disregard. The lesson this time must not be forgotten. The price has already been far too high. 

 


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