Interview

`Congress Nationalism is all Inclusive'

In response to a questionnaire from the Hindustan Times, Congress president Smt. Sonia Gandhi talks about what is central to the Congress's political culture :

Why do you think the country should not vote for the BJP?

The BJP government has failed on many counts but four are most crucial. First, it has destroyed social harmony. It is not just what happened in Gujarat. What is worse is that the law of the land was simply not enforced against those who preach and practice bigotry and hatred.

Second, its economic performance has been dismal. Economic growth in spite of the so-called feel-good factor of recent months is lower than under previous Congress regimes. Unemployment has mounted. Never before has the country seen this unprecedented level of suicides of farmers crushed under the burden of debt.

Third, there has been erosion of institutions. The CVC, the NHRC, the CBI, the PAC, the CAG has all come under assault. The autonomy of IIMs and IITs is being eroded. Academic bodies are being drained of professional competence. And fourth, there have been a huge number of scams whether it is in the sale of PSUs, allotment of petrol pumps, purchase of coffins for our brave Kargil martyrs and the UTI in which lakhs of middle class families have lost their hard-earned savings. I find it very sad that the BJP is negating the achievements of the past five decades. Many challenges remain but to deny what has been accomplished is partisanship of the worst kind. Calling Indira Gandhi Durga once means nothing.

What are the important reasons why the country should vote for the Congress?

The Congress's policies have consistency and clarity. Its nationalism is all-inclusive nationalism that integrates, not divides; that instills pride, not stokes prejudice. The Congress has built modern India and under its leadership, India has emerged as the fourth largest economy in the world, according to some indices used internationally. Whether it is agriculture, industry, higher education, science and technology, rural development or democracy itself, it is the Congress that has provided continuity with change. `Congress ka haath, aam admi ke saath' sums up our priority.

What is the main difference between the Congress and the BJP?

Well, our nationalism is secular, liberal, tolerant, all-inclusive unlike that of the BJP. Our agenda is transparent and not hidden. We do not hide behind mukhotas as the BJP does. The BJP tries to put on a veneer of moderation to hide its real agenda of divisiveness. Our core is secular. We believe in celebrating India's diversities. We combine economic liberalism with social inclusiveness. We believe that economic growth cannot be sustained in an environment of social polarization. We continue to believe in a selective and strategic role for the public sector. For us, priority for agriculture and rural development, for panchayati raj is an article of faith, not just rhetoric.

Are you awed by Atal Bihari Vajpayee's stature and the difference in the ratings between the PM and you in all pre-poll surveys?

Vajpayee is a senior leader who has had over half-a-century in public life. But who is the real Vajpayee? On every major issue _ Pakistan, Gujarat, Ayodhya and RSS to name just four _ Vajpayee has flip-flopped and shifted his stance. He has said things to suit the audience and the occasion. He has left the nation confused. There has been neither consistency nor clarity in his stewardship. It was his own colleague Govindacharya, I think, who described him as a "mukhota". There is actually a double mukhota here. The NDA itself is a mukhota for the BJP. A vote for the NDA is actually a vote for the BJP and its divisive agenda.

Do you feel that people have got tired of the word "secularism"?

Not at all. An India that is not secular will simply not survive. Secularism is our destiny. Secularism in the sense of equal respect for all religions, in the sense of combating communalism of all kinds, in the sense of giving minorities safety, security and equality of opportunity. For me, secularism is more than a majority-minority issue. It is an issue that involves crores of Indians, deeply religious but liberal on the one hand, and a handful who seek to destroy the essence of their faith.

You are accused of following "soft Hindutva". Why is this so?

Absolutely not. If I go to Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati as I have been doing for many years, why should I be accused of soft Hindutva? If I meet Muslim clerics and visit a dargah, why should I be accused of appeasement? These are labels that have no meaning.

How do you react to the latest news reports on Bofors?

The Delhi High Court upheld my husband's innocence. There is nothing new in the latest round of innuendoes. They were made six years back as well. What has the government been doing for these six years? Bofors have become a convenient political football that surfaces every time there are elections and the Congress seems to be on the upswing.

Why is the Congress appearing so weak in the north India?

Not all of north India, perhaps only UP and Bihar. Well, the Congress has been elbowed out by caste and communal politics over the past decade in north India. We are a responsible, middle-of-the-road party that appeals to and derives its strength from each and every section of our variegated society. But I think our party's fortunes in UP will be revived in the forthcoming elections. People have tried all others and I think they have realised that it is only the Congress politics that works. We have many challenges in Bihar though.

How do you look back on your tenure as LOP?

It was eventful and educative. We were a constructive and responsible Opposition, much more constructive and responsible than the BJP when it was in the Opposition. We extended our support to the government on major political, economic and foreign policy issues when we felt that it was in the national interest. I have been criticised by some of my own colleagues for this approach but I stuck to my position. We extended full support to the government on its peace initiatives in J&K and with Pakistan. I was in regular touch with the Prime Minister on many issues like drought relief, PDS, employment guarantee and security in the North-east. But I hardly received any response from the PM. We took a firm and principled stand against sending Indian troops to Iraq and it is this that forced the government not to send troops when it had already decided to do so.

What is different about your 2004 campaign as compared to 1999 polls?

Well, my Jan Sampark in different states has got new direction. You people in the media called it a "roadshow". Of course, I had started these Jan Samparks last year but these elections gave it fresh momentum. This Jan Sampark met with a most enthusiastic response. I am now in the phase where we have traditional rallies and public meetings and by May 10 would have addressed close to 70-80 rallies across the country. Our media campaign this time is far more structured and focussed and is quite extensive in the regional media. It started with the `aam admi ko kya mila' campaign that highlighted the BJP-NDA's colossal failures, sought to be brushed under the carpet by the so-called India Shining campaign. Then we moved to our achievements phase with the theme `Congress ke raj mein hai hamari sunvayi' and now we are in the final phase with the theme `Mein Congress ke saath hoon'. The emphasis is overwhelmingly on youth, women, farmers and the middle classes.

How do you see the post-poll scenario?

I see the emergence of a strong, effective, secular alternative to the NDA that will give good governance based on programmes, not personalities, based on ideas and institutions, not individuals.

What is it in our politics that you would like to change?

I would definitely like professionals, youth, women and minorities to be represented better in the Vidhan Sabhas and Parliament. Not just represented but also empowered fully. We are trying but clearly must do more. Then, we must clean up electoral financing for which the Congress had taken the lead two years back. The disclosure of assets by candidates is a step forward. We must also recapture the spirit of service and sacrifice in politics and rediscover a culture of austerity.

You seem to be the only campaigner for the party. One doesn't hear much about any other Congress leader in this campaign.

Far from it. There are many others. In February/March, we had 30 young leaders campaigning all over the country under a theme _ Disha 2004, Shiksha aur Rozgar. They were very well covered in the regional press. Many of our senior leaders are also out in the field. We have involved a large number of NGOs and technocrats like Sam Pitroda, for example, to recall Rajivji's contributions in IT and science and technology. Many of the BJP's campaigners are ministers and therefore it is natural that they receive greater national publicity. The media focuses on me for obvious reasons but our campaign is much more broad-based this time.