Last week, CPM patriarch Jyoti Basu snubbed Sonia Gandhi over her remarks on Nandigram. Sonia was in West Bengal a day earlier for local body elections and had empathized with the victims of Nandigram. Her comments irked Basu and he commented that what Sonia says has no importance as she has no knowledge of the state. Congress kept mum on this whole episode. This is not the first time when such a thing has happened. In last four years there have been many instances where Leftists have not only gone against government policies but also snubbed the top leadership of Congress.

This has put whole governance on the backburner. Economic reforms could be the hallmark of this government because it is headed by a prominent economist. In its rule of about four years there has been no initiative on economic front. It looks as if economy is progressing due to its own momentum and country is being governed by proxy. Reforms are on hold and there is no policy initiative on economic front in last four years. Whatever welfare schemes are launched by this government, left parties take credit of all of them. When it comes to the miseries of the public they put all the blame on the door step of the Congress and government. So all the time, Congress is left with egg on its face.

Same attitude can be seen on the foreign policy front. Indo-American nuclear deal is all but dead. No one knows what will happen to it. No one in the government is willing to say anything on this. Same soft attitude can be seen in India's approach towards China. When the whole world was raising its voice against Chinese repression of Tibetans, India was conspicuously silent. Naturally this was done to please the leftist crutches of the government. This attitude of the government has not gone well with common man and he takes it as sign of weakness of the country.

It is very clear that the objective of this timidity is not only to remain in power but also come back to power after next general election with the support of leftists. Congress has its own calculation in maintaining this UPA-left alliance together till Rahul is able to take reigns. Congress thinks that the next polls will not dramatically alter the numerical strength of its present allies and hence if it can keep them in good humor, there won't be much difficulty in the coronation of its "Yuvraj".

Because of low self confidence, Congress forgot to think about its strength. It forgot that leftists are not in a position to rock the boat. In their history, they have got the maximum number of Loksabha seats in last election and it is sure that in next general election they can't reach anywhere near to that mark. Secondly if they rock this government, it is going to strengthen their sworn enemy, BJP only. It is very clear that Congress could call their bluff without harming the government. But this can be done only by some one who has self confidence and self respect and is not blinded by self interest.

Soft pedaling of the Tibet issue by this government is going to cost it dear. Common man has not yet forgotten the ignominious defeat of 1962. For him China is still the enemy number one and a bully which keeps doing arm twisting openly. He won't like his or her government being bullied by people, who are allies of a foreign country which boasted about having taught India a lesson. Congress will be seen as someone who is mortgaging self respect of the country to remain in power. This is going to boom rang on the Congress in next election. BJP, which is the past master in raising national pride issue to jingoistic level, is certainly going to be benefited by this Congress meekness.

Politics is the game of perception and perceptibly weak persons don't get anything. If Congress wants to come back in the next general election it has to see its strengths and has to believe them. It is so ironic that Congress has forgotten its biggest strength i.e. economic reforms. Congress should remember that except for three states, leftists were never the darling of masses. Congress is dancing on the tunes of the same leftists. In its desire to stay in power as long as possible, Congress is digging its own grave by angering the electorate by its spinelessness. The party seems to have forgotten that fortune favors the brain.