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Congress decimation in Delhi: It was a 'wicked comment' to blame Sheila Dikshit

By Kamal Mitra Chenoy*
Sheila Dikshit was clearly a colossus, not only in the Congress, but in Delhi as a whole. It is really distressing that Sheila Dikshit’s major role has been sidelined. One did not believe that Sheila Dikshit’s huge contribution, blaming her for the “start of the decline in the Congress party’s fortunes,” would be so nasty.
As a supporter of all secular parties, the All-India Congress Committee (AICC) Delhi in-charge PC Chacko’s attempt to blame Sheila Dikshit, because “any sensible person would have anticipated the defeat of the Congress in Delhi”, is ridiculous.
A wicked comment to blame a deceased colossus is surely unexpected from the Congress. As Pawan Khera, Dikshit’s former aide pointed out, “In 2013, when we lost, Congress vote share in Delhi was 24.55 percent. After a hiatus, in 2019, when she was back in charge, the vote share came up to 22.46 percent.”
Has PC Chacko acknowledged this rise in 2019? Will he have the grace?
It is sad for family and friends that the demise of a major Congress leader should be a profound loss now. This was unfair and horridly timed. Many will mourn her even now. My deep condolences to the bereaved family and friends.
It is sad for family and friends that the demise of a major Congress leader should be a profound loss now. This was unfair and horridly timed
Surely, the Congress should rise to the occasion. Latika Dikshit, daughter of Sheila Dikshit, is right when she says, “I think it speaks volumes about Chacko, and I don’t think it’s worth commenting. She is gone and I am still mourning, it’s a great loss to me personally.” My condolences to Latika Dikshit and Sandeep Dikshit.
I had the privilege of meeting Sheila Dikshit on a number of occasions. She had a warm welcome for many, and many came to her in need. On a couple of occasions, she asked me about my family.
She was amused that, unlike me, my family history was Congress since the 1920s, and ended with with grandmother’s demise in 1957 when she, Hannah Sen, an educationist (founder of the Lady Irwin College) and politician (All-India Women’s Conference, later its President), and a Roving Ambassador for Jawaharlal Nehru, met Ben Gurion in Israel, Mao Tse Tung in China, and others.
Surely, this whole confusion should have been handled with decorum and grace. Many of us will always remember Sheila Dikshit, irrespective of the sudden rush of quibbles. As the great English poet John Keats wrote: “A thing of beauty is a joy forever, its loveliness increases, it will never pass into nothingness.”
---
Former Professor at the School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi . Source: Author’s Facebook timeline 

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