THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Congress’ bid to embrace modernity by dropping from its constitution the clause of abstinence from alcohol as a requirement for party members has drawn flak from Gandhians and the Kerala Catholic Bishops Council (KCBC). The Raipur plenary session’s decision to make wearing khadi optional has also not gone down well with some of the party’s traditional supporters.
“It’s a deviation from the Gandhian philosophy. We’ll oppose it. Why are they intolerant towards khadi? Even the Left leaders are now propagating khadi,” said Kerala Gandhi Smaraka Nidhi president N Radhakrishnan.
Fr John Areekal, the general secretary of the KCBC’s ‘Madya Virudha Samithi’ (anti- liquor committee), alleged that the move is at the behest of the liquor lobby. ”How could the successors of Gandhiji do this? We will oppose this tooth and nail,” he said.
Alcohol prohibition and wearing of khadi had been integral to the Congress throughout its history. However, the clause that a party member should “abstain from alcoholic drinks and intoxicant drugs” has been amended to “abstain from use of psychotropic substances, prohibited drugs and intoxicants” in the party constitution. Similarly, the article which stipulate that a party worker should be “a habitual weaver of khadi” is changed to they shall “promote khadi and village industries and MSMEs.”
Congress leaders from the state evaded specific questions on the amendments. However, national general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala, tried to put up a brave face, saying the word intoxicant includes alcohol. “Earlier only alcohol was prohibited. You could use drugs and be a member of the Congress party,” he said.
However, when pointed out that ‘intoxicant’ was part of the old constitution as well, and the amendment only dropped ‘alcoholic drinks’, he said more intoxicants were added. He refused to comment on the amendments brought with regard to khadi.