What does the term ‘syndicate’ mean in the context of the Congress party of the sixties? What role did the Syndicate play in the Congress party?
Syndicate was the informal name given to senior influential leaders who existed within the congress. It refers to a group of Congress leaders who were in control of the party’s organisation. It included political leaders like K. Kamraj, S. K. Patil, Atulya Ghosh and N. Sanjeeva Reddy, etc.
The Syndicate had a very important role to play in the Congress party:
a. Lal Bahdur Shastri was elected as the leader of Congress after Nehru’s death by the syndicate.
b. Syndicate played an important role in framing and implementing Congress’ policies.
c. They played an important role in elevating and supporting Mrs. Gandhi to Prime Ministership after Shastri’s death.
d. They played an equally important role in the formation of Mrs. Gandhi’s first council of ministers.
e. However, as Mrs. Gandhi began to assert her independence, ignoring the advice of the Syndicate, the stalwarts of the Congress Party were sidelined and overlooked.
f. Mrs. Gandhi’s socialist and left wing programmes like public distribution of food grains, land reforms and ceiling on urban property did not receive wholesome support from the syndicate that had reservations about the implementation of such schemes.
g. Growing internal differences between the Syndicate factions and Mrs Gandhi surfaced over the Presidential elections in 1969, with both supporting different candidates.
h. Following the defeat of Syndicate-backed Sanjeeva Reddy, the official Congress candidate for President, culminated into the formal split between Mrs. Gandhi and the Syndicate.
i. However, the Syndicate lost their glory and prestige after 1971.
The Syndicate had a very important role to play in the Congress party:
a. Lal Bahdur Shastri was elected as the leader of Congress after Nehru’s death by the syndicate.
b. Syndicate played an important role in framing and implementing Congress’ policies.
c. They played an important role in elevating and supporting Mrs. Gandhi to Prime Ministership after Shastri’s death.
d. They played an equally important role in the formation of Mrs. Gandhi’s first council of ministers.
e. However, as Mrs. Gandhi began to assert her independence, ignoring the advice of the Syndicate, the stalwarts of the Congress Party were sidelined and overlooked.
f. Mrs. Gandhi’s socialist and left wing programmes like public distribution of food grains, land reforms and ceiling on urban property did not receive wholesome support from the syndicate that had reservations about the implementation of such schemes.
g. Growing internal differences between the Syndicate factions and Mrs Gandhi surfaced over the Presidential elections in 1969, with both supporting different candidates.
h. Following the defeat of Syndicate-backed Sanjeeva Reddy, the official Congress candidate for President, culminated into the formal split between Mrs. Gandhi and the Syndicate.
i. However, the Syndicate lost their glory and prestige after 1971.
