Keralites, affectionately than derogatorily known by the slang “Mallus” suffer from the cultural phenomenon of Tall Poppy Syndrome. Tall Poppy Syndrome (TPS) is a societal attitude to denigrate, accuse, criticize and sabotage high achievers who have attained fame and success, primarily due to the fact that these low-lives perceive such eminent personalities as a threat. This deeply embedded vice would rear its ugly head in the aftermath of Shashi Tharoor, one of the illustrious sons of the soil, filed his nomination for the post of Congress presidency. In an unprecedented, but expected wave of relinquishing support for the erudite Tharoor by the senior leaders of KPCC, some of them languishing with senile grins in their late septuagenarian and octogenarian years, have decided to rally behind another lesser known octogenarian contender for the post, from Karnataka. India needs progressive visionaries not old-time loyalists of Gandhi dynasty.

Years of nepotism and lack of internal democracy within the party have led the legacy party – whose lynchpin role in India’s Independence Movement and economic fate of the nation are never forgotten – to crumble and implode from within. Scores of high-profile party men, loyalists who owed allegiance to the secular and pluralistic ideals, have since defected or left Congress to opposition camps. The fundamental reason being there is no apparent future for this party in India, that is slowly but surely inching towards its inexorable demise. Rudyard Kipling epitomized the symbiotic relationship between the individual and the group and vice versa, which, the grand old Congress party have long ignored to its peril, “For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack.”

Incompetence of the party scion, Rahul Gandhi is pertinent, glaring, and unambiguous for everyone in the country, except for Congress party itself. He is quintessentially the talisman of the ruling NDA alliance. The base subservience and ignominious obsession with dynasty politics for the Congress party members, sympathizers and supporters is nothing short of nauseating. Ironically, the route-map for Bharat Jodo Yatra – modeled on Mahatma Gandhi’s Dandi March on foot- to eviscerate the supremacist BJP party from planet Earth, doesn’t cross BJP strongholds in the central and northern states. These are the reactionaries who abhor change and whose minds and hearts are fixated with the poignant vestiges of glory that spurned nepotism and authoritarian structure reminiscent of inviolable demi-gods, ever since, Indira Gandhi promoted and projected her rebellious son Sanjay Gandhi, into the upper echelons of the party, unceremoniously and without merit.

Congress has been relegated to a party devoid of a strong political stance, bereft of a foolproof manifesto to lead India in the 21st century in the rapidly changing technological innovations, to regain its secular credentials and spur economic growth and recovery. The only agenda is to vociferously attack the incumbent administration, whether in Centre or in the State, indiscriminately.

Mallus, though they pride themselves as highly literate, educated, politically sensitive and part of a society that adorns apex positions in UN Sustainable Development Goals standards, exhibit Toll Poppy Syndrome and Crab Mentality in their socio-economic and socio-political realms. An affinity for outclassing and outgrowing each other are built into their primordial traits in social dynamics. While jealousy and envy may seem universal, experiencing a grim, subtle delight at the misfortune of others, whether a friend, foe or a neighbor is notoriously reserved for the self-proclaimed, enlightened Mallus. Interestingly, the most appropriate word for such a human principle is not in English, but borrowed from German, called ‘Schadenfreude’. A Japanese maxim reinforces this dark truth, “The misfortune of others tastes like honey.”

An erstwhile opposition leader of KPCC, infamous for making political gaffes in the model of farcical villainy in Bollywood movies of the 70’s and 80’s thinks Shashi Tharoor doesn’t have the eligibility to run for Congress presidency. A global citizen, a highly acclaimed scholar, writer and thinker, meritorious former diplomat at the helm of United Nations with global networking and influence, and above all, thrice elected from constituency in the state capital are disqualifications for this imbecile, former KPCC president. He is congenitally argumentative and an eristic, who usually makes his presence felt by clamoring absurdities.

Shashi Tharoor represents the last bastion of Congress, whose fortunes in the current and future political landscape of India are declining with precipitating speeds. Though the task of unifying the party pan-India, with the zest, zeal and vigor of its glory days seems insurmountable, adding and replacing incompetence with incompetence only serves to hasten its inevitable ruin. And it may be too late a revelation that dynasty in politics and business is never sacrosanct, but often, the biggest impediment to performance and survival.