It pains the heart of anyone who cares for democracy, justice, and human dignity to witness the tragic decline of the Indian National Congress (INC) and the Nepali Congress (NC)—two parties once entrusted with shaping the destiny of South Asia. Born in different contexts but inspired by shared ideals—freedom, equality, and fraternity—both now stand diminished, drifting in political irrelevance and moral confusion.
The Indian National Congress, once led by Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Patel, and Lal Bahadur Shastri, was more than a political party — it was the conscience of a subcontinent. Similarly, the Nepali Congress, forged in the fires of anti-Rana and anti-monarchy struggles, was the architect of modern Nepal’s democratic awakening. Yet, both parties today resemble hollow vessels, held hostage by dynastic entitlement, bereft of vision, and disconnected from the masses they once led with courage and clarity.
The weight of the dynasty
The most glaring parallel between the INC and the NC is the tyranny of dynasty. In India, the Nehru-Gandhi family’s grip on the Congress has turned leadership into hereditary right. Capable figures like Dr. Shashi Tharoor are kept at bay, not due to lack of ability but because they threaten the dynastic hierarchy.
In Nepal, the story is equally troubling. The NC has turned into a power cartel dominated by a small group centered around Sher Bahadur Deuba and his inner circle, including his wife, Arzu Rana Deuba. This group has consolidated power through party manipulation, patronage networks, and opportunistic alliances. It is widely perceived — rightly so — as a political mafia, enriching itself while the nation reels from poverty, unemployment, and institutional decay.
Opportunism Over Opposition
A defining feature of any democracy is a strong opposition. Here, the Nepali Congress has utterly failed its constitutional duty. Despite being the largest democratic party, the NC has allied with Maoists, formed governments with the UML, and shared power with any party willing to offer ministerial portfolios. It speaks the language of democracy but practices the politics of opportunism. At a time when Nepal needs vigilant oversight — amid rising authoritarian tendencies, judicial manipulation, and corruption scandals — the NC has chosen the comforts of coalition over the courage of confrontation. It has abandoned the opposition bench, not for the national good, but for political convenience. Its silence on issues like public health collapse, civil service rot, and electoral irregularities is deafening.
Irrelevance by Design
The INC and NC failed not because the people turned away from their values, but because the parties themselves abandoned those values. The ideals that once inspired millions—secularism, social justice, democratic governance — have been reduced to slogans without substance. In Nepal, the NC no longer offers a distinct ideological voice. After 2006, it failed to claim the republican narrative or lead federalism with clarity. Instead, it turned to backroom bargaining, shrinking its intellectual and moral stature. It has been complicit in undermining transparency, shielding corruption, and playing kingmaker for selfish gains. In India, the INC’s weakness is ideological inertia; in Nepal, it is ideological bankruptcy combined with moral surrender.
Loot in the Name of Democracy
One of the most corrosive aspects of Nepali Congress’s decline is the blatant corruption at its highest levels. Under Sher Bahadur Deuba’s multiple terms, and with his wife’s deep entrenchment in national and international NGOs, the line between public service and personal enrichment has completely eroded. The Deuba faction has allegedly manipulated donor aid, development contracts, appointments, and public procurement to benefit itself and its cronies. The very people who championed democracy during the 1990s are now seen as the gatekeepers of kleptocracy. This betrayal has shattered public faith, especially among youth, who now view politics as nothing more than legalized theft.
Can They Rise Again?
It is not too late — but time is running out. Both Congresses need radical reform, not cosmetic adjustments. They must: • Democratize leadership structures, • Embrace fresh ideas and fearless voices, • Reconnect with rural and urban disenfranchised, • Offer a principled, not opportunistic, alternative to majoritarian populism and leftist authoritarianism, • And above all, rediscover the moral imagination that once made them great.
The Indian National Congress must stop operating like a political inheritance and start acting like a national institution. The Nepali Congress must stop negotiating cabinet seats and start shaping national conversations — on corruption, justice, education, public health, and sovereignty.
The Final Word
The decline of these two Congresses is not just their tragedy—it is the region. A vibrant democracy needs a responsible opposition. A republic needs leaders, not caretakers of legacy. History will not be kind to those who inherited the mantle of giants and shrank it to fit their personal comfort. If the Congresses of India and Nepal wish to matter again, they must first earn back their names—not through memorializing their founders, but by embodying their courage.
(Dr. Janardan Subedi is Professor of Sociology at Miami University, Ohio, and writes on political sociology, democracy, and South Asian governance.)
@HT
