Jaipur: Congress chief
Sonia Gandhi Friday urged party leaders to understand the "new
India", not to alienate the middle class while honestly assessing
its "strengths and weaknesses" as she set the tone for a three-day
conclave that will draw an ideological and policy roadmap for the
2014 general elections.
"Such meetings provide a forum for an honest conversation amongst
ourselves on our strengths and weaknesses," Gandhi told the
leaders at the Chintan Shivir, a brainstorming session to review
the past and finalise strategy for the future, here.
She said the Jaipur meet was different from the two previous ones
held at Panchmarhi in 1998 and Shimla in 2003.
According to Gandhi, the conclave came at a time when the "party
has been in power for nine years" but "is not governing a number
of states and faces serious challenges in states long considered
its bastions."
She also noted the significantly larger presence of younger
leaders resonating with the demographic reality of the country and
reflected the party's priority.
Besides Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and party general
secretary Rahul Gandhi, around 350 delegates including central
ministers, All India Congress Committee (AICC) leaders, state unit
chiefs and Congress Legislative Party (CLP) leaders, besides
members of youth Congress and NSUI are attending the meet.
They will debate issues like political and economic challenges,
foreign affairs, women's empowerment, and organisational strength.
Atrocities on women were a blot on India's collective conscience,
Gandhi said in the wake of the countrywide protests over the
brutal torture and gangrape of a woman in Delhi last month.
She also exhorted the leaders to understand the "new India",
keeping in mind the flash mobs that sprang up in the national
capital on the gang-rape issue recently and on corruption last
year and caught the government unawares.
People were fed up with corruption, Gandhi told party workers
saying an increasingly assertive middle class can't be allowed to
be alienated from the political process.
With nine states going to polls this year and a direct fight with
the Bharatiya Janata Party in five of them, Gandhi asked party
workers to be united and give up personal ambitions and egos.
"Why do we forget the simple truth that in the party's victory,
lies the victory of each one of us," she said.
Gandhi said the party squandered many opportunities because it
could not function as a disciplined and united team.
Stressing on building leadership at all levels, she said
performance rather than patronage should be the ladder for rising
in the party.
Gandhi also asked the leaders not to indulge in pompous displays
of wealth, lead a simple life and be rooted.
Touching upon foreign policy, Gandhi said India has a vision of
occupying its rightful place and exercising its unique influence
in world affairs.
But dialogue with Pakistan must be based on "accepted principles
of civilised behaviour", she said.
Urging the leaders to speak freely and frankly, Gandhi said the
quality of debate within would be crucial to the Congress' future
as a political force.
Senior party leaders felt the session will help the Congress
address basic issues.
"Party unity is very important," former union minister Ambika Soni
said.
"The meeting will help the party become stronger and bring the
youth to the forefront," general secretary Birender Singh said.
"We will discuss all the issues and then reach a conclusion,"
another general secretary BK Hariprasad said.
The Chintan Shivir is being held at the 1,200-capacity Birla
Auditorium in the heart of the city. The meet will conclude Jan 20
with the AICC session, likely to be attended by over 1,200
delegates from across the country.
Consensus reached here will be formally adopted by the AICC as the
Jaipur Declaration.
(Amit Agnihotri can be contacted at amit.a@ians.in)
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