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dated June 2, 1957: Congress is not in good shape, Nehru tells AICC

Prime Minister Nehru put the All-India Congress Committee in an intense self-introspective mood by declaring on June 1 that the weaknesses of Congressmen, their "provincialism, casteism and communalism and isolation from the people" had been shown up to a "scandalous and shameful degree." He told the AICC, which began a two-day session in New Delhi, that the recent general elections had brought them to the conclusion that the Congress organisation was in no good shape. In fact, he said, it was in no shape at all in many areas. Mr. Nehru, who was speaking on a resolution for the reorganisation of the Congress, said no political party could function unless it had its grassroots in the country. If the constitution of the party was not serving the purpose for which it was intended it had to be changed. "A constitution is after all just a framework - the dry bones of an organisation. We have to put flesh and blood into it. The flesh and blood come from the spirit of the constitution and the way we work it. Obviously, a change in the constitution does not vitally change the organisation." Mr. Nehru did not spare himself from the sweep of his criticism. "The Congress," he said, "has become ultimately rather a sect headed as in olden days by some old mahant like myself and others who stick to their `gadi' and more or less prevent bright newcomers from functions - even if they come in, they do not have much function." But while flaying the organisation for its shortcomings, Mr. Nehru also proclaimed his faith in the ability of the Congress to overcome its weaknesses and "function from the stage of history" as it had functioned in the days of the freedom struggle.

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