In the case of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, which took place in the aftermath of the assassination of then Prime Minister (PM) Indira Gandhi, a public apology was tendered by PM Manmohan Singh, a Congress leader and a Sikh, in Parliament. On August 11, 2005, PM Singh told the Rajya Sabha, “What took place in 1984 is the negation of the concept of nationhood enshrined in our Constitution.” The Nanavati Commission implicated several Congress leaders, including Jagdish Tytler and Sajjan Kumar, in the anti-Sikh riots in which close to 3,000 Sikhs died in mob attacks made possible by State inaction. Rajiv Gandhi, who succeeded his mother Indira as PM, infamously explained away the events as “when a giant tree falls, the earth below shakes”.

Much has changed in politics since. In the case of Rahul Gandhi, he has never held office which also means the actions the Congress leader will be asked to account for happen under the watch of his predecessors. That said, how far can a politician walk on the path of redemption, without making an apology sound procedural or banal? The nation will mark 50 years of the Emergency, a dark hour in the history of Indian democracy, in June. The Emergency, imposed by a Congress government, led to the suspension of civil rights and the incarceration of nearly the entire Opposition in the country for 19 months. Many party leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, have admitted that it was a mistake. A public apology may be in order.

A politics of confession that encourages politicians and parties to confess and offer regret for their errors — from corruption to communal riots to unprincipled alliances and party-hopping — could surely be a cathartic experience that may help cleanse the body politic of accumulated unacknowledged wrongdoings.