Age is not a substitute for experience. Youth has no experience to be a substitute either if the Rajasthan standoff is a case in point. The rebellion piloted by Sachin Pilot ignoring the high command of 10 Janpath and fraternal outreach of Gen Gandhi 4.0 is a sign of disgust for golden oldie Ashok Gehlot who’s taking his time over succession.
Ambition is the elixir of opportunity. The 42-year-old Pilot has had enough of being 69-old-Gehlot’s copilot without a flight plan. The Congress runway is blocked by ageing aircraft, which are frustrating the desire of youth impatient to take over the cockpit by any means.
Previously, Congress’s party’s blue-blood boy Jyotiraditya Scindia, 49, deserted because he felt he wasn’t given what he thought was deserved. He was so incensed by being made to wait in line by Kamal Nath that he brought down the state government and wooed an obliging BJP which rewarded him with a seat in the House of Elders. His contemporary and comrade Sachin Pilot, who led his own state unit for six years, is credited with bringing the party to power in Rajasthan. He expected to be the Chief Minister but ended one rung lower as deputy CM, albeit the youngest of the state. In the UPA administrations, they became Union Ministers in their late 30s and early 40s. They were given organisational responsibilities. Cooling their heels have now heated up their tempers.
Pilot and Scindia symbolise the clash between generations in the 130-year-old Grand Old Party over capturing power and staying in power. Sharad Pawar was the first Young Turk to topple the Congress government in Maharashtra and become its youngest chief minister at the age of 38. Meanwhile, the credit for saffron stability goes to the RSS and Prime Minister Narendra Modi who have created opportunities for youth in the organisation, the party and governments at both the Centre and states. More than half its CMs are under or around 50.
The average age of the Union Cabinet is 60—perhaps the youngest since Independence. The BJP has made it mandatory not to offer a political post to anyone aged above 75. Leaders crossing 70 are being sidelined and replaced with comparatively younger ones.The BJP is the only national party, which is grooming its Gen Next. However, its detractors claim that Modi and Shah are purging senior leaders who built the organisation from the ground, to stave off future threats to their leadership. They also feel the party could suffer in the long run if experienced leaders are jettisoned for whippersnappers who won’t provide unpleasant feedback to the captain and the co-pilot for fear of the messenger getting shot.
Regional parties, which calculate their leadership logarithm by caste, region and religion, groom young leaders well in advance. Since most of them are family run outfits, the transition from the old to the new is mostly smooth. This changeover first began with Haryana’s iconic Devi Lal who imposed his sons on his Lok Dal party and made one of them the chief minister at a young age. Now his great grandson Dushyant Chautala is the deputy chief minister.
In Jammu and Kashmir, the National Conference won the Assembly elections under the leadership of Farooq Abdullah who anointed his then 38-year-old Rochford born son Omar Abdullah as the CM over more experienced leaders. In Uttar Pradesh, Samajawadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav opted for Australia educated son Akhilesh Yadav as the youngest chief minister of India’s largest state. BSP chief Kanshi Ram chose then 39 year-old Mayawati to lead the party and the government.
It’s only the Congress, which has failed to put in place a feasible and effective mechanism for power transfer. During Indira Gandhi’s rule, the regional satraps were toppled and replaced with elderly loyalists. Frustrated and deserving leaders like Devaraj Urs, RK Hegde, Pranab Mukherjee, Madhavrao Scindia , Mamata Banerjee et al left to float their own parties.
With over 70 percent of India’s population below 45, youngsters aren’t willing to settle for less. At the moment, the mood in the Congress is rebellious. Those under-50 leaders feel why all the Congress chief ministers have to be seniors. They expect their seniors to vacate seats since they believe they’re the ones who can feel the pulse of the people. They alone can understand the means and ways to deliver better leadership and effective governance. Because of superior education and demeanor, they’re in a better position to connect with the new generation.
The truth is that Independent India may be 73-year-old, but she can’t be left at the mercy of chic gentlemen who live in the past and are clueless about modern and prosperous preferences. Many young leaders are educated abroad and look healthier and smarter than their bosses. But many have turned out to be pipsqueaks. Omar lost in J&K. Akhilesh failed to return to power despite his credible performance. Both feel the heat of their seniors now. Tejashwi Yadav, Lalu Yadav’s younger son who holds the record of becoming Bihar’s deputy chief minister at just 26, couldn’t retain power. The party lost many of its senior leaders as well.
Rahul Gandhi is equally responsible for his inability to hold his flock together. Ironically, those who are deserting the Congress belong to a similar lineage and elitist upbringing. Rahul’s advantage is that he’s a Gandhi. Under him, the party lost the Lok Sabha elections twice and in a majority of the states. Publicly, he’s not inclined to grab the top post again though he remains the party’s face. The Congress is yet to learn the art of surviving without a Gandhi.
The problem with the challengers is their massive ego. As Gehlot put it: “Speaking good English, giving good sound bytes and being handsome is not everything. Commitment to ideology is necessary.” Since Congress GenNext have come up in a modern socio-political environment and haven’t participated in the ideological learning process, party-hopping is the natural progression. They were catapulted to the high echelons because of degree and pedigree. India’s 21st century politics is not a standoff between ideologies but between individuals. With age on their side, over-ambitious leaders are redefining the rules of the power game. Age positive may be a temporary advantage which could turn power negative in the long run. Meanwhile, the Congress departing lounge is filling up with restless young passengers who don’t want a boarding pass, but the joystick itself.
prabhu chawla
prabhuchawla@newindianexpress.com
Follow him on Twitter @PrabhuChawla