Problems within

Sir — The Congress has for long been plagued by internal strife which has led to its decimation in national politics (“House trouble”, Aug 27). With the party holding power in just three states — Rajasthan, Punjab and Chhattisgarh — many had hoped that the Congress high command would introspect and focus on internal governance. On the contrary, infighting within the Congress state units seems to be escalating by the day.

Just last year, Sachin Pilot — he was the deputy chief minister of Rajasthan at the time — and his supporters rebelled against the chief minister, Ashok Gehlot, pushing the state government to the brink of collapse. Although the feud was finally brought under control, the differences between the two have remained. Similarly the problems between the chief minister of Punjab, Amarinder Singh, and his former cabinet colleague, Navjot Singh Sidhu, have been simmering for a while. It was thus surprising that the Congress leadership thought it wise to elevate Sidhu to the post of the president of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee. Unsurprisingly, the Punjab Congress is now facing a massive internal problem just six months before the assembly elections.

The Congress has announced that the party would fight the upcoming polls under Singh. This is bound to complicate matters further. Sidhu has been vocal about his displeasure with both the chief minister and the Congress high command, declaring that he ‘won’t spare anyone’ unless he is allowed to take decisions. This misstep will cost the Congress dearly in the 2022 Punjab polls.

More trouble is brewing in Chhattisgarh between the health minister, T.S. Singh Deo, and the chief minister, Bhupesh Baghel. The situation is only getting worse for the Grand Old Party. The leadership vacuum at the top has emboldened warring factions to ignore directives from above. It is time the Gandhis — especially Rahul Gandhi — took concrete measures about electing a new full-time party president. Unless there is a strong leadership at the helm nationally, state units will continue to witness such internal problems.

S.S. Paul,
Nadia

Sir — It is shocking that even after taking charge as the PCC president, Navjot Singh Sidhu continues to speak without considering the repercussions. He has a propensity to take a dig at those he does not agree with, even within his own party. Recently, Sidhu issued a veiled threat to the Congress after one of his key advisors, Malwinder Singh Mali, was compelled to quit his post when his controversial comments on Kashmir and several Congress members came to light. Sidhu warned that if he is not allowed to take independent decisions, he would certainly fight back.

The heightened infighting has many worried that the Congress may not emerge victorious in the upcoming Punjab assembly polls. Unless the Congress high command finds a way to mitigate such internal problems, the party will continue to lose relevance nationally.

N. Mahadevan,
Chennai

Sir — Punjab is facing immense political instability. But it is not simply because of the new PCC chief. Although Navjot Singh Sidhu and Amarinder Singh have their own tiffs, many in the growing list of dissidents insist that their displeasure stems from the chief minister’s over-dependence on bureaucrats at the expense of ministers and legislators. Singh must try to placate his party members if he hopes to win the next elections. No amount of intervention from Delhi will improve matters unless he makes concerted efforts to build bridges.

M.R. Jayanthi,
Coimbatore

Sir — Recently, the National Records of Scotland issued guidelines allowing people to answer the question identifying sex in Scotland’s 2022 census based on how they identify themselves rather than according to their legal status. Transgender persons can, thus, provide an answer different from what is on the birth certificate even if they do not possess a gender recognition certificate.

This is a huge step forward for LGBTQIA+ people who are often invisibilized by the State machinery. Unless governments have concrete data on different constituencies — especially the marginalized — it will be impossible to legislate appropriately.

Mohana Sengupta,
Calcutta

Valuable lesson

Sir — In a welcome move, Nike has given its head office employees in the United States of America a week off to de-stress from the pressures of the Covid-19 pandemic. An increasing number of companies, such as Bumble and Citigroup, have taken similar steps. In contrast, most Indian companies are working their employees to the bone. Worse, many people have reportedly felt that unless they put in extra hours, they might lose their jobs. Indian companies must treat employees with empathy and implement similar initiatives. After all, stress is not conducive to productivity.

Rishab Mehta,
Mumbai