Chamber of Imitative Horrors

At the end of it all, when we muse over the debate on the no-confidence motion - both inside and outside parliament - we are left in a chamber of mirrors. All that the Congress can do is to compete with the BJP in a race where the Sangh parivar sets the rules. Since the parivar has made leadership an issue, the Congress has to project Sonia Gandhi to counter Vajpayee. Since the parivar lays down the terms of discourse, the Congress has to debate over trivial issues which have been made explosive by the parivar, like Ram Janmabhoomi and cow worship.