AICC SESSION

PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS OF
SMT. SONIA GANDHI

TO THE AICC SESSION - 24^th May, 2002

Members of Congress working committee,

Presidents of Pradesh Congress, Chief Ministers and leaders of legislative party, and fellow members of AICC

I welcome you all in this meeting of All India Congress Committee. We are meeting at an occasion of deep tumult and disturbance. Due to organised communal violence in Gujarat our secular fabric is passing through a difficult phase and now the extreme violence by terrorists from across the border is testing the nerve of our national resolve.

The horrible attack on the innocent men, women and children and the families of our brave soldiers in Kaluchak is a severe blow to our nation. Our armies have faced the militancy and have several times fought bravely against the foreign invasion. We salute their valour and sacrifice.

Last week in the Parliament, I made it clear that Congress party will continue to support the government in its efforts to stamp out cross-border terrorism and bring Jammu and Kashmir back on the track of peace and tranquility. This is also true that we have unending basic differences with BJP with respect to matters pertaining to political, social and foreign policy. Those will come up into discussion even today. But, in a manner the message should go to the world that the whole country is united in fighting the cross-border terrorism, so we did not hesitate in supporting the government.

But, I made it clear in the Parliament that juggulary of words is not an alternate to an apparent and appropriate strategy. The strategy should be given a proper thought on the basis of ground realities and the principles which are time-tested. So far we have not witnessed any such evidence of a broader perspective.

It is a matter of despair that there's no respite from terrorism even after five months of unprecedented deployment of army on the western border. Pakistan has refused our request for deporting the 20 terrorists and criminals whose names were given to it. Pakistani policy on Jammu and Kashmir have remained unchanged. Worse than this, the international community has not made any specific efforts for complying with the promises made by Pakistani President Musharraf himself in his 12^th January speech.

In this fragile situation, we have to keep ourself ready for the hardships. We should not allow the situation to get out of control and be utmost careful in taking unfruitful measures. We should act in a manner befitting two responsible nuclear powers.

Still a lot has to be done. Our view should be known to all of the countries at the diplomatic level. Certainly we have to work on this, so that our voice be heard world-over and other countries understand our problems in true manner.

On the ground level we have to ensure our military institutions and those people who are targeted by terrorists should always be alert and defend themselves carefully.

We have to create such a situation that infiltration of terrorists into our country should be checked.

Pakistan should be told in clear terms in various manners that cross-border terrorism will not be tolerated anymore. The truth is that vital informations are with the government and it should work with greater responsibility for safe-guarding the national interest.

Congress has always believed in formal as well as informal dialogue with Pakistan under the Shimla Agreement 1972 and Lahore Declaration of 1992. But as a political party we should be vigilant about the misuse of enmity with Pakistan army and abetment to militant outfits as a plank for division in society and create communal tensions by the organisations like RSS.

Elections will be held in Jammu and Kashmir in the coming months. Congress has to emerge as a big force on its own. Government has to make such arrangements that election process should not be hampered and it should also ensure that all social groups and people of all political bendings should participate in the elections without fear from militants and such elements who wants to destroy our democratic system and secular life-style. The BJP-led coation government has failed to improve internal security in J&K and continuation of broader and trustworthy political process in the state, this has deteriorated our security environment from outside elements. As a result the country is suffering. The people of Kashmir have suffered the severest pain. We understand their emotions and have full sympathy with them.

Part _II

Gujarat

We are meeting in the background of the tragedy that has befallen Gujarat. It has grievously damaged our secular foundations. It has diminished us as human beings. It has hurt and wounded us. It has tarnished India's image abroad. We have to pause and reflect, hard and long.

How is it that Gujarat which is India's success story in economic growth has become the setting for such social hatred? How is it that Gujarat that has seen the peaceful intermingling of so many religions has become the scene of such religious fanaticism? How is it that Gujarat that produced the greatest champion of ahimsa has seen such brutal violence?

Elections to Gujarat are due in the next few months. We will go to the people of Gujarat with one message. This is the message of social peace and harmony of religious amity and understanding. We categorically reject the politics of hate. We will go to the people with a politics that unites, not divides, a politics that heals, not wounds. We believe that a great majority of the people in Gujarat abide by Gandhiji's ideals and they seek enduring reconciliation, only the Congress can bring that reconciliation.

The battle in Gujarat is to be fought not just by our friends and colleagues there, but by all of us collectively. We must defeat communalism, we must defeat those who spread religious hate, we must defeat those who seek to destroy the very essence of our heritage.

Gujarat has also a larger lesson for us, especially for the states governed by the Congress. And this is: that governance is most fundamentally about maintaining law and order, about ensuring security of life and property.

At our recently-concluded conclave in Guwahati, I categorically told our Chief Ministers that any individual or any organisation preaching or practising the politics of hate and threatening the very existence of our secular fabric must be dealt with severely without fear or favour according to law. There must not be any compromise, under any circumstances on this under a Congress government.

Our Secular Creed

Friends, in the wake of what has happened in Gujarat, I have spoken often about the Congress's deep and unflinching adherence to secularism. Secularism for us is a matter of conviction, not compulsion. Secularism for us is a matter of commitment, not convenience. To us, secularism is Sarva Dharma Sambhaav both in theory and practice, both in thought and deed, both in terms of Niti and Neeyat.

To us secularism is not freedom from religion but freedom of religion. Secularism visualizes no discrimination in the name of religion, treats every religion with equal respect, and fully implements in letter and spirit the Constitutional safeguards for the welfare of different religious groups that make up India.

To us, the confrontation on secularism is between an overwhelming number of our people, steeped in their own religious traditions yet accepting and understanding of other faiths as well, and a small number of fanatics, who distort the very message of the faith they profess to champion.

To us, the confrontation on secularism is between an overwhelming number of our people who want to look ahead and move forward in harmony and peace, and a handful who refuse to do so and want the entire country to be prisoner of a past invented and interpreted by them. Let the message go forth from here that the Congress will be single-minded in its purpose and relentless in its effort to root out communalism of all kinds and all varieties.

To signal this commitment, we are establishing a Sadbhavna Ke Sipahi rapid action force comprising Congressmen and women which will be our infantry in the war against communalism. It will spread the message of secularism throughout the country. It will make its presence felt immediately wherever there is a communal clash. It will mobilize relief especially for children and women.

In our deeply multi-religious society, secularism will be strengthened by a sustained process of inter-faith dialogue and understanding, to bring community and religious leaders together regularly to regenerate the sources of our great traditions of mutual accommodation and acceptance. This is something that we should be facilitating on an on-going basis.

But let us face the harsh truth: communalism has gained ground and communal ideologies have spread not only because the communal forces are well-funded and well-organised, but also because we have faltered in our commitment to the ideals of Gandhiji and Panditji, because we ourselves seem to have been intimidated somewhat by the false propaganda spread by our political adversaries.

Panditji had said "Communalism of any kind, of any colour, or any variety is evil". And he further said, I quote, if any person raises his hand to strike down another on the ground of religion, I shall fight him till the last breath of my life, both as the head of the government and from the outside, unquote.

Our secular credentials will get strengthened, not weakened if we mount an aggressively appropriate response. We cannot, have not and will not indulge in competitive communalism. The Congress rejects the very notion of any religion being under threat or danger. This is an entirely false idea spread by forces who misuse religion to mobilize people for electoral gains.

But we have seen how the very same people reject these very same forces when they are unable to deliver on basics like law and order, food, jobs, water, power and shelter. The Congress knows only one card: the India card, the card of an India governed by democracy and the rule of law, defined by diversity, committed to development and socio-economic justice.

The Economy

Since we met last in Bangalore, industrial growth continues to decline, employment growth continues to decelerate and the investment famine continues to loom large. Vulnerable and weaker sections of our society, particularly farmers in dry-land areas, handloom weavers and workers in the un-organised sector, have been worst-hit by the BJP Government's most insensitive economic policies. Financial scams continue unabated and ordinary investors have been very badly affected.

Most disturbing of all, the neglect of agriculture continues. Prices of fertilizers have been raised at a time when farmers everywhere are facing acute distress. No significant effort has been made to strengthen the rural financial system so that farmers get access to credit in adequate quantities, at the right time and at affordable rates.

No attempt has been made to provide a new impetus to the research and extension system that provided the basis for the Green Revolution. There is no sense of urgency being shown by the government to deal with the crisis in agriculture.

It is now universally acknowledged that the decisive turn-around in our economic fortunes came in the 1980s when the Congress governments first started the process of economic reforms. It is also universally recognized that the first half of the 1990s saw a consolidation and expansion of the gains of the 1980s. The economy was strengthened and became more resilient.

The Congress bequeathed a dynamic economy when it left office in May 1996 and its legacy could have been used to expand prosperity all-round. Instead, that legacy has been frittered away. It is evident that only a Congress government has the understanding and confidence to take the economy forward and what is more important, take it forward in an environment of social harmony and equity. Economic reforms in a framework of religious fanaticism and social bigotry is neither acceptable nor sustainable.

Empowerment of panchayats and creating vibrant institutions of local self-governance is special concern to us. To mark the tenth anniversary of the 73^rd and 74^th amendments that was Rajivji's most precious legacy to the country, I have already requested our chief ministers to hold special sessions of their legislatures. In addition, I have requested the Prime Minister to hold a special meeting of Parliament with the express objective of identifying and implementing measures to enable panchayats and nagarpalikas to emerge as viable institutions of self-governance and development. We must make this a truly people's movement.

Good Governance

Today, the fourteen Congress-ruled states stand out for their achievements in providing good and effective governance. This is in stark contrast to the BJP's record wherever it is in power. Our state governments have earned a name for themselves, as administrations committed to faster economic growth with deeper human development, committed to economic reforms with particular focus on the weaker sections of society, committed to maintaining social peace and harmony. But we cannot rest on our laurels and we must press on with determination. There are still areas of serious concern to the people like power and water, for instance, that require our urgent and sustained attention.

We have had three meetings of Congress chief ministers _ in November 2000, June 2001 and last month in Guwahati. You may have seen the Guwahati resolve where we adopted a nine-point agenda. In all the meetings of chief ministers, we have focussed primarily on priorities, policies, programmes and projects for the welfare and well-being of the weaker sections of society _ dalits, advasis, OBCs, minorities and women.

One of the specific promises we have made to ourselves in Guwahati is to eliminate the backlog of all SC/ST vacancies in administration by 31.12.2002. We are determined to fulfill that promise. In addition, we must place the highest emphasis on programmes for the education, employment, entrepreneurship and empowerment of scheduled caste and scheduled tribe communities. In this connection, we must be guided by the Bhopal Declaration that has become a `maarg-darshan' in the struggle of the SC/ST communities for a life of dignity and prosperity.

I would like the AICC members particularly to take a personal interest and to put pressure on all of us to ensure that the action-points that have been identified and the resolve that has been taken is implemented in letter and spirit. We are conscious of our responsibility. That is why I am creating a Council of Congress Chief Ministes that will provide an institutionalized forum for keeping this charter under regular review. But pressure from all of you will galvanise us even more and keep us on our toes.

I want to say a few words on youth especially. India's population is predominantly young. Rajivji recognized this very early on and gave 18-year olds the great responsibility of the right to vote. We often talk about youth but somehow we have been unable to fire their imagination and give them a meaningful role in national affairs.

Youth has energy, exuberance and enthusiasm. Youth has ideals. These have all to be channeled creatively by those in power for the benefit of society at large. I recall that our national manifesto for the 1999 Lok Sabha elections contained an innovative idea of Desh Ke Liye Ek Saal, a programme for involving youth in national tasks like literacy, afforestation, creation of awareness on social legislation and family planning. Could not our state governments consider this for implementation by suitable re-allocation of resources? Could not our state governments approach the Central Government for additional resources to get such a scheme off the ground?

The Congress Organization

Friends, we have travelled some distance in the past four years. This is because we have worked together. From being in power in three states, we are now in power in 14 states. We have amended the Party's constitution to provide for reservation for the representation of the weaker sections of society, although, I am personally unhappy at what has been accomplished in this regard, especially as far as women are concerned.

We have introduced a new, transparent and hopefully more effective system of financing the party's activities, in the full implementation of which I seek your cooperation. We have started training programmes particularly under the banner of our frontal organisations although here too I am convinced we can and must do more in a systematic and professional manner. My objective remains to establish a formal training institute for all party workers.

We have had a most useful interaction on party ideology and strategy at Pachmarhi and it is clearly time for another intensive session. We have expanded the network of cells and departments in the AICC in order to build stronger links with different sections of society. We have launched Congress Sandesh to provide a forum for communication and interaction within the party.

We have set up an independent election authority to conduct organizational elections in an impartial and effective manner. But we have ourselves many unfinished tasks that demand a collective effort. Our poor performance in India's largest state of Uttar Pradesh continues to be cause of great concern. In the long-run it is only the Congress's development-oriented, non-sectarian message and approach that will bring Uttar Pradesh back on the path of progress and prosperity, a path from which it got derailed over twelve years ago.

In Bihar, although we have a local alliance, our party has to be able to revive its own fortunes independently. In Tamil Nadu, the Congress will be strengthened by the return of the TMC into our fold. In West Bengal, we have tried to re-unite the party but we have not had much success so far.

In just six days time, Goa goes to the polls. I am confident that the people of Goa will give a clear and unambiguous verdict in our favour for preserving the secular legacy and pluralistic heritage of that state. We must build closer linkages between the party organisation and the government in the states where we are in power. The party organisation at all levels must become the primary vehicle for projecting our programmes and propagating our achievements. This assumes special significance in those states that are going to the polls in just over a year from now and where a determined effort is required to defeat the so-called anti-incumbency factor.

I had said something in Bangalore last year and repeated it at Guwahati as well. I want to raise it again today. And this has to do with our lifestyles. We must preach and practice austerity, shunning ostentation of any kind and vulgar display of the trappings of power and authority. I will be circulating a code of austerity and ethics shortly and I expect every Congressman and woman to abide by it at all times.

As I said right at the outset, we are very conscious of the grave security situation that prevails today in our region. However, while as a responsible political party we extend our hand of support to the government at this critical hour, as a responsive political party we cannot overlook that this is also a government that has revealed monumental incompetence on many fronts. This is a government in which corruption is rampant and worse where corruption reaps rewards. This is a government that is shockingly insensitive to the needs of the people, particularly the poor and weaker sections of society. This is a government that is marked by drift, propelled by inaction and sustained by nothing but greed for power.

There is a renewed sense of expectation from us. Once again the Congress Party is being seen as the only hope to lead the country from darkness to light, once again the Congress Party is being seen as the only instrument to rescue the country from the abyss of political paralysis, economic stagnation and social turmoil.

Part - III

We resolve to march towards our fixed goal in correct direction with a dear conscience. We have to march on to keep our great and powerful organisation anew and afresh, which has given a new profile to modern India in every aspect and renovated it.

We have to march on to fulfil those promises which we made to the people of this country. Whether we are in the government or out of it. We have to march on to discover such a politics which is an effective and sentimental tool for economic and social change.

We, the Congress people for generations took inspirations from talented and merited spirits both men and women. We will continue to be guided by their thoughts and deeds.

We all resolve that we won't sit idly untill we make Congress enliven as that of our dreams, which will not only be in the centre of politics but also stand high on the morals.

Thank you